US 9,436,672 B2Granted

Representing and manipulating hierarchical data

AssigneePower Modes Pty. Ltd.

InventorDavid Paul Greenwood

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Abstract

A methodology for representing hierarchical relationships between data in cells utilizes formatting of rows, columns, and cell borders, as well as blank rows. Such formatting and data table structure can be manipulated manually by a user, or automatically by software code, or via some combination of the two. The methodology involves first setting hierarchical relationships between columns or group of columns, or rows and groups of rows, in a spreadsheet or other document as levels and/or groups. Preferably, hierarchical relationships between data added to cells defined in different levels is represented by formatting a connecting border between cells in different levels with a line on either a left or right side (e.g. for columns) or a top or bottom (e.g. for rows).

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for converting a data table to a data table graphically presenting hierarchical relationships, the method comprising:

(a) displaying, to a user via a display associated with an electronic device, a data table comprising a plurality of rows and columns defining a plurality of cells;
(b) receiving, from the user via one or more input devices associated with the electronic device, an indication to assign a first set of one or more columns of the plurality of columns to a first level;
(c) automatically sorting, in response to the received indication to assign the first set of columns to the first level, the data table based on data in a left-most column of the first set of columns;
(d) automatically determining one or more groups of rows having duplicate data in the left-most column of the first set of columns, and, for each group, removing duplicate values in subsequent rows after the first row;
(e) automatically formatting a connecting border to the right of the right-most column of the first set of columns such that a connecting line is established connecting the right-most column of the first set of columns and one or more associated cells in the column immediately to the right of the right-most column of the first set of columns;
(f) inserting one or more blank rows separating the one or more groups of rows found to have duplicate data in the left-most column of the first set of columns;
(g) receiving, from the user via one or more input devices associated with the electronic device, an indication to assign a second set of one or more columns of the plurality of columns to a second level;
(h) in response to the received indication to assign the second set of columns to the second level, for each group of cells associated with the same parent group in the first level,
(i) sorting the data table based on data in a left-most column of the second set of columns, such sorting only sorting together cells associated with the same parent group in the first level;
(ii) automatically determining one or more groupings of rows having duplicate data in the left-most column of the second set of columns, and, for each grouping, removing duplicate values in subsequent rows after the first row;
(iii) automatically formatting a connecting border to the right of the right-most column of the second set of columns such that a connecting line is established connecting the right-most column of the second set of columns and one or more associated cells in the column immediately to the right of the right-most column of the second set of columns;
(iv) inserting one or more blank rows separating the one or more groupings of rows found to have duplicate data in the left-most column of the second set of columns.

9 more elements

A method for converting a data table to a data table graphically presenting hierarchical relationships, the method comprising:

(a) loading, at an electronic device, data into a data table comprising a plurality of rows and columns defining a plurality of cells;
(b) automatically determining a first set of one or more columns of the plurality of columns to assign to a first level;
(c) automatically sorting, in response to the determination to assign the first set of columns to the first level, the data table based on data in a left-most column of the first set of columns;
(d) automatically determining one or more groups of rows having duplicate data in the left-most column of the first set of columns, and, for each group, removing duplicate values in subsequent rows after the first row;
(e) automatically formatting a connecting border to the right of the right-most column of the first set of columns such that a connecting line is established connecting the right-most column of the first set of columns and one or more associated cells in the column immediately to the right of the right-most column of the first set of columns;
(f) inserting one or more blank rows separating the one or more groups of rows found to have duplicate data in the left-most column of the first set of columns;
(g) automatically determining a second set of one or more columns of the plurality of columns to assign to a second level;
(h) in response to the determination to assign the second set of columns to the second level, for each group of cells associated with the same parent group in the first level,
(i) sorting the data table based on data in a left-most column of the second set of columns, such sorting only sorting together cells associated with the same parent group in the first level;
(ii) automatically determining one or more groupings of rows having duplicate data in the left-most column of the second set of columns, and, for each grouping, removing duplicate values in subsequent rows after the first row;
(iii) automatically formatting a connecting border to the right of the right-most column of the second set of columns such that a connecting line is established connecting the right-most column of the second set of columns and one or more associated cells in the column immediately to the right of the right-most column of the second set of columns;
(iv) inserting one or more blank rows separating the one or more groupings of rows found to have duplicate data in the left-most column of the second set of columns.

9 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions for performing a method for converting a data table to a data table graphically presenting hierarchical relationships, the method comprising:

(a) loading, at an electronic device, data into a data table comprising a plurality of rows and columns defining a plurality of cells;
(b) automatically determining a first set of one or more columns of the plurality of columns to assign to a first level;
(c) automatically sorting, in response to the determination to assign the first set of columns to the first level, the data table based on data in a left-most column of the first set of columns;
(d) automatically determining one or more groups of rows having duplicate data in the left-most column of the first set of columns, and, for each group, removing duplicate values in subsequent rows after the first row;
(e) automatically formatting a connecting border to the right of the right-most column of the first set of columns such that a connecting line is established connecting the right-most column of the first set of columns and one or more associated cells in the column immediately to the right of the right-most column of the first set of columns;
(f) inserting one or more blank rows separating the one or more groups of rows found to have duplicate data in the left-most column of the first set of columns;
(g) automatically determining a second set of one or more columns of the plurality of columns to assign to a second level;
(h) in response to the determination to assign the second set of columns to the second level, for each group of cells associated with the same parent group in the first level,
(i) sorting the data table based on data in a left-most column of the second set of columns, such sorting only sorting together cells associated with the same parent group in the first level;
(ii) automatically determining one or more groupings of rows having duplicate data in the left-most column of the second set of columns, and, for each grouping, removing duplicate values in subsequent rows after the first row;
(iii) automatically formatting a connecting border to the right of the right-most column of the second set of columns such that a connecting line is established connecting the right-most column of the second set of columns and one or more associated cells in the column immediately to the right of the right-most column of the second set of columns;
(iv) inserting one or more blank rows separating the one or more groupings of rows found to have duplicate data in the left-most column of the second set of columns.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/566,095Filed 10 Dec 2014 · us provisional application
Priority: 11 Dec 2013
Published: US 2015/0186352 A12 Jul 2015
Granted: 6 Sep 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

G06F 40/18
Of tables; using ruled lines: of spreadsheets
G06F 16/24556
Unary operations; Data partitioning operations: aggregation; Duplicate elimination
G06F 40/103
Text processing: formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents
G06F 40/137
Use of codes for handling textual entities: hierarchical processing, e.g. outlines

Family

Application61/914,622Us provisional application · filed 11 Dec 2013
US 2015/0186352 A1Pre-grant publication · published 2 Jul 2015
US 9,436,672 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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