jQuery.fn.rowspan = function (colIdx) {
    return this.each(function () {

        var that;
        $('tr', this).each(function (row) {
            $('td:eq(' + colIdx + ')', this).filter(':visible').each(function (col) {
                if ($(this).html() == $(that).html()) {
                    rowspan = $(that).attr("rowSpan");
                    if (rowspan == undefined) {

                        $(that).attr("rowSpan", 1);
                        rowspan = $(that).attr("rowSpan");
                    }
                    rowspan = Number(rowspan) + 1;
                    $(that).attr("rowSpan", rowspan); // do your action for the colspan cell here
                    $(this).hide(); // .remove(); // do your action for the old cell here
                } else {
                    that = this;
                }
                that = (that == null) ? this : that; // set the that if not already set
            });
        });

    });
}

jQuery.fn.rowspanReset = function (colIdx) {
    return this.each(function () {
        $('tr', this).each(function (row) {
            $('td:eq(' + colIdx + ')', this).each(function (col) { //.filter(':visible')
                rowspan = $(this).attr("rowSpan");
                if (rowspan != undefined) {
                    $(this).attr("rowSpan", 1);
                    $(this).show();
                }
            });
        });
    });
}

jQuery.fn.colspan = function (rowIdx) {
    return this.each(function () {

        var that;
        $('tr', this).filter(":eq(" + rowIdx + ")").each(function (row) {
            $(this).find('td').filter(':visible').each(function (col) {
                if ($(this).html() == $(that).html()) {
                    colspan = $(that).attr("colSpan");
                    if (colspan == undefined) {
                        $(that).attr("colSpan", 1);
                        colspan = $(that).attr("colSpan");
                    }
                    colspan = Number(colspan) + 1;
                    $(that).attr("colSpan", colspan);
                    $(this).hide(); // .remove();
                } else {
                    that = this;
                }
                that = (that == null) ? this : that; // set the that if not already set
            });
        });

    });
}