Methods and systems for providing responses to software commands
View Patent ↗Software processes are automated by storing predetermined responses and recognizing the screens of server and/or web-based applications that require data to continue operating.
1. A method for providing a response, without user interactivity, to a software program executed by a processor, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of template screen images;
monitoring system commands issued by a software program during processor execution thereof;
intercepting system commands relating to an application event and comprising one or more screen-rendering commands;
generating a virtual screen image based on the intercepted screen-rendering commands;
identifying a template screen image that matches the generated virtual screen image; and
providing, to the executing software program, responses attributed to the identified matching screen template as if the screen-rendering commands had been executed and user input obtained in response thereto.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the software program issues system commands to a procedure assigned to a first memory address on a client computer and further comprising reassigning memory allocations on the client computer such that the procedure is allocated to a second memory address of the client computer.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the procedure comprises an operating system procedure.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein the procedure comprises an application procedure.
5. The method of claim 2 wherein the first memory address refers to a memory address in random access memory.
6. The method of claim 2 wherein the reassigning step occurs prior to the issuance of a command from the software program.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein a response to the software program is provided by inserting the response into a message queue.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the intercepted commands comprise one or more parameters.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising modifying at least one of the one or more parameters.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the system commands comprise screen draw commands.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the responses comprise user authentication information.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the responses comprise transaction response information.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein the software program resides on a server.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the software program issues system commands to a procedure assigned to a memory address on a client computer and the client and the server are in communications over a network.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the network comprises one or more of a local area network, a wide area network, the Internet, and a virtual private network.
16. The method of claim 13 wherein the client computer comprises a remote access server.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions for:
providing a plurality of template screen images;
monitoring system commands issued by a software program during processor execution thereof;
intercepting system commands relating to an application event and comprising one or more screen-rendering commands;
generating a virtual screen image based on the intercepted screen-rendering commands;
identifying a template screen image that matches the generated virtual screen image; and
providing, to the executing software program, responses attributed to the identified matching screen template as if the screen-rendering commands had been executed and user input obtained in response thereto.
18. A system for providing a response to a software program, the system comprising:
a processor;
a template database for storing a plurality of template screen images;
a system call filter, executable by the processor, for (i) monitoring system commands issued by a software program during processor execution thereof, (ii) intercepting system commands relating to an application event, the commands comprising one or more screen-rendering commands, and (iii) generating a virtual screen image based on the intercepted screen-rendering commands;
a recognition engine, executable by the processor, for recognizing the screen-rendering commands and identifying a template screen image that matches a screen corresponding to the screen-rendering commands; and
a client agent for providing, to the executing software program, responses attributed to the identified matching screen template as if the screen-rendering commands had been executed and user input obtained in response thereto.
19. The system of claim 18 further comprising a template database for storing a plurality of templates, each template representing one or more screen images.