Automatic batching of GUI-based tasks

• US 9,424,068 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2014
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Lin, Qingwei, Li, Fan, Li, Jiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Holmes, Michael B
• Application Number:
  US14/579,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20150205631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4881 Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models

Abstract

Described herein are techniques for automatically batching GUI-based (Graphical User Interface) tasks. The described techniques include automatically determining whether a user is performing batchable tasks in a GUI-based environment. Once detected, the described techniques include predicting the next tasks of a batch based upon those detected batchable tasks. With the described techniques, the user may be asked to verify and/or correct the predicted next tasks. Furthermore, the described techniques may include performing a batch and doing so without user interaction.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying batchable graphical user interface (GUI)-based tasks;

producing a batch of GUI-based tasks based, at least in part, upon the identified batchable GUI-based tasks; and

performing the batch of the GUI-based tasks.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the identifying the batchable GUI-based tasks is performed by a user.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, the identified batchable GUI-based tasks being from at least two GUI-based applications.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 in a GUI-based operating system environment.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, the performing the batch of the GUI-based tasks comprises visually simulating a user providing input that would cause the GUI-based tasks of the batch to be performed.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the identifying the batchable GUI-based tasks comprises identifying tasks performed by a user or identifying tasks to be performed by the user.

7. A system comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

an operating system executed at least in part by the processor, wherein the operating system provides a graphical user interface (GUI)-based environment; and

a batch module stored in the memory and configured to be executed at least in part by the processor to batch GUI-based tasks for execution.

8. A system as recited in claim 7, wherein the batch module includes a module for automatically batching GUI-based tasks.

9. A system as recited in claim 7, wherein the batch module is configured to batch GUI-based tasks identified by a user.

10. A system as recited in claim 7, wherein the batch module is configured to batch GUI-based tasks identified automatically.

11. A system as recited in claim 7 wherein the batch module comprises a GUI-based task identifier configured to record GUI-based tasks performed by a user.

12. A system as recited in claim 7, wherein the batch module comprises a batchable task confirmer configured to confirm with a user a predicted batch of GUI-based tasks.

13. A system as recited in claim 7, wherein the batch module comprises a batch performer to perform a batch of GUI-based tasks.

14. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the batch performer comprises:

a parameter range determiner configured to determine a range of parameters for a particular GUI-based task within the batch of GUI-based tasks;

an operation target locator configured to locate a target element of a particular GUI-based task within the batch of GUI-based tasks;

a batch generator configured to generate a predicted operation sequence for executing the batch of GUI-based tasks; and

a user-input emulator configured to mimic the appearance of a user controlling an input while executing the batch of GUI-based tasks.

15. A system as recited in claim 14, wherein the parameter range determiner is configured to determine the range of parameters based on input from a user.

16. A system as recited in claim 14, wherein the parameter range determiner is configured to determine the range of parameters at least in part by detecting a range based on parameters of previously recorded GUI-based tasks.

17. A method comprising:

identifying as batchable, at least a subset of graphical user interface (GUI)-based tasks that are recorded;

generating a sequence of GUI-based tasks for future execution based, at least in part, on the identified batchable GUI-based tasks;

executing the sequence of GUI-based tasks while visually simulating a user providing input in performing the sequence of GUI-based tasks.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, further comprising verifying with the user that the generated sequence of GUI-based tasks for future execution represents additional tasks that the user intends to perform.

19. A method as recited in claim 17, further comprising determining a parameter value for a particular GUI-based task within the sequence of the GUI-based tasks.

20. A method as recited in claim 17, further comprising recording GUI-based tasks performed by a user within a context of a GUI-based environment.