System and method for generating a set of robot commands based on user entry events in a user interface

• US 7,437,715 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2002
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Thomas, Kishan, Gong, Kui, George, Bino, Buesker, Brian M., Chatsinchai, Kit
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Jr.; Lewis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MITCHELL, JASON D
• Application Number:
  US10/119,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20030191559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,380 Days
• Field of Search: 717106-109, 717114-118, 717/127, 717/134, 715/704
• US Class Current: 717/127
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A system for generating a set of robot commands uses user entry events in a user interface. Such a system may include an event queue to which the events are sent from the user interface and a RobotCreator tool for receiving the events as those events are submitted to the event queue. The event queue is configured to allow receipt of the events by the RobotCreator. The RobotCreator tool converts the events into robot commands.

Claims

1. A workstation comprising a system for generating a set of robot commands based on user entry events in a user interface, said system comprising:

a Java language operating environment comprising a java.awt.Robot class that provides robot commands that correspond to particular user input events;

an event queue to which said events are sent from said user interface; and

a RobotCreator tool for receiving said events as those events are submitted to said event queue, wherein said RobotCreator tool converts said events into robot commands using said java.awt.Robot class;

wherein said robot commands ten form a macro which can substitute for user input events made using said user interface during execution of an application.

2. The workstation of claim 1, wherein said event queue comprises a postEvent method for receiving said events and submitting said events to said RobotCreator tool.

3. The workstation of claim 2, wherein said postEvent method is a modified version of a standard postEvent method that is part of a java.awt.EventQueue class.

4. The workstation of claim 2, wherein said postEvent method comprises a proxy postEvent method for submitting said events to said RobotCreator tool and passing said events to a standard postEvent method.

5. The workstation of claim 1, wherein said user interface is a graphical user interface.

6. The workstation of claim 1, wherein said user interface is a component of an application.

7. The workstation of claim 1, wherein said user interface is a component of an applet.

8. The workstation of claim 2, wherein said postEvent method comprises an intercept mechanism for submitting said events to said RobotCreator tool which is external to said postEvent method.

9. The workstation of claim 1, wherein said RobotCreator tool further comprises:

an event recorder for receiving events submitted to said event queue; and

means for receiving a record of events from said event recorder and convening said received events into robot commands.

10. The workstation of claim 1, wherein said RobotCreator further comprises an insertion algorithm, wherein said insertion algorithm is configured to search for a point in an application or applet at which said robot commands or a call to said robot commands is to be inserted.

11. A method of generating a set of robot commands based on user entry events in a user interface in a Java language operating environment comprising a robot class that provides robot commands that correspond to particular user input events, said method comprising:

receiving said events with a RobotCreator tool as those events are submitted to an event queue; and

converting said events into robot commands using said robot class with said RobotCreator tool;

wherein said robot commands then form a macro which can substitute for user input events made using said user interface during execution of an application.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving said events and submitting said events to said RobotCreator tool with a postEvent method of said event queue.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising modifying a standard postEvent method that is part of a java.awt.EventQueue class to intercept said events and submit those events to said RobotCreator tool.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing a proxy postEvent method for submitting said events to said RobotCreator tool and passing said events to a standard postEvent method.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said user interface is a graphical user interface.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising making said user entry events into said user interface which is a component of an application.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising making said user entry events into said user interface which is a component of an applet.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

intercepting said events with an intercept mechanism in said postEvent method; and

submitting said events to said RobotCreator tool which is external to said postEvent method.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein said converting said events further comprises receiving events submitted to said event queue with an event recorder of said RobotCreator tool;

and

converting said received events into robot commands with said RobotCreator tool.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising searching for a point in an application or applet at which said robot commands or a call to said robot commands is to be inserted.

25. The workstation of claim 11, further comprising generating said robot commands using a java.awt.Robot class.

21. A method of generating a set of robot commands based on user entry events in a user interface in a Java language operating environment comprising a java.awt.Robot class that provides robot commands that correspond to particular user input events, said method comprising:

intercepting said events as those events are submitted to an event queue; and

converting said events into robot commands using said java.awt.Robot class;

wherein said robot commands then form a macro which can substitute for user input events made using said user interface during execution of an application.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein:

said intercepting is performed by a postEvent method of said event queue; and

said converting said events is performed with a RobotCreator tool.

23. A software tool, stored on a medium for storing software, said tool, when executed in a Java language operating environment comprising a java.awt.Robot class that provides robot commands that correspond to particular user input events, causing generation of a set of robot commands based on user entry events in a user interface by:

receiving said events as those events are submitted to an event queue; and

converting said events into robot commands using said java.awt.Robot class;

wherein said robot commands then form a macro which can substitute for user input events made using said user interface during execution of an application.

24. A workstation comprising a system for generating a set of robot commands based on user entry events in a user interface, said system comprising:

an operating environment comprising a Robot class that provides robot commands that correspond to particular user input events;

a RobotCreator tool for intercepting said events as those events are submitted to an event queue and for converting said events into robot commands using said Robot class;

wherein said robot commands then form a macro which can substitute for user input events made using said user interface during execution of an application.