U.S. patent application number 13/711629 was filed with the patent office on 2014-02-13 for generating queries based upon data points in a spreadsheet application.
This patent application is currently assigned to MICROSOFT CORPORATION. The applicant listed for this patent is MICROSOFT CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Eric W. Patterson, B. Scott Ruble, Curtis G. Wong.
Application Number | 20140046923 13/711629 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50065859 |
Filed Date | 2014-02-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140046923 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ruble; B. Scott ; et
al. |
February 13, 2014 |
GENERATING QUERIES BASED UPON DATA POINTS IN A SPREADSHEET
APPLICATION
Abstract
Concepts and technologies are described herein for generating
queries for data points in a spreadsheet application. In accordance
with the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, a computer
system can execute a visualization component. The computer system
can obtain spreadsheet data having records that include values,
temporal information, location information, and other information.
The spreadsheet data can be presented in a visualization, and the
computer system can detect selection of a representation of a
record in the visualization. The computer system can generate a
query based upon record, submit the query to a search engine, and
obtain results for presentation.
Inventors: |
Ruble; B. Scott; (Bellevue,
WA) ; Wong; Curtis G.; (Medina, WA) ;
Patterson; Eric W.; (Sammamish, WA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
MICROSOFT CORPORATION |
Redmond |
WA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
MICROSOFT CORPORATION
Redmond
WA
|
Family ID: |
50065859 |
Appl. No.: |
13/711629 |
Filed: |
December 12, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61681851 |
Aug 10, 2012 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
707/706 ;
707/769 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/04847 20130101;
G06F 3/04815 20130101; G06F 16/29 20190101; G06F 40/169 20200101;
G06F 40/18 20200101; G06T 13/00 20130101; G06F 16/26 20190101; G06F
3/04842 20130101; G06F 16/4393 20190101; G06T 19/00 20130101; G06F
3/0488 20130101; G06F 16/9537 20190101; G06F 16/9038 20190101; G06F
16/248 20190101; G06T 15/00 20130101; G06F 16/50 20190101; G06F
3/01 20130101; G06F 16/444 20190101; G06T 11/206 20130101; G06F
3/048 20130101; G06F 16/2477 20190101; G06F 3/0481 20130101; G06T
15/10 20130101; G06F 40/166 20200101; G06F 3/0482 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
707/706 ;
707/769 |
International
Class: |
G06F 17/30 20060101
G06F017/30 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method for generating a query from data,
the computer-implemented method comprising performing
computer-implemented operations for: obtaining, at a computer
system executing a visualization component, the data, the data
including records having data values, temporal information, and
location information; detecting, by the computer system, selection
of a data point in a visualization of the data, the data point
comprising a representation of one of the records included in the
data; and generating, by the computer system, the query based upon
the data associated with the data point.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the query comprises:
extracting temporal information from the data; extracting location
information from the data; and generating the query based, at least
partially, upon the temporal information and the location
information.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the query comprises:
extracting temporal information associated with the data point from
the data; extracting location information associated with the data
point from the data; and generating the query based, at least
partially, upon the temporal information and the location
information.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the query comprises:
extracting temporal information associated with the data point from
the data; extracting location information associated with the data
point from the data; extracting a data value associated with the
data point from the data; and generating the query based, at least
partially, upon the temporal information, the location information,
and the data value.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: generating
instructions for presenting the query; determining if the query has
been modified during presentation of the query; in response to a
determination that the query has been modified, generating a
modified query and submitting the modified query to a search
engine; and in response to a determination that the query has not
been modified, submitting the query to the search engine.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein generating the instructions
comprises generating a user interface for presenting the query, the
user interface comprising a field for presenting the query and
enabling modification of the query in the field, and a control for
submitting the query to the search engine.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: presenting the query
in a user interface that presents the query and enables
modification of the query during presentation of the query;
determining that the query has been modified during the
presentation of the query; generating a modified query; and
submitting the modified query to a search engine.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the query comprises:
extracting temporal information, location information, a data
value, and metadata associated with the data point from the data;
and generating the query based, at least partially, upon the
temporal information, the location information, data value, and the
metadata.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: submitting the query
to a search engine; receiving results from the search engine; and
generating a user interface for presenting the results at a user
computing device in communication with the computer system, wherein
the data comprises spreadsheet data.
10. A computer storage medium having computer readable instructions
stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, cause the
computer to: obtain spreadsheet data including records comprising
data values, temporal information, and location information; detect
selection of a data point in a visualization of the spreadsheet
data, the data point comprising a representation of one of the
records included in the spreadsheet data; and generate a query
based upon the spreadsheet data associated with the data point.
11. The computer storage medium of claim 10, wherein generating the
query comprises: extracting temporal information associated with
the data point from the spreadsheet data; extracting location
information associated with the data point from the spreadsheet
data; and generating the query based, at least partially, upon the
temporal information and the location information.
12. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein generating the
query further comprises: extracting a data value associated with
the data point from the spreadsheet data; and generating the query
based, at least partially, upon the data value.
13. The computer storage medium of claim 10, further comprising
computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computer,
cause the computer to: generate instructions for presenting the
query; determine if the query has been modified during presentation
of the query; in response to a determination that the query has
been modified, generate a modified query, and submit the modified
query to a search engine; and in response to a determination that
the query has not been modified, submit the query to the search
engine.
14. The computer storage medium of claim 10, further comprising
computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computer,
cause the computer to: generate instructions for presenting the
query in a user interface that presents a representation of the
query and enables modification of the query; determine that the
query has been modified during presentation of the query; generate
a modified query; and submit the modified query to a search
engine.
15. The computer storage medium of claim 10, further comprising
computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computer,
cause the computer to: submit the query to a search engine; receive
results from the search engine; and generate a user interface for
presenting the results.
16. A computer storage medium having computer readable instructions
stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, cause the
computer to: obtain spreadsheet data including records comprising
data values, temporal information, and location information;
generate a visualization of the spreadsheet data, the visualization
comprising a representation of a record included in the spreadsheet
data; detect selection of the representation in the visualization;
generate a query based upon the spreadsheet data associated with
the representation; submit the query to a search engine; receive
results from the search engine; and generate a user interface for
presenting the results.
17. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein generating the
query comprises: extracting temporal information associated with
the record from the spreadsheet data; extracting location
information associated with the record from the spreadsheet data;
extracting a data value associated with the record from the
spreadsheet data; and generating the query based, at least
partially, upon the temporal information, the location information,
and the data value.
18. The computer storage medium of claim 16, further comprising
computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computer,
cause the computer to: generate instructions for presenting the
query prior to submitting the query to the search engine; determine
if the query has been modified during presentation of the query;
and in response to a determination that the query has been
modified, submit the query, the query comprising the modified
query.
19. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein generating the
user interface for presenting the results comprises generating a
user interface comprising a representation of the query, a
representation of the results, and a control for modifying the
query.
20. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein the
representation of the record comprises a user interface control
that, when selected, causes presentation of a menu having an option
for generating the query, and wherein detecting selection of the
representation comprises detecting selection of the option.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 61/681,851 entitled "3D Visualization of Data in
Geographical and Temporal Contexts," filed Aug. 10, 2012, which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] A spreadsheet application, reporting application, or other
data presentation application may support presentation of data in
two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional pie charts, graphs, bar
charts, or the like. Thus, users may be able to generate charts,
graphs, or other visual representations of some data to gain
insight into the data, relationships among data points, trends, or
the like. Some data, however, may include various data components
that may not be readily susceptible to graphing or charting and
therefore may not be appreciated and/or viewable by users.
[0003] In particular, some data may include geographical components
and/or temporal components. Charts and graphs in spreadsheet
applications may present geographical information, but such
presentations may be limited to a color code or data label that may
not impart meaning to the geographical information. Similarly,
temporal data may be displayed in a spreadsheet application by way
of showing a trend line, bar graphs, or the like, which may or may
not be adequate for a user to discover the relationships of the
data in the geographical and temporal contexts.
[0004] Also, visual representations of spreadsheet data in charts
and/or graphs may provide little information about the data other
than specific values selected for the charts and/or graphs. For
example, a crime statistic showing a sudden drop in crime at a
particular time or location may not provide any information
relating to how or why such a drop in crime occurred. Thus, charts
and graphs, while providing visually appealing representations of
data, may or may not provide information that would be useful for
viewers of the charts or graphs.
[0005] It is with respect to these and other considerations that
the disclosure made herein is presented.
SUMMARY
[0006] Concepts and technologies are described herein for
generating queries for data points in a spreadsheet application. In
accordance with the concepts and technologies disclosed herein, a
computer system can execute a visualization component. The
visualization component can be included in a spreadsheet
application and/or can be configured to present visualizations of
spreadsheet data. As used herein, a "visualization" can include an
animated rendering of spreadsheet data in a format that can
represent time and/or geographical location. The spreadsheet data
can include a number of data points, records, and/or other
instances of data ("records") that can be shown or represented in
the visualization.
[0007] According to various embodiments of the concepts and
technologies disclosed herein, the representations of the records
can be selectable by a user or other entity to generate a query
relating to the record. Thus, for example, a record relating to a
particular time, location, and data value can be selectable to
generate a query relating to the time, location, data value and/or
other information included in the spreadsheet data. In some
embodiments, the generated query can be presented to a user or
other entity and the user or other entity can modify the query
prior to submission to the search engine. Results for the query can
be presented to a user, thereby allowing a user to obtain
additional information associated with the representation without
closing or exiting the visualization of the spreadsheet data.
[0008] According to one aspect, the visualization component detects
selection of a data point or representation of the data point in a
visualization. The visualization component can generate a query by
extracting, from the spreadsheet data corresponding to the data
point (or record represented by the data point), temporal
information, location information, other information, or the like.
The visualization component can be configured to assemble this
information into a query. In some embodiments, the query can be
generated by joining the various extracted information using query
operators and/or other punctuation and/or text. The generated query
can be submitted to a search engine, and results obtained from the
search engine can be presented to a user in a user interface, which
also can be generated by the visualization component.
[0009] According to another aspect, the visualization component can
be configured to present the query to user before execution or
submission. The query can be presented in a user interface that
allows a user to edit the query. Thus, a query can add or remove
search terms, operators, punctuation, or the like to or from the
query. The modified query can be submitted, and the results can be
presented. Thus, the query can be generated based upon the
spreadsheet data and/or supplemented by a user based other data
and/or information.
[0010] It should be appreciated that the above-described subject
matter may be implemented as a computer-controlled apparatus, a
computer process, a computing system, or as an article of
manufacture such as a computer-readable storage medium. These and
various other features will be apparent from a reading of the
following Detailed Description and a review of the associated
drawings.
[0011] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of
concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in
the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify
key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter,
nor is it intended that this Summary be used to limit the scope of
the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter
is not limited to implementations that solve any or all
disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a system diagram illustrating an illustrative
operating environment for the various embodiments disclosed
herein.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating additional aspects of
the visualization component, according to an illustrative
embodiment.
[0014] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing aspects of a method for
generating and submitting a query in a spreadsheet application,
according to an illustrative embodiment.
[0015] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing aspects of a method for
generating a query based upon a selected data point in a
spreadsheet application, according to an illustrative
embodiment.
[0016] FIGS. 5A-5E are UI diagrams illustrating additional aspects
of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein for generating
queries for data points in a spreadsheet application, according to
some illustrative embodiments.
[0017] FIG. 6 is a computer architecture diagram illustrating an
illustrative computer hardware and software architecture for a
computing system capable of implementing aspects of the embodiments
presented herein.
[0018] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a distributed computing
environment capable of implementing aspects of the embodiments
presented herein.
[0019] FIG. 8 is a computer architecture diagram illustrating a
computing device architecture capable of implementing aspects of
the embodiments presented herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] The following detailed description is directed to concepts
and technologies for generating queries for data points in a
spreadsheet application. According to the concepts and technologies
described herein, a computer system executes a visualization
component. The visualization component can be configured to present
visualizations of spreadsheet data in a format that represent
temporal and geographic location information. The visualization can
include representations of records included in the spreadsheet
data.
[0021] According to various embodiments of the concepts and
technologies disclosed herein, the representations of the records
can be selectable to cause the visualization component to generate
a query relating to the record. In some embodiments, the generated
query can be presented to a user or other entity and the user or
other entity can modify the query prior to submission to the search
engine. Results for the query can be presented to a user, thereby
allowing a user to obtain additional information associated with
the representation without closing or exiting the visualization of
the spreadsheet data.
[0022] While the subject matter described herein is presented in
the general context of program modules that execute in conjunction
with the execution of an operating system and application programs
on a computer system, those skilled in the art will recognize that
other implementations may be performed in combination with other
types of program modules. Generally, program modules include
routines, programs, components, data structures, and other types of
structures that perform particular tasks or implement particular
abstract data types. Moreover, those skilled in the art will
appreciate that the subject matter described herein may be
practiced with other computer system configurations, including
hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or
programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe
computers, and the like.
[0023] In the following detailed description, references are made
to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which
are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments or examples.
Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent
like elements throughout the several figures, aspects of a
computing system, computer-readable storage medium, and
computer-implemented methodology for generating queries for data
points in a spreadsheet application will be presented.
[0024] Referring now to FIG. 1, aspects of one operating
environment 100 for the various embodiments presented herein will
be described. The operating environment 100 shown in FIG. 1
includes a computer system 102 operating as a part of and/or in
communication with a communications network ("network") 104.
According to various implementations of the concepts and
technologies disclosed herein, the functionality of the computer
system 102 can be provided by a cloud-based computing platform that
can be provided by one or more application servers, Web servers,
data storage systems, network appliances, dedicated hardware
devices, and/or other server computers or computing devices.
[0025] According to some other embodiments, the computer system 102
can include a user computing device, such as a tablet computing
device, a personal computer ("PC"), a desktop computer, a laptop
computer, a notebook computer, a cellular phone or smartphone,
other mobile computing devices, a personal digital assistant
("PDA"), or the like. Some example architectures of the computer
system 102 are illustrated and described below with reference to
FIGS. 6-8. For purposes of illustrating and describing the concepts
and technologies disclosed herein, the functionality of the
computer system 102 is described herein as being provided by a
server computer. In light of the above alternative embodiments of
the computer system 102 described above, it should be understood
that this example is illustrative, and should not be construed as
being limiting in any way.
[0026] The computer system 102 can be configured to execute an
operating system 106 and one or more application programs such as,
for example, a spreadsheet application 108, a visualization
component 110, and/or other application programs. The operating
system 106 is a computer program for controlling the operation of
the computer system 102. The application programs are executable
programs configured to execute on top of the operating system 106
to provide the functionality described herein for generating
queries for data points in a spreadsheet application.
[0027] In particular, the spreadsheet application 108 can be
configured to create, manipulate, store, and/or otherwise interact
with tabular or other structured data such as spreadsheets.
According to some embodiments of the concepts and technologies
disclosed herein, the functionality of the spreadsheet application
108 can be provided by a member of the MICROSOFT EXCEL family of
spreadsheet applications from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond,
Wash. In some other embodiments, the functionality of the
spreadsheet application 108 can be provided by a database
application, a data reporting application, a data presentation
application, combinations thereof, or the like.
[0028] According to some implementations, the spreadsheet
application 108 can be executed by one or more server computers in
the computer system 102, such as application servers and/or Web
servers. Thus, the functionality of the spreadsheet application 108
can be accessed by other computing devices and/or accessed at the
computer system 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the
functionality of the spreadsheet application 108 can be accessed
and/or interacted with by a user computing device 112. The
functionality of the user computing device 112 can be provided by,
for example, a tablet computing device, a smartphone, a laptop
computer, a desktop computer, other computing devices, combinations
thereof, or the like. The user computing device 112 can communicate
with the computer system 102 over one or more links or networks
such as, for example, the network 104, a private network, a direct
wireless or wired connection, the Internet, and/or combinations of
these and other networks and/or communication links.
[0029] Although not visible in FIG. 1, the user computing device
112 can execute one or more client applications. The client
applications can include Web browser applications and/or other
applications for accessing the spreadsheet application 108
executing on the computer system 102. In some embodiments, the
spreadsheet application 108 can be executed locally on the user
computing device 112 or other devices that can include the
functionality of the computer system 102 described herein. The
spreadsheet application 108 can be implemented as hardware,
software, and/or a combination of the two. Furthermore, the
spreadsheet application 108 can include one or more application
program modules and other components on the user computing device
112, the computer system 102, and/or other computing platforms. As
will be explained in more detail herein, the computer system 102
and/or the user computing device 112 can generate and/or present
one or more user interfaces ("UIs") 114. The UIs 114 can be
provided to the user computing device 112 for presentation to a
user 116.
[0030] According to various embodiments, the spreadsheet
application 108 can be configured to generate, manipulate, and/or
store tabular or other structured data that can be included in
spreadsheet data 118. The spreadsheet data 118 also can be stored
in tables of a database, objects stored in an object store, or the
like. Because the functionality of the spreadsheet application 108
is generally understood, the spreadsheet application 108 will not
be described in additional detail herein.
[0031] According to various implementations, the spreadsheet data
118 can be obtained by the computer system 102 from a local or
remote data source 120. In some embodiments, the data source 120
can include a memory, disk drive, or other data storage element of
or associated with the computer system 102. In some other
embodiments such as the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the data
source 120 can include a network drive, a server computer operating
as a part of and/or in communication with the network 104, a
database or other real or virtual data storage elements, and/or
other data storage devices. As such, it should be understood that
the data source 120 can include almost any type of data storage
device that is local to and/or remote from the computer system
102.
[0032] The visualization component 110 can be configured to obtain
the spreadsheet data 118 from the spreadsheet application 108
and/or directly from the data source 120, and to generate, based
upon the spreadsheet data 118, three dimensional visualizations of
the spreadsheet data 118 in a geographical and/or temporal context.
In some embodiments, the visualization component 110 can be
implemented as a component of the spreadsheet application 108, and
in some embodiments, the visualization component 110 can be
implemented as a component separate from the spreadsheet
application. Thus, while the spreadsheet application 108 and the
visualization component 110 are illustrated as components of the
computer system 102, it should be understood that each of these
components, or combinations thereof, may be embodied as or in
stand-alone devices or components thereof operating on or in
communication with the network 104 and/or the computer system 102.
Thus, the illustrated embodiment is illustrative, and should not be
construed as being limiting in any way.
[0033] In some embodiments, the visualization component 110 may be
implemented as a plugin or add-in for the spreadsheet application
108. In some other embodiments, the visualization component 110 can
include a service and/or set of application programming interfaces
("APIs") that can provide the functionality described herein. Thus,
it should be appreciated that the visualization component 110 can
be implemented as hardware, software, or a combination thereof.
[0034] According to various embodiments of the concepts and
technologies disclosed herein, the visualization component 110 can
be configured to access one or more geocoding services 122. The
geocoding services 122 can be configured to map geographical data
included in the spreadsheet data 118 to geographic information.
Thus, for example, the visualization component 110 can provide
geographical data included in the spreadsheet data 118 such as, for
example, a street address, a city, a state, a ZIP code, or the
like, to the geocoding services 122. The geocoding services 122 can
map this geographical data to latitude and longitude information
and/or other geocoded location data. Thus, it can be appreciated
that the geocoding services 122 can be called by the computer
system 102 via one or more APIs exposed by the geocoding services
122, though this is not necessarily the case. Furthermore, the
geocoding services 122 can be configured to provide geographic
mapping data 124 representing mappings of the geographical data to
the geocoded location data to the computer system 102, though this
is not necessarily the case.
[0035] In some embodiments, the visualization component 110 can
access the geocoding services 122 via one or more networks such as,
for example, the network 104, the Internet, other networks, and/or
a combination thereof. In some other embodiments, the geocoding
services 122 can be implemented on the computer system 102. In one
contemplated embodiment, the geocoding services 122 are implemented
as a component of the visualization component 110. It should be
understood that this embodiment is illustrative, and should not be
construed as being limiting in any way.
[0036] The visualization component 110 also can be configured to
obtain and/or access map data 126. The map data 126 can be used to
provide geolocation and/or graphical data for the creation of the
three-dimensional geographical maps as described herein. The
visualization component 110 may be configured to obtain or access
the map data 126 from or at a computing device such as, for
example, a map server 128. In some embodiments, the functionality
of the map server 128 can be provided by a mapping application
executed by a search engine such as the BING search engine from
Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, Wash. Because the functionality
of the map server 128 can be provided by additional and/or other
devices and/or applications, it should be understood that this
embodiment is illustrative, and should not be construed as being
limiting in any way.
[0037] The computer system 102 can access the map server 128 via
one or more networks such as, for example, the network 104. In some
embodiments, the visualization component 110 can be configured to
access map tiles from the map data 126, and to stitch the map tiles
together over a three-dimensional globe armature to create a
three-dimensional geographic globe. The visualization component 110
can be configured to use geocoded location data such as latitude
and longitude data from the geocoding services 122 to place
visualizations of data included in the spreadsheet data 118 on the
three-dimensional geographic globe. As such, various embodiments of
the visualization component 110 can be configured to generate
displays of geographic data.
[0038] The user 116 may interact with the spreadsheet application
108 and the visualization component 110 to create and/or navigate a
three-dimensional visualization of the spreadsheet data 118 through
a display of the user computing device 112. In some embodiments,
the user 116 may use one or more input devices of the user
computing device 112 such as a touchscreen, a keyboard, a mouse, a
game controller, combinations thereof, or the like. The UIs 114 can
be presented on the touchscreen, a monitor, a display, other
display surfaces or devices, combinations thereof, or the like.
[0039] As used herein, a "visualization" can include an animation
scene or tour of multiple scenes that represent the spreadsheet
data 118 on a globe, map, or other representation of location. The
spreadsheet data 118 can be displayed on the globe, map, or the
like at points corresponding to geographic location data included
in the spreadsheet data 118. The visualization also can show data
changes over time.
[0040] As shown in FIG. 1, the operating environment 100 also can
include a search engine 130. The search engine 130 can be
configured to receive one or more queries 132, and to execute the
queries 132 against data stored at and/or associated with the
search engine 130 to identify one or more results 134. The search
engine 130 can respond to the queries 132 with the results 134, as
will be explained in more detail herein. Because the functionality
of search engines 130 is generally understood, the functionality of
the search engine 130 is not described in additional detail
herein.
[0041] The visualization component 110 also can be executed by the
computer system 102 to provide the functionality described herein
for generating queries for data points in a spreadsheet
application. In particular, the visualization component 110 can be
configured to obtain the spreadsheet data 118 from the data source
120, and to generate a visualization of the spreadsheet data 118.
As explained above, the visualization can include a
three-dimensional representation of the spreadsheet data 118 on a
globe, map, or other surface, and can include representations of
the spreadsheet data 118 with respect to geographic and/or temporal
contexts. According to various embodiments of the concepts and
technologies disclosed herein, the visualization can include
multiple representations of data values included in the spreadsheet
data 118 such as, for example, columns, bars, data points, or the
like.
[0042] According to various implementations of the concepts and
technologies disclosed herein, the visualization component 110 can
detect selection of a data point, column, bar, or other
representation (hereinafter referred to as a "data point" for
simplicity) of a data value in the visualization. For example, the
visualization component 110 can determine that a user or other
entity has selected a data point via tapping, clicking, or
otherwise interacting the UI 114 that presents the visualization.
The visualization component 110 can be configured to identify a
data point, record, or other instance of data included in the
spreadsheet data 118 that corresponds to the selected data
point.
[0043] The visualization component 110 can access the record or
other instance of data associated with the selected data point, and
extract or otherwise identify various information from the instance
of data. According to some embodiments, the visualization component
110 is configured to extract at least time information and location
information from the instance of data. The time information can
include a time stamp, time value, time entry, and/or other
indication of time that is included in the instance of data. The
location information can include almost any type of location
information including, but not limited to, a ZIP code, a city name,
a street address, a set of coordinates such as global positioning
system ("GPS") coordinates, a parcel identifier, a county name, a
neighborhood name, an area name, a region name, a state name, a
country name, a continent name, a hemisphere name, other location
information, combinations thereof, or the like.
[0044] In some other embodiments, the visualization component 110
can be configured to extract time information, location
information, and other information such as metadata, unit
identifiers, author names, title information, values, and/or almost
any other type of information that may be included in the
spreadsheet data 118. The visualization component 110 can be
configured to collect these information and add text or terms
corresponding to this information to a query 132.
[0045] In some embodiments, the visualization component can add
text, operators, and/or other query language to the query 132 to
make the terms or other text meaningful to a device to which the
query 132 is to be sent or against which the query 132 is to be
executed. Thus, for example, the visualization component 110 can
add, for example, "AND," "OR," "UNION," "JOIN," "AND NOT," and/or
various other punctuation and/or text to the query 132, depending
upon a language and/or other aspect of the query 132 to be
generated. In some other embodiments, the visualization component
110 can generate the query 132 using natural language technology
and therefore can be configured to generate text for the query 132
using natural language technologies.
[0046] The generated query 132 can be presented to a user or other
entity. For example, the visualization component 110 can be
configured to generate a UI 114 and/or send information to various
devices or software to generate the UI 114 for presenting the query
132. In some embodiments, the UI 114 can allow a user or other
entity to edit the query 132 to add or remove terms, to add or
remove various query operators, and/or to otherwise modify the
query 132 prior to submission and/or execution. If the
visualization component 110 determines that the query 132 has been
modified, the visualization component 110 can modify the query 132
and/or generate a new query 132.
[0047] The visualization component 110 can submit query 132 (or
modified query 132) to the search engine 130 and/or can execute the
query 132 against data hosted by the search engine 130 such as a
search index (not illustrated). The visualization component 110 can
receive results 134 from the search engine 130, and generate a UI
114 for presenting the results 134 at the user computing device
112. These and other aspects of generating queries based upon data
points in spreadsheet data 118 will be illustrated and described in
additional detail below, particularly with reference to FIGS.
3-5E.
[0048] FIG. 1 illustrates one computer system 102, one network 104,
one user computing device 112, one data source 120, one instance of
geocoding services 122, one map server 128, and one search engine
130. It should be understood, however, that some implementations of
the operating environment 100 can include multiple computer systems
102, multiple networks 104, multiple user computing devices 112,
multiple data sources 120, multiple instances of the geocoding
services 122, multiple map servers 128, and/or multiple search
engines 130. As such, the illustrated embodiment of the operating
environment should be understood as being illustrative, and should
not be construed as being limiting in any way.
[0049] Turning now to FIG. 2, additional aspects of the
visualization component 110 will be presented, according to one
illustrative embodiment. In particular, FIG. 2 provides further
details regarding architecture and subcomponents of the
visualization component 110, according to some embodiments. The
visualization component 110 can include a number of components
and/or subsystems including, but not limited to, a visualization
control 200, a visualization engine 202, a spreadsheet plugin core
204, and/or other components and/or subsystems.
[0050] The visualization control 200 can include functionality for
representing data, performing searches and/or providing search
services, a glob control for visualizing and/or presenting
representations of the globe, video recording functionality for
recording animations and/or videos of illustrated tours, and a
client. The visualization engine 202 can include functionality for
generating a tour including multiple scenes, images, and/or
animation sequences; functionality for measuring and/or
representing time in the visualization space; an engine core for
providing the visualization component functionality described
herein; annotations functionality for generating and/or rendering
two dimensional and/or three-dimensional annotations; spatial
indexing functionality; and camera functionality. The visualization
engine 202 also can include globe models and/or functionality for
representing the globe; input and touch modules for interpreting
touch and/or multi-touch commands as input; visual layers
functionality for representing and/or interacting with layers of a
visualization space; a tile cache for storing map tiles; a
three-dimensional graphics module for generating and/or rendering
three-dimensional visualizations; and shaders for providing shading
of generated and/or rendered three-dimensional objects.
[0051] In some embodiments, the shaders can include or implement a
number of algorithms to facilitate the rendering of the
three-dimensional geographical visualizations of data described
herein. For example, the visualization component 110 can implement
a dark aura effect for disambiguating visualization of a number of
similarly colored objects. A dark aura effect can include a visual
treatment that allows a viewer, for example the user 116, to
differentiate between items in a three-dimensional visualization
space. When there are multiple, similarly colored columns in a
three-dimensional visualization or view, some of these columns may
be next to and/or behind one another in the three-dimensional view.
Thus, the multiple columns may appear to be grouped together and/or
may look like a single polygon. In some embodiments of the concepts
and technologies disclosed herein, the dark aura effect can be
added around one or more of the columns, thereby allowing the one
or more columns to appear to stand out from one another. Because
other visual effects are possible and are contemplated, it should
be understood that this example is illustrative, and should not be
construed as being limiting in any way.
[0052] In another example, the visualization component 110 may
implement a GPU-based framework for asynchronous hit testing for
large number of arbitrary three-dimensional elements. This may
comprise adding "out-of-channel" color information to pixels of the
objects rendered in the three-dimensional visualization that may be
invisible to the viewer, but can contain information identifying
the object. Thus, if a user taps, clicks, or otherwise interacts
with a point in the three-dimensional visualization, the identity
of the object represented by the selected pixel can be known
without deconstructing the three-dimensional visualization and
determining the object rendered at the selected location. This may
be implemented in the GPU.
[0053] The spreadsheet plugin core 204 can include functionality
for storing workbook state information, as well as a query engine
for generating and/or executing queries against various data
sources. In some embodiments, the query engine can be configured to
generate a query based upon data stored in the spreadsheet data
118, and to submit the queries to a search engine such as the
search engine 130 shown in FIG. 1. It should be understood that
this embodiment is illustrative, and should not be construed as
being limiting in any way.
[0054] The visualization component 110 also can include various
other components and/or subsystems such as, for example, a
spreadsheet program native plugin and a spreadsheet program command
object model ("COM") API. The visualization component 110 also can
include various graphics plugins and/or APIs such as the
illustrated DIRECTX APIs, API call emulators such as the
illustrated DIRECTX WRAPPER, a WINDOWS Presentation Foundation
("WPF") subsystem, combinations thereof, or the like. The
visualization component 110 also can include analytics engines such
as the illustrated VERTIPAQ engine and/or modules associated with
other data providers, if desired. It should be appreciated that the
visualization component 110 can include additional and/or
alternative functionality not shown in FIG. 2. As such, the
embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 should be understood as being
illustrative and should not be construed as being limiting in any
way.
[0055] Turning now to FIG. 3, aspects of a method 300 for
generating and submitting a query in a spreadsheet application will
be described in detail. It should be understood that the operations
of the methods disclosed herein are not necessarily presented in
any particular order and that performance of some or all of the
operations in an alternative order(s) is possible and is
contemplated. The operations have been presented in the
demonstrated order for ease of description and illustration.
Operations may be added, omitted, and/or performed simultaneously,
without departing from the scope of the appended claims.
[0056] It also should be understood that the illustrated methods
disclosed herein can be ended at any time and need not be performed
in their respective (or collective) entireties. Some or all
operations of the methods disclosed herein, and/or substantially
equivalent operations, can be performed by execution of
computer-readable instructions included on a computer-storage
media, as defined herein. The term "computer-readable
instructions," and variants thereof, as used in the description and
claims, is used expansively herein to include routines,
applications, application modules, program modules, programs,
components, data structures, algorithms, and the like.
Computer-readable instructions can be implemented on various system
configurations, including single-processor or multiprocessor
systems, minicomputers, mainframe computers, personal computers,
hand-held computing devices, microprocessor-based, programmable
consumer electronics, combinations thereof, and the like.
[0057] Thus, it should be appreciated that the logical operations
described herein are implemented (1) as a sequence of computer
implemented acts or program modules running on a computing system
and/or (2) as interconnected machine logic circuits or circuit
modules within the computing system. The implementation is a matter
of choice dependent on the performance and other requirements of
the computing system. Accordingly, the logical operations described
herein are referred to variously as states, operations, structural
devices, acts, or modules. These operations, structural devices,
acts, and modules may be implemented in software, in firmware, in
special purpose digital logic, and any combination thereof.
[0058] For purposes of illustrating and describing the concepts of
the present disclosure, the methods disclosed herein are described
as being performed by the computer system 102 via execution of one
or more software modules such as, for example, the visualization
component 110. It should be understood that additional and/or
alternative devices and/or network nodes can provide the
functionality described herein via execution of one or more
modules, applications, and/or other software including, but not
limited to, the visualization component 110. Thus, the illustrated
embodiments are illustrative, and should not be viewed as being
limiting in any way.
[0059] The method 300 begins at operation 302, wherein the computer
system 102 obtains spreadsheet data 118. As explained above, the
spreadsheet data 118 can include various types of information or
content such as, for example, spreadsheet files, database
application data, and/or other types of information. In one
contemplated embodiment, the spreadsheet data 118 corresponds to a
spreadsheet file such as a file generated by a member of the
MICROSOFT EXCEL family of spreadsheet application software products
from Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, Wash. The spreadsheet data
118 can be obtained from a data storage device or component
associated with the computer system 102. Some examples of data
storage devices are described in more detail below with reference
to FIGS. 6-8. In some other embodiments, the spreadsheet data 118
can be stored at or hosted by a remote storage device or resource
such as the data source 120 described herein. Thus, the spreadsheet
data 118 can be obtained by the computer system 102 via
communications with the data source 120. As such, it should be
understood that the spreadsheet data 118 can be obtained from any
real or virtual device via a direct connection, via one or more
networks, and/or via other nodes, devices, and/or device
components.
[0060] Although not illustrated in FIG. 3, the computer system 102
can generate and present a UI 114 that includes the spreadsheet
data 118 obtained in operation 302. Similarly, the computer system
102 can generate and output the UI 114 to the user computing device
112, and the user computing device 112 can present the UI 114 at a
display associated with user computing device 112. Thus, while the
methods described herein are illustrated and described as occurring
at the computer system 102, it should be understood that user input
can occur via a web browser or other program executing at the user
computing device 112 and/or other devices or systems remote from
the computer system 102.
[0061] From operation 302, the method 300 proceeds to operation
304, wherein the computer system 102 detects selection of a data
point. In particular, the computer system 102 can determine that a
user or other entity has selected a point on a UI 114 that presents
the spreadsheet data 118 obtained in operation 302. As explained
above, the input for selecting the point can occur via web browser
or other program executing on the user computing device 112 and/or
other devices in communication with the computer system 102 instead
of, or in addition to, occurring at the computer system 102.
[0062] From operation 304, the method 300 proceeds to operation
306, wherein the computer system 102 generates a query 132 based
upon the data point selected in operation 304. Additional details
for generating the query 132 are illustrated and described in more
detail below with reference to FIGS. 4-5E. Briefly, the computer
system 102 can extract various data associated with the data point
from the spreadsheet data 118. Extracted data can include, for
example, temporal information, geographical information, and/or
other information. The computer system 102 also can present text
corresponding to the query 132 to a user or other entity, and the
user or other entity can modify the query 132 prior to execution.
If modified by a user or other entity, the computer system 102 can
add terms to the query 132.
[0063] From operation 306, the method 300 proceeds to operation
308, wherein the computer system 102 submits the query 132
generated in operation 306 to a recipient such as, for example, the
search engine 130. In some embodiments, the computer system 102 can
execute the query 132 against data stored at the search engine 130
in addition to, or instead of, "submitting" the query 132 to the
search engine 130.
[0064] From operation 308, the method 300 proceeds to operation
310, wherein the computer system 102 receives results 134 from the
search engine 130. It can be appreciated that the results 134
received in operation 310 can include search results from a search
regarding the data point selected in operation 304. Thus, in some
embodiments, the computer system 102 can receive a results page
and/or other data corresponding to the results 134 in operation
310. Because the results 134 can be received in additional and/or
alternative ways, it should be understood that this embodiment is
illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any
way.
[0065] From operation 310, the method 300 proceeds to operation
312, wherein the computer system 102 presents the results 134. In
some embodiments, the computer system 102 can output the results
134 to a display associated with the computer system 102. In some
other embodiments, the computer system 102 can output the results
134 and/or graphical data representing the results 134 to another
device such as the user computing device 112, and the other device
can present the results 134. An example user interface for
presenting the results 134 is illustrated and described in more
detail below with reference to FIG. 5E. Because the results 134 can
be received and/or presented in additional and/or alternative ways,
it should be understood that this embodiment is illustrative, and
should not be construed as being limiting in any way. From
operation 312, the method 300 proceeds to operation 314. The method
300 ends at operation 314.
[0066] Turning now to FIG. 4, aspects of a method 400 for
generating a query based upon a selected data point in a
spreadsheet application will be described in detail. As mentioned
above, the functionality described herein with respect to the
method 400 can be performed by the computer system 102 in operation
306 of the method 300 shown in FIG. 3, though this is not
necessarily the case.
[0067] The method 400 begins at operation 402, wherein the computer
system 102 extracts temporal information from the spreadsheet data
118. In particular, the computer system 102 can identify a data
point or record in the spreadsheet data 118 that corresponds to the
data point selected in operation 304 of the method 300. The
computer system 102 can identify and extract time information from
the record or data point. Thus, for example, the computer system
102 can extract a time stamp, time range, time value, or other
temporal information associated with the data point in operation
402.
[0068] From operation 402, the method 400 proceeds to operation
404, wherein the computer system 102 extracts location information.
As explained above with respect to the time information, the
computer system 102 can be configured to identify a data point,
record, or other instance of data corresponding to the data point
selected in operation 304 of the method 300, and extract location
information from that data point, record, or other instance of
data. The location information extracted in operation 404 can
correspond, in various embodiments, to latitude and longitude
coordinates, to GPS coordinates, to a street address, to a
neighborhood or area, to a ZIP code, to a city, to a county, to a
state, to a country, to a continent, and/or to other location
information of varying levels of granularity. Thus, it can be
appreciated that the location information extracted in operation
404 can be specific to an area having an area of one to two square
feet, or may relate generally to a large geographic area
encompassing hundreds or even thousands of acres.
[0069] From operation 404, the method 400 proceeds to operation
406, wherein the computer system 102 extracts other information. In
particular, the computer system 102 can be configured to extract
various types of data from the data point, record, or other
instance of data that corresponds to the data point selected in
operation 304 of the method 300, as noted above. According to
various embodiments, the other information extracted in operation
406 can include, but is not limited to, any other data associated
with the data point, record, or other instance of the data that
corresponds to the data point. The other data also can correspond
to the spreadsheet data 118 in general. As such, the other data
extracted in operation 406 can include, but is not limited to,
metadata, measurement units, author information, creation dates,
modification dates, data types, other types of information,
combinations thereof, or the like.
[0070] From operation 406, the method 400 proceeds to operation
408, wherein the computer system 102 generates the query 132. In
particular, the computer system 102 can assemble the query 132
based, at least partially, upon the various information extracted
in operations 402-406. In one contemplated embodiment, the computer
system 102 can be configured to concatenate the information
extracted in operations 402-406 using various operators and/or
punctuation such as, for example, "AND," "OR," "AND NOT,"
parentheses, quotation marks, combinations thereof, or the like.
Because the computer system 102 can assemble and/or generate the
query 132 in additional and/or alternative ways, it should be
understood that this embodiment is illustrative, and should not be
construed as being limiting in any way.
[0071] From operation 408, the method 400 proceeds to operation
410, wherein the computer system 102 presents the query 132. In
particular, the computer system 102 can present the query 132
generated in operation 408 at a display device associated with the
computer system 102. In some embodiments, the computer system 102
can generate and/or output graphics data that, when rendered by
another device such as the user computing device 112, displays the
query 132. Thus, it should be understood that the computer system
102 can display the query 132 and/or output the query 132 to other
systems and/or devices for display elsewhere. According to one
contemplated embodiment, the computer system 102 loads the query
132 to a webpage that can be viewed via program such as a web
browser executing at the user computing device 112. An example user
interface for presenting the query 132 is illustrated and described
below with reference to FIG. 5C. Because the query 132 can be
presented in additional and/or alternative ways, it should be
understood that this embodiment is illustrative, and should not be
construed as being limiting in any way.
[0072] From operation 410, the method 400 proceeds to operation
412, wherein the computer system 102 determines if the query 132
has been modified. In particular, the computer system 102 can be
configured to present the query 132, or instruct other devices to
present the query 132, in a user interface that supports editing
and/or other modifications to the query 132. Thus, the computer
system 102 can determine, in operation 412, whether or not a user
or other entity has modified the query 132 presented in operation
410 by adding query terms and/or removing query terms from the
query 132. An example user interface for obtaining an edit or
modification of the query 132 is illustrated and described below
with reference to FIG. 5D.
[0073] If the computer system 102 determines, in operation 412,
that the query 132 presented in operation 410 has been modified,
the method 400 proceeds to operation 414. In operation 414, the
computer system 102 generates a modified version of the query 132.
In particular, the computer system 102 can generate a new query 132
that includes or omits the terms added or removed in operation 412
from the query presented in operation 410. Thus, operation 414 can
include the computer system 102 modifying the query 132 generated
in operation 408 or generating a new query 132 as mentioned
above.
[0074] From operation 414, the method 400 proceeds to operation
416. The method 400 also can proceed to operation 416 from
operation 412, if the computer system 102 determines that the query
132 has not been modified. The computer system 102 can output the
query 132 or the modified query 132, and execution of the method
300 can resume at operation 308. Thus, the method 400 ends at
operation 416.
[0075] Turning now to FIGS. 5A-5E, UI diagrams showing various
aspects of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein for
generating queries for data points in a spreadsheet application
will be described according to various illustrative embodiments.
FIG. 5A shows an illustrative screen display 500A generated by a
device such as the computer system 102 and/or the user computing
device 112. In some embodiments, the screen display 500A can
correspond to the UI 114 displayed by the user computing device
112, as shown in FIG. 1, though this is not necessarily the case.
It should be appreciated that the UI diagram illustrated in FIG. 5A
is illustrative of one contemplated example, and therefore should
not be construed as being limited in any way.
[0076] As shown in FIG. 5A, the screen display 500A can include a
three-dimensional visualization of data such as the spreadsheet
data 118 described herein. More particularly, the screen display
500A is illustrated a map with multiple data points 502 illustrated
on the map in locations corresponding to a geographic location
included in the spreadsheet data 118. Because the spreadsheet data
118 can be represented in the screen display 500A via
representations other than the illustrated data points 502, it
should be understood that the example screen display 500A shown in
FIG. 5A is illustrative.
[0077] According to various embodiments, the data points 502 shown
in FIG. 5A can also be UI controls that, when selected by a user,
cause a device such as the computer system 102 and/or the user
computing device 112 to present a menu for presenting information
about the data points 502 and/or generating a query 132 to obtain
additional information about the data point 502. As shown in FIG.
5A, the screen display 500A can include a data point information
menu 504. The data point information menu 504 can be displayed, for
example, in response to detecting a user interaction with one or
more of the data points 502, as depicted in FIG. 5A by way of a
user's hand tapping or otherwise selecting one of the data points
502. Because the data point information menu 504 can be displayed
at additional and/or alternative times, it should be understood
that this embodiment is illustrative, and should not be construed
as being limiting in any way.
[0078] The data point information menu 504 can include information
associated with the selected data point 502. In the example
illustrated in FIG. 5A, the data point information menu 504
includes location information 506, temporal information 508, a data
value 510, other information 512, an option 514 to obtain
additional information about the data point 502, and an option 516
to close the data point information menu 504. Because additional
and/or alternative information can be included in the data point
information menu 504, it should be understood that the illustrated
example is illustrative, and should not be construed as being
limiting in any way.
[0079] According to various embodiments, selection of the option
514 can cause the computer system 102 and/or the user computing
device 112 to generate a query 132 including some, none, or all of
the information displayed in the data point information menu 504,
and to submit the query 132 to a search engine 130 as described
herein. In some embodiments, selection of the option 516 can cause
the computer system 102 and/or the user computing device 112 to
hide the data point information menu 504. An example of a user
selecting the option 514 is illustrated in FIG. 5B.
[0080] In particular, FIG. 5B shows a screen display 500B generated
by a device such as the computer system 102 and/or the user
computing device 112. In some embodiments, the screen display 500B
corresponds to one or more of the UIs 114 shown in FIG. 1 and
described above with reference to FIGS. 1-5A. It should be
appreciated that the UI diagram illustrated in FIG. 5B is
illustrative of one contemplated embodiment, and therefore should
not be construed as being limited in any way.
[0081] In FIG. 5B, a user has selected the option 514 to obtain
additional information relating to the data point 502. As is
explained herein, the computer system 102 and/or the user computing
device 112 can, in response to the selection of the option 514 as
shown in FIG. 5B, generate and submit a query 132 to a search
engine 130 and/or another device or service. Thus, although not
visible in FIG. 5B, the computer system 102 and/or the user
computing device 112 can, in response to the selection of the
option 514, generate the query 132 as described above with
reference to operation 408 in FIG. 4.
[0082] Turning now to FIG. 5C, a UI diagram showing additional
aspects of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein for
generating queries for data points in a spreadsheet application is
described in detail. In particular, FIG. 5C shows a screen display
500C generated by a device such as the computer system 102 and/or
the user computing device 112. In some embodiments, the screen
display 500C corresponds to one or more of the UIs 114 shown in
FIG. 1 and described above with reference to FIGS. 1-5B.
Furthermore, the screen display 500C can be presented, in some
embodiments, in response to detecting selection of the option 514
as illustrated in FIG. 5B. Because the screen display 500C can be
shown at additional and/or alternative times, it should be
appreciated that this example, as well as the layout and/or
contents of the UI diagram illustrated in FIG. 5C are illustrative
and should not be construed as being limited in any way.
[0083] In FIG. 5C, a query presentation window 520 is displayed. It
can be appreciated from the description of FIGS. 3-5B that the
query presentation window 520 can be presented in response to
detecting a request to obtain additional information relating to
the data point 502 selected in operation 304 of the method 300, as
well as at other times and/or in response to other actions or
commands. As shown in FIG. 5C, the query presentation window 520
can include a field 522 with a text of a query 132 that has been
generated. It can be appreciated that the screen display 500C can
be used to present the query 132 to a user as described above with
reference to operation 410 of the method 400.
[0084] Although not visible in FIG. 5C, a user or other entity can
tap, click, or enter other input for indicating that the query 132
presented in the query presentation window 520 is to be modified.
Thus, a user or other entity can interact with the query
presentation window 520 to modify the query as discussed above with
reference to operation 412 of the method 400 illustrated in FIG. 4.
Because the query 132 presented in the query presentation window
520 can be modified in additional and/or alternative ways, it
should be understood that this embodiment is illustrative, and
should not be construed as being limiting in any way.
[0085] It can be appreciated from collectively referring to FIGS.
5A-5C, that the query 132 shown in the query presentation window
520 includes some of the information displayed in the data point
information menu 504. The query 132 shown in the query presentation
window 520 also includes GPS coordinates, which can be determined
based upon geographic mapping data 124 and/or other data. Because
the query 132 can include additional and/or alternative information
obtained from various sources, it should be understood that this
embodiment is illustrative, and should not be construed as being
limiting in any way.
[0086] The query presentation window 520 also can include a UI
control 524 for cancelling the query request and a UI control 526
for submitting the query 132. Selection of the UI control 524 can
hide the query presentation window 520. Selection of the UI control
526 can hide the query presentation window 520 and/or display a
query results window. Because additional and/or alternative actions
can be taken in response to detecting interactions with the UI
controls 524, 526, it should be understood that these examples are
illustrative, and should not be construed as being limiting in any
way.
[0087] Turning now to FIG. 5D, a UI diagram showing additional
aspects of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein for
generating queries for data points in a spreadsheet application is
described in detail. In particular, FIG. 5D shows a screen display
500D generated by a device such as the computer system 102 and/or
the user computing device 112. In some embodiments, the screen
display 500D corresponds to one or more of the UIs 114 shown in
FIG. 1 and described above with reference to FIGS. 1-5C. It should
be appreciated that the UI diagram illustrated in FIG. 5D is
illustrative of one contemplated embodiment, and therefore should
not be construed as being limited in any way.
[0088] In FIG. 5D, the query presentation window 520 is illustrated
as being displayed. In addition to the query presentation window
520, a graphical keyboard 528 is also displayed. The graphical
keyboard 528 can be displayed, for example, in response to
detecting a tap, click, or other input for modifying the query 132
as described herein. In the illustrated embodiment, a user has
modified the text 530 of the query 132 in the field 522 to include
the words "and `above average.`" Thus, selection of the UI control
526 can cause the computer system 102 and/or the user computing
device 112 to replace the query 132 with a new query 132 and/or to
modify the query 132 as described herein with reference to
operations 412-414 of the method 400. It should be understood that
this embodiment is illustrative, and should not be construed as
being limiting in any way.
[0089] Turning now to FIG. 5E, a UI diagram showing additional
aspects of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein for
generating queries for data points in a spreadsheet application is
described in detail. In particular, FIG. 5E shows a screen display
500E generated by a device such as the computer system 102 and/or
the user computing device 112. In some embodiments, the screen
display 500E corresponds to one or more of the UIs 114 shown in
FIG. 1 and described above with reference to FIGS. 1-5D. It should
be appreciated that the UI diagram illustrated in FIG. 5E is
illustrative of one contemplated embodiment, and therefore should
not be construed as being limited in any way.
[0090] In FIG. 5E, a results window 532 is illustrated as being
displayed. The results window 532 is illustrated as displaying
several search results obtained in response to submission and/or
execution of the query 132 illustrated in FIG. 5D. As shown in FIG.
5E, the results window 532 can include any number of results 134,
and as such, the results window 532 can include a scroll bar 534
and/or other functionality for scrolling through results 134. Thus,
various embodiments of the concepts and technologies disclosed
herein allow a user to obtain and view search results via clicking
on a data point 502 in a display.
[0091] FIG. 6 illustrates an illustrative computer architecture 600
for a device capable of executing the software components described
herein for generating queries for data points in a spreadsheet
application. Thus, the computer architecture 600 illustrated in
FIG. 6 illustrates an architecture for a server computer, mobile
phone, a PDA, a smart phone, a desktop computer, a netbook
computer, a tablet computer, and/or a laptop computer. The computer
architecture 600 may be utilized to execute any aspects of the
software components presented herein.
[0092] The computer architecture 600 illustrated in FIG. 6 includes
a central processing unit 602 ("CPU"), a system memory 604,
including a random access memory 606 ("RAM") and a read-only memory
("ROM") 608, and a system bus 610 that couples the memory 604 to
the CPU 602. A basic input/output system containing the basic
routines that help to transfer information between elements within
the computer architecture 600, such as during startup, is stored in
the ROM 608. The computer architecture 600 further includes a mass
storage device 612 for storing the operating system 106 and one or
more application programs including, but not limited to, the
spreadsheet application 108, the visualization component 110, other
application programs, or the like. Although not shown in FIG. 6,
the mass storage device 612 also can be configured to store the
spreadsheet data 118, the geographic mapping data 124, the map data
126, and/or graphical data corresponding to one or more of the UIs
114 described herein, if desired.
[0093] The mass storage device 612 is connected to the CPU 602
through a mass storage controller (not shown) connected to the bus
610. The mass storage device 612 and its associated
computer-readable media provide non-volatile storage for the
computer architecture 600. Although the description of
computer-readable media contained herein refers to a mass storage
device, such as a hard disk or CD-ROM drive, it should be
appreciated by those skilled in the art that computer-readable
media can be any available computer storage media or communication
media that can be accessed by the computer architecture 600.
[0094] Communication media includes computer readable instructions,
data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data
signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and
includes any delivery media. The term "modulated data signal" means
a signal that has one or more of its characteristics changed or set
in a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of
example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired
media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and
wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless
media. Combinations of the any of the above should also be included
within the scope of computer-readable media.
[0095] By way of example, and not limitation, computer storage
media may include volatile and non-volatile, removable and
non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for
storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data
structures, program modules or other data. For example, computer
media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM,
flash memory or other solid state memory technology, CD-ROM,
digital versatile disks ("DVD"), HD-DVD, BLU-RAY, or other optical
storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage
or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be
used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by
the computer architecture 600. For purposes of the claims, the
phrase "computer storage medium," and variations thereof, does not
include waves or signals per se and/or communication media.
[0096] According to various embodiments, the computer architecture
600 may operate in a networked environment using logical
connections to remote computers through a network such as the
network 104. The computer architecture 600 may connect to the
network 104 through a network interface unit 614 connected to the
bus 610. It should be appreciated that the network interface unit
614 also may be utilized to connect to other types of networks and
remote computer systems such as, for example, the user computing
device 112, the data source 120, the geocoding services 122, the
map server 128, the search engine 130, and/or other systems or
devices. The computer architecture 600 also may include an
input/output controller 616 for receiving and processing input from
a number of other devices, including a keyboard, mouse, or
electronic stylus (not shown in FIG. 6). Similarly, the
input/output controller 616 may provide output to a display screen,
a printer, or other type of output device (also not shown in FIG.
6).
[0097] It should be appreciated that the software components
described herein may, when loaded into the CPU 602 and executed,
transform the CPU 602 and the overall computer architecture 600
from a general-purpose computing system into a special-purpose
computing system customized to facilitate the functionality
presented herein. The CPU 602 may be constructed from any number of
transistors or other discrete circuit elements, which may
individually or collectively assume any number of states. More
specifically, the CPU 602 may operate as a finite-state machine, in
response to executable instructions contained within the software
modules disclosed herein. These computer-executable instructions
may transform the CPU 602 by specifying how the CPU 602 transitions
between states, thereby transforming the transistors or other
discrete hardware elements constituting the CPU 602.
[0098] Encoding the software modules presented herein also may
transform the physical structure of the computer-readable media
presented herein. The specific transformation of physical structure
may depend on various factors, in different implementations of this
description. Examples of such factors may include, but are not
limited to, the technology used to implement the computer-readable
media, whether the computer-readable media is characterized as
primary or secondary storage, and the like. For example, if the
computer-readable media is implemented as semiconductor-based
memory, the software disclosed herein may be encoded on the
computer-readable media by transforming the physical state of the
semiconductor memory. For example, the software may transform the
state of transistors, capacitors, or other discrete circuit
elements constituting the semiconductor memory. The software also
may transform the physical state of such components in order to
store data thereupon.
[0099] As another example, the computer-readable media disclosed
herein may be implemented using magnetic or optical technology. In
such implementations, the software presented herein may transform
the physical state of magnetic or optical media, when the software
is encoded therein. These transformations may include altering the
magnetic characteristics of particular locations within given
magnetic media. These transformations also may include altering the
physical features or characteristics of particular locations within
given optical media, to change the optical characteristics of those
locations. Other transformations of physical media are possible
without departing from the scope and spirit of the present
description, with the foregoing examples provided only to
facilitate this discussion.
[0100] In light of the above, it should be appreciated that many
types of physical transformations take place in the computer
architecture 600 in order to store and execute the software
components presented herein. It also should be appreciated that the
computer architecture 600 may include other types of computing
devices, including hand-held computers, embedded computer systems,
personal digital assistants, and other types of computing devices
known to those skilled in the art. It is also contemplated that the
computer architecture 600 may not include all of the components
shown in FIG. 6, may include other components that are not
explicitly shown in FIG. 6, or may utilize an architecture
completely different than that shown in FIG. 6.
[0101] FIG. 7 illustrates an illustrative distributed computing
environment 700 capable of executing the software components
described herein for generating queries for data points in a
spreadsheet application. Thus, the distributed computing
environment 700 illustrated in FIG. 7 can be used to provide the
functionality described herein with respect to the computer system
102. The distributed computing environment 700 thus may be utilized
to execute any aspects of the software components presented
herein.
[0102] According to various implementations, the distributed
computing environment 700 includes a computing environment 702
operating on, in communication with, or as part of the network 704.
The network 704 also can include various access networks. According
to various implementations, the functionality of the network 704
can be provided by the network 104 illustrated in FIG. 1. One or
more client devices 706A-706N (hereinafter referred to collectively
and/or generically as "clients 706") can communicate with the
computing environment 702 via the network 704 and/or other
connections (not illustrated in FIG. 7). In the illustrated
embodiment, the clients 706 include a computing device 706A such as
a laptop computer, a desktop computer, or other computing device; a
slate or tablet computing device ("tablet computing device") 706B;
a mobile computing device 706C such as a mobile telephone, a smart
phone, or other mobile computing device; a server computer 706D;
and/or other devices 706N. It should be understood that any number
of clients 706 can communicate with the computing environment 702.
Two example computing architectures for the clients 706 are
illustrated and described herein with reference to FIGS. 6 and 8.
It should be understood that the illustrated clients 706 and
computing architectures illustrated and described herein are
illustrative, and should not be construed as being limited in any
way.
[0103] In the illustrated embodiment, the computing environment 702
includes application servers 708, data storage 710, and one or more
network interfaces 712. According to various implementations, the
functionality of the application servers 708 can be provided by one
or more server computers that are executing as part of, or in
communication with, the network 704. The application servers 708
can host various services, virtual machines, portals, and/or other
resources. In the illustrated embodiment, the application servers
708 host one or more virtual machines 714 for hosting applications
or other functionality. According to various implementations, the
virtual machines 714 host one or more applications and/or software
modules for providing the functionality described herein for
generating queries for data points in a spreadsheet application. It
should be understood that this embodiment is illustrative, and
should not be construed as being limiting in any way. The
application servers 708 also host or provide access to one or more
Web portals, link pages, Web sites, and/or other information ("Web
portals") 716.
[0104] According to various implementations, the application
servers 708 also include one or more mailbox services 718 and one
or more messaging services 720. The mailbox services 718 can
include electronic mail ("email") services. The mailbox services
718 also can include various personal information management
("PIM") services including, but not limited to, calendar services,
contact management services, collaboration services, and/or other
services. The messaging services 720 can include, but are not
limited to, instant messaging services, chat services, forum
services, and/or other communication services.
[0105] The application servers 708 also can include one or more
social networking services 722. The social networking services 722
can include various social networking services including, but not
limited to, services for sharing or posting status updates, instant
messages, links, photos, videos, and/or other information; services
for commenting or displaying interest in articles, products, blogs,
or other resources; and/or other services. In some embodiments, the
social networking services 722 are provided by or include the
FACEBOOK social networking service, the LINKEDIN professional
networking service, the MYSPACE social networking service, the
FOURSQUARE geographic networking service, the YAMMER office
colleague networking service, and the like. In other embodiments,
the social networking services 722 are provided by other services,
sites, and/or providers that may or may not explicitly be known as
social networking providers. For example, some web sites allow
users to interact with one another via email, chat services, and/or
other means during various activities and/or contexts such as
reading published articles, commenting on goods or services,
publishing, collaboration, gaming, and the like. Examples of such
services include, but are not limited to, the WINDOWS LIVE service
and the XBOX LIVE service from Microsoft Corporation in Redmond,
Wash. Other services are possible and are contemplated.
[0106] The social networking services 722 also can include
commenting, blogging, and/or microblogging services. Examples of
such services include, but are not limited to, the YELP commenting
service, the KUDZU review service, the OFFICETALK enterprise
microblogging service, the TWITTER messaging service, the GOOGLE
BUZZ service, and/or other services. It should be appreciated that
the above lists of services are not exhaustive and that numerous
additional and/or alternative social networking services 722 are
not mentioned herein for the sake of brevity. As such, the above
embodiments are illustrative, and should not be construed as being
limited in any way.
[0107] As shown in FIG. 7, the application servers 708 also can
host other services, applications, portals, and/or other resources
("other resources") 724. The other resources 724 can include, but
are not limited to, the geocoding services 122, the map server 128,
the data source 120, the search engine 130 and/or other services
and/or resources. It thus can be appreciated that the computing
environment 702 can provide integration of the concepts and
technologies disclosed herein provided herein for generating
queries for data points in a spreadsheet application with various
mailbox, messaging, social networking, and/or other services or
resources. For example, the concepts and technologies disclosed
herein can support sharing visualizations with social network
users, mail recipients, message recipients or the like. Similarly,
users or other entities can share visualizations and/or spreadsheet
data 118 with social networking users, friends, connections, mail
recipients, systems or devices, combinations thereof, or the
like.
[0108] As mentioned above, the computing environment 702 can
include the data storage 710. According to various implementations,
the functionality of the data storage 710 is provided by one or
more databases operating on, or in communication with, the network
704. The functionality of the data storage 710 also can be provided
by one or more server computers configured to host data for the
computing environment 702. The data storage 710 can include, host,
or provide one or more real or virtual datastores 726A-726N
(hereinafter referred to collectively and/or generically as
"datastores 726"). The datastores 726 are configured to host data
used or created by the application servers 708 and/or other data.
Although not illustrated in FIG. 7, the datastores 726 also can
host or store the operating system 106, the spreadsheet application
108, the visualization component 110, graphics data corresponding
to one or more UIs 114, the spreadsheet data 118, the geographic
mapping data 124, the map data 126, combinations thereof, or the
like.
[0109] The computing environment 702 can communicate with, or be
accessed by, the network interfaces 712. The network interfaces 712
can include various types of network hardware and software for
supporting communications between two or more computing devices
including, but not limited to, the clients 706 and the application
servers 708. It should be appreciated that the network interfaces
712 also may be utilized to connect to other types of networks
and/or computer systems.
[0110] It should be understood that the distributed computing
environment 700 described herein can provide any aspects of the
software elements described herein with any number of virtual
computing resources and/or other distributed computing
functionality that can be configured to execute any aspects of the
software components disclosed herein. According to various
implementations of the concepts and technologies disclosed herein,
the distributed computing environment 700 provides the software
functionality described herein as a service to the clients 706. It
should be understood that the clients 706 can include real or
virtual machines including, but not limited to, server computers,
web servers, personal computers, mobile computing devices, smart
phones, and/or other devices. As such, various embodiments of the
concepts and technologies disclosed herein enable any device
configured to access the distributed computing environment 700 to
utilize the functionality described herein for generating queries
for data points in a spreadsheet application.
[0111] Turning now to FIG. 8, an illustrative computing device
architecture 800 for a computing device that is capable of
executing various software components described herein for
generating queries for data points in a spreadsheet application.
The computing device architecture 800 is applicable to computing
devices that facilitate mobile computing due, in part, to form
factor, wireless connectivity, and/or battery-powered operation. In
some embodiments, the computing devices include, but are not
limited to, mobile telephones, tablet devices, slate devices,
portable video game devices, and the like. Moreover, the computing
device architecture 800 is applicable to any of the clients 806
shown in FIG. 7. Furthermore, aspects of the computing device
architecture 800 may be applicable to traditional desktop
computers, portable computers (e.g., laptops, notebooks,
ultra-portables, and netbooks), server computers, and other
computer systems, such as described herein with reference to FIG.
6. For example, the single touch and multi-touch aspects disclosed
herein below may be applied to desktop computers that utilize a
touchscreen or some other touch-enabled device, such as a
touch-enabled track pad or touch-enabled mouse.
[0112] The computing device architecture 800 illustrated in FIG. 8
includes a processor 802, memory components 804, network
connectivity components 806, sensor components 808, input/output
components 810, and power components 812. In the illustrated
embodiment, the processor 802 is in communication with the memory
components 804, the network connectivity components 806, the sensor
components 808, the input/output ("I/O") components 810, and the
power components 812. Although no connections are shown between the
individuals components illustrated in FIG. 8, the components can
interact to carry out device functions. In some embodiments, the
components are arranged so as to communicate via one or more busses
(not shown).
[0113] The processor 802 includes a central processing unit ("CPU")
configured to process data, execute computer-executable
instructions of one or more application programs, and communicate
with other components of the computing device architecture 800 in
order to perform various functionality described herein. The
processor 802 may be utilized to execute aspects of the software
components presented herein and, particularly, those that utilize,
at least in part, a touch-enabled input.
[0114] In some embodiments, the processor 802 includes a graphics
processing unit ("GPU") configured to accelerate operations
performed by the CPU, including, but not limited to, operations
performed by executing general-purpose scientific and engineering
computing applications, as well as graphics-intensive computing
applications such as high resolution video (e.g., 720p, 1080p, and
greater), video games, three-dimensional modeling applications, and
the like. In some embodiments, the processor 802 is configured to
communicate with a discrete GPU (not shown). In any case, the CPU
and GPU may be configured in accordance with a co-processing
CPU/GPU computing model, wherein the sequential part of an
application executes on the CPU and the computationally-intensive
part is accelerated by the GPU.
[0115] In some embodiments, the processor 802 is, or is included
in, a system-on-chip ("SoC") along with one or more of the other
components described herein below. For example, the SoC may include
the processor 802, a GPU, one or more of the network connectivity
components 806, and one or more of the sensor components 808. In
some embodiments, the processor 802 is fabricated, in part,
utilizing a package-on-package ("PoP") integrated circuit packaging
technique. Moreover, the processor 802 may be a single core or
multi-core processor.
[0116] The processor 802 may be created in accordance with an ARM
architecture, available for license from ARM HOLDINGS of Cambridge,
United Kingdom. Alternatively, the processor 802 may be created in
accordance with an x86 architecture, such as is available from
INTEL CORPORATION of Mountain View, Calif. and others. In some
embodiments, the processor 802 is a SNAPDRAGON SoC, available from
QUALCOMM of San Diego, Calif., a TEGRA SoC, available from NVIDIA
of Santa Clara, Calif., a HUMMINGBIRD SoC, available from SAMSUNG
of Seoul, South Korea, an Open Multimedia Application Platform
("OMAP") SoC, available from TEXAS INSTRUMENTS of Dallas, Tex., a
customized version of any of the above SoCs, or a proprietary
SoC.
[0117] The memory components 804 include a random access memory
("RAM") 814, a read-only memory ("ROM") 816, an integrated storage
memory ("integrated storage") 818, and a removable storage memory
("removable storage") 820. In some embodiments, the RAM 814 or a
portion thereof, the ROM 816 or a portion thereof, and/or some
combination the RAM 814 and the ROM 816 is integrated in the
processor 802. In some embodiments, the ROM 816 is configured to
store a firmware, an operating system or a portion thereof (e.g.,
operating system kernel), and/or a bootloader to load an operating
system kernel from the integrated storage 818 or the removable
storage 820.
[0118] The integrated storage 818 can include a solid-state memory,
a hard disk, or a combination of solid-state memory and a hard
disk. The integrated storage 818 may be soldered or otherwise
connected to a logic board upon which the processor 802 and other
components described herein also may be connected. As such, the
integrated storage 818 is integrated in the computing device. The
integrated storage 818 is configured to store an operating system
or portions thereof, application programs, data, and other software
components described herein.
[0119] The removable storage 820 can include a solid-state memory,
a hard disk, or a combination of solid-state memory and a hard
disk. In some embodiments, the removable storage 820 is provided in
lieu of the integrated storage 818. In other embodiments, the
removable storage 820 is provided as additional optional storage.
In some embodiments, the removable storage 820 is logically
combined with the integrated storage 818 such that the total
available storage is made available and shown to a user as a total
combined capacity of the integrated storage 818 and the removable
storage 820.
[0120] The removable storage 820 is configured to be inserted into
a removable storage memory slot (not shown) or other mechanism by
which the removable storage 820 is inserted and secured to
facilitate a connection over which the removable storage 820 can
communicate with other components of the computing device, such as
the processor 802. The removable storage 820 may be embodied in
various memory card formats including, but not limited to, PC card,
CompactFlash card, memory stick, secure digital ("SD"), miniSD,
microSD, universal integrated circuit card ("UICC") (e.g., a
subscriber identity module ("SIM") or universal SIM ("USIM")), a
proprietary format, or the like.
[0121] It can be understood that one or more of the memory
components 804 can store an operating system. According to various
embodiments, the operating system includes, but is not limited to,
SYMBIAN OS from SYMBIAN LIMITED, WINDOWS MOBILE OS from Microsoft
Corporation of Redmond, Wash., WINDOWS PHONE OS from Microsoft
Corporation, WINDOWS from Microsoft Corporation, PALM WEBOS from
Hewlett-Packard Company of Palo Alto, Calif., BLACKBERRY OS from
Research In Motion Limited of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, IOS from
Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif., and ANDROID OS from Google Inc. of
Mountain View, Calif. Other operating systems are contemplated.
[0122] The network connectivity components 806 include a wireless
wide area network component ("WWAN component") 822, a wireless
local area network component ("WLAN component") 824, and a wireless
personal area network component ("WPAN component") 826. The network
connectivity components 806 facilitate communications to and from a
network 828, which may be a WWAN, a WLAN, or a WPAN. Although a
single network 828 is illustrated, the network connectivity
components 806 may facilitate simultaneous communication with
multiple networks. For example, the network connectivity components
806 may facilitate simultaneous communications with multiple
networks via one or more of a WWAN, a WLAN, or a WPAN.
[0123] In some embodiments, the network 828 can correspond to the
network 104 and/or the network 704 illustrated and described in
FIGS. 1 and 6-7. In some other embodiments, the network 828 can
include the network 104 illustrated and described with reference to
FIGS. 1 and 6 and/or the network 704 illustrated and described in
FIG. 7. In yet other embodiments, the network 828 can provide
access to the network 104 illustrated and described with reference
to FIGS. 1 and 6 and/or the network 704 illustrated and described
in FIG. 7.
[0124] The network 828 may be a WWAN, such as a mobile
telecommunications network utilizing one or more mobile
telecommunications technologies to provide voice and/or data
services to a computing device utilizing the computing device
architecture 800 via the WWAN component 822. The mobile
telecommunications technologies can include, but are not limited
to, Global System for Mobile communications ("GSM"), Code Division
Multiple Access ("CDMA") ONE, CDMA2000, Universal Mobile
Telecommunications System ("UMTS"), Long Term Evolution ("LTE"),
and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access ("WiMAX").
Moreover, the network 828 may utilize various channel access
methods (which may or may not be used by the aforementioned
standards) including, but not limited to, Time Division Multiple
Access ("TDMA"), Frequency Division Multiple Access ("FDMA"), CDMA,
wideband CDMA ("W-CDMA"), Orthogonal Frequency Division
Multiplexing ("OFDM"), Space Division Multiple Access ("SDMA"), and
the like. Data communications may be provided using General Packet
Radio Service ("GPRS"), Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution
("EDGE"), the High-Speed Packet Access ("HSPA") protocol family
including High-Speed Downlink Packet Access ("HSDPA"), Enhanced
Uplink ("EUL") or otherwise termed High-Speed Uplink Packet Access
("HSUPA"), Evolved HSPA ("HSPA+"), LTE, and various other current
and future wireless data access standards. The network 828 may be
configured to provide voice and/or data communications with any
combination of the above technologies. The network 828 may be
configured to or adapted to provide voice and/or data
communications in accordance with future generation
technologies.
[0125] In some embodiments, the WWAN component 822 is configured to
provide dual-multi-mode connectivity to the network 828. For
example, the WWAN component 822 may be configured to provide
connectivity to the network 828, wherein the network 828 provides
service via GSM and UMTS technologies, or via some other
combination of technologies. Alternatively, multiple WWAN
components 822 may be utilized to perform such functionality,
and/or provide additional functionality to support other
non-compatible technologies (i.e., incapable of being supported by
a single WWAN component). The WWAN component 822 may facilitate
similar connectivity to multiple networks (e.g., a UMTS network and
an LTE network).
[0126] The network 828 may be a WLAN operating in accordance with
one or more Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
("IEEE") 802.11 standards, such as IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g,
802.11n, and/or future 802.11 standard (referred to herein
collectively as WI-FI). Draft 802.11 standards are also
contemplated. In some embodiments, the WLAN is implemented
utilizing one or more wireless WI-FI access points. In some
embodiments, one or more of the wireless WI-FI access points are
another computing device with connectivity to a WWAN that are
functioning as a WI-FI hotspot. The WLAN component 824 is
configured to connect to the network 828 via the WI-FI access
points. Such connections may be secured via various encryption
technologies including, but not limited, WI-FI Protected Access
("WPA"), WPA2, Wired Equivalent Privacy ("WEP"), and the like.
[0127] The network 828 may be a WPAN operating in accordance with
Infrared Data Association ("IrDA"), BLUETOOTH, wireless Universal
Serial Bus ("USB"), Z-Wave, ZIGBEE, or some other short-range
wireless technology. In some embodiments, the WPAN component 826 is
configured to facilitate communications with other devices, such as
peripherals, computers, or other computing devices via the
WPAN.
[0128] The sensor components 808 include a magnetometer 830, an
ambient light sensor 832, a proximity sensor 834, an accelerometer
836, a gyroscope 838, and a Global Positioning System sensor ("GPS
sensor") 840. It is contemplated that other sensors, such as, but
not limited to, temperature sensors or shock detection sensors,
also may be incorporated in the computing device architecture
800.
[0129] The magnetometer 830 is configured to measure the strength
and direction of a magnetic field. In some embodiments the
magnetometer 830 provides measurements to a compass application
program stored within one of the memory components 804 in order to
provide a user with accurate directions in a frame of reference
including the cardinal directions, north, south, east, and west.
Similar measurements may be provided to a navigation application
program that includes a compass component. Other uses of
measurements obtained by the magnetometer 830 are contemplated.
[0130] The ambient light sensor 832 is configured to measure
ambient light. In some embodiments, the ambient light sensor 832
provides measurements to an application program stored within one
the memory components 804 in order to automatically adjust the
brightness of a display (described below) to compensate for
low-light and high-light environments. Other uses of measurements
obtained by the ambient light sensor 832 are contemplated.
[0131] The proximity sensor 834 is configured to detect the
presence of an object or thing in proximity to the computing device
without direct contact. In some embodiments, the proximity sensor
834 detects the presence of a user's body (e.g., the user's face)
and provides this information to an application program stored
within one of the memory components 804 that utilizes the proximity
information to enable or disable some functionality of the
computing device. For example, a telephone application program may
automatically disable a touchscreen (described below) in response
to receiving the proximity information so that the user's face does
not inadvertently end a call or enable/disable other functionality
within the telephone application program during the call. Other
uses of proximity as detected by the proximity sensor 834 are
contemplated.
[0132] The accelerometer 836 is configured to measure proper
acceleration. In some embodiments, output from the accelerometer
836 is used by an application program as an input mechanism to
control some functionality of the application program. For example,
the application program may be a video game in which a character, a
portion thereof, or an object is moved or otherwise manipulated in
response to input received via the accelerometer 836. In some
embodiments, output from the accelerometer 836 is provided to an
application program for use in switching between landscape and
portrait modes, calculating coordinate acceleration, or detecting a
fall. Other uses of the accelerometer 836 are contemplated.
[0133] The gyroscope 838 is configured to measure and maintain
orientation. In some embodiments, output from the gyroscope 838 is
used by an application program as an input mechanism to control
some functionality of the application program. For example, the
gyroscope 838 can be used for accurate recognition of movement
within a three-dimensional environment of a video game application
or some other application. In some embodiments, an application
program utilizes output from the gyroscope 838 and the
accelerometer 836 to enhance control of some functionality of the
application program. Other uses of the gyroscope 838 are
contemplated.
[0134] The GPS sensor 840 is configured to receive signals from GPS
satellites for use in calculating a location. The location
calculated by the GPS sensor 840 may be used by any application
program that requires or benefits from location information. For
example, the location calculated by the GPS sensor 840 may be used
with a navigation application program to provide directions from
the location to a destination or directions from the destination to
the location. Moreover, the GPS sensor 840 may be used to provide
location information to an external location-based service, such as
E911 service. The GPS sensor 840 may obtain location information
generated via WI-FI, WIMAX, and/or cellular triangulation
techniques utilizing one or more of the network connectivity
components 806 to aid the GPS sensor 840 in obtaining a location
fix. The GPS sensor 840 may also be used in Assisted GPS ("A-GPS")
systems.
[0135] The I/O components 810 include a display 842, a touchscreen
844, a data I/O interface component ("data I/O") 846, an audio I/O
interface component ("audio I/O") 848, a video I/O interface
component ("video I/O") 850, and a camera 852. In some embodiments,
the display 842 and the touchscreen 844 are combined. In some
embodiments two or more of the data I/O component 846, the audio
I/O component 848, and the video I/O component 850 are combined.
The I/O components 810 may include discrete processors configured
to support the various interface described below, or may include
processing functionality built-in to the processor 802.
[0136] The display 842 is an output device configured to present
information in a visual form. In particular, the display 842 may
present graphical user interface ("GUI") elements, text, images,
video, notifications, virtual buttons, virtual keyboards, messaging
data, Internet content, device status, time, date, calendar data,
preferences, map information, location information, and any other
information that is capable of being presented in a visual form. In
some embodiments, the display 842 is a liquid crystal display
("LCD") utilizing any active or passive matrix technology and any
backlighting technology (if used). In some embodiments, the display
842 is an organic light emitting diode ("OLED") display. Other
display types are contemplated.
[0137] The touchscreen 844 is an input device configured to detect
the presence and location of a touch. The touchscreen 844 may be a
resistive touchscreen, a capacitive touchscreen, a surface acoustic
wave touchscreen, an infrared touchscreen, an optical imaging
touchscreen, a dispersive signal touchscreen, an acoustic pulse
recognition touchscreen, or may utilize any other touchscreen
technology. In some embodiments, the touchscreen 844 is
incorporated on top of the display 842 as a transparent layer to
enable a user to use one or more touches to interact with objects
or other information presented on the display 842. In other
embodiments, the touchscreen 844 is a touch pad incorporated on a
surface of the computing device that does not include the display
842. For example, the computing device may have a touchscreen
incorporated on top of the display 842 and a touch pad on a surface
opposite the display 842.
[0138] In some embodiments, the touchscreen 844 is a single-touch
touchscreen. In other embodiments, the touchscreen 844 is a
multi-touch touchscreen. In some embodiments, the touchscreen 844
is configured to detect discrete touches, single touch gestures,
and/or multi-touch gestures. These are collectively referred to
herein as gestures for convenience. Several gestures will now be
described. It should be understood that these gestures are
illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the
appended claims. Moreover, the described gestures, additional
gestures, and/or alternative gestures may be implemented in
software for use with the touchscreen 844. As such, a developer may
create gestures that are specific to a particular application
program.
[0139] In some embodiments, the touchscreen 844 supports a tap
gesture in which a user taps the touchscreen 844 once on an item
presented on the display 842. The tap gesture may be used for
various reasons including, but not limited to, opening or launching
whatever the user taps. In some embodiments, the touchscreen 844
supports a double tap gesture in which a user taps the touchscreen
844 twice on an item presented on the display 842. The double tap
gesture may be used for various reasons including, but not limited
to, zooming in or zooming out in stages. In some embodiments, the
touchscreen 844 supports a tap and hold gesture in which a user
taps the touchscreen 844 and maintains contact for at least a
pre-defined time. The tap and hold gesture may be used for various
reasons including, but not limited to, opening a context-specific
menu.
[0140] In some embodiments, the touchscreen 844 supports a pan
gesture in which a user places a finger on the touchscreen 844 and
maintains contact with the touchscreen 844 while moving the finger
on the touchscreen 844. The pan gesture may be used for various
reasons including, but not limited to, moving through screens,
images, or menus at a controlled rate. Multiple finger pan gestures
are also contemplated. In some embodiments, the touchscreen 844
supports a flick gesture in which a user swipes a finger in the
direction the user wants the screen to move. The flick gesture may
be used for various reasons including, but not limited to,
scrolling horizontally or vertically through menus or pages. In
some embodiments, the touchscreen 844 supports a pinch and stretch
gesture in which a user makes a pinching motion with two fingers
(e.g., thumb and forefinger) on the touchscreen 844 or moves the
two fingers apart. The pinch and stretch gesture may be used for
various reasons including, but not limited to, zooming gradually in
or out of a website, map, or picture.
[0141] Although the above gestures have been described with
reference to the use one or more fingers for performing the
gestures, other appendages such as toes or objects such as styluses
may be used to interact with the touchscreen 844. As such, the
above gestures should be understood as being illustrative and
should not be construed as being limiting in any way.
[0142] The data I/O interface component 846 is configured to
facilitate input of data to the computing device and output of data
from the computing device. In some embodiments, the data I/O
interface component 846 includes a connector configured to provide
wired connectivity between the computing device and a computer
system, for example, for synchronization operation purposes. The
connector may be a proprietary connector or a standardized
connector such as USB, micro-USB, mini-USB, or the like. In some
embodiments, the connector is a dock connector for docking the
computing device with another device such as a docking station,
audio device (e.g., a digital music player), or video device.
[0143] The audio I/O interface component 848 is configured to
provide audio input and/or output capabilities to the computing
device. In some embodiments, the audio I/O interface component 846
includes a microphone configured to collect audio signals. In some
embodiments, the audio I/O interface component 846 includes a
headphone jack configured to provide connectivity for headphones or
other external speakers. In some embodiments, the audio interface
component 848 includes a speaker for the output of audio signals.
In some embodiments, the audio I/O interface component 846 includes
an optical audio cable out.
[0144] The video I/O interface component 850 is configured to
provide video input and/or output capabilities to the computing
device. In some embodiments, the video I/O interface component 850
includes a video connector configured to receive video as input
from another device (e.g., a video media player such as a DVD or
BLURAY player) or send video as output to another device (e.g., a
monitor, a television, or some other external display). In some
embodiments, the video I/O interface component 850 includes a
High-Definition Multimedia Interface ("HDMI"), mini-HDMI,
micro-HDMI, DisplayPort, or proprietary connector to input/output
video content. In some embodiments, the video I/O interface
component 850 or portions thereof is combined with the audio I/O
interface component 848 or portions thereof.
[0145] The camera 852 can be configured to capture still images
and/or video. The camera 852 may utilize a charge coupled device
("CCD") or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor ("CMOS") image
sensor to capture images. In some embodiments, the camera 852
includes a flash to aid in taking pictures in low-light
environments. Settings for the camera 852 may be implemented as
hardware or software buttons.
[0146] Although not illustrated, one or more hardware buttons may
also be included in the computing device architecture 800. The
hardware buttons may be used for controlling some operational
aspect of the computing device. The hardware buttons may be
dedicated buttons or multi-use buttons. The hardware buttons may be
mechanical or sensor-based.
[0147] The illustrated power components 812 include one or more
batteries 854, which can be connected to a battery gauge 856. The
batteries 854 may be rechargeable or disposable. Rechargeable
battery types include, but are not limited to, lithium polymer,
lithium ion, nickel cadmium, and nickel metal hydride. Each of the
batteries 854 may be made of one or more cells.
[0148] The battery gauge 856 can be configured to measure battery
parameters such as current, voltage, and temperature. In some
embodiments, the battery gauge 856 is configured to measure the
effect of a battery's discharge rate, temperature, age and other
factors to predict remaining life within a certain percentage of
error. In some embodiments, the battery gauge 856 provides
measurements to an application program that is configured to
utilize the measurements to present useful power management data to
a user. Power management data may include one or more of a
percentage of battery used, a percentage of battery remaining, a
battery condition, a remaining time, a remaining capacity (e.g., in
watt hours), a current draw, and a voltage.
[0149] The power components 812 may also include a power connector,
which may be combined with one or more of the aforementioned I/O
components 810. The power components 812 may interface with an
external power system or charging equipment via a power I/O
component 844.
[0150] Based on the foregoing, it should be appreciated that
technologies for generating queries for data points in a
spreadsheet application have been disclosed herein. Although the
subject matter presented herein has been described in language
specific to computer structural features, methodological and
transformative acts, specific computing machinery, and computer
readable media, it is to be understood that the invention defined
in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific
features, acts, or media described herein. Rather, the specific
features, acts and mediums are disclosed as example forms of
implementing the claims.
[0151] The subject matter described above is provided by way of
illustration only and should not be construed as limiting. Various
modifications and changes may be made to the subject matter
described herein without following the example embodiments and
applications illustrated and described, and without departing from
the true spirit and scope of the present invention, which is set
forth in the following claims.
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