Automatic batching of GUI-based tasks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9424068-B2
Application number	US-201414579932-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2014
Priority date	Nov 17, 2010
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

Described herein are techniques for automatically batching GUI-based (Graphical User Interface) tasks. The described techniques include automatically determining whether a user is performing batchable tasks in a GUI-based environment. Once detected, the described techniques include predicting the next tasks of a batch based upon those detected batchable tasks. With the described techniques, the user may be asked to verify and/or correct the predicted next tasks. Furthermore, the described techniques may include performing a batch and doing so without user interaction.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
identifying batchable graphical user interface (GUI)-based tasks;
producing a batch of GUI-based tasks based, at least in part, upon the identified batchable GUI-based tasks; and
performing the batch of the GUI-based tasks.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the identifying the batchable GUI-based tasks is performed by a user.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 , the identified batchable GUI-based tasks being from at least two GUI-based applications.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 in a GUI-based operating system environment.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 , the performing the batch of the GUI-based tasks comprises visually simulating a user providing input that would cause the GUI-based tasks of the batch to be performed.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the identifying the batchable GUI-based tasks comprises identifying tasks performed by a user or identifying tasks to be performed by the user.

7. A system comprising:
a processor;
a memory;
an operating system executed at least in part by the processor, wherein the operating system provides a graphical user interface (GUI)-based environment; and
a batch module stored in the memory and configured to be executed at least in part by the processor to batch GUI-based tasks for execution.

8. A system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the batch module includes a module for automatically batching GUI-based tasks.

9. A system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the batch module is configured to batch GUI-based tasks identified by a user.

10. A system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the batch module is configured to batch GUI-based tasks identified automatically.

11. A system as recited in claim 7 wherein the batch module comprises a GUI-based task identifier configured to record GUI-based tasks performed by a user.

12. A system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the batch module comprises a batchable task confirmer configured to confirm with a user a predicted batch of GUI-based tasks.

13. A system as recited in claim 7 , wherein the batch module comprises a batch performer to perform a batch of GUI-based tasks.

14. A system as recited in claim 13 , wherein the batch performer comprises:
a parameter range determiner configured to determine a range of parameters for a particular GUI-based task within the batch of GUI-based tasks;
an operation target locator configured to locate a target element of a particular GUI-based task within the batch of GUI-based tasks;
a batch generator configured to generate a predicted operation sequence for executing the batch of GUI-based tasks; and
a user-input emulator configured to mimic the appearance of a user controlling an input while executing the batch of GUI-based tasks.

15. A system as recited in claim 14 , wherein the parameter range determiner is configured to determine the range of parameters based on input from a user.

16. A system as recited in claim 14 , wherein the parameter range determiner is configured to determine the range of parameters at least in part by detecting a range based on parameters of previously recorded GUI-based tasks.

17. A method comprising:
identifying as batchable, at least a subset of graphical user interface (GUI)-based tasks that are recorded;
generating a sequence of GUI-based tasks for future execution based, at least in part, on the identified batchable GUI-based tasks;
executing the sequence of GUI-based tasks while visually simulating a user providing input in performing the sequence of GUI-based tasks.

18. A method as recited in claim 17 , further comprising verifying with the user that the generated sequence of GUI-based tasks for future execution represents additional tasks that the user intends to perform.

19. A method as recited in claim 17 , further comprising determining a parameter value for a particular GUI-based task within the sequence of the GUI-based tasks.

20. A method as recited in claim 17 , further comprising recording GUI-based tasks performed by a user within a context of a GUI-based environment.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Lin Qingwei
• Li Fan
• Li Jiang

Classifications

• G06F9/4881 Primary

  Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues · CPC title

• G06F9/453 Primary

  Help systems · CPC title

• G06N5/04

  Inference or reasoning models · CPC title

• G06F9/46 Primary

  Multiprogramming arrangements · CPC title

• G06F9/451

  Execution arrangements for user interfaces · CPC title