Spreadsheet Unit-Based Math Parsing System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional spreadsheets inadequately handle units of measure in mathematical operations, leading to incorrect results and lack of context due to insufficient display format capabilities, as the current systems do not effectively parse, convert, or apply units of measure in calculations.
Innovation Solution
A system that parses and associates units of measure with spreadsheet cell values, converts between compatible units, and performs unit-based math by parsing formulas to determine and apply operators to measures and units, ensuring accurate and contextually correct results.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If conventional display formats (number, text, Boolean, date, currency) are used to provide context to cell values, then the spreadsheet can display values with some contextual information, but the system cannot accurately determine the intended result of mathematical operations because display format does not encode unit of measure information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cell value into two distinct components: a numerical value and a unit of measure. This segmentation allows the system to handle each component separately - the numerical value for mathematical operations and the unit of measure for contextual information and result determination. By parsing the cell value to extract these components, the system recovers the unit of measure information that was lost in conventional display formats without requiring a complete system redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary parsing mechanism that acts as a bridge between the conventional spreadsheet interface and the unit of measure information. This parser extracts unit of measure data from cell values and stores it separately, enabling the system to use this information for determining operation results while maintaining compatibility with existing spreadsheet operations. The intermediary layer allows unit of measure context to be utilized without fundamentally changing the core spreadsheet architecture.
2Reliability
If the spreadsheet system performs mathematical operations on cell values without unit of measure information, then operations can be executed quickly and simply, but the results may be incorrect because the system cannot determine the intended unit of measure for the result
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by parsing and extracting unit of measure information from cell values before mathematical operations are performed. This pre-processing step stores the unit of measure data in a readily accessible format, so that when an operation is executed, the system can immediately determine the intended result unit without time-consuming analysis during the operation itself. This preliminary extraction ensures both accuracy and efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically determining the result unit of measure based on the operands' units and the operation type, without requiring explicit user input. The parser and operation handler work together to infer the correct result unit (e.g., adding meters and feet yields feet, multiplying meters by seconds yields meter-seconds), thereby ensuring result accuracy while maintaining fast processing speeds.
3Ease of operation
If manual modification of display format is required to display calculated values as intended, then the user can achieve correct display, but the user experience is degraded due to additional manual steps and potential for error
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by using the extracted unit of measure information to automatically determine and apply the appropriate display format for calculation results. The system feeds back the unit context to the display layer, which then automatically formats the result (e.g., displaying as currency, date, or custom format) based on the unit type. This automated feedback loop eliminates the need for manual format modification while ensuring the displayed result matches the user's intent.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically selecting and applying the correct display format for calculation results based on their unit of measure. Instead of requiring users to manually adjust display formats, the system autonomously determines the appropriate format from the unit information and applies it, thereby improving ease of operation while preserving unit of measure context throughout the calculation process.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for performing units-based math for spreadsheet cell values includes a processor. The processor is to host a spreadsheet document; parse a formula containing a first measure, a first unit of measure, and an operator; in the event that the first unit of measure and the operator are compatible, determine a resulting measure by applying the operator to the first measure; determine a resulting unit of measure; and associate the resulting measure with the resulting unit of measure.