Monitoring of computer events and steps linked by dependency relationships to generate completed processes data and determining the completed processed data meet trigger criteria

• US 8,752,062 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2007
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schnurr, Christopher, Maurer, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): An, Meng
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, TAMMY EUNHYE
• Application Number:
  US11/723,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20070219941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,644 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 718/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/349 for interfaces, buses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4806 Task transfer initiation or dispatching

Abstract

A data processing system (1) is programmed with an interface (2) for capturing events which arise, and a process engine (3) for automatically monitoring captured events to identify completion of steps, each comprising a plurality of events linked by dependency relationships; and to identify completion of processes, each comprising a plurality of steps linked by dependency relationships. Software functions (5) execute in response to output of the process engine (3). The process engine (3) processes events to recognize a plurality of potential steps, but terminates other potential steps when completion of a step is determined. The process engine (3) processes steps to recognize a plurality of potential processes, but terminates other potential process when completion of a process is determined. The dependency relationships include Boolean AND operators and Boolean OR operators. There is a discrete start event for each step and a discrete start step for each process. The engine executes a plurality of processes simultaneously, applying captured events in real time to relevant steps, some events being applied to a plurality of steps.

Claims

1. A data processing system comprising a processor, a memory, and a storage device, wherein the processor comprises:

an interface for capturing user interaction events which arise in the system,

a process engine for automatically monitoring the user interaction events to;

identify completion of steps, each of the steps comprising a plurality of events of the user interaction events, wherein the plurality of events are linked by a first set of dependency relationships; and

identify completion of processes, each of the processes comprising a plurality of the steps, wherein the plurality of steps are linked by a second set of dependency relationships,

generate process data from the completed processes for transference to a trigger engine;

the trigger engine for receiving and processing the process data to;

determine whether at least one of the completed processes meet one of a plurality of trigger criteria;

in response to the at least one of the completed processes meeting a trigger criteria, call a software function;

a database manager for saving the process data generated by the process engine;

a reporting engine for generating reports according to the saved process data, wherein the process engine processes the user interaction events to simultaneously recognize a plurality of potential steps, wherein each potential step is a step that may result from additional user interaction events that have not yet been identified, and, once a completed step has been identified from the plurality of potential steps, abandons the remaining potential steps of the plurality of potential steps.

2. The data processing engine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the process engine processes the steps to simultaneously recognise a plurality of potential processes, wherein each potential process is a process that may result from additional steps that have not yet been identified, and, once a completed step has been identified from the plurality of potential steps, abandons the remaining potential processes.

3. The data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the process engine processes the user interaction events to simultaneously recognise a plurality of potential steps, and abandons other potential steps when completion of a step is determined;

and wherein the first and second set of dependency relationships include Boolean AND operators.

4. The data processing system as claimed in any of claim 1, wherein the process engine processes the user interaction events to simultaneously recognise a plurality of potential steps, and abandons other potential steps when completion of a step is determined;

and wherein the first and second set of dependency relationships include Boolean OR operators.

5. The data processing system as claimed in any of claim 1, wherein the process engine processes the user interaction events to simultaneously recognize a plurality of potential steps, and abandons other potential steps when completion of a step is determined;

and wherein the first and second set of dependency relationships include Boolean NOT operators.

6. The data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein there is a discrete start event for each step and a discrete start step for each process.

7. The data processing system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the process engine treats a step as current if its start event is received.

8. The data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each step has an end event.

9. The data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the process engine stores event lists defining the steps and said event lists are stored as mark-up language documents.

10. The data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the process engine stores step lists defining the processes and said step lists are stored as mark-up language documents.

11. The data processing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the markup language is XML.

12. The data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the criteria comprises criteria for process interdependencies and rules specifying parameter ranges or thresholds.

13. The data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the trigger engine comprises feedback means for generating events and feeding the events to the process engine.

14. The data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the process engine comprises means for associating real time stamps with events and with completed processes, and the database manager saves said real time stamps.

15. The data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reporting engine correlates event and process times with a real time axis for display.

16. The data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reporting engine correlates event and process times with a real time axis for display;

and wherein the reporting engine comprises means for generating an output of event data indicating when events, steps, and processes occurred, for generating a graphical user interface allowing a user to configure said events into new steps and to configure said steps into new processes.

17. The data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interface comprises means for capturing an event by querying an operating system for display controls, receiving a list of controls from the operating system, applying a pattern signature to a returned list to identify a target control, making a query to the operating system concerning the target control, and receiving a response with data for the target control.

18. The data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interface comprises means for capturing a user interaction event by querying an operating system for display controls, receiving a list of controls from the operating system, applying a pattern signature to a returned list to identify a target control, making a query to the operating system concerning the target control, and receiving a response with data for the target control;

and wherein a query is a request for an operating system document object model for a web page interface screen.

19. The data processing system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the pattern signature is applied to all objects in the operating system document object model.

20. The data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interface comprises means for capturing a user interaction event by querying an operating system for display controls, receiving a list of controls from the operating system, applying a pattern signature to the returned list to identify a target control, making a query to the operating system concerning the target control, and receiving a response with data for the target control;

and a query is a request for a visually-impaired accessibility stream output via an API.

21. The data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interface recognizes passback events which are not included in steps, but are processed in parallel to provide data grams to the trigger engine or the database manager.

22. The data processing system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the process engine links trails of passback events to provide a log concerning an activity.

23. The data processing system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the process engine applies passback event datagrams with notifications of processes being completed.

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising software for performing operations of a data processing system when executing on a digital processor, a number of steps are carried out, comprising:

capturing user interaction events which arise in the system with an interface;

automatically monitoring the user interaction events with a process engine to effectuate the steps of;

identifying completion of steps, each of the steps comprising a plurality of events of the user interaction events, wherein the plurality of events are linked by a first set of dependency relationships; and

identifying completion of processes, each of the processes comprising a plurality of the steps, wherein the plurality of steps are linked by a second set of dependency relationships,

generating process data from the completed processes for transference to a trigger engine;

the trigger engine for receiving and processing the process data to effectuate the steps of;

determining whether at least one of the completed processes meet one of a plurality of trigger criteria;

in response to the at least one of the completed processes meeting a trigger criteria, calling a software function;

saving the process data generated by the process engine with a database manager; and

generating reports according to the saved process data with a reporting engine, wherein the process engine processes the steps to simultaneously recognise plurality of potential processes, wherein each potential process is a process that may result from additional steps that have not yet been identified, and, once a completed step has been identified from the plurality of potential steps, abandons the remaining potential processes.

25. A data processing system comprising a processor, a memory, and a storage device, wherein the processor comprises:

an interface for capturing user interaction events which arise in the system,

a process engine for automatically monitoring the user interaction events to;

identify completion of steps, each of the steps comprising a plurality of events of the user interaction events, wherein the plurality of events are linked by a first set of dependency relationships; and

identify completion of processes, each of the processes comprising a plurality of the steps, wherein the plurality of steps are linked by a second set of dependency relationships,

generate process data from the completed processes for transference to a trigger engine;

the trigger engine for receiving and processing the process data to;

determine whether at least one of the completed processes meet one of a plurality of trigger criteria;

in response to the at least one of the completed processes meeting a trigger criteria, call a software function;

a database manager for saving the process data generated by the process engine;

a reporting engine for generating reports according to the saved process data, wherein the process engine processes the user interaction events to simultaneously recognise a plurality of potential steps, and abandons other potential steps when completion of a step is determined; and

wherein the first and second set of dependency relationships include Boolean AND operators.