Patent · US Expired

Spreadsheet fields in text

US7120866B2 · kind B2 · utility

19Cited by
252References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 8, 2004
Grant dateOct 10, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 8, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F40/103
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system architecture integrates spreadsheet functionality into text. The architecture allows insertion of discrete individual fields, referred to as “free floating fields”, inline with normal textual sentences. The free floating fields offer spreadsheet functionality, including the ability to handle complex formulas, reference values in a separate free floating field or table, and automatically recalculate the formulas when a source value changes. The values and formula results can also be formatted (e.g., numbers, date, times, currency, etc.), like a spreadsheet, while remaining part of the normal text of a document. The architecture also has a spreadsheet functionality manager to manage the spreadsheet functions for the free floating fields, such as recalculation, formula handling, sorting, referencing, and the like.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.