System and methods for improved spreadsheet interface with user-familiar objects
DC CAFC
First Claim
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1. In an electronic spreadsheet system for storing and manipulating information, a method of representing and using a three-dimensional spreadsheet on a screen display, the method comprising:
- (a) displaying on said screen display a first spreadsheet page from a plurality of spreadsheet pages, each of said spreadsheet pages comprising an array of information cells arranged in row and column format, at least some of said information cells storing user-supplied information and formulas operative on said user-supplied information, each of said information cells being uniquely identified by a row, a column, and a spreadsheet page where the cell is located;
(b) while displaying said first spreadsheet page, displaying a row of spreadsheet page identifiers along one side of said first spreadsheet page, each said spreadsheet page identifier being displayed as an image of a notebook tab on said screen display and indicating a single respective spreadsheet page; and
(c) designating a three-dimensional block of cells in said three-dimensional spreadsheet by the steps of;
i) using an input device to designate a two-dimensional block of cells on said first spreadsheet page; and
ii) designating a selected one of said notebook tabs to designate a second spreadsheet page, and extend said two-dimensional block to a three-dimensional block of cells
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Abstract
An electronic spreadsheet system of the present invention includes a notebook interface having a plurality of notebook pages, each of which may contain a spread of information cells, or other desired page type (e.g., Graphs page). Methods are provided for rapidly accessing and processing information on the different pages, including displaying a plurality of page identifiers for selecting individual pages, and further including a preferred syntax for referencing information. Additional methods are provided for editing cells and blocks of cells.
272 Citations
17 Claims
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1. In an electronic spreadsheet system for storing and manipulating information, a method of representing and using a three-dimensional spreadsheet on a screen display, the method comprising:
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(a) displaying on said screen display a first spreadsheet page from a plurality of spreadsheet pages, each of said spreadsheet pages comprising an array of information cells arranged in row and column format, at least some of said information cells storing user-supplied information and formulas operative on said user-supplied information, each of said information cells being uniquely identified by a row, a column, and a spreadsheet page where the cell is located; (b) while displaying said first spreadsheet page, displaying a row of spreadsheet page identifiers along one side of said first spreadsheet page, each said spreadsheet page identifier being displayed as an image of a notebook tab on said screen display and indicating a single respective spreadsheet page; and (c) designating a three-dimensional block of cells in said three-dimensional spreadsheet by the steps of; i) using an input device to designate a two-dimensional block of cells on said first spreadsheet page; and ii) designating a selected one of said notebook tabs to designate a second spreadsheet page, and extend said two-dimensional block to a three-dimensional block of cells - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. In an electronic spreadsheet system for storing and manipulating information, a method of representing and using a three-dimensional spreadsheet on a screen display, the method comprising:
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(a) displaying on said screen display a first spreadsheet page from a plurality of spreadsheet pages, each of said spreadsheet pages comprising an array of information cells arranged in row and column format, at least some of said information cells storing user-supplied information and formulas operative on said user-supplied information, each of said information cells being uniquely identified by a row, a column, and a spreadsheet page identifier; (b) while displaying said first spreadsheet page, displaying a row of spreadsheet page identifiers along one side of said first spreadsheet page, each said spreadsheet page identifier being displayed as an image of a notebook tab on said screen display and indicating a single respective spreadsheet page, wherein; i) each of said notebook tabs comprises at least one user-supplied identifying character, said user-supplied identifying character used as said spreadsheet page identifier for cells on spreadsheet pages associated with their respective notebook tabs, each of said plurality of said spreadsheet pages in said three-dimensional spreadsheet associated with a unique one of said spreadsheet page identifiers; and ii) said user-supplied information in said rows and columns of information cells for each of said plurality of spreadsheet pages is stored in a single disk file; (c) requesting display of a second spreadsheet page in response to selection with an input device of a spreadsheet page identifier for said second spreadsheet page; (d) in response to said requesting step, displaying said second spreadsheet page from said single disk file on said screen display in a manner so as to obscure said first spreadsheet page from display while continuing to display at least a portion of said row of spreadsheet page identifiers; (e) using said spreadsheet page identifiers to identify a cell in a desired spreadsheet page when entering said formulas; and (f) designating a three-dimensional block of cells in said three-dimensional spreadsheet by the steps of; i) using an input device to designate a two-dimensional block of cells on said first spreadsheet page; and ii) designating a selected one of said notebook tabs to designate a second spreadsheet page, and extend said two-dimensional block to a three-dimensional block of cells.
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17. In an electronic spreadsheet system for modeling user-supplied information in a three-dimensional spreadsheet model, said three-dimensional spreadsheet model comprising a plurality of information cells storing data and formulas operative on said data, said system performing an aggregate operation on selected blocks of cells, a method for assisting a user with selecting a three-dimensional block of cells, the method comprising:
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(a) dividing said three-dimensional matrix of information cells into a plurality of two-dimensional matrices, each of said two-dimensional matrices being represented on a display device as a page array of information cells, wherein cell references between cells on one page array are formed by specifying row and column coordinates, and cell references between cells on different page arrays are formed by specifying row, column, and page coordinates, said three-dimensional matrix of information cells being stored on a storage device as a single disk file; (b) displaying with each said page array of information cells a tab identifier, so that each tab identifier of a particular page array displays the page coordinate for that particular page array; (c) receiving first user input for selecting a two-dimensional block of cells from a first page array, whereupon said system selects said two-dimensional block of cells from said first page array; (d) while said two-dimensional block of cells is selected, receiving second user input for extending said two-dimensional block of cells into a three-dimensional block of cells, said second user input including user selection of the tab identifier for a second page array, whereupon said system extends said two-dimensional block of cells from said first page array into said three-dimensional block of cells spanning from said first page array to said second page array; and (e) receiving third user input for requesting said aggregate operation, whereupon said system performs said aggregate operation on said three-dimensional block of cells.
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Specification
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Litigation Data
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Current AssigneeBorland Software Corporation (Open Text Corporation)
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Original AssigneeBorland International, Inc. (Open Text Corporation)
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InventorsAnderson, Charles R., Warfield, Robert W., Cseri, Istvan, Low, Murray K., Liaw, Weikuo, Bush, Alan M.
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Primary Examiner(s)Zimmerman, Mark K.
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Assistant Examiner(s)FEILD, JOSEPH H
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Application NumberUS07/866,658Time in Patent Office1,133 DaysField of Search395/155, 395/148, 395/158, 395/149, 395/159, 395/160, 395/161, 340/747, 340/748, 364/401, 345/24, 345/25US Class Current715/209CPC Class CodesG06F 3/0481 based on specific propertie...G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-struc...G06F 40/10 Text processing natural lan...G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing o...G06F 40/117 Tagging; Marking up details...G06F 40/12 Use of codes for handling t...G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-fillin...G06F 8/38 for implementing user inter...G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for ...Y10S 715/973 Scroll tool, e.g. window sc...
