Method and apparatus for converting, formatting, and displaying currency values

• US 7,590,575 B2
• Filed: 03/08/1999
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Viot, Stephane J., Yu, Christopher C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Felten; Daniel S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Millin; Vincent
• Application Number:
  US09/264,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20030097318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,844 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/38, 705/39
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

A conversion function for converting between the euro and other currencies is provided that converts a value in one type of currency to a value in another type of currency according to EU-specified conversion rules and rounding rules. The conversion function may utilize full-precision computation or may convert the value utilizing a user-supplied number of significant digits. A method and apparatus for formatting the results of a conversion in a user-modifiable euro style is also provided. A formatting toolbar button is supplied that when selected applies a euro style to a selected currency value or range of values. A conversion wizard for converting a group of values or functions between the euro and other currencies is also provided. The wizard permits user-selected formula handling options to be selected at the time of conversion. A toolbar for viewing the results of the conversion is also provided. The toolbar provides a floating window that indicates the value of a current location in a user-specified type of currency. The window is updated each time a new location or range of locations is selected, a refresh command is issued, or a new type of currency is selected.

Claims

1. A method for converting values and functions contained in a user-selected range of source cells and represented in an at least one source currency to an at least one destination currency using a conversion wizard provided by a spreadsheet application program executing on a computer, comprising:

determining, by the computer whether the user selected range of cells contains one of the following;

values and functions, wherein the functions comprise at least one formula;

(a) providing, by the computer, in the spreadsheet application program, a conversion function for converting the values contained in the user-selected range of source cells to the at least one destination currency;

(b) receiving, by the computer, in the spreadsheet application program, a request for converting the values contained in the user-selected range of source cells to the at least one destination currency;

(c) receiving, by the computer, in the spreadsheet application program in conjunction with the request, a plurality of arguments in the conversion function wherein the arguments comprise;

a value in the at least one source currency to be converted;

the identity of the at least one source currency to be converted;

the identity of the at least one destination currency;

a full precision flag, wherein when the full precision flag is set, the conversion function ignores currency-specific rounding rules; and

a triangulation value;

(d) applying, by the computer, in the spreadsheet application program, a predefined set of conversion rules to convert the value from the at least one source currency to the destination currency based upon the plurality of arguments received in the conversion;

(e) saving, by the computer, the converted value in a destination cell corresponding to a source cell in the user-selected range of source cells containing the value;

(f) in response to determining that the user selected range contains functions, determining, by the computer, whether a function comprising a formula in a destination location is to a source location by converting the function and copying the function to the destination cell without modifying the source location;

(g) in response to determining that the formula in the destination location is to the source location, converting, by the computer, the formula from the at least one source currency to the at least one destination currency to create a converted function, the converted function comprising a variable identifying the at least one source currency and a variable identifying the at least one destination currency;

(h) saving, by the computer, the converted function in the destination location; and

(i) repeating, by the computer, steps (d) through (h) for each of the user-selected source cells.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving, by the computer, in the spreadsheet application program, a euro style format and applying the euro style format to the converted value in the destination cell corresponding to the source cell in the user-selected range of source cells containing the value.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in response to determining that the formula in the destination location should not be linked to the source location, converting, by the computer system, the formula to a currency value; and

saving, by the computer system, the value in the destination location.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, by the computer system, whether to provide a user prompt prior to converting the function;

in response to determining that a user prompt is to be provided, determining, by the computer system, whether a selection has previously been made indicating that a previously selected formula-handling option to be applied to all future formulas; and

in response to determining that a selection has previously not been made, receiving, by the computer system, a user input regarding how the formula is to be handled.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, by the computer system, whether the formula in the source location should be copied to the destination location without a currency conversion operation being applied to the formula; and

in response to determining that the formula in the source location should be copied to the destination location without a currency conversion operation being applied to the formula, copying, by the computer system, the formula to the destination location and saving the formula without the currency conversion.

3. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, which when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to perform a method for converting values and functions contained in a user-selected range of source cells and represented in an at least one source currency to an at least one destination currency using a conversion wizard provided by a spreadsheet application program, the method comprising:

determining whether the user selected range of cells contains one of the following;

values and functions, wherein the functions comprise at least one formula;

(a) providing, in the spreadsheet application program, a conversion function for converting the values contained in the user-selected range of source cells to the at least one destination currency;

(b) receiving, in the spreadsheet application program, a request for converting the values contained in the user-selected range of source cells to the at least one destination currency;

(c) receiving, in the spreadsheet application program in conjunction with the request, a plurality of arguments in the conversion function wherein the arguments comprise;

a value in the at least one source currency to be converted;

the identity of the at least one source currency to be converted,

the identity of the at least one destination currency;

a full precision flag, wherein when the full precision flag is set, the conversion function ignores currency-specific rounding rules; and

a triangulation value;

(d) applying, in the spreadsheet application program, a predefined set of conversion rules to convert the value from the at least one source currency to the destination currency based upon the plurality of arguments received in the conversion;

(e) saving the converted value in a destination cell corresponding to a source cell in the user-selected range of source cells containing the value;

(f) in response to determining that the user selected range contains functions, then determining whether a function comprising a formula in a destination location should be linked to a source location by converting the function and copying the function to the destination cell without modifying the source location;

(g) in response to determining that the formula in the destination location should be linked to the source location, then converting the formula from the at least one source currency to the at least one destination currency to create a converted function, the converted function comprising a variable identifying the at least one source currency and a variable identifying the at least one destination currency;

(h) saving the converted function in the destination location; and

(i) repeating steps (d) though (h) for each of the user-selected source cells.

4. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method of displaying the results of a currency conversion within a spreadsheet application program, the method comprising:

(a) displaying, by the computer system, in the spreadsheet application program, a toolbar on the display, the toolbar continuously displayed over a spreadsheet provided by the spreadsheet application program and having a drop-down menu comprising one or more currency conversion factors and a window within the toolbar for continuously displaying a converted value for a selected cell in the spreadsheet;

(b) receiving, by the computer system, in the spreadsheet application program, the selection of a cell of the spreadsheet and a currency conversion factor from the drop-down menu;

(c) in response to only the selection of one of the available currency conversion factors and the cell, converting, by the computer system, in the spreadsheet application program, the contents of the cell from a source currency to a destination currency defined by the selected currency conversion factor based upon a plurality of arguments received in the spreadsheet application program, wherein the arguments comprise;

a value in the at least one source currency to be converted;

the identity of the at least one source currency to be converted;

the identity of the destination currency;

a full precision flag, wherein when the full precision flag is set, the conversion function ignores currency-specific rounding rules; and

a triangulation value; and

(d) displaying, by the computer system, in the spreadsheet application program, the results of the currency conversion in the window within the toolbar for displaying a converted value on the display, wherein the converted value comprises a converted formula in a source location in the spreadsheet and wherein the formula is converted in response to a prompt for a user input indicating that the formula be converted to at least one value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein step (c) comprises:

(c) in response to only receiving user input selecting a source cell, converting a value in the source cell from an at least one source currency to an at least one destination currency according to the selected currency conversion factor.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein step (c) comprises:

(c) in response to receiving user input selecting a recalculate function, converting a value in a source cell from a source currency to an at least one destination currency according to the selected currency conversion factor.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein step (c) comprises:

(c) in response to receiving user input selecting a range of source cells, adding the value contained in each of the source cells to obtain a sum of the source cells, and converting the sum of the source cells from a source currency to a destination currency according to the selected currency conversion factor.