Streaming data associated with cells in spreadsheets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9990349-B2
Application number	US-201615281885-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2016
Priority date	Nov 2, 2015
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

Systems for associating streaming data with cells of a spreadsheet are provided. Both dynamic data and static data may be associated with a single cell of the spreadsheet. Upon association, parameters (including stream attributes, image attributes and audio attributes) may be viewed and/or manipulated by a user, providing stream processing functionality within a spreadsheet. Controls may be provided for playing the streaming data and/or playing the streaming data in response to spreadsheet data satisfying a condition. Spreadsheet operations (e.g., sort and/or filter operations) may also be performed on a range of cells based on parameters of associated streaming data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
at least one processing unit; and
at least one memory storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processing unit, cause the system to perform a method, the method comprising:
receiving streaming data;
associating the streaming data with at least one cell of a spreadsheet;
dynamically displaying the streaming data within the at least one cell; and
in response to associating the streaming data with the at least one cell, retrieving one or more parameters for the streaming data, comprising:
referencing one or more data values associated with the one or more parameters of the streaming data in at least one formula; and
performing an operation when a threshold of the at least one formula is met by the one or more data values.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the streaming data comprises one of:
a live data feed;
streaming audio; and
streaming video.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a user interface for associating the streaming data with the at least one cell.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein receiving the streaming data comprises receiving a uniform resource locator (URL) for the live data feed in the user interface.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operation comprises one of:
displaying a notification when the threshold is met; and
sending a message when the threshold is met.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to the operation, relocating the at least one cell within the spreadsheet.

7. The system of claim 6 , further comprising one of:
moving the streaming data with the at least one relocated cell; and
not moving the streaming data with the at least one relocated cell.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising surfacing the one or more parameters in a user interface in response to at least one of:
hovering over the streaming data;
right-clicking the at least one cell; and
launching the user interface.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operation comprises one of: a sort operation and a filter operation.

10. A method for associating streaming data with at least one cell of a spreadsheet, the method comprising:
providing a user interface for associating streaming data with at least one cell of a spreadsheet;
receiving streaming data, wherein the streaming data comprises a live data feed;
associating the streaming data with the at least one cell; and
dynamically displaying the streaming data within the at least one cell of the spreadsheet comprising:
pausing the live data feed;
continuing to receive the live data feed into a cache; and
restarting the live data feed by streaming the live data feed from the cache.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the live data feed comprises one of:
streaming audio; and
streaming video.

12. The method of claim 10 , the user interface further comprising:
a play control for playing the streaming data;
a pause control for pausing the streaming data;
a stop control for stopping the streaming data; and
a rewind control for rewinding the streaming data.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
sending control instructions to a device transmitting the streaming data.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the device comprises one of:
a wearable device;
a camera;
a mobile device;
a sensor; and
an appliance.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
surfacing one or more parameters of the streaming data in a user interface.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising surfacing the one or more parameters in the user interface in response to at least one of:
hovering over the streaming data;
right-clicking the at least one cell; and
launching the user interface.

17. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processing unit, cause a computing device to:
receive streaming data for association with at least one cell of a spreadsheet;
associate the streaming data with the at least one cell;
dynamically display the streaming data within the at least one cell; and
in response to associating the streaming data with the at least one cell, surface one or more parameters of the streaming data in response to one of:
hovering over the streaming data;
right-clicking the at least one cell; and
launching the user interface.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , the computer executable instructions further causing the computing device to:
create a compound data type including the streaming data and additional data, wherein the compound data type comprises a plurality of fields;
dereference at least one field of the plurality of fields; and
perform an action on the at least one field.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , the computer executable instructions further causing the computing device to:
create a compound data type including the streaming data and additional data, wherein the compound data type comprises a plurality of fields; and
construct a formula to retrieve a value for at least one of the plurality of fields.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , the computer executable instructions further causing the computing device to:
create a compound data type including the streaming data and additional data; and
dynamically display an increased portion of the additional data within the at least one cell as the at least one cell is enlarged.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Campbell John
• Otero Carlos Augusto
• Canton Christian
• Fichtner Matthew Hart
• Radakovitz Samuel C
• Rampson Benjamin Edward

Classifications

• G06T11/26

  Drawing of charts or graphs · CPC title

• G06F40/18 Primary

  of spreadsheets (form-filling G06F40/174) · CPC title

• G06F40/106

  Display of layout of documents; Previewing · CPC title

• G06F3/04847

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• H04N5/272

  Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay · CPC title