Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Oracle America, Inc.

Paul J Rank

Akhil Arora

Herbert Ong

Mingchi Stephen Mak

Brian A Cameron

John C Pampuch

David J Proulx

A method and apparatus is provided for enabling a spreadsheet program with formula support on small devices (like PDAs) while minimizing the amount of memory space used by the program and the accompanying compiled code during transfer of files from the desktop to the small devices. The user can download a spreadsheet file from the desktop to the small device via a conduit. A conduit is any 2-way communication device which connects a desktop to a small device and allows the transfer of data. Conduit software can convert the data to be transferred into a format understandable by both the desktop and PDA programs. The conduit software can also evaluate and parse the formulas and functions needed by the current file before the transfer and generate compiled code for the functions needed by the current file before transfer.

Method and apparatus for formula evaluation in spreadsheets on small devices

Methods and Systems in accordance with the present invention provide a file format for storing spreadsheets compactly on PDAs. PDAs only contain a limited amount of computer memory due to their small size and processing ability. To reduce memory constraints caused by PDA spreadsheet applications, the present invention reduces memory allocated for file storage by optimizing the compression of individual spreadsheet files within a database record storage system. This method and system in accordance with the present invention uses a collection of records to represent a spreadsheet file.

Method and apparatus for a file format for storing spreadsheet compactly

A generic conversion framework that allows developers to develop custom plug-in conversion algorithms and/or merge algorithms (referred to as pluggable modules). In one embodiment, document merging may be split into two processes including a document differencing process and a document merging process. The converter, differencing and merger processes may be implemented as separate pluggable modules, allowing multiple, independent passes of implementations of the differencing process and the merge process. The framework may accept document converter plug-in modules, merger plug-in modules and/or differencing plug-in modules to be added, updated or replaced as needed. In one embodiment, the modules may be plugged into the framework dynamically at runtime. In one embodiment, a plug-in module of one type may be used with two or more different modules of another type.

Generic infrastructure for converting documents between formats with merge capabilities

Converting document formatted for use on servers to and from documents formatted for use on small devices, including synchronizing two or more versions of the document. A user may edit documents formatted for use on small devices and the documents may be synchronized with documents on the server to keep the documents up to date. In one embodiment, an n-way merge process may restore document formatting, styles and/or data features that may have been lost from one or more documents when converting from an office format to a small device format. In one embodiment, the server may provide an office productivity environment, and the documents on the server may be office documents.

Synchronization of documents between a server and small devices

Converting a document in a small device format and merging the converted document with an original version of the document in an office productivity format. A document on a server may be converted to a small device format. Some information may be dropped from the document during conversion. The converted document may be transferred to a small device for editing. The edited document may be transferred back to the server for synchronization with the original document. After transferal, the edited document may be converted back to the original document format on the server and analyzed to determine differences between the edited document and the original document. The determined differences may be applied to the original document to merge the small device document with the original document. Information that was lost during the original conversion of the document may be restored to the merged document during the conversion/merge process.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Paul J Rank