Method for monitoring a graphical user interface on a second computer display from a first computer

• US 9,658,931 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2014
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eggplant Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Testplant, Inc.
• Inventors: Simons, Douglas P., Gillaspie, Jonathan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Heffington, John M
• Application Number:
  US14/219,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20140208222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 715740
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/50 Machine control of apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern, e.g. regulating differents parts of the machine, multimode copiers, microprocessor control sequencing control G03G21/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2273 Test methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3414 Workload generation, e.g. scripts, playback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/36 Preventing errors by testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3672 Test management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3688 for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1415 with means for detecting differences between the image stored in the host and the images displayed on the displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/452 Remote windowing, e.g. X-Window System, desktop virtualisation protocols for virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0008 checking presence/absence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/001 using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 9/004 Predictors, e.g. intraframe, interframe coding

Abstract

A high level interface between a remote computer and local computer operator permits the remote computer to be controlled via a sequence of interactions. The remote computer may be monitored for display information which is expected, and also controlled in the event the expected information either is or is not obtained. Command language extensions are provided which extend and complement a basic scripting language. Scripts with embedded command language extensions may be executed through a remote interface, permitting remote testing, operation and evaluation. The development of the scripts, including embedded command language extensions, may be prepared through execution of commands at the local computer on a depiction of the GUI received from the remote computer, and subsequently saved as a script.

Claims

1. A computer system for testing a remote system, the computer system comprising:

a memory unit that stores instructions; and

at least one processing unit that executes the instructions to;

receive a representation of a graphical user interface of the remote system; and

control a flow of execution based on a testing script, the flow of execution including;

search the received representation of the remote system graphical user interface for a graphical element based on an image analysis; and

responsive to a result of searching the received representation of the remote system graphical user interface for the graphical element, automatically provide a signal through a communications channel to execute an emulated user input action on the remote system graphical user interface, wherein the input action is specified by a specific script command in the testing script.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing unit further executes the instructions to:

receive an additional representation of the graphical user interface of the remote system subsequent to automatically providing the signal to the remote system to execute the input action; and

search the additionally received representation of the remote system graphical user interface for another graphical element based on an image analysis.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the graphical element comprises less than the entire representation of the remote system graphical user interface.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the graphical element comprises at least one selected from a group comprising:

an icon, text, a text box, and a prompt.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the input action emulates an input command of a peripheral input device including at least one selected from a group comprising:

a keyboard, a mouse, and a touch screen device.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the input action includes at least one selected from a group comprising:

a mouse click, a mouse movement, and text entry.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing unit further executes the instructions to:

determine a location of the graphical element when a presence of the graphical element is found within the received representation of the remote system graphical user interface.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing unit further executes the instructions to:

automatically provide as the signal, a first signal to execute an input action at the remote system, in response to a detected presence of the graphical element in the received representation of the remote system graphical user interface during the search.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processing unit further executes the instructions to:

automatically provide as the signal, a second signal to execute a second input action at the remote system, in response to a detected absence of the graphical element in the received representation of the remote system graphical user interface during the search.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing unit further executes the instructions to:

indicate a failure, in response to a detected absence of the graphical element in the received representation of the remote system graphical user interface during the search.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing unit further executes the instructions to:

capture user input effected with respect to the representation of the remote system graphical user interface display; and

generate the testing script based on the captured user input.

12. A monitoring system comprising:

a computer system including a memory unit that stores instructions and at least one processing unit that executes the instructions; and

a remote system that is connected to the computer system,

wherein the at least one processing unit executes the instructions to;

receive a representation of a graphical user interface of the remote system; and

control a flow of execution based on a testing script, the flow of execution including;

search the received representation of the remote system graphical user interface for a graphical element based on an image analysis; and

responsive to a result of searching the received representation of the remote system graphical user interface for the graphical element, automatically provide a signal through a communications channel to execute an emulated user input action on the remote system graphical user interface, wherein the input action is specified by a specific script command in the testing script.

13. The monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the at least one processing unit further executes the instructions to:

receive an additional representation of the graphical user interface of the remote system subsequent to automatically providing the signal to the remote system to execute the input action; and

search the additionally received representation of the remote system graphical user interface for another graphical element based on an image analysis.

14. The monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the graphical element comprises less than the entire representation of the remote system graphical user interface.

15. The monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the graphical element comprises at least one selected from a group comprising:

an icon, text, a text box, and a prompt.

16. The monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the input action emulates an input command of a peripheral input device including at least one selected from a group comprising:

a keyboard, a mouse, and a touch screen device.

17. The monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the input action includes at least one selected from a group comprising:

a mouse click, a mouse movement, and text entry.

18. The monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the at least one processing unit further executes the instructions to:

determine a location of the graphical element when a presence of the graphical element is found within the received representation of the remote system graphical user interface.

19. The monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the at least one processing unit further executes the instructions to:

automatically provide as the signal, a first signal to execute a first input action at the remote system, in response to a detected presence of the graphical element in the received representation of the remote system graphical user interface during the search.

20. The monitoring system of claim 19, wherein the at least one processing unit further executes the instructions to:

automatically provide as the signal, a second signal to execute a second input action at the remote system, in response to a detected absence of the graphical element in the received representation of the remote system graphical user interface during the search.

21. The monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the at least one processing unit further executes the instructions to:

indicate a failure, in response to a detected absence of the graphical element in the received representation of the remote system graphical user interface during the search.

22. The monitoring system of claim 12, wherein the at least one processing unit further executes the instructions to:

capture user input effected with respect to the representation of the remote system graphical user interface display; and

generate the testing script based on the captured user input.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for enabling a computer to implement a method for testing a computer system, the method comprising:

receiving, at the computer, a representation of a graphical user interface of the remote system; and

controlling, at the computer, a flow of execution based on a testing script, the flow of execution including;

searching the received representation of the remote system graphical user interface for a graphical element based on an image analysis; and

responsive to a result of searching the received representation of the remote system graphical user interface for the graphical element, automatically providing a signal through a communications channel to execute an emulated user input action on the remote system graphical user interface, wherein the input action is specified by a specific script command in the testing script.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, at the computer, an additional representation of the graphical user interface of the remote system subsequent to automatically providing the signal to the remote system to execute the input action; and

searching, at the computer, the additionally received representation of the remote system graphical user interface for another graphical element based on an image analysis.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the graphical element comprises less than the entire representation of the remote system graphical user interface.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the graphical element comprises at least one selected from a group comprising:

an icon, text, a text box, and a prompt.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the input action emulates an input command of a peripheral input device including at least one selected from a group comprising:

a keyboard, a mouse, and a touch screen device.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the input action includes at least one selected from a group comprising:

a mouse click, a mouse movement, and text entry.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the method further includes:

determining, at the computer, a location of the graphical element when a presence of the graphical element is found within the received representation of the remote system graphical user interface.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the method further includes:

automatically providing, by the computer, as the signal, a first signal to execute an input action at the remote system, in response to a detected presence of the graphical element in the received representation of the remote system graphical user interface during the search.