The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 15, 2003
Filed:
Dec. 31, 1998
Kent R. Lowry, Seattle, WA (US);
Mark S. Igra, Seattle, WA (US);
Brian Frank, Austin, TX (US);
Jeanell D. Sullivan, Carnation, WA (US);
Justin M. Maguire, III, Seattle, WA (US);
Matthew J. Androski, Seattle, WA (US);
Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA (US);
Abstract
Editing cells within a spreadsheet to change the contents of a spreadsheet. To enter edit mode and alter the contents of a cell, the user first selects a cell by single clicking a mouse button while the mouse indicator is positioned above the cell. The user then initiates another single click when the mouse indicator is positioned above the selected cell. Once edit mode is active, the user may change the contents of the cell from within the web browser window as desired. Edit mode can be exited through one of three methods: an “exit and save” signal, an “exit and discard” signal, or a click and drag maneuver. The exit and save signal prompts the invention to save all changes to the cell that the user has made. The exit and discard signal prompts the invention to discard any changes made to the cell by the user, revert to the pre-edit mode contents of the edit cell, and exit edit mode. Finally, a click and drag maneuver not only exits edit mode, but selects a range of cells. The click and drag is performed by depressing a mouse button while the mouse indicator is positioned over the edit cell, moving the mouse while holding the mouse button depressed, and releasing the mouse button when the end of the desired range of cells is reached. The range of cells selected will then start with the edit cell and continue to the cell over which the mouse indicator was positioned when the mouse button was released.