# US 10,372,810 B2 · Smarter copy/paste > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,372,810 B2 - Document ID: US10372810B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/479,630 - Filed: 2017-04-05 - Published: 2018-10-11 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-04-05 - Assignees: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Applicants: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Inventors: David Michael Callaghan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10372810B2 ## CPC - G06F 40/18: of spreadsheets (form-filling G06F40/174) - G06F 9/543: {User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]} - G06F 40/166: Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting - G06F 40/177: of tables; using ruled lines - G06F 3/04842: Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Various embodiments of the present technology generally relate to smarter copy and paste tools. More specifically, some embodiments relate to an intelligent cut and paste tool that includes functionality for tables where headers/labels are automatically determined and incorporated in the copied cells even if those headers/labels were not selected for copying. For example, in response to a request to copy selected data within the first table, a set of corresponding cells that includes labeling information for the data from the one or more cells can be identified. Once identified, the labeling information and the selected data can be copied to a clipboard. Then, in response to a request to paste the data from the clipboard, a second table can be created having cells that include the labeling information and the selected data. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause a machine to: determine, in response to a request to copy data, whether the data is part of a table having rows and columns; identify, when a determination is made that the data is part of a table, headers for the rows or the columns corresponding to the data identified in the request to copy data by searching to identify one or more cells within the table that are formatted differently from the data identified in the request to copy data; create an entry in a clipboard corresponding to the data and the headers; and paste, in response to a request to paste, the data and the headers from the table in a location specified by a user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions that when executed by the one or more processors further cause the machine to generate, in response to the request to paste, a graphical user interface that can be displayed on a client device, wherein the graphical user interface includes: a first option to paste that upon selection creates a second table that includes the headers and the data; and a second option to paste that creates a third table with only the data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the one or more processors cause the machine to paste the data in a second table that positions the headers adjacent to the data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the table is located within a spreadsheet application and the location of the paste is in a second application. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the entry in the clipboard includes different data structures with metadata, the data identified in the request to copy, and the headers and wherein the different data structures are accessed by a paste application which then formats the metadata, data, and headers before pasting to the location identified by the user. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the clipboard is an application clipboard or an operating system clipboard. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions when executed by the one or more processors cause the machine to identify the headers by searching for a cell within the table that is formatted differently from the data identified in the request to copy and identifying a first row or a first column with content in the table. ### Claim 8 A method for copying and pasting data from a first table, the method comprising: identifying, in response to a request to copy data from one or more cells selected by a user within the first table, a set of corresponding cells within the first table that includes labeling information for the data from the one or more cells; copying the set of corresponding cells with the labeling information and the data from the one or more cells to create an entry in a clipboard, wherein the entry in the clipboard includes different data structures with metadata, the data identified in the request to copy data, and the labeling information, and wherein the different data structures are accessed by a paste application which then formats the metadata, data, and labeling information before pasting to a location identified by the user; and creating, in response to a request to paste using the paste application, a second table having cells that include the set of corresponding cells with the labeling information and the data from the one or more cells within the first table. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising generating, in response to the request to paste, a graphical user interface that can be displayed on a client device, wherein the graphical user interface includes: a first option to paste that upon selection creates the second table that includes the set of corresponding cells with the labeling information and the data form the one or more cells within the first table; and a second option to paste that creates a third table with only the data from the one or more cells within the first table. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the second table positions the set of corresponding cells with the labeling information adjacent to the data from the one or more cells pasted from the first table. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein identifying the set of corresponding cells within the first table with labeling information by searching for one or more cells within the first table that are formatted differently from the one or more cells identified in the request to copy. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the first table is located within a spreadsheet application and the second table is created in a second application. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the set of corresponding cells within the first table were not identified as part of the request to copy and wherein the clipboard is an operating system clipboard. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the first table is created in a spreadsheet application hosted on a cloud-based service and the clipboard is a plugin created in a thin client. ### Claim 15 A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause a machine to: determine, in response to a request to copy data, whether the data is part of a table having rows and columns; identify, when a determination is made that the data is part of a table, headers for the rows or the columns corresponding to the data identified in the request to copy data, wherein the headers are identified by searching for cells within the table that are formatted differently from the data identified in the request to copy and identifying a first row or a first column with content in the table; create an entry in a clipboard corresponding to the data and the headers; and paste, in response to a request to paste, the data and the headers from the table in a location specified by a user. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions that when executed by the one or more processors further cause the machine to generate, in response to the request to paste, a graphical user interface that can be displayed on a client device, wherein the graphical user interface includes: a first option to paste that upon selection creates a second table that includes the headers and the data; and a second option to paste that creates a third table with only the data. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions when executed by the one or more processors cause the machine to paste the data in a second table that positions the headers adjacent to the data. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions when executed by the one or more processors cause the machine to identify the headers by searching for a cell within the table that is formatted differently from the data identified in the request to copy. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the table is located within a spreadsheet application and the location of the paste is in a second application. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the entry in the clipboard includes different data structures with metadata, the data selected identified in the request to copy, and the headers and wherein the different data structures are accessed by a paste application which then formats the metadata, data, and headers before pasting to the location identified by the user.