Method, system, and apparatus for converting numbers between measurement systems based upon semantically labeled strings

• US 7,325,194 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2002
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Abbar, Mohamed A., Arayasantiparb, Athapan, Moore, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel; Manglesh M.
• Application Number:
  US10/140,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20030212527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,093 Days
• Field of Search: 715/536, 715/530, 715/538, 708/206, 705/1, 704/1, 717/137
• US Class Current: 715/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/295 Named entity recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation

Abstract

Number conversion between different units of measurement in a document is enabled. A string of text entered into an application program is analyzed to determine whether it includes a number having an associated unit name. Found numbers with associated unit names are semantically labeled with schema information identifying the unit name as a source unit of measurement. When the number is selected or an indication received that the number is labeled with schema information, a list of actions may be provided identifying conversion options for the number. In response to selection of one of the conversion options, the selected number is converted to the destination unit of measure identified by the selected action. The converted number may then be inserted into the string of text to replace the selected number along with a unit name corresponding to the destination unit of measure.

Claims

1. In a system for creating and editing an electronic document, a method to be executed by a plurality of software programs encoded on a computer-readable medium for converting a number between two systems of measurement, the method comprising:

receiving a portion of the electronic document as a string of text;

analyzing the string of text to determine whether the string of text includes a number having an associated unit name;

in response to determining that the string of text includes a number having an associated unit name, semantically labeling the number with schema information identifying the unit name as a source of measure, wherein the semantic labeling becomes part of the electronic document;

automatically determining a current user interface language setting for an application program associated with the electronic document;

displaying the number and the unit name and an indication that the number has been semantically labeled;

receiving, from a user, a selection of the number or the indication;

in response to receiving the selection of the number or the indication, displaying, to the user, a list of actions in a language specified by the current user interface language setting that are to be performed on the number to convert the number to a destination unit of measure, the list of actions identified based upon the schema information;

receiving, from the user, the selection of an action from the list of actions;

in response to receiving the selection of an action, determining a value for the number based upon a format associated with a language in which the string of text is expressed, if the selected action is associated with converting the number;

generating a converted number by converting the value to the destination unit of measure identified by the selected action;

replacing the number with the converted number in the string of text; and

if the selected action is associated with removing the semantic labeling, removing the semantic labeling from the electronic document.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein operating a converted number by converting the number from the source unit of measure to the destination unit of measure identified by the selected action comprises:

retrieving from a conversion settings file a conversion ratio or formula corresponding to the selected action; and

generating a converted number by converting the number from the source unit of measure to the destination unit of measure with the conversion ratio or formula.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the conversion settings file comprises a conversion ratio or formula corresponding to one or more measurement conversions, and wherein the method further comprises receiving from a user a user-defined conversion ratio or formula and storing the user-defined ratio or formula in the conversion settings file.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

replacing the number and the associated unit name with the converted number and a unit name associated with the destination unit of measure.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein replacing the number and the associated unit name with the converted number and a unit name associated with the destination unit of measure comprises utilizing a document object model provided by an application for editing the electronic document to replace the number and the associated unit name with the converted number and a unit name associated with the destination unit of measure.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the list of actions comprises a dropdown menu having one or more menu items corresponding to the list of actions that are to be performed on the number to convert the number to the destination unit of measure.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

displaying the list of actions in the language specified by the current user interface language setting by generating menu items of the dropdown menu in the language specified by the current user interface language setting.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

generating at least one menu item enabled for use with at least one language different from the language specified by the current user interface language setting.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying the number and an indication that the number has been semantically labeled, and wherein the list of actions is provided in response to the selection of the number or the indication.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the schema information comprises data uniquely corresponding to the source unit of measure and the language specified by the current user interface language setting.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a value of the number prior to converting the number based upon a format associated with the language in which the string of text is expressed.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of actions comprises a dropdown menu having one or more menu items corresponding to the list of actions that are to be performed on the number to convert the number to the destination unit of measure.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

displaying the list of actions in the language specified by the current user interface language setting by generating menu items of the dropdown menu in the language specified by the current user interface language setting.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

generating at least one menu item enabled for use with at least one language different from the language specified by the current user interface language setting.

15. A system embodied on a computer-readable medium for converting a number between two systems of measurement, the system comprising:

a recognizer plug-in capable of receiving a portion of an electronic document as a string of text from an application program, analyzing the string of text to determine whether the string of text includes a number having an associated unit name, in response to determining that the string of text includes a number having an associated unit name, semantically labeling the number with schema information identifying the unit name as a source unit of measure and identifying the language used to express the string of text, wherein the semantic labeling becomes part of the electronic document, and automatically determining a current user interface language setting for the electronic document;

an application program for creating and editing the electronic document, the application program capable of displaying the string of text and an indication that the number has been semantically labeled, receiving a selection of the number or the indication, in response to receiving the selection of the number or the indication, displaying, to a user, a list of actions in a language specified by the current user interface language setting that are to be performed on the number to convert the number to a destination unit of measure, the list of actions identified based upon the schema information, receiving the selection of an action from the list of actions, and providing the selected action and the number to an action plug-in; and

an action plug-in capable of generating a converted number by converting the number to the destination unit of measure identified by the selected action, and replacing the number with the converted number and a unit name corresponding to the destination unit of measure in the string of text, if the selected action is associated with converting the number, and if the selected action is associated with removing the semantic labeling, removing the semantic labeling from the electronic document.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the list of actions comprises a dropdown menu having one or more menu items corresponding to the list of actions that are to be performed on the number to convert the number to the destination unit of measure, and wherein the action plug-in is further operative to:

generate the menu items of the dropdown menu in the language specified by the current user interface language setting.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the action plug-in is further operative to identify one or more enabled languages for the application program and to generate at least one menu item enabled for use with at least one language different from the language specified by the current user interface language setting, and to generate at least one menu item enabled for use with the language specified by the current user interface language setting.