Application integration system and method using intelligent agents for integrating information access over extended networks

• US 7,269,580 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2001
• Issued: 09/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Celcorp Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Celcorp Incorporated
• Inventors: Matichuk, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl; Joseph P
• Application Number:
  US09/801,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20040075692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,377 Days
• Field of Search: 706/53, 706/14, 706/12, 345/424
• US Class Current: 706/53
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells

Abstract

Models that encapsulate information on how remote applications are controlled and data is accessed are created to be used by a runtime agent that intelligently reasons out goal-oriented plans and execute tasks to solve problem statements generated by a user interface or other software agents.

Claims

1. A computer system computer application screen fingerprinter, said computer system comprising:

a processor;

a computer memory coupled to said processor; and

a screen fingerprinter stored in said computer memory, wherein said fingerprinter comprises a decision tree that selects at least one region and/or pattern of screens of a presentation space of a computer application to be captured such that an occurrence of the at least one region and/or pattern enables the decision tree to uniquely identify each of the screens.

2. A computer system as in claim 1 , wherein said fingerprinter allows a user to modify which portion of a screen comprises said region and/or pattern and which attributes of said region end/or pattern to examine.

3. A computer system as in claim 1, wherein said fingerprinter creates the decision tree based on said at least one region and/or pattern such that after each screen is compared to the region Or pattern at each decision node1 a screen identifier will come to a different end node of said decision tree for each screen.

4. A computer system as in claim 3, wherein said fingerprinter allows a user to modify said decision tree by modifying the comparisons at the decision nodes.

5. A computer system computer application recorder, said computer system comprising:

a processor;

a computer memory coupled to said processor;

a user interface and a recorder stared in said computer memory, wherein said recorder records in said computer memory a knowledge base which comprises each screen of the presentation layer of a computer application, the keystrokes and/or programs necessary to reach each state, the available actions from each state of each screen and the effect of any actions available in each state through navigating said computer application in said user interface.

6. A computer system as in claim 5, wherein said processor generates said file while a user navigates said another computer system in said user interface.

7. A computer system as in claim 5, wherein said processor generates said file while automatically navigating said another computer system.

8. A computer system as in claim 5, wherein a fingerprint of each screen is included in said knowledge base.

9. A computer system as in claim 5, wherein pre-conditions and post-conditions for each state are included in said knowledge base.

10. A computer system navigation planner, said computer system comprising;

a processor;

a computer memory coupled to said processor;

at least one computer application model stored in said computer memory; and

a navigation planner stored in said computer memory;

wherein when said navigation planner receives a problem statement, said navigation planner accesses said at least one computer application model to create a plan of solving said problem statement and executes said plan.

11. A computer system as in claim 10, wherein when said plan fails, said navigation planner creates a new and different plan to solve said problem statement.

12. A computer system computer application model generator, said computer system comprising:

a processor;

a fingerprinter;

a recorder; and

a user interface;

wherein said fingerprinter selects at least one region and/or pattern of the screens of the presentation space of a computer application to be captured such that said at least one region and/or pattern of each screen is unique;

wherein said recorder records in said computer memory a knowledge base which Comprises each screen of the presentation layer of a computer application, the keystrokes and/or programs necessary to each screen, a fingerprint of each screen, the available actions from each screen and the effect of any actions available in each screen through navigating said computer application in said user interface;

wherein additional relationships between said screen and said knowledge base can be input through said user interface such that said computer application model generator can model said computer application.

13. A method of uniquely identifying the screens of the presentation layer of a computer application comprising the steps of:

taking a screen capture of each screen of the presentation layer of a computer application;

selecting areas of said screen captures to be examined for the presence of an attribute in said area; and

creating a decision tree such that each of said screen captures has a unique end node of said decision tree.

14. A method as in claim 13, wherein said areas are selected automatically.

15. A method as in claim 13, wherein said areas are selected manually.

16. A method as in claim 13, wherein said decision tree is created manually.

17. A method as in claim 13 further comprising:

of accessing said computer application;

navigating said computer application; and

recording in a knowledge base each screen of the presentation layer of said computer application, keystrokes and/or programs necessary to reach each state of each screen of said computer application, the states of each screen, available actions from each screen and the effect of any actions taken on each screen.

18. A method as in claim 17, wherein said computer application is navigated automatically.

19. A method as in claim 17, wherein said computer application is navigated manually.

20. A method comprising;

receiving a problem statement at a computer system, the problem statement specifying at least one goal;

accessing at least one computer application model that encapsulates information on how at least one computer application operates;

using a navigation planner in combination with the computer application model to plan at least one path through said at least one computer application tat will achieve the at least one goal of said problem statement; and

executing said at least one path.

21. A method of modeling computer applications comprising the steps of:

taking a screen capture of each screen of the presentation layer of a computer application;

selecting areas of said screen captures to be examined for the presence of an attribute in said area;

creating a decision tree such tat each of said screen captures has a unique end node of said decision tree;

accessing said computer application;

navigating said computer application; and

recording in a knowledge base each screen of the presentation layer of said computer application, keystrokes and/or programs necessary to reach each state of each screen of said computer application, the states of each screen, and the effect of any actions taken on each screen.

22. A method as in claim 21, further comprising the steps of;

allowing a user to insert additional relationships and commands into said knowledge base.

23. A system for navigating an application comprising:

a processor;

a computer memory coupled to the processor;

a screen fingerprinter stored in said computer memory, wherein said Mgerprinter comprises a decision tree that selects at least one region and/or pattern of screens of the presentation space of a computer application to be captured such that an occurrence of the at least one region and/or pattern enables the decision tree to uniquely identify each of the screens;

a recorder stored in the computer memory, the recorder recording a knowledge base which comprises the plurality of screen captures, one or more inputs and/or programs necessary to reach the application states indicated by each of the screen captures, one or more actions available from each of the states, and the effects of undertaking each of the actions available from each of the states; and

a navigation planner that receives a problem statement, creates a plan of solving the problem statement by using the knowledge base, and executes the plan,

wherein the creating of the plan by the navigation planner comprises the navigation planner dynamically analyzing a current screen to determine a current state, determining a desired state associated with the problem statement, and dynamically identifing a sequence of the actions from the current state need to achieve the desired state.