IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,588,953
Granted Patent B2
US 9,588,953 · App. 13/280,754 · Granted Mar 7, 2017

Drag and drop always sum formulas

Inventors: Eric W. Patterson (Sammamish, WA); Karen X. Cheng (Seattle, WA); Benjamin Edward Rampson (Woodinville, WA)
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
G06F17/246
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,588,953
App. No.
13/280,754
Granted
Mar 7, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Inserting a formula at a location on a content surface in a user interface is provided. A user interface showing a status bar which includes one or more predetermined calculations may be displayed on a computer. The computer may receive a selection of a predetermined calculation from the status bar in the user interface. The selected predetermined calculation may then be dragged from the status bar and inserted at a drop location on the content surface in the user interface. The computer may then automatically generate a formula corresponding to the selected predetermined calculation in the user interface.

Claims (47)

1. A computer-implemented method for inserting a formula at a location on a content surface in a user interface, comprising:

displaying in the user interface, by a computer, a status bar comprising calculation icons, the calculation icons being automatically generated based on selected data values displayed on the content surface in the user interface;

adding a custom calculation to the status bar in the user interface,

wherein the calculation icons include the custom calculation and at least one predetermined calculation;

receiving in the user interface, by the computer, a selection of one of the calculation icons in the status bar;

dragging in the user interface, by the computer, the selected calculation icon from the status bar;

inserting in the user interface, by the computer, the selected calculation icon at a drop location on the content surface;

automatically generating in the user interface, by the computer, a formula corresponding to the selected calculation icon; and

after inserting the selected calculation icon at the drop location on the content surface, displaying the formula corresponding to the selected calculation icon in a formula bar, the formula bar being displayed on the content surface.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, in the user interface, the selection of a range of values on the content surface prior to displaying in the user interface, by the computer, the status bar comprising the calculation icons.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising automatically inserting a descriptive label in the content surface adjacent to each of the calculation icons.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein adding the custom calculation to the status bar in the user interface comprises dragging a custom formula to the status bar.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying in the user interface, by the computer, the status bar comprising the calculation icons comprises displaying at least one aggregate function result.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein displaying the at least one function result another cell at least one aggregate function result comprises displaying the at least one aggregate function result selected from a group comprising: an average, a count, a minimum, a maximum, a numerical count and a sum.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein inserting in the user interface, by the computer, the selected calculation icon at the drop location on the content surface comprises inserting the selected calculation icon into a cell in a spreadsheet.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection of the at least one calculation is a selection of the custom calculation.

9. A computer system for inserting a formula at a location on a content surface in a user interface, comprising:

a memory for storing executable program code; and

a processor, functionally coupled to the memory, the processor being responsive to computer-executable instructions contained in the program code and operative to:

receive, in the user interface, a selection of a range of values on the content surface;

display, in the user interface a status bar comprising at least one calculation, the at least one calculation being automatically generated based on the selected range of values displayed on the content surface in the user interface;

adding a custom calculation to the status bar in the user interface, wherein the at least one calculation includes the custom calculation;

receive, in the user interface a selection of the at least one calculation in the status bar;

drag, in the user interface, the selected at least one calculation from the status bar;

insert, in the user interface, the selected at least one calculation at a drop location on the content surface;

automatically generate, in the user interface, a formula corresponding to the selected at least one calculation; and

after inserting the selected at least one calculation at the drop location on the content surface, display the formula corresponding to the at least one calculation in a formula bar, the formula bar being displayed on the content surface.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further operative to automatically insert, in the user interface, a descriptive label in the content surface adjacent to the at least one calculation.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor, in adding the custom calculation to the status bar in the user interface, is further operative to drag a custom formula to the status bar.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one calculation comprises at least one aggregate function result.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one aggregate function result comprises at least one function result selected from a group comprising: an average, a count, a minimum, a maximum, a numerical count and a sum.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the content surface comprises a spreadsheet.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the drop location comprises a cell in the spreadsheet.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the selection of the at least one calculation in the status bar is a selection of the custom calculation.

17. A memory comprising computer executable instructions which, when executed by a computer comprising a processor, will cause the computer to perform a method for inserting a formula in a cell in a spreadsheet, comprising:

receiving, in a user interface, a selection of a range of cells in the spreadsheet, the range of cells comprising a plurality of values;

displaying, in the user interface, a status bar comprising at least one aggregate function result, the at least one aggregate function result being automatically generated based on the selected range of cells in the spreadsheet;

adding at a custom calculation to the status bar in the user interface, wherein the at least one aggregate function result includes the custom calculation;

receiving, in the user interface, a selection of the at least one aggregate function result in the status bar;

dragging, in the user interface, the selected at least one aggregate function result from the status bar;

dropping, in the user interface, the selected at least one aggregate function result in the cell in the spreadsheet;

automatically generating, in the user interface, a formula corresponding to the selected at least one aggregate function result;

after inserting the selected at least one aggregate function result in the cell in the spreadsheet, displaying the formula corresponding to the at least one aggregate function result in a formula bar, the formula bar being displayed in the; and

automatically inserting, in the user interface, a descriptive label in computer executable instructions at least one function result another cell adjacent to the cell in which the formula corresponding to the selected at least one aggregate function result was generated.

18. The memory of claim 17 , wherein adding the custom calculation to the status bar in the user interface comprises dragging a custom formula to the status bar.

19. The memory of claim 17 , wherein displaying, in the user interface, at least one aggregate function result comprises displaying at least one predetermined function result selected from a group comprising: an average, a count, a minimum, a maximum, a numerical count and a sum.

20. The memory of claim 17 , wherein the selection of the at least one aggregate function result in the status bar is a selection of the custom calculation.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2014
From: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 034544/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 25, 2011
From: PATTERSON, ERIC W.; CHENG, KAREN X.; RAMPSON, BENJAMIN EDWARD
To: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 027116/0555 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20130104020A1 · Apr 25, 2013