Google patents table cell splitting in online document editors
Google has filed a patent application for a method to split table cells in an online document editor. The system automatically inserts new rows and columns and merges surrounding cells to maintain the table's layout when a user requests a split.
In the filing’s own words
Techniques are described herein for table cell splitting in an online document editor. A method includes: responsive to a request to split a cell in a table, determining a target number of rows and a target number of columns, automatically inserting rows adjacent to rows of the cell to reach the target number of rows, automatically inserting columns adjacent to columns of the cell to reach the target number of columns, and automatically merging groups of cells within an initial boundary of the cell, each group spanning a determined number of rows per group and a determined number of columns per group.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A method implemented by one or more processors, the method comprising: receiving, via a user interface, a request to split a target cell in a table in a document in a document editing application; identifying a set of layout changes required to split the target cell in accordance with the request, the set of layout changes being identified based on a number of vertical cells and a number of horizontal cells into which the target cell is to be split; automatically inserting one or more new rows and one or more new columns into the table to accommodate the set of layout changes; identifying a plurality of affected cells in the table, the plurality of affected cells being distinct from the target cell, wherein the plurality of affected cells includes cells that span at least one of the new rows or the new columns; and for each respective affected cell in the plurality of affected cells: determining a new row position and a new column position based on the inserted rows and columns; determining an updated row span and an updated column span; and merging cells in an area defined by the new row position, the new column position, the updated row span, and the updated column span to restore a span of the respective affected cell within the table.
Facts
- Company
- Google (GOOGLE LLC)
- Official title
- TABLE CELL SPLITTING IN AN ONLINE DOCUMENT EDITOR
- Publication number
- US20260289098A1
- Application number
- 19560938
- Filed
- Mar 9, 2026
- Published
- Sep 24, 2026
- Inventors
- 2
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
G06F 40/177 Physics & computingMore from Google in AI & software
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.