System and method for generating a set of robot commands based on user entry events in a user interface

#The present invention relates to the field of robot command sets used with an application or applet. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and method for generating a set of robot commands based on user entry events in a user interface.

#In some conventional computer application programs, users had the ability to create macros. Macros were sub-routines that, when executed, performed a predetermined set of commands within the application program. For example, in a word processing application, a macro may, when executed, set up a particular format for a document including inserting some boilerplate language and fields for the entry of document-specific text. In a spreadsheet application, a macro may have, when executed, set up a particular spreadsheet format with appropriate formulae, etc.

#The creation of a macro tended to be specific to the application in which the macro was to be used. In general, it was difficult or impossible to use a macro prepared for one application in another application. The creation of a macro may have required the user to know an appropriate language in which the macro commands could be written in a macro editor within the application program. Alternatively, some applications allowed the user to simply perform the commands that were to be incorporated in the macro while recording those actions for automatic incorporation in a macro. In the current computer environment, the use of macros, as they were traditionally known, has gradually diminished into complete obscurity.

#The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and are a part of the specification. Together with the following description, the drawings demonstrate and explain the principles of the present invention. The illustrated embodiments are examples of the present invention and do not limit the scope of the invention.

#FIG. 1a is a block diagram illustrating the principal components of one embodiment according to principles of the present invention in which user input to a graphical user interface is captured for automatic creation of a robot command set.

#FIG. 1b is a block diagram illustrating the principal components of an alternative embodiment according to principles of the present invention in which user input to a graphical user interface is captured for automatic creation of a robot command set.

#The present invention provides, in one embodiment, a modification to the event queue of an application, particularly a JAVA application, so that user commands or data entered through a user interface, can be recorded and processed automatically into a set of robot commands. Consequently, anyone who can operate the user interface can readily and efficiently create a set of robot commands for use within the application or by another application.

#As shown in FIG. 1a, an embodiment of the present invention has a user interface (101). Preferably this is a graphical user interface (GUI) (101). GUIs are common in most current computer applications. As used herein, and in the appended claims, a GUI (101) is an application or a software component of a computer application through which a user enters input. The GUI (101) will receive user input from, for example, a keyboard or a mouse, and interpret that input as data and commands being submitted to the application. The GUI (101) may also echo the data that is input, or may display a result following execution of an input command by the underlying application. Under the principles of the present invention, the GUI (101) is preferably a JAVA GUI.

#As used herein, and in the appended claims, user input may be generally referred to as an “event.” In the preferred JAVA environment, there may be key events that result from a user operating the system's keyboard, mouse events that result from a user operating the system's mouse and window events that result from the user's operation of the operating system, e.g. Windows® by Microsoft.