IP Library Granted Patent US 12,423,609
Granted Patent B2
US 12,423,609 · App. 16/707,814 · Granted Sep 23, 2025

Automatic activation and configuration of robotic process automation workflows using machine learning

Inventors: Prabhdeep Singh (Bellevue, WA); Anton McGonnell (Bellevue, WA)
Assignee: UiPath, Inc.
G06N20/00G06F18/2148G06F18/2178G06N7/01G06N20/20G06V10/7784
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,423,609
App. No.
16/707,814
Granted
Sep 23, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Automatic activation and configuration of robotic process automation (RPA) workflows using machine learning (ML) is disclosed. One or more parts of an RPA workflow may be turned on or off based on one or more probabilistic ML models. RPA robots may be configured to modify parameters, determine how much of a certain resource to provide, determine more optimal thresholds, etc. Such RPA workflows implementing ML may thus be hybrids of both deterministic and probabilistic logic, and may learn and improve over time by retraining the ML models, adjusting the confidence thresholds, using local/global confidence thresholds, providing or adjusting modifiers for the local confidence thresholds, implement a supervisor system that monitors ML model performance, etc.

Claims (62)

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

calling at least one machine learning (ML) model, by a robotic process automation (RPA) robot, when executing a probabilistic activity of an RPA workflow;

receiving, by the RPA robot, at least one confidence value from the at least one ML model;

responsive to the at least one confidence value not exceeding a confidence threshold:

turning off a workflow section after the probabilistic activity, by the RPA robot, via the probabilistic activity; and

responsive to the at least one confidence value exceeding the confidence threshold:

turning on the workflow section after the probabilistic activity, by the RPA robot, via the probabilistic activity, and

executing the workflow section following the probabilistic activity, by the RPA robot, wherein

the RPA robot, in the probabilistic activity, determines whether the at least one confidence value exceeds the confidence threshold, and

the turning on or off of the workflow section after the probabilistic activity comprises modifying activity parameters within the RPA workflow.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating the RPA workflow comprising a plurality of deterministic activities and the at least one probabilistic activity configured to call the at least one ML model; and

generating the RPA robot that implements the generated RPA workflow.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

raising or lowering the confidence threshold, by the RPA robot, after the process of the workflow has been run a predetermined number of times.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the raising or lowering of the confidence threshold by the RPA robot is repeated until a winning state is achieved.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , further comprising:

determining, by the RPA robot, that the at least one ML models are not achieving an outcome after a predetermined number of modifications to the confidence threshold; and

retraining the at least one ML models.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the RPA robot is configured to determine how much of a certain resource to provide, determine a more optimal confidence threshold, or both.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the RPA robot calls multiple ML models and the confidence values from each ML model are combined to determine a global confidence value that is compared against the confidence threshold for the probabilistic activity.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the global confidence value is determined by applying a respective weight to the confidence values and combining the weighted confidence values.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program, the computer program configured to cause at least one processor to:

call a machine learning (ML) model while executing a probabilistic activity of an RPA workflow;

receive a confidence value from the ML model;

responsive to the confidence value not exceeding a confidence threshold, turn off a workflow section after the probabilistic activity, via the probabilistic activity; and

responsive to the confidence value exceeding the confidence threshold:

turn on a workflow section after the probabilistic activity, via the probabilistic activity, and

execute the workflow section following the probabilistic activity, wherein

the RPA robot, in the probabilistic activity, determines whether the at least one confidence value exceeds the confidence threshold, and

the turning on or off of the workflow section after the probabilistic activity comprises modifying activity parameters within the RPA workflow.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the computer program is further configured to cause the at least one processor to:

raise or lower the confidence threshold after the process of the workflow has been run a predetermined number of times.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the raising or lowering of the confidence threshold is repeated until a winning state is achieved.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the computer program is further configured to cause the at least one processor to:

determine that the ML model is not achieving an outcome after a predetermined number of modifications to the confidence threshold; and

provide an indication to a server to retrain the ML model.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the computer program is further configured to cause the at least one processor to:

determine how much of a certain resource to provide, determine a more optimal confidence threshold, or both.

14. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

calling at least one machine learning (ML) model, by a robotic process automation (RPA) robot, while executing a probabilistic activity of an RPA workflow;

receiving, by the RPA robot, at least one confidence value from the at least one ML model;

comparing the at least one confidence value to a plurality of confidence threshold ranges, by the RPA robot;

modifying the confidence threshold ranges based on an applied scenario; and

responsive to the at least one confidence value falling within a confidence threshold range:

turning on a workflow section after the probabilistic activity for that confidence threshold range, by the RPA robot, via the probabilistic activity, and

executing the workflow section following the probabilistic activity for that confidence threshold range, by the RPA robot, wherein

the RPA robot, in the probabilistic activity, determines whether the at least one confidence value exceeds the confidence threshold, and

the turning on or off of the workflow section after the probabilistic activity comprises modifying activity parameters within the RPA workflow.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , further comprising:

generating the RPA workflow comprising a plurality of deterministic activities and the at least one probabilistic activity configured to call the at least one ML model; and

generating the RPA robot that implements the generated RPA workflow.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , further comprising:

modifying one or more of the confidence threshold ranges, by the RPA robot, after the process of the workflow is run a predetermined number of times.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein the modification of the one or more confidence threshold ranges by the RPA robot is repeated until a winning state is achieved.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , further comprising:

determining, by the RPA robot, that the at least one ML models are not achieving an outcome after a predetermined number of modifications to the confidence threshold range; and

retraining the at least one ML models.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein the RPA robot is configured to determine how much of a certain resource to provide, determine a more optimal confidence threshold range, or both.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein

the RPA robot calls multiple ML models and the confidence values from each ML model are combined to determine a global confidence value that is compared against the confidence threshold ranges for the probabilistic activity, and

the global confidence value is determined by applying a respective weight to the confidence values and combining the weighted confidence values.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 14, 2020
From: SINGH, PRABHDEEP; MCGONNELL, ANTON
To: UIPATH, INC.
Reel/Frame 051504/0422 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62915379 · Oct 15, 2019
Related Publication 20210110207A1 · Apr 15, 2021
References Cited (35)
US 9195955B2 · Bonnard et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 10270644B1 · Valsecchi et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20160366036A1 · Gupta · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20170082555A1 · He · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20180241881A1 · Li et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190102452A1 · Dayan · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190138596A1 · Singh · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190163594A1 · Hayden · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190180746A1 · Diwan · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190205761A1 · Wu · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190317805A1 · Metsch · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190362269A1 · Barad · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20200180148A1 · S Nanal · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200333777A1 · Maruyama · 2020 [cited by examiner]
CN 108352339A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
CN 109426543A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
EP 3564871A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
Dmitry Khramov, Robotic and machine learning: How to help support to process customer tickets more effectively [online], Apr. 12, 2018 [retrieved on Aug. 1, 2023], Retrieved from the Internet :< URL: https://www.theseus… [cited by examiner]
Dmitry Khramov, Robotic and machine learning: How to help support to process customer tickets more effectively [online], Apr. 12, 2018 [retrieved on Aug. 1, 2023], Retrieved from the Internet :< URL: https:// wan theseu… [cited by examiner]
Kobayashi, et al., “Using Self-Learning RPA to Automate a Greater Range of Business Tasks”, Hitachi Initiatives for Creating New Work Styles, Hitachi Review vol. 67, No. 6, pp. 49-53 (Year: 2018). [cited by examiner]
Anna Wroblewska et al., “Robotic Process Automation of Unstructured Data with Machine Learning,” In: Position Papers of the Federated Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems, vol. 16, pp. 9-16 (Sep. 2018). [cited by applicant]
Junxiong Gao et al., “Automated Robotic Process Automation: A Self-Learning Approach,” In: OTM 2019: On the Move to Meaningful Internet Systems: OTM 2019 Conferences, pp. 95-112 (Oct. 11, 2019). [cited by applicant]
Pavel Kaarnijoki, “Intelligent Automation: Assessing artificial intelligence capabilities potential to complement robotic process automation,” Tampere University, Master of Science Thesis (Jan. 2019). [cited by applicant]
Yoshiyuki Kobayashi et al., “Using Self-learning RPA to Automate a Greater Range of Business Tasks,” Hitachi Initiatives for Creating New Work Styles 2018, vol. 67, No. 6, available at https://www.hitachi.com/rev/archiv… [cited by applicant]
First Examination Report issued in Indian Application No. 202217022283 on Jun. 16, 2023. [cited by applicant]
Kobayashi et al., “Using Self-learning RPA to Automate a Greater Range of Business Tasks,” Hitachi Review vol. 67, No. 6, pp. 676-677 (Oct. 31, 2018). [cited by applicant]
Pavel Kaarnijoki, “Intelligent Automation Assessing artificial intelligence capabilities potential to complement robotic process automation,” Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Tampere University of Technology… [cited by applicant]
Extended European Search Report issued in European Application No. 20877501.5 on Oct. 12, 2023. [cited by applicant]
Pavel Kaarnijoki, “Intelligent Automation: Assessing artificial intelligence capabilities potential to complement robotic process automation,” Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Master of Science Thesis (Jan. … [cited by applicant]
Kaarnijoki, “Intelligent Automation Assessing Artificial Intelligence Capabilities Potential to Complement Robotic Process Automation”, University of Tampere, Master of Science Thesis, Jan. 2019. [cited by applicant]
Kobayashi, et al., “Using Self-Learning RPA to Automate a Greater Range of Business Tasks”, Hitachi Initiatives for Creating New Work Styles, Hitachi Review vol. 67, No. 6, pp. 49-53. [cited by applicant]
Office Action, issued Aug. 14, 2024, CN Patent Application No. 202080072406.4. [cited by applicant]
Office Action, issued Mar. 1, 2025, CN Patent Application No. 202080072406.4. [cited by applicant]
Search Report, issued Aug. 14, 2024, CN Patent Application No. 202080072406.4. [cited by applicant]
Office Action, issued Jul. 14, 2025, CN Patent Application No. 202080072406.4. [cited by applicant]