Method of selecting a menu in accordance with a maximum correlation between a user input and stored parameters

Claim 1

A method of selecting one of a plurality of menus, comprising the steps of: (a) storing a hierarchical relationship defining a hierarchy of the menus, with each of the menus including menu items having parameters; (b) receiving a user input string; (c) selecting user input keywords from said user input string; (d) correlating said user input keywords with said parameters of said menu items, including the substeps of (d1) determining a correlation factor between each of said parameters and said user input keywords; (d2) determining if the correlation factor is greater than a predetermined threshold for each of the parameters; and (d3) determining a maximum correlation factor if said determining in step (d2) determines that at least one of the parameters has a correlation factor larger than the predetermined threshold; and (e) displaying one of the plurality of menus based on said correlating.

Claim 2

A method of selecting one of a plurality of menus, comprising the steps of: (a) storing a hierarchical relationship defining a hierarchy of the menus, with each of the menus including menu items having parameters; (b) receiving a user input string; (c) selecting user input keywords from said user input string; (d) correlating said user input keywords with said parameters of said menu items, including the substeps of (d1) determining a correlation factor between each of said parameters and said user input keywords; (d2) determining if the correlation factor is greater than a predetermined threshold for each of the parameters; and (d3) determining a maximum correlation factor if said determining in step (d2) determines that at least one of the parameters has a correlation factor larger than the predetermined threshold; and (e) displaying one of the plurality of menus based on said correlating.

Claim 5

A method of selecting one of a plurality of menus listing alternative menu items for control of a data processing system, comprising the steps of: (a) storing a hierarchical relationship defining a hierarchy of the menus, with each of the menus including menu items having parameters; (b) displaying one of the menus as a current menu; (c) receiving a user input string; (d) selecting user input keywords from said user input string; (e) determining a correlation factor between said user input keywords and said parameters of each of said menu items of the current menu displayed in step (a); (f) selecting a maximum correlation factor; and (g) setting the current menu to a corresponding menu associated with the maximum correlation factor.

Claim 6

A method of selecting one of a plurality of menus listing alternative menu items for control of a data processing system, comprising the steps of: (a) storing a hierarchical relationship defining a hierarchy of the menus, with each of the menus including menu items having parameters; (b) displaying one of the menus as a current menu; (c) receiving a user input string; (d) selecting user input keywords from said user input string; (e) determining a correlation factor between said user input keywords and said parameters of each of said menu items of the current menu displayed in step (a); (f) selecting a maximum correlation factor; and (g) setting the current menu to a corresponding menu associated with the maximum correlation factor.

Claim 7

A method of selecting one of a plurality of menus, comprising the steps of: (a) storing a hierarchical relationship defining a hierarchy of the menus, with each of the menus including menu items having parameters; (b) displaying one of the menus as a current menu; (c) receiving a user input string; (d) selecting user input keywords from said user input string; (e) determining a correlation factor between said user input keywords and said parameters of each of said menu items of the current menu displayed in step (a); (f) selecting a maximum correlation factor; (g) setting the current menu to a corresponding menu associated with the maximum correlation factor; (h) determining if one of the menu items is selected in response to said displaying in step (b); (i) setting the current menu to a lower level menu if the one of the menu items selected in step (h) is associated with the lower level menu, instead of performing steps (c)-(g); and (j) repeating said displaying in step (b) after said setting in either of steps (g) and (i).

Claim 8

A method of selecting one of a plurality of menus, comprising the steps of: (a) storing a hierarchical relationship defining a hierarchy of the menus, with each of the menus including menu items having parameters; (b) displaying one of the menus as a current menu; (c) receiving a user input string; (d) selecting user input keywords from said user input string; (e) determining a correlation factor between said user input keywords and said parameters of each of said menu items of the current menu displayed in step (a); (f) selecting a maximum correlation factor; (g) setting the current menu to a corresponding menu associated with the maximum correlation factor; (h) determining if one of the menu items is selected in response to said displaying in step (b); (i) setting the current menu to a lower level menu if the one of the menu items selected in step (h) is associated with the lower level menu, instead of performing steps (c)-(g); and (j) repeating said displaying in step (b) after said setting in either of steps (g) and (i).

Claim 9

A method of selecting one of a plurality of menus, comprising the steps of: (a) storing a hierarchical relationship defining a hierarchy of the menus, with each of the menus including menu items having parameters; (b) displaying one of the menus as a current menu; (c) receiving a user input string; (d) selecting user input keywords from said user input string; (e) determining a correlation factor between said user input keywords and said parameters of each of said menu items of the current menu displayed in step (a); (f) selecting a maximum correlation factor; (g) setting the current menu to a corresponding menu associated with the maximum correlation factor; (h) determining if the correlation factor is at least equal to a predetermined threshold for each of the parameters; and (i) requesting elaboration of the user input string received in step (c), instead of performing steps (f) and (g), if the correlation factor of each of the parameters is less than the predetermined threshold.

Claim 10

A method of selecting one of a plurality of menus, comprising the steps of: (a) storing a hierarchical relationship defining a hierarchy of the menus, with each of the menus including menu items having parameters; (b) displaying one of the menus as a current menu; (c) receiving a user input string; (d) selecting user input keywords from said user input string; (e) determining a correlation factor between said user input keywords and said parameters of each of said menu items of the current menu displayed in step (a); (f) selecting a maximum correlation factor; (g) setting the current menu to a corresponding menu associated with the maximum correlation factor; (h) determining if the correlation factor is at least equal to a predetermined threshold for each of the parameters; and (i) requesting elaboration of the user input string received in step (c), instead of performing steps (f) and (g), if the correlation factor of each of the parameters is less than the predetermined threshold.