# US 9,519,473 B2 · Facilitating access to multiple instances of a legacy application task through summary representations > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,519,473 B2 - Document ID: US9519473B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/272,219 - Filed: 2014-05-07 - Published: 2014-10-30 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2009-10-28 - Assignees: Advanced BusinessLink Corporation - Applicants: Advanced BusinessLink Corporation - Inventors: Christopher F. Lategan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9519473B2 ## CPC - G06F 8/65: Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) - G06F 3/04817: using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) - G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus - 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 - G06F 3/04842: Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) - G06F 3/04847: Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials - G06F 8/70: Software maintenance or management - G06F 9/451: Execution arrangements for user interfaces - G06F 21/31: User authentication - G06F 21/629: {to features or functions of an application} - H04L 41/0803: Configuration setting - H04L 41/0806: for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play - H04L 47/70: Admission control; Resource allocation - H04L 63/102: {Entity profiles} - H04L 63/104: {Grouping of entities} - H04L 67/02: based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP] - H04L 67/10: in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) - H04L 67/141: Setup of application sessions (admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70) - H04L 67/306: User profiles - H04L 67/52: specially adapted for the location of the user terminal - G06F 8/51: Source to source - G06F 8/52: Binary to binary - G06F 8/654: using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories - G06F 8/656: while running - G06F 8/66: {of program code stored in read-only memory [ROM]} - G06F 8/72: Code refactoring - G06F 8/74: Reverse engineering; Extracting design information from source code - G06F 8/76: Adapting program code to run in a different environment; Porting - G06F 9/448: Execution paradigms, e.g. implementations of programming paradigms - G06Q 10/06: Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling - G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising - H04L 67/561: Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata - H04L 67/565: Conversion or adaptation of application format or content (adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561) - H04L 69/329: in the application layer [OSI layer 7] - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Methods, systems, and techniques for supporting access to multiple copies of a legacy task are provided. When there are multiple copies of a task present, then instead of showing the output from a single task, the task workspace area displays task representation pictograms that represent the state and inform the user regarding each particular instance of that legacy task running on the host. The user can use the interface to perform various operations, including to start a new copy of the task, to end a copy of the task, and to select one of the copies for viewing. Example embodiments provide a Role-Based Modernization System (“RBMS”), which uses these enhanced modernization techniques to provide role-based modernization of menu-based legacy applications. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method in a client computing system for facilitating access to multiple copies of a designated legacy task of a single instance of a hierarchical menu-based legacy application executing on a remote host computer system, wherein each legacy task including the designated legacy task corresponds to a code module accessible from a single menu or sub-menu item of the menu-based legacy application and wherein each of the multiple copies is a separate instance of the same designated legacy task of the single instance of the hierarchical menu-based legacy application, comprising: receiving an indication of a request to copy the designated legacy task of the legacy application; responsive to the received request, causing one or more separate sessions to be started with the multiple copies of the same designated legacy task of the single instance of the hierarchical menu-based legacy application, each copy of the designated legacy task executing on the remote host computing system and having an associated state; upon receiving a request to access one of the multiple copies of the executing designated legacy task, displaying, in a single task workspace area, associated summary representations of each of the copies of the executing designated legacy task to facilitate user selection on the client computing system of a desired copy of the executing designated legacy task, each summary representation identifying the associated copy and identifying the associated state of the executing designated legacy task. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: when input is received to indicate a selection of one of the displayed summary representations, displaying, in the single task workspace area, an output screen of the associated copy of the executing designated legacy task of the legacy application. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein the received input is at least one of a user-defined hotkey sequence, a system defined hotkey sequence, a mouse event, or entry of a number. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the summary representations include text and/or graphics. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the summary representations include a title and information to identify a particular instance of the executing designated legacy task of the legacy application. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the summary representations include icons. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein a predetermined maximum number of copies of the designated legacy task are supported. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 wherein the maximum number of copies is 9. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the copies of the executing designated legacy task is an executing sub-task of the legacy task and the associated summary representations include a title that identifies the sub-task. ### Claim 10 A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing content for controlling a client computing system to facilitate access to multiple copies of a designated legacy task of a single instance of a hierarchical menu-based legacy application executing on a remote host computer system, wherein each legacy task including the designated legacy task corresponds to a code module accessible from a single menu or sub-menu item of the menu-based legacy application and wherein each of the multiple copies is a separate instance of the same designated legacy task of the single instance of the hierarchical menu-based legacy application, by performing a method comprising: receiving an indication of a request to copy the designated legacy task of the legacy application; responsive to the received request, causing one or more separate sessions to be started with the multiple copies of the same designated legacy task of the single instance of the hierarchical menu-based legacy application, each copy of the same legacy task executing on the remote host computing system and having an associated state; and upon receiving a request to access one of the multiple copies of the executing designated legacy task, displaying, in a single task workspace area, associated summary representations of each of the copies of the executing designated legacy task to facilitate user selection on the client computing system of a desired copy of the executing designated legacy task, each summary representation identifying the associated copy and identifying the associated state of the same executing legacy task. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The computer-readable medium of claim 10, the method further comprising: when a first input is received to indicate a selection of a first one of the displayed summary representations, displaying, in the single task workspace area, an output screen of the associated copy of the executing designated legacy task. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the received first input is at least one of a user-defined hotkey sequence, a system defined hotkey sequence, a mouse event, a keyboard shortcut, or entry of a number. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the method further comprises: receiving second input to indicate a second one of the displayed summary representations; and displaying in the single task workspace area the output screen of the copy of the executing designated legacy task associated with the second one of the displayed summary representations without losing state of the copy of the executing designated legacy task associated with the first one of the summary representations. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the summary representations include text and/or graphics. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the summary representations include at least one of a title, information to identify the particular instance of the executing designated legacy task of the legacy application, and/or icons. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the computer-readable medium is a memory of a computing system and the content is instructions for controlling a computer processor to perform the method. ### Claim 17 A computer system configured to facilitate access to multiple copies of a designated legacy task of a single instance of a hierarchical menu-based legacy application executing on a remote host computer system, wherein each legacy task including the designated legacy task corresponds to a code module accessible from a single menu or sub-menu item of the menu-based legacy application and wherein each of the multiple copies is a separate instance of the same designated legacy task of the single instance of the hierarchical menu-based legacy application, comprising: a memory; and a module stored on the memory that is configured, when executed to: receive an indication of a request to copy the designated legacy task of the legacy application; responsive to the received request, cause one or more separate sessions to be started with the multiple copies of the same designated legacy task of the single instance of the hierarchical menu-based legacy application, each copy of the designated legacy task executing on the remote host computing system and having an associated state; and upon receiving a request to access one of the multiple copies of the executing designated legacy task, display, in a single task workspace area, associated summary representations of each of the copies of the executing designated legacy task to facilitate user selection on a client computing system of a desired copy of the executing designated legacy task, each summary representation identifying the associated copy and identifying the associated state of the executing designated legacy task. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The computer system of claim 17 wherein the module includes instructions for execution in the memory of the computer system. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The computer system of claim 17 wherein the computer system is a client computing system that interacts with a remote computer system to cause the one or more sessions to be started with copies of the designated legacy task of the hierarchical menu-based legacy application.