Method for Prioritizing Data in Financial Information System

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This invention relates to financial information systems and more particularly to procedures for prioritizing data display and calculation in a financial information system.

One of the tasks of a financial information system is the presentation of information in a spread form. Such information is presented in reports and analyzed, often by quarter, annual or monthly segmentation. For planning purposes it is helpful to be able to perform analysis on the basis of certain assumptions. For example, it may be known that an expenditure is not to exceed a certain dollar amount during a specified fiscal quarter and that total amounts are not to exceed a certain annual expenditure. Hence, there is a need for a user to be able to prioritize financial information according to specific limitations.

In the past, general-purpose computerized spreadsheet systems have been used wherein cells employed or contained calculations based on the content of other cells. There has been no mechanism therein to prioritize the value contained within one cell through automatic means. Each cell containing priority information would require that all other cells dependent on the priority cell contain functional calculations especially adapted to the value in the priority cell. The result has been a complex task for the end user which is susceptible to undesired errors.

According to the invention, a method is provided for modifying calculation of a predefined procedure in a spread of financial data in a financial information system operative on a digital computer wherein data is manually input into a cell as a value, the value is prioritized above other values dependent thereon by setting a lock flag to indicate that the data is to be secured against change by subsequent recalculation on the cell and thereafter the data of all other cells which is not locked is recalculated on the basis of the priority values stored in cells designated as locked. In each case, the steps of inputting, locking, recalculating and storing are repeated for each manually entered data value. The value is recalculated upon unlocking a cell, thereby deprioritizing the data.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a view of a typical screen on a computer display for presenting an image of locks to a user.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating how a locked condition is established.

FIG. 3 is the first portion of a flow chart showing a typical calculation by year with use of the lock feature in a spread.

FIG. 4 is a continuation of the flow chart of FIG. 3 showing use of a lock in a spread by year.

The prioritizing methodology technology or locks method as described herein is based on a specific embodiment designed for implementation on a MacIntosh type computer (Apple Computer Corporation of Cupertino, Calif.). The examples shown for illustration is the calculation of a spread by year. In the particular example herein, the locks feature may be implemented in a financial information system of the type such as is available under license from Pillar Corporation of Foster City, Calif. However, the same concept may well be implemented in other financial information systems.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a window 10 of a sample line item in a financial information system showing a year total subdivided into quarters and months. In use, the user may enter an annual total amount specified for the entire year as shown in the cell 12, and the programs underlying the displayed window of the spread would cause that the total initially be distributed evenly over all quarters and all months according to an automatic calculation (not shown). The user may enter a command to lock individual monthly cells, such as a January cell 14, a June cell 16 and a November cell 20. Modification may be made, for example, to the June cell 16 wherein the amount is set to a umber other than the preliminarily calculated average. Another month, such as the November cell, may be set at a different amount and locked, and a still further cell may be set to a still different amount and locked, such as the January cell 14. Lock icons 22, 24 and 26 are generated by the underlying program to indicate to the user that the value entered into the respective cell is a priority value, namely, a value which is not changed by calculation.

In accordance with the invention, a value in a cell is locked automatically when the user edits the cell. The lock serves to hold the locked value constant regardless of other trends or values that are entered. For example, if the value $4000 entered in the June cell 16 is locked, another value entered in January cell 14 will cause this spread to calculate without changing the value entered in the June cell. Locked values remain unchanged until the user enters a new value, at which point the new value is locked and all other unlocked values are recalculated according to the rules of this spread to match the preselected annual total. In this particular example, the user may enter data only on a monthly basis and cannot change quarterly totals. Entry and updating of data in this manner is intuitive to the user and requires only minimal user action.

Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a flow chart illustrating how the program operates at a high level. Following a start (A) the program finds the lock corresponding to the input field in the spread (Step B). Thereafter, the program sets the lock picture next to the input field (Step C), as shown for example in cell 14 the lock icon 22 (FIG. 1). Contemporaneously, the program sets a flag designated the Locked Flag to the logic value TRUE (Step D) whereupon the program returns (E).

Appendix A attached hereto contains a source code listing for the prioritizing method according to the invention under the title TLock. The source code is presented in the Object Pascal language. A compiler for this language is available from a variety of sources, including Apple Computer Company of Cupertino, Calif. The Appendix contains annotated documentation of the various functions of the procedure.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the calculation of a cell in a by-year spread is first illustrated (FIG. 3) in which a lock on a cell is present, and there is illustrated the use of a lock in such a spread (FIG. 4). The calculation on a spread commences (F) by counting the number of locks currently in place (Step G). Thereafter, the computer program calculates the sum of all locked input values (Step H). In the calculation, an amount remains unlocked which is to be spread across a year. Therefore it is necessary to calculate the year total less the sum of the locked input values to yield a value equal to the total to spread (TTS). This follows in a Step J. The value is then distributed to each unlocked cell as the TTS divided by the total number of locks less the number of locks currently in place or "on" (Step K).

The locks may thereafter be used in a by year spread as follows. Referring to FIG. 4, the computer program is set up in a loop to wait for input from one of several sources (Step L). One of the sources is the initialized values which in a particular embodiment may employ up to twelve possible locks. Another input is a user input value (Step M). Another input is a value to be placed in each unlocked cell (from Step K). Still another input is a reset value (Step N). The input is tested to determine whether it is directed to a locked cell (hit a locked picture) (Step Q) and whether the input is valid (Step P). If the input is not valid, the computer program loops to reset the value and to wait for input (Steps N and L). If a locked picture is not hit, then the procedure returns to wait for further input. If a locked picture is hit then the cell is toggled (Step R) either to lock it (Step S) or to unlock it (Step T) and thereafter the calculation is performed (Step U). If the input value is valid (from Step P) and the value is locked (Step V) then the cell calculation is performed (Step U).

This procedure results in the proper calculation of all cells with priority granted to those cells which are locked. The details of procedures for performing the locking and unlocking are set forth in the attached appendix with annotations.

The invention has now been explained with reference to specific embodiment. Further embodiments will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is therefore not intended that this invention be limited, except as indicated by the appended claims. ##SPC1##