Adaptive business process automation
First Claim
1. A method for process automation, comprising:
- monitoring one or more workstations including monitoring screen contents and user actions at the workstations by executing a screen scraper module to obtain a dynamically updated current set of character and graphical information from screens of the workstations that includes user-entered data and retrieved screen data;
analyzing the current set to identify monitored functional events;
defining focal states as sequences of functional events, wherein the current set comprises time intervals associated with the user actions, respectively and the sequences of functional events of at least a portion of the focal states include the time intervals;
generating one or more facilitating scripts associated with respective ones of the focal states, wherein the facilitating scripts each provide one or more automatic actions;
matching a sequence of the monitored functional events to the sequence of functional events of one of the focal states; and
applying the one or more automatic actions of the facilitating script associated with the one focal state;
wherein said steps are implemented in either;
computer hardware configured to perform said steps, or computer software embodied in a non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage medium.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method, system, and computer program product are provided for process automation. The method includes: monitoring one or more workstations including monitoring screen contents and user actions at the workstation; and analysing the screen contents and user actions into monitored functional events. The method further includes: providing multiple focal states as defined sequences of functional events with one or more facilitating scripts associated with a focal state, wherein a facilitating script provides one or more automatic actions; and matching a sequence of monitored functional events to a defined sequence of functional events of a focal state. The one or more automatic actions of a facilitating script associated with the matched focal state are then applied.
33 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A method for process automation, comprising:
-
monitoring one or more workstations including monitoring screen contents and user actions at the workstations by executing a screen scraper module to obtain a dynamically updated current set of character and graphical information from screens of the workstations that includes user-entered data and retrieved screen data; analyzing the current set to identify monitored functional events; defining focal states as sequences of functional events, wherein the current set comprises time intervals associated with the user actions, respectively and the sequences of functional events of at least a portion of the focal states include the time intervals; generating one or more facilitating scripts associated with respective ones of the focal states, wherein the facilitating scripts each provide one or more automatic actions; matching a sequence of the monitored functional events to the sequence of functional events of one of the focal states; and applying the one or more automatic actions of the facilitating script associated with the one focal state; wherein said steps are implemented in either; computer hardware configured to perform said steps, or computer software embodied in a non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable storage medium. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 21, 22)
-
-
10. A computer program product for process automation, the computer program product comprising:
-
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium in which computer program instructions are stored, which instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of; monitoring one or more workstations including monitoring screen contents and user actions at the workstations by executing a screen scraper module to obtain a dynamically updated current set of character and graphical information from screens of the workstations that includes user-entered data and retrieved screen data; analyzing the current set to identify monitored functional events; defining focal states as sequences of functional events, wherein the current set comprises time intervals associated with the user actions, respectively and the sequences of functional events of at least a portion of the focal states include the time intervals; generating one or more facilitating scripts associated with respective ones of the focal states, wherein the facilitating scripts each provide one or more automatic actions; matching a sequence of the monitored functional events to the sequence of functional events of one of the focal states; and applying the one or more automatic actions of the facilitating script associated with the one focal state. - View Dependent Claims (23)
-
-
11. A system for process automation, comprising:
-
a processor comprising; a screen scraper module; a monitoring agent for monitoring one or more workstations including monitoring screen contents and user actions at the workstations by executing the screen scraper module to obtain a dynamically updated current set of character and graphical information from screens of the workstations that includes user-entered data and retrieved screen data; a current set module for analyzing the current set to identify monitored functional events; a focal state provider for defining multiple focal states as sequences of functional events and a facilitating script provider providing one or more facilitating scripts associated with respective ones of the focal states, wherein the current set comprises time intervals associated with the user actions, respectively and the sequences of functional events of at least a portion of the focal states include the time intervals and wherein the facilitating scripts each provide one or more automatic actions; a matching module for matching a sequence of monitored functional events to the sequence of functional events of one of the focal states; and an applying module for applying the one or more automatic actions of the facilitating script associated with the one focal state. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24)
-
Specification