Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Christopher E Graham

Lisa R James

Christopher J Guzak

Joseph D Belfiore

Tandy W Trower, Ii

Ross A Hunter

Randall Lee Kerr

Adrian M Wyard

Raymond E Fowkes

Timothy W McGuire, Jr

Chris Duncan

Jon Devaan

Brian Capson

Stephen M Madigan

Wes Cherry

Time and velocity metrics are used to control when information about a graphical object to which a cursor points is displayed on a video display. The time metric is used to ensure that a non-negligible amount of time passes between the time at which the cursor initially points to the graphical object and the time at which the information about the graphical object is displayed on the video display. The time delay helps to eliminate such information being displayed inadvertently when the user quickly passes the cursor over graphical objects in the video display. In addition, the timing control facilitates the shortening of the delay when it appears that the user wishes to browse amongst several related graphical objects that are shown in the video display. For example, when it appears that the user wishes to browse tools on the tool bar, the delay is shortened. The velocity metric is used to determine the likelihood that the user intended to point to the graphical object and serves to minimize instances where undesired information about the graphical object is displayed.

Timing and velocity control for displaying graphical information

A method and system for directly manipulating cells in an electronic spreadsheet program or the like. After the user has selected the cells to be manipulated, the user merely positions the cursor over any part of the outside border of the selected group of cells, depresses and holds down a predefined mouse button, drags the border to a new location and then releases the mouse button. Depending upon which mouse button or control key was depressed, the user may be presented with options such as whether the manipulation should be to move or copy the selected cells, or the selected cells may be moved and no option presented. Depending upon which control key was depressed or upon the location of the repositioned border, the selected cells may be pasted over existing cells, or they may be inserted into the spreadsheet causing the existing cells to be shifted right and/or down.

Method and system for the direct manipulation of cells in an electronic

A system for scrolling during a drag and drop operation is provided wherein the determination of whether to scroll is based on the location of a mouse indicator as well as the speed of the mouse indicator. The system maintains a predetermined threshold that is empirically proven to reliably distinguish as to whether a user wishes to perform a drag and drop operation or whether the user wishes to invoke the automatic scrolling of the present invention. The system determines when the mouse indicator is over a predefined area of a window, compares the speed of the mouse indicator to the predetermined threshold and scrolls the window if the mouse indicator is over the predefined area and the speed is less than the predetermined threshold.

Auto-scrolling with mouse speed computation during dragging

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.

Method and system for automatically entering a data series into

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.

Auto-scrolling during a drag and drop operation

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Redmond, WA, United States of America

Christopher E Graham