Patent ID: 6490633
Filing Date: 2002-12-03
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method for performing a desired task in an application computer program, the application computer program having a plurality of commands for controlling execution of the application computer program, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:executing the application computer program; executing an interface computer program concurrently with the execution of the application computer program wherein the interface computer program can be started and executed independently of the application computer program; under control of the interface computer program, displaying a plurality of input pages in a predefined sequence, each input page having page-specific controls; receiving user input via the page-specific controls; generating status commands for requesting that status information for the application computer program be sent from the application computer program to the interface computer program; and sending the generated status commands to the application computer program; under control of the application computer program, receiving the sent status commands; processing the received status commands to gather status information; and sending the gathered status information to the interface computer program; under control of the interface computer program, receiving the sent status information; receiving a user request from a user of the interface computer program to perform the desired task, the user request comprising data describing the desired task to be performed; identifying task commands of the application computer program based on the received status information and the received user request that when executed effect performing of the desired task; and sending the identified task commands to the application computer program; and under control of the application computer program, receiving the sent task commands; and executing the received task commands to effect the performing of the desired task.