IP Library Granted Patent US 12,650,818
Granted Patent B2
US 12,650,818 · App. 18/587,784 · Granted Jun 9, 2026

Methods and systems for construction of workflow automation using artificial intelligence

Inventor: Richard Jeffrey Kehres (Waterloo, CA)
Assignee: Shopify Inc.
G06F8/33G06F8/70
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,650,818
App. No.
18/587,784
Granted
Jun 9, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods and systems to generate code for a workflow. A non-limiting example of a method comprises executing, by a processor, a large language model, which receives an input of an intent associated with a workflow and provides a machine-readable description by: identifying, by searching a hierarchical data structure using a vector embedding associated with the intent, an object corresponding to the intent; identifying a set of data paths within the hierarchical data structure to retrieve the identified object; and generating the machine-readable description, the machine-readable description describing the object and at least one data path within the set of data paths; and generating, by the processor, code for the workflow using the machine-readable description.

Claims (42)

1 . A method comprising:

executing, by a processor, a large language model, which receives an input of an intent associated with a workflow and provides a machine-readable description by:

identifying, by searching a hierarchical data structure using a vector embedding associated with the intent, an object corresponding to the intent;

identifying a set of data paths within the hierarchical data structure to retrieve the identified object; and

generating the machine-readable description, the machine-readable description describing the object and at least one data path within the set of data paths; and

generating, by the processor, code for the workflow using the machine-readable description.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

executing, by the processor, a second large language model to identify the intent using the input.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one data path is selected from the set of data paths using a runtime metric associated with the at least one data path.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one data path is selected from the set of data paths using a number of objects associated with the at least one data path.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating, by the processor using the large language model, a summary for each path within the set of data paths; and

selecting, by the processor, the at least one data path in accordance with a corresponding summary.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the object has a description within the hierarchical data structure that is semantically similar to the intent.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

rendering, by the processor, a visual representation of the workflow.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the workflow has a conditional step.

9 . A computer system comprising:

a server comprising a processor configured to:

execute a large language model, which receives an input of an intent associated with a workflow and provides a machine-readable description by:

identifying, by searching a hierarchical data structure using a vector embedding associated with the intent, an object corresponding to the intent;

identifying a set of data paths within the hierarchical data structure to retrieve the identified object; and

generating the machine-readable description, the machine-readable description describing the object and at least one data path within the set of data paths; and

generate code for the workflow using the machine-readable description.

10 . The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the server is further configured to execute a second large language model to identify the intent using the input.

11 . The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one data path is selected from the set of data paths using a runtime metric associated with the at least one data path.

12 . The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one data path is selected from the set of data paths using a number of objects associated with the at least one data path.

13 . The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the server is further configured to:

generate, using the large language model, a summary for each path within the set of data paths; and

select the at least one data path in accordance with a corresponding summary.

14 . The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the object has a description within the hierarchical data structure that is semantically similar to the intent.

15 . The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the server is further configured to render a visual representation of the workflow.

16 . The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the workflow has a conditional step.

17 . A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

execute a large language model, which receives an input of an intent associated with a workflow and provides a machine-readable description by:

identifying, by searching a hierarchical data structure using a vector embedding associated with the intent, an object corresponding to the intent;

identifying a set of data paths within the hierarchical data structure to retrieve the identified object; and

generating the machine-readable description, the machine-readable description describing the object and at least one data path within the set of data paths; and

generate code for the workflow using the machine-readable description.

18 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to execute a second large language model to identify the intent using the input.

19 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the at least one data path is selected from the set of data paths using a runtime metric associated with the at least one data path.

20 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the at least one data path is selected from the set of data paths using a number of objects associated with the at least one data path.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 27, 2024
From: KEHRES, RICHARD JEFFREY
To: SHOPIFY INC.
Reel/Frame 067532/0263 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250272062A1 · Aug 28, 2025
References Cited (2)
US 8656346B2 · Kodi · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 11706314B2 · Bedi · 2023 [cited by examiner]