System for automating a web browser application

#The present invention relates generally to computer programs or systems. In particular, the invention relates to automation of computer programs or systems for enabling activities to be performed on information accessible through a network, such information being abundantly found on such a network and constantly changing.

#Among the various Web browser applications or systems (browsers) that are commercially available, Microsoft Corporation's Internet Explorer and Netscape Communication Corporation's Netscape Communicator are more popular examples and Web pages from many Web sites have been designed for viewing on these browsers. Such browsers have also become a common platform upon which many users search for information, communicate with each other, perform transactions and the like browser-based activities.

#Many of such activities performable on Web pages and other types of Internet information using browsers are repetitive in nature. For example, an individual may visit a particular Web site for retrieving and/or viewing Web pages containing information or images. The individual may later re-visit the Web site because the information or images constantly change and therefore wish to retrieve the latest information or images, by performing the same activities. Alternatively, the individual may have a set of values which are to be used as search keys on a Web site and such values have to be entered one-by-one for each search. In view of the repetitiveness of these activities, the retrieval of the latest information, images, or search results can become a time consuming affair.

#Embodiments of the invention are described hereinafter with reference to the drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 is a screen shot of a toolbar provided by an automating system according to an embodiment of the invention for manipulating macros that run on top of a Web browser;

#FIG. 2 is flow diagram for illustrating a process for deploying by a user the automating system of FIG. 1 for automating various Web based activities;

#A system according to an embodiment of the invention for automating browsers through which browser-based activities are performable on Web pages or the like Internet information accessible via the Internet or the like network, is described hereinafter. Such an automating system preferably involves system design based on high-level man-machine dialogues for acquisition of knowledge relating to such activities for building robustness into the automating system.

#The automating system initially gathers knowledge from users of browsers while the users perform activities for carrying out functions on or run processes with Internet information retrieved or downloaded using the browsers. The automating system then relies on such gathered user knowledge for controlling and executing the same activities for any repetitions of such functions or processes. In this way, the deliverables on the repeated functions or processes are more robust as the deliverables are not dependent on the underlying technologies implemented by various Web sites or the like resources that are providing the Internet information.

#In attempting to meet the need for an automating system for addressing at least one of various problems associated with conventional automating systems, the automating system according to an embodiment of the invention is provided with a number of features or capabilities. Firstly, the automating system is capable of facilitating the robust automation of activities that are repetitively performable on Internet information using browsers.