Automation Windows Using Child Sessions to Prevent UI Interference
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional emulators, simulators, virtual machines, and Docker containers do not address the issue of automations interfering with user interactions on the same computing system, leading to conflicts and interference with task completion.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of automation windows that create a separate child session for automations, allowing users or other automations to interact with applications without interference by initializing an automation as a process within this session, enabling simultaneous operation with a parent session.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automation runs on the same computing system as user interactions, then resource utilization is improved, but interference and conflicts between automation and user tasks occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the computing environment into separate sessions - a parent session for user interactions and a child session for automation execution. This segmentation allows both user tasks and automation to run simultaneously without interfering with each other, while still utilizing the same underlying computing resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary session layer (child session) that mediates between the automation processes and the user's parent session. This intermediary structure enables resource sharing while preventing direct conflicts, as the child session acts as a buffer that isolates automation actions from user interactions.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional virtualization methods (VMs, containers) are used, then isolation is improved, but resource overhead and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using full virtual machine copies or container abstractions, the patent creates a simplified child session that copies only the necessary session context from the parent session. This approach provides sufficient isolation for automation execution while avoiding the heavy overhead and complexity of traditional virtualization methods.
Data Source
AI summary
Automation windows for attended or unattended automations are disclosed. A child session is created and hosted as a window including the UIs of applications of a window associated with a parent session. Running multiple sessions allows an automation to operate in this child session while the user or another automation interacts with the parent session. The user or other automation may thus be able to interact with applications that the automation is not using or the user or other automation and the automation may be able to interact with the same application if that application is capable of this functionality. Changes made via the automation and the user or other automation in an application will be made as if a single user made them, rather than having the user or other automation and the automation each work with separate versions of the applications and file systems.