Abstract:
The present invention contemplates a method and system for automatically entering a data series into an electronic spreadsheet program or the like. After the user has selected source cells containing the start of the data series, the manipulation may be carried out with little effort on the part of the user. In a preferred embodiment, to enter a data series, the user merely positions the cursor over a predetermined location on the outside border of the source cells, depresses and holds down a predefined mouse button, drags the border to a new location, and then releases the mouse button. The data series is automatically created based on the contents of the source cells and predetermined criteria.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates generally to data manipulation and particularly to the direct manipulation of cells by a user of an electronic spreadsheet system or the like. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary use of computers, especially personal computers, is information processing. There is a wide variety of application programs available that &#34;computerize&#34; information processing tasks that were previously performed manually. One such application program is Microsoft Excel, an accounting program for personal or business use. In application programs such as Microsoft Excel, a worksheet is the primary document used to store and manipulate data. One commonly used type of worksheet is a spreadsheet, which is a two or more-dimensional, rectangular grid of a finite number of columns and rows. The intersection of each column and row is a cell, the basic unit of a worksheet in which a user may enter and store data. In order to enter data in a cell or edit the contents of data already stored in a cell, a user must begin by selecting the appropriate cell. The selected cell, also called the active cell, is highlighted in some way to inform the user that the cell is selected. The next data the user types after selecting a cell will be entered into the selected cell or the next command the user chooses will be applied to the selected cell. If more than one cell is selected at a time, the group of cells is highlighted in a uniform manner. The first cell selected in the group of cells is still referred to as the active cell. 
     The purpose of an electronic spreadsheet is to allow a user to manipulate large amounts of data with relative ease. At some point in time, however, the data needs to be entered into the worksheet. This data entry can take a considerable amount of time and it may involve entering some repetitious data. 
     To make it easier for users to enter data into the worksheet, spreadsheet programs, such as Microsoft Excel, help users create a series of dates, text, or numbers. Such series are helpful if a user is entering dates, text, or numbers in consecutive cells and each date, text, or number always increases or decreases by a constant amount or factor. Microsoft Excel&#39;s Data Series command helps users to enter a data series into the worksheet. The Data Series command is especially useful for creating a series of column or row titles based on incremental time periods, such as weekly or monthly increments, and for creating data tables. 
     Using one of the prior art data series is more time efficient than entering in the consecutive series of data manually, but there are still drawbacks. To enter a series of dates or numbers, the user must specify the starting value, the direction the user wants to fill (row or column), the increment, decrement, or factor, and, optionally, a stop value for the series. (See FIG. 1A). Microsoft Excel then creates and enters the series based on the user&#39;s specifications. If a stop value is not specified, Microsoft Excel will fill the entire selection. More specifically, to carry out the creation of a data series, the user must go through the following steps. 
     1. In the first cell to be filled with the series, the user must enter the starting value for the series. 
     2. The user must select the cells in the row or column that are to be filled with the series, including the starting value as the first cell in the selection. 
     3. The user must choose the command Data from the menu bar and then choose the subcommand Series. A dialog box will appear after the Data Series command has been selected. (See FIG. 1A). 
     4. If the user&#39;s selection is a row, the user must select the &#34;rows&#34; option in the dialog box. If the selection is a column, the user must select the &#34;columns&#34; option in the dialog box. 
     5. The user must select a type of series from the dialog box, such as linear or date. If the date option is selected, the user must also specify the date unit, i.e., day, weekday, month, year, the user wishes to increment or decrement. 
     6. The user must specify the step value (increment or decrement) to be used in the series if the step value is not equal to 1. 
     7. If the user wishes the series to stop at a certain value, the user may enter that value in the stop value box. Otherwise, Microsoft Excel fills the entire selection. 
     The prior art systems require a user to be familiar with a variety of function keys and edit commands. When a user is entering large amounts of data to a worksheet, it is inconvenient to have to perform so many steps in order to enter a data series into the worksheet. The user is forced to interrupt the data entry and deal with a dialog box. No technique is known in the electronic spreadsheet environment for entering a data series without going through the time consuming series creation-type operations. 
     SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention contemplates a method and system for automatically entering a data series into an electronic spreadsheet program or the like. After the user has selected source cells containing the start of the data series, the manipulation may be carried out with little effort on the part of the user. In a preferred embodiment, to enter a data series, the user merely positions the cursor over a predefined location on the outside border of the source cells, depresses and holds down a predefined mouse button, drags the border to a new location, and then releases the mouse button. The data series is created based on the contents of the source cells and predetermined criteria. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and system for directly entering a data series into an electronic spreadsheet environment or the like. 
     It is another object of the present invention to make filling a range of cells with values easy, simple, and smart. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a computer system running an electronic spreadsheet program, the computer system having a mouse, keyboard, and display screen. 
     FIG. 1A shows a prior art spreadsheet. 
     FIG. 2 shows a typical electronic spreadsheet window where the worksheet is arranged in columns and rows, and a pointer as they are seen on the display screen of FIG. 1. 
     FIGS. 3, 7, and 10 show the electronic spreadsheet window displayed on the display screen of FIG. 1 after a user has made a source cell selection. 
     FIG. 4 shows the new shape of the pointer after it has been positioned over the fill handle of the source cell selection in the electronic spreadsheet window on the display screen of FIG. 1. 
     FIGS. 5, 8, and 11 show the electronic spreadsheet window displayed on the display screen of FIG. 1 after a user has selected the destination cells by enlarging the border of the source cells to include additional cells. 
     FIGS. 6, 9, and 12 show the electronic spreadsheet window displayed on the display screen of FIG. 1 after a user has enlarged the border of the source cells and released the mouse button to create a data series. 
     FIG. 13 shows an overview flow diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 14 shows the electronic spreadsheet window displayed on the display of FIG. 1 after a user has positioned the pointer over the fill handle, depressed the mouse button, and then dragged the fill handle back into the selection. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is best understood with reference to the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-14. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a computer system 10 running an electronic spreadsheet program. The computer system 10 comprises a CPU 11, a mouse input device 12, including a control input button 13, and keyboard 14, and a display screen 15. The control input button 13 actuates a contact switch to generate selection signals and other commands. The user moves the mouse along a flat surface to generate pointer position input commands, which are supplied to the CPU 11. Mouse movement is translated into x-y coordinates on the display screen 15 in a known manner. A pointer 16 on the display screen 15 moves in connection with the mouse 12. 
     FIG. 1A shows a prior art spreadsheet in the process of creating a data series. The cell selection 17 will contain the data series after it is created. The user chooses options in the dialog box 18 to define the series. The steps discussed above in the background section describe the cumbersome way a data series is created in prior art systems. 
     FIG. 2 shows a typical electronic spreadsheet window 20 and a pointer 16 as they are seen on the display screen 15 of FIG. 1. The worksheet contains a grid of columns and rows, the intersection of which is referred to as a cell. The currently selected cell 21 is referred to as the active cell. The active cell 21 is surrounded by a dark border 22. The mouse 12 is used to position the pointer 16, normally in the shape of a plus sign, over the cells displayed in the spreadsheet window 20. When the mouse button 13 is depressed, the cell under the pointer 16 is given a dark border 22 and it becomes the new active cell. If the mouse 12 is moved while the mouse button 13 is depressed, the selection is continued and additional cells are surrounded by the dark border as the pointer 16 is dragged over them to signify the selection. A dark border 22 will appear around the contiguous cells as they are selected. In a preferred embodiment, a fill handle 23 is located in the lower right hand corner of the dark border 22. When more than one cell is selected, all of the selected cells are highlighted except for the first cell in the selection, still called the active cell, which remains white. A multiple cell selection begins with the cell over which the pointer was positioned when the mouse button was depressed, and continues to the cell over which the pointer was positioned when the mouse button was released. 
     FIGS. 3-12 are screen prints which illustrate a preferred embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 shows a single user-selected cell 21. The cell 21 will be the source cell for the creation of the data series. Note the fill handle 23 in the lower right hand corner of the border 22. The pointer 16 is in the shape of a plus sign while the cell selection is being made. After a selection is made, if the mouse button 13 is depressed when the pointer 16 is not over any part of the dark border 22 of the cell selection 21, the selection is cancelled and a new active cell is created under the pointer. FIG. 4 shows the new shape of the pointer 16 after it has been positioned over the fill handle 23 of the cell selection 21. In the preferred embodiment described herein, the pointer 16 takes the shape of a small, thin plus sign while it is positioned over the fill handle 23 of a cell selection 21, indicating to the user that a data series can be created. 
     FIG. 5 shows the electronic spreadsheet window 20 after the user has selected the destination cells 51 which will contain the data series. The user selected the destination cells by enlarging the source cell selection 21. The user enlarged the source cell selection 21 by depressing the mouse button 13 while the pointer 16 was positioned over the fill handle 23, and then moving the pointer 16 to a new location in the worksheet while holding down the mouse button 13. This procedure is also known as &#34;dragging&#34; the fill handle. (The user has not yet released the mouse button.) A fuzzy border 52 is created to surround the destination cells 51. The system also provides visual feedback 52 to the user regarding the stopping value of the data series as the user is expanding the source cell selection. 
     FIG. 6 shows the electronic spreadsheet window 20 after the user has selected the destination cells 51 and released the mouse button 13. The destination cells 51 now contain a data series beginning with the month of January, ending with the month of October and having a month increment. The system took what was in the source cell 31 and created the data series without requiring the user to specify numerous parameters. After the data series is created, the destination cells 51 become new source cells, with a dark border 22 and fill handle 23 in case the user wants to extend the data series even further. The user could have created a data series by extending the border of the source selection in any direction. 
     FIG. 7 shows the electronic spreadsheet window 20 after the user has selected a plurality of cells to be the source cells 21. The first cell in the source selection 21 contains text and a number, while the second cell is blank. FIG. 8 shows the electronic spreadsheet window 20 after the user has selected the destination cells 51 in the manner described above. A fuzzy border 52 surrounds the destination cells 51. FIG. 9 shows the electronic spreadsheet window 20 after the user has selected the destination cells 51 and released the mouse button 13. The data series Widget 1, (blank cell), Widget 2, (blank cell), Widget 3, (blank cell), etc., has been automatically created and entered into the spreadsheet. 
     FIG. 10 shows the electronic spreadsheet window 20 after a user has made a two-dimensional source selection 21. The fill handle 23 is once again located in the bottom right corner of the source selection border 22. FIG. 11 shows the electronic spreadsheet window 20 after a user has selected the destination cells 51 in the manner described above. FIG. 12 shows the two-dimensional data series created and entered into the destination cells 51 after the user has selected the destination cells and released the mouse button 13. Note that the data series ended with &#34;Widget 6, Sales&#34; rather than &#34;(blank cell), Expenses.&#34; The data series ended this way because the system only continues to series to the end of the destination cells 51, even if it means cutting off the series. 
     FIG. 13 illustrates an overview flow diagram of the present invention. In block 130, the user selects one or more source cells, where at least one cell contains data. The data in the source cells will be the beginning of the data series. The process continues on to block 132, where the user then selects the destination cells that will contain the data series. After the destination cells are selected, in block 134 the system automatically creates a data series and enters the data series into the destination cells. The creation of the data series depends on a comparison of the contents of the source cells with predetermined criteria. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Table A contains such predetermined criteria. 
     
                       TABLE A______________________________________    Source = 1              Source &gt; 2Data Type    cell       Source = 2 cells                            cells______________________________________Text     Replicate  Replicate    Replicate               pattern      patternNumber   Replicate  Linear       Linear fitSpecial Text    Linear     Linear       Replicate                            pattern/LinearText +   Linear     Linear       ReplicateNumber                           pattern/LinearDates &amp;  Linear     Linear       ReplicateTimes                            pattern/LinearMixed    N/A        Replicate    Replicate               pattern/Linear                            pattern/LinearFormulas Replicate  Replicate    Replicate               pattern      pattern______________________________________ 
    
     Alternatively, a user may override the predetermined criteria by using control keys in addition to the mouse. For example, a user could depress the control key while dragging the fill handle to indicate that the source cells should be replicated instead of made into a linear series. 
     The system first determines how many cells are in the source selection, and then what data types are contained in each of the source cells. For example, if the source cell selection consisted of one cell, which contained a number, the data series would merely be a replication of the number in the source cell. If the source cell selection consisted of two cells, with each cell containing unique numbers, the data series would be a linear series beginning with the two numbers in the source cells. In accordance with the preferred embodiment described herein, Table B contains examples of source cell selections, their data types, and the corresponding data series that would be entered into the destination cells. 
     
                       TABLE B______________________________________Source Cells     Data Type Destination Cells______________________________________1, 2      Numeric   1, 2, 3, . . .1, 1      Numeric   1, 1, 1, . . .2, 4      Numeric   2, 4, 6, . . .2         Numeric   2, 2, 2, . . .a         Text      a, a, a, . . .a, b,     Text      a, b, a, b, . . .a, b, c,  Text      a, b, c, a, b, c, . . .1/1/90    Dates/Times               1/1/90, 1/2/90, 1/3/90Jan-90    Dates/Times               Jan-90, Feb-90, Mar-901/90      Dates/Times               1/90, 2/90, 3/901/5/90, 2/5/90     Dates/Times               1/5/90, 2/5/90, 3/5/90, . . .1/30/92   Dates/Times               1/30/92, 2/28/92, 3/30/92, . . .1/90, 1/92     Dates/Times               1/90, 1/92, 1/94, . . .Mon.      Special Text               Mon., Tue., Wed., . . .Mon., Mon.     Special Text               Mon., Mon., Mon., . . .Monday,   Special Text               Monday, Wednesday, Friday, . . .WednesdaySunday, Saturday     Special Text               Sunday, Saturday, Friday,               Thursday, . . .qtr 1     Special Text               qtr 1, qtr 2, qtr 3, qtr 4,               qtr 1, . . .Quarter 1 Special Text               Quarter 1, Quarter 2, Quarter               3, Quarter 4, . . .WIDGET 1  Text/Number               WIDGET 1, WIDGET 2, WIDGET 3,               WIDGET 4, WIDGET 5, . . .1a, 2a    Text/Number               1a, 2a, 1a, 2a, . . .WIDGET, 1 Text/Number               WIDGET, 1, WIDGET, 2, WIDGET,               3, . . .Monday, 1 Text/Number               Monday, 1, Tuesday, 2,               Wednesday, 3, . . .+A1+A3    Formula   +A1+A3, +B1+B3, +C1+C3, . . .               (when destination cells are to               the right of source cell)+A1+A3    Formula   +A1+A3, +A2+A4, +A3+A5, . . .               (when destination cells are               under Source cell)SUM(A1:A8)     Formula   SUM(B1:B8), SUM(C1:C8), . . .______________________________________ 
    
     An additional feature of the present invention allows a user to clear a selection by dragging the fill handle into the selection. FIG. 14 illustrates this feature. To clear some of the cells in the selection 21, namely, the user merely has to drag the fill handle into the selection 21 and over cell A6 and then release the mouse button. FIG. 14 shows the electronic spreadsheet window 20 after a user has dragged the fill handle back into the selection 21, but before the user has released the mouse button 13. The cells about to be cleared are blocked out. As soon as the user releases the mouse button, the blocked-out cells will be cleared. Alternatively, control keys could be used in combination with mouse buttons to give the user other options, such as removing the cells from the worksheet instead of just clearing the contents. 
     Although the present invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it is not intended that the invention be limited to these embodiments. Modifications within the spirit of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims that follow.