Cross-Platform RPA Execution Without Preinstalled Bot Software
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Robotic Process Automation (RPA) systems face limitations in scalability and increased administrative complexity due to the need for preinstalled software robots on specific devices and operating system dependencies, which restricts the flexibility and increases deployment costs.
Innovation Solution
The proposed RPA system eliminates the need for preinstalled software on user devices by using a centralized data storage for task processing instructions and a control room that manages the execution of software robots across different operating systems, allowing bots to operate independently of device processing and platform constraints, including the ability to execute on different operating systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If software robots are preinstalled on specific devices with specific operating systems, then the RPA system can execute tasks reliably on those devices, but the administrative complexity increases and scalability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual machine as an intermediary layer between the RPA control room and the host operating system. This virtual machine provides a standardized execution environment that emulates the required operating system, allowing software robots to run reliably without being preinstalled on every physical device. The virtual machine mediates between the bot's OS requirements and the host system's actual OS, eliminating the need for device-specific installations while maintaining execution reliability.
2Productivity
If software robots are preinstalled on specific devices, then the RPA system can operate with consistent performance, but the deployment cost increases and flexibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the virtual machine configuration universal by allowing it to emulate multiple different operating systems. A single virtual machine infrastructure can be configured to provide Windows, Linux, or other OS environments as needed, enabling the same physical or virtual device to run software robots designed for different operating systems. This universality eliminates the need for multiple preconfigured devices, thereby improving deployment flexibility while maintaining execution consistency through standardized virtualization.
3Adaptability or versatility
If RPA software is loaded onto different devices to enable bot creation and execution, then the system can operate across multiple platforms, but the administrative complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the operating system dependency from the physical device by implementing OS emulation within the virtual machine. Instead of requiring the host device to natively support the required operating system, the virtual machine extracts and provides the necessary OS environment independently. This separation allows the RPA system to achieve platform compatibility through the virtualized environment rather than through device-specific installations, significantly reducing software management complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Computerized robotic process automation (RPA) methods and systems that increase the flexibility and lower the cost with which RPA systems may be deployed are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an RPA system and method avoids the need for preinstalled RPA software on a device employed by a user to create and/or execute software robots to perform RPA. In another embodiment, an RPA system and method provides a capability to execute software robots that may have been encoded in one or more programming languages to execute on an operating system different than that employed by a server of the RPA system.