Robotic Process Automation Systems and Methods Using A Helper Spreadsheet
AssigneeUiPath, Inc.
InventorBogdan RIPA
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Some embodiments of robotic process automation (RPA) design software facilitate the programming of RPA robots by supplying the developer with a universal helper spreadsheet pre-filled with formulae for carrying out a plurality of data conversions and/or manipulations, such as changing the format of dates and numbers and various calendar calculations. When automation activities call for such data manipulation, the helper spreadsheet enables even non-technical developers to program RPA robots using their spreadsheet expertise and intuitive design tools, instead of coding per se.
Claims20
A method comprising employing at least one hardware processor of a computer system to:
- expose a robotic process automation (RPA) design interface to a user, the RPA design interface comprising:
- an activity menu for selecting robotic activities for interacting with user-provided spreadsheets, and
- an interface element which, when activated by the user, causes the at least one hardware processor to invoke a universal helper spreadsheet comprising a standardized spreadsheet common to multiple user accounts, the universal helper spreadsheet pre-filled with a set of formulae for carrying out data manipulations;
- receive a user input indicating a selected input cell and a selected output cell of the universal helper spreadsheet;
- and
- in response, output a computer-readable specification of an RPA robot configured to:
- write a data item to a runtime instance of the selected input cell,
- invoke a spreadsheet application to compute a content of the runtime instance of the selected output cell, and
- perform an action that mimics a computer task carried out by a human operator, the action performed according to the content of the runtime instance of the output cell.
A computer system comprising at least one hardware processor configured to:
- expose a robotic process automation (RPA) design interface to a user, the RPA design interface comprising:
- an activity menu for selecting robotic activities for interacting with user-provided spreadsheets, and
- an interface element which, when activated by the user, causes the at least one hardware processor to invoke a universal helper spreadsheet comprising a standardized spreadsheet common to multiple user accounts, the universal helper spreadsheet pre-filled with a set of formulae for carrying out data manipulations;
- receive a user input indicating a selected input cell and a selected output cell of the universal helper spreadsheet;
- and
- in response, output a computer-readable specification of an RPA robot configured to:
- write a data item to a runtime instance of the selected input cell,
- invoke a spreadsheet application to compute a content of the runtime instance of the selected output cell, and
- perform an action that mimics a computer task carried out by a human operator, the action performed according to the content of the runtime instance of the output cell.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium system storing instructions which, when executed by at least one hardware processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to:
- expose a robotic process automation (RPA) design interface to a user, the RPA design interface comprising:
- an activity menu for selecting robotic activities for interacting with user-provided spreadsheets, and
- an interface element which, when activated by the user, causes the at least one hardware processor to invoke a universal helper spreadsheet comprising a standardized spreadsheet common to multiple user accounts, the universal helper spreadsheet pre-filled with a set of formulae for carrying out data manipulations;
- receive a user input indicating a selected input cell and a selected output cell of the universal helper spreadsheet;
- and
- in response, output a computer-readable specification of an RPA robot configured to:
- write a data item to a runtime instance of the selected input cell,
- invoke a spreadsheet application to compute a content of the runtime instance of the selected output cell, and
- perform an action that mimics a computer task carried out by a human operator, the action performed according to the content of the runtime instance of the output cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.