Method, system, and apparatus for converting currency values based upon semantically labeled strings

• US 7,707,024 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2002
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Vanko, Martin, Abbar, Mohamed A., Arayasantiparb, Athapan, Moore, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Armstrong; Angela A
• Application Number:
  US10/155,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20030220795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,896 Days
• Field of Search: 704/4, 704/270, 704/5, 715/264
• US Class Current: 704/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/295 Named entity recognition

Abstract

A method, system, and apparatus are provided for converting currency values between types of currency. When a string of text is entered into an application program, the string is analyzed to determine whether the string of text includes a currency value. If the string of text includes a currency value, the value is semantically labeled with schema information that identifies the type of currency associated with the value. When a selection is received of the currency value, a list of actions may be provided identifying conversion options available for the value. One of the conversion options may then be selected resulting in the conversion of the selected currency value to the destination type of currency identified by the selected action. The converted currency value may then be inserted into the string of text to replace the selected currency value along with a currency notation corresponding to the destination currency value.

Claims

1. In a system for creating and editing an electronic document, a method for converting a currency value, the method comprising:

determining whether a string of text contained within the electronic document contains a currency value expressed in a source type of currency, wherein determining whether the string of text contained within the electronic document contains the currency value expressed in the source type of currency comprises utilizing a recognizer plug-in having a currency format file to recognize currencies expressions having different decimal and thousands separator symbols;

in response to determining that the string of text includes a currency value, semantically labeling the value with schema information identifying the source type of currency;

displaying the currency value and an indication that the currency value has been semantically labeled adjacent to the string of text;

providing a list of actions that may be performed on the currency value to convert the currency value to a destination type of currency, the list of actions identified based upon the schema information;

receiving a selection of an action from the list of actions; and

generating a converted currency value by converting the currency value from the source type of currency to the destination type of currency identified by the selected action.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

replacing the currency value in the electronic document with the converted currency value.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein replacing the currency value in the electronic document with the converted currency value comprises utilizing a document object model provided by an application for editing the electronic document to replace the currency value in the electronic document with the converted currency value.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the list of actions comprises a dropdown menu having one or more menu items corresponding to the list of actions that may be performed on the currency value to convert the currency value to the destination type of currency.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a current user interface language setting for the application; and

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

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the list of actions is provided in response to the selection of the currency value or the indication.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the schema information comprises data uniquely corresponding to the source type of currency.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a value of the currency value prior to converting the currency value based upon a currency format and a currency notation used to express the currency value.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that another string of text includes another currency value, semantically labeling the other value with schema information identifying a source type of the other currency;

displaying the other currency value and an indication that the other currency value has been semantically labeled adjacent to the other string of text.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing a list of actions that may be performed on the other currency value to convert the other currency value to another destination type of currency, the list of actions identified based upon the schema information;

receiving a selection of an action from the list of actions; and

generating another converted currency value by converting the other currency value from the other source type of currency to the other destination type of currency identified by the selected action.

11. In a system for creating and editing an electronic document, a method for converting a currency value expressed in a source type of currency to a destination type of currency, 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 currency value, wherein analyzing the string of text to determine whether the string of text includes a currency value comprises utilizing a currency format file to recognize currencies expressions utilizing different decimal and thousands separator symbols;

in response to determining that the string of text includes a currency value, semantically labeling the currency value with schema information identifying the source type of currency used to express the currency value, wherein the semantic label is associated with a single currency value;

displaying the currency value and an indication that the currency value has been semantically labeled adjacent to the string of text;

receiving a selection of the currency value;

in response to receiving the selection of the currency value, providing a list of actions that may be performed on the currency value to convert the value to the destination type of currency;

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

in response to receiving the selection of an action, determining a value for the currency value based upon a currency format used to express the currency value;

generating a converted currency value by converting the value to the destination type of currency identified by the selected action; and

replacing the currency value with the converted currency value in the electronic document.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the list of actions comprises a dropdown menu having one or more menu items corresponding to the list of actions that may be performed on the currency value to convert the currency value to the destination type of currency.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

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

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

14. A system for converting a currency value from a source type of currency to a destination type of currency, 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 currency value, wherein analyzing the string of text to determine whether the string of text includes the currency value comprises utilizing a currency format file to recognize currencies expressions utilizing different decimal and thousands separator symbols, and

in response to determining that the string of text includes a currency value, semantically labeling the currency value with schema information identifying the source type of currency, wherein the semantic label is associated with a single currency;

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 currency value has been semantically labeled, receiving a selection of the currency value, in response to receiving the selection of the currency value, providing a list of actions that may be performed on the currency value to convert the currency value to the destination type of currency, receiving the selection of an action from the list of actions, and providing the selected action and the currency value to an action plug-in; and

an action plug-in capable of generating a converted currency value by converting the currency value to the destination type of currency identified by the selected action, and replacing the currency value in the electronic document with the converted currency value.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the list of actions comprises a dropdown menu having one or more menu items corresponding to the list of actions that may be performed on the currency value to convert the currency value to the destination type of currency, and wherein the action plug-in is further operative to:

determine a current user interface language setting for the application program; and

to

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

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the source type of currency comprises the Euro and wherein the destination type of currency comprises one of a plurality of national currency types.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the source type of currency comprises one of a plurality of national currency types and wherein the destination type of currency comprises the Euro.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the application program comprises a spreadsheet application program, wherein the electronic document comprises a spreadsheet having one or more cells, and wherein the action plug-in is further operative to maintain a per cell undo stack, thereby permitting the replacement of converted currency values with currency values on a per cell basis.