BACKGROUND

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to process automation, and more particularly to exception handling during the execution of automated robotic processes.

Related Art

Robotic process automation involves the use of software or “bots” to automate tasks which are rule-based and repetitive, such as various industrial and clerical processes. Robotic process automation is used to eliminate the need for a human to conduct time-consuming, repetitive, and tedious tasks.

During the execution of an automated business task, a robotic process automation system may encounter events which cannot be handled based on the system's instructions. These are called exceptions. Currently in the art, when an exception occurs a robotic process automation system would stop processing the task and hand it off to a human to complete or where possible, flag the exception for review by a human while continuing the task. This can lead to delays, particularly where the human may be unfamiliar with the exception and one or more data inputs that may be necessary to clear the exception and resume the process.

There is a need for an improved system, apparatus, and method to provide a robotic process automation system with the ability to interact with a human either in real time or asynchronously via a graphical user interface, to receive and interpret additional instructions on how best to handle the exception and then proceed to complete the task.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.

The present invention is directed to a system, apparatus, and method for exception handling comprising a first computing device on which there is a robotic process automation system. A memory storing instructions and a database storing a plurality of prior transactions. Further, there is a hardware processor coupled to the memory wherein the hardware processor is configured by the instructions to: monitor the automated business task, detect an exception during the processing of the automated business task, temporarily halt processing, search the database to locate matching exceptions which occurred during previous executions of the same task, identify one or more solutions to resolve the exception, and execute at least one solution of the one or more of the solutions to resolve the exception.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the specification and drawings.

