Method and system for generating application simulations

• US 8,140,318 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wells, Bradley K., Holland, Jeffrey W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Paul
• Assistant Examiner(s): Janakiraman, Nithya
• Application Number:
  US11/841,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,674 Days
• Field of Search: 703/22, 345/650, 345/661, 345/676, 345/689
• US Class Current: 703/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/455 Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines

Abstract

A method and system for generating application simulations and, more particularly, a method and system for graphical data scrubbing in application simulation image sequences. The method comprises creating a graphical representation of identified data and scrubbing instances of the identified data. The method further comprises replacing the scrubbed identified data with the graphical representation of the identified data. The system includes a computer infrastructure to perform at least the steps of the method.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

recording an image sequence of actions performed on a target software;

determining original identified data to be scrubbed from the recorded image sequence;

determining an original graphical representation of the original identified data;

determining new identified data that is to replace the original identified data;

creating a new graphical representation of the new identified data;

locating and scrubbing instances in the recorded image sequence that match the original graphical representation of the original identified data;

replacing the scrubbed instances with the new graphical representation of the new identified data; and

finding a text color of the original graphical representation of the original identified data, comprising starting with a pixel in a center of an input area and testing pixels on either or both sides until a pixel of a color different from a background color of the original graphical representation is encountered.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying subsets in the recorded image sequence that match at least one section of the original graphical representation of the original identified data;

scrubbing the subsets; and

replacing the scrubbed subsets with corresponding subsets of the new graphical representation of the new identified data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein subsets in the recorded image sequence that match at least one section of the original graphical representation of the original identified data comprise at least one section of one of the instances, the one of the instances obscured with an object.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying font characteristics of the original graphical representation of the original identified data and the background color of the original graphical representation of the original identified data; and

searching the recorded image sequence to determine all instances in the recorded image sequence that match the original graphical representation of the original identified data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the original and the new identified data is at least textual data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising randomly generating text which is represented by the new graphical representation of the new identified data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of claim 1 are platform independent.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of claim 1 are provided by a provider which at least one of creates, maintains, deploys and supports a computer infrastructure that performs the steps of claim 1.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a single instance in the recorded image sequence that matches the original graphical representation of the original identified data is selected, and all instances in the recorded image sequence that match the original graphical representation of the original identified data are replaced with the new graphical representation of the new identified data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the new graphical representation of new identified data is created from text entered by a developer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a size of the new graphical representation of the new identified data corresponds to a size of the input area of the target software, which is a largest area that will be replaced, and a subset in the recorded image sequence that matches at least one section original graphical representation of the original identified data is smaller than the input area.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing pixel by pixel the original graphical representation of the original identified data with each image of the recorded image sequence, and when a pixel on the image is the same as a corresponding pixel from the original graphical representation, replacing the pixel on the image with a corresponding pixel from the new graphical representation of the new identified data.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein font characteristics are saved at a creation time of the recorded image sequence for later use.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a dialog to permit matching data characteristics between the original graphical representation of the original identified data and the new graphical representation of the new identified data.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a text color of the new graphical representation, a background color of the new graphical representation, an alternative background color of the new graphical representation, a font of the new graphical representation, and a font size of the new graphical representation, wherein:

the new identified data, the text color, the background color, the alternative background color, the font, and the font size are provided by the user via a prompt;

the creating of the new graphical representation is based on the new identified data, the text color, the background color, the alternative background color, the font, and the font size; and

the recorded image sequence comprises a video simulation of the actions performed on the target software.

16. A method comprising:

recording an image sequence of actions performed on a target software;

determining original identified data to be scrubbed from the recorded image sequence;

determining an original graphical representation of the original identified data;

determining new identified data that is to replace the original identified data;

creating a new graphical representation of the new identified data;

locating and scrubbing instances in the recorded image sequence that match the original graphical representation of the original identified data;

replacing the scrubbed instances with the new graphical representation of the new identified data;

determining a background color of the original graphical representation of the original identified data by determining a center pixel color in an input area; and

determining a text color of the original graphical representation of the original identified data by finding a color in the input area which does not match the background color,

wherein finding the text color comprises starting with a pixel in a center of the input area and testing pixels on either or both sides until a pixel of a color different from the background color is encountered.

17. A method, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

record an image sequence of actions performed on a target software;

determine original identified data to be scrubbed from the recorded image sequence;

determine an original graphical representation of the original identified data;

determine new identified data that is to replace the original identified data;

create a new graphical representation of new identified data;

locate all instances in the recorded image sequence that match the original graphical representation of the original identified data;

locate all subsets in the recorded image sequence that match at least one section of the original graphical representation of the original identified data;

scrub all of the instances and the subsets;

replace the scrubbed instances and subsets thereof with the new graphical representation of the new identified data and corresponding subsets of the new graphical representation of the new identified data thereof; and

find a text color of the original graphical representation of the original identified data, comprising starting with a pixel in a center of an input area and testing pixels on either or both sides until a pixel of a color different from a background color of the original graphical representation is encountered.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to determine characteristics of the original graphical representation of the original identified data and match the new graphical representation of the new identified data to the characteristics.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to generate random text which is representative of the new graphical representation of the new identified data.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to determine a size of the input area, which is the largest size that will be replaced with the new graphical representation of the new identified data, and the subset is smaller than the size of the input area.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to search for all instances in the recorded image sequence that match the original graphical representation of the original identified data.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the search is a pixel by pixel comparison between the original graphical representation of the original identified data and each image of the recorded image sequence.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the steps of claim 17 are performed on at least one of a subscription, advertising and fee basis.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the computer infrastructure is further operable to determine a text color of the new graphical representation, a background color of the new graphical representation, an alternative background color of the new graphical representation, a font of the new graphical representation, and a font size of the new graphical representation;

the new identified data, the text color, the background color, the alternative background color, the font, and the font size are provided by the user via a prompt;

the creating of the new graphical representation is based on the new identified data, the text color, the background color, the alternative background color, the font, and the font size; and

the recorded image sequence comprises a video simulation of the actions performed on the target software.

25. A system comprising:

a server comprising;

a database containing data associated with at least entries of a target software and a recorded image sequence of actions performed on the target software; and

at least one of a hardware and software component operable to;

determine original identified data to be scrubbed from the recorded image sequence;

determine an original graphical representation of the original identified data;

determine new identified data that is to replace the original identified data;

create a new graphical representation of the new identified data;

search for instances in the recorded image sequence that match the original graphical representation of the original identified data;

scrub the instances;

replace the scrubbed instances with the generated new graphical representation of the new identified data, which is not the same as the scrubbed instances; and

find a text color of the original graphical representation of the original identified data, comprising starting with a pixel in a center of an input area and testing pixels on either or both sides until a pixel of a color different from a background color of the original graphical representation is encountered.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one of a hardware and software component is operable to:

identify characteristics of the original graphical representation of the original identified data;

identify the characteristics based on a pixel by pixel analysis; and

identify subsets in the recorded image sequence that match at least one section of the original graphical representation of the original identified data, scrub the subsets, and replace the subsets with corresponding subsets of the generated new graphical representation of the new identified data.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein:

the at least one of a hardware and software component is further operable to determine a text color of the new graphical representation, a background color of the new graphical representation, an alternative background color of the new graphical representation, a font of the new graphical representation, and a font size of the new graphical representation;

the new identified data, the text color, the background color, the alternative background color, the font, and the font size are provided by the user via a prompt;

the creating of the new graphical representation is based on the new identified data, the text color, the background color, the alternative background color, the font, and the font size; and

the recorded image sequence comprises a video simulation of the actions performed on the target software.

28. A computer program product comprising a memory having readable program code embodied in the memory, the computer program product includes at least one component operable to:

record an image sequence of actions performed on a target software;

determine original identified data to be scrubbed from the recorded image sequence;

determine an original graphical representation of the original identified data;

determine new identified data that is to replace the original identified data;

create a new graphical representation of the new identified data;

locate and scrub instances in the recorded image sequence that match the original graphical representation of the original identified data;

replace the scrubbed instances with the new graphical representation of the new identified data; and

find a text color of the original graphical representation of the original identified data, comprising starting with a pixel in a center of an input area and testing pixels on either or both sides until a pixel of a color different from a background color of the original graphical representation is encountered.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein:

the at least one component is further operable to determine a text color of the new graphical representation, a background color of the new graphical representation, an alternative background color of the new graphical representation, a font of the new graphical representation, and a font size of the new graphical representation;

the new identified data, the text color, the background color, the alternative background color, the font, and the font size are provided by the user via a prompt;

the creating of the new graphical representation is based on the new identified data, the text color, the background color, the alternative background color, the font, and the font size; and

the recorded image sequence comprises a video simulation of the actions performed on the target software.