Machine interface with cyclically displayed hierarchical menus and user selection of menu items by actuation of a single switch

• US 5,124,942 A
• Filed: 10/04/1988
• Issued: 06/23/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Solatrol, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Solatrol, Inc.
• Inventors: Nielsen, Wyn Y., Kaiser, Dennis A., Carlin, Steven C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELLIS, RICHARD L
• Application Number:
  US07/255,156
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 364/144, 364/146, 364/188, 364/474.01, 364/474.22, 364/474.27, 364/518, 364/521, 340/792, 340/825.44
• US Class Current: 715/713
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells

Abstract

A user interface, typically to an irrigation controller, prompts user responses by continuously autoscrolling questions. The questions are hierarchally organized, preferably in a hierarchal tree having approximately three to six questions on each hierarchal level between root and leaves. All command and data input may be done with only an OK/YES pushbutton switch, switches. Each OK/YES user response affirms the premise fo a currently-displayed question, and advances the autoscrolled questioning to a related branch upon a next hierarchal level. The NO pushbutton is never required to advance the questioning which is always autoscrolled, but instead serves, while depressed, to accelerate the autoscrolling of successive questions. A HELP response invokes context-sensitive help messages. A STOP response causes reversion in the hierarchy of questioning toward the root level, but does not stop the autoscrolling of questions.

Claims

1. A manually operable interface to a machine comprising:

display means for displaying (i) multiplicity of control options that are organized in a hierarchical tree having a plurality of control options at least some of a plurality of hierarchical control levels between a root control level and a leaf control level, and (ii) a multiplicity of datums that are organized in a hierarchial tree having a plurality of datums upon at least some of a plurality of hierarchical data levels between a root data level and a leaf data level;

scrolling means for causing the display means to (i) sequentially display one control option at a time of the plurality of control options that are upon at least some of the plurality of hierarchal control levels in an endless loop, commencing at a hierarchical control level closest to the root control level, and, at other times, (ii) sequentially display one datum at a time of the plurality of datums that are upon a one hierarchal level in an endless loop, commencing at a hierarchical data level closest to the root data level;

a manually actuable switch operable to effect selection, adoption, and use of a currently displayed control option or datum, as the case may be;

said scrolling means responsive to actuation of said switch for (i) effecting display of each of a plurality of control options from another hierarchical control level having a selected relationship to said selected control option, and, at some control level for at least one selected control option, (ii) effecting display of each of a plurality of datums from another hierarchical data level having a selected relationship to said one selected control option, and, for at least one selected datum, (iii) effecting display of each of a plurality of datums from another hierarchical data level having a selected relationship to said selected datum, as the case may be;

wherein the totality of the control options, and the data options, that may be individually hierarchically selected permit both the substantially complete control, and the substantially complete parameterization with data, of the machine by manual actuations of but the single switch.

2. The interface according to claim 1, further comprising:

manually actuable advance means for causing the scrolling means to immediately effect display of another of said plurality of control options or said plurality of datums, as the case may be.

3. The interface according to claim 1, wherein:

said display means alternatively displays one of said multiplicity of control options and one of a multiplicity of messages associated therewith;

said interface further comprising;

manually actuable help means;

means responsive to actuation of said help means for causing said display means to display, for a selected time, one of said multiplicity of messages associated with said currently displayed control option.

4. A manually operable interface to a machine, comprising:

display means for displaying each of a multiplicity of control options one at a time, and, at other times, each of a multiplicity of datums one at a time;

autoscrolling means for causing said display means to automatically and sequentially display each of the multiplicity of control options and each of the multiplicity of datums;

a manually actuable switch for selecting the currently displayed one of said multiplicity of control options or of datums, as the case may be, in response to manual actuation; and

manually actuable advance means for causing the display means to immediately sequentially display a next one of said multiplicity of datums in response to manual actuation;

said autoscrolling means responsive to manual actuation of said single switch for (i) effecting automatic sequential display of each of a plurality of control options having a selected relationship to said selected control option, and, for at least one selected control option, (ii) effecting automatic sequential display of each of a plurality of datums having a selected relationship to said one selected control option, and, for at least one selected datum, (iii) effecting automatic sequential display of each of a plurality of datums having a selected relationship to said selected datum, as the case may be.

5. The interface according to claim 4

wherein said display means displays each of a multiplicity of control options organized in a hierarchy having a plurality of control options on each of a plurality of levels, and each of a multiplicity of datums organized in a hierarchy having a plurality of datums on each of a plurality of levels;

wherein said autoscrolling means causes said display means to automatically and sequentially display repetitively each of a plurality of control options from a single hierarchical level, or each of a plurality of datums from a single hierarchical level, as the case may be; and

wherein said autoscrolling means responsive to said manual actuation of said single switch causes the display means to display control options from another hierarchical level, or datums from another hierarchical level, as the case may be.

6. The interface according to claim 4, wherein:

said display means alternatively displays one of said multiplicity of control options and one of a multiplicity of messages associated therewith;

said interface further comprising;

manually actuable help means;

means responsive to actuation of said help means for causing the display means to display one of the multiplicity of messages associated with a currently displayed one of the control options for a selected time period, and for thereafter causing the display means to display said one control option.

7. A manually operable interface to a machine, comprising:

display means for alternatively displaying a selected one of a multiplicity of control options and a corresponding one of a multiplicity of messages associated with the selected one of said control options, and, at other times a selected one of a multiplicity of datums and a corresponding one of a multiplicity of messages associated with the selected one of said datums, the multiplicity of control options and the multiplicity of datums being, in aggregate, sufficient to both control and parameterize the operation of the machine;

autoscrolling means for causing the display means to display successive ones of the multiplicity of control options or of datums, as the case may be;

a manually actuable selection switch;

selection means responsive to actuation of said single selection switch for selecting the currently displayed one of said multiplicity of control options, or said multiplicity of datums, as the case may be, in order to control and also to parameterize the operation of the machine;

a manually actuable help switch; and

help means responsive to actuation of said single help switch for causing said display means to display one of the multiplicity of messages associated with said one currently displayed control option, or said one currently displayed datum, as the case may be.

8. The interface according to claim 7, wherein:

the display means alternatively displays each of a multiplicity of datums in the form of a question, and each of the multiplicity of messages in the form of an explanation for the associated question, and

the display means alternatively displays each of a multiplicity of control options in the form of a question, and each of the multiplicity of messages in the form of an explanation for the associated question.

9. The interface according to claim 7

wherein said display means displays each of the multiplicity of datums organized in a hierarchy having a plurality of datums upon each of the plurality of levels;

wherein said display means further displays each of the multiplicity of control options organized in a hierarchy having a plurality of control options upon each of the plurality of levels;

wherein said autoscrolling means causes said display means to sequentially display each of the control options, or the datums, as the case may be, for a selected hierarchical level repetitively; and

wherein said selection means is responsive to actuation of said single selection switch to cause said display means to display each of a plurality of control options upon another hierarchical level from the selected control option, or each of a plurality of datums upon another hierarchical level from the selected datum, as the case may be.

10. The interface according to claim 7, further comprising:

a manually actuable advance switch;

advance means responsive to actuation of said single advance switch to effect display of the next one of said multiplicity of control options, or of datums, as the case may be, at the existing hierarchical level.

11. A man machine interface, comprising:

display means for displaying (i) each of a multiplicity of control options one at a time and, alternatively, each of a multiplicity of messages associated with the previously displayed control option, and, at other times, (ii) each of a multiplicity of datums one at a time and, alternatively, each of a multiplicity of messages associated with the previously displayed datum;

a manually actuable selection switch;

selection means responsive to actuation of said single selection switch for effecting selection and use of a currently displayed one of said multiplicity of control options or of datums, as the case may be;

a manually actuable advance switch;

advance means responsive to actuation of said single advance switch for effecting display by said display means of a next one of said multiplicity of control options, or of datums, as the case may be;

a manually actuable help switch; and

help means responsive to actuation of said single help switch to effect display by said display means of one of said multiplicity of messages corresponding to the previously displayed one of said multiplicity of control options or of datums, and for subsequently displaying said control option or said datum after a selected time interval.

12. The interface according to claim 11, wherein:

each of said multiplicity of control options and each of said multiplicity of datums is in the form of a question; and

each of said multiplicity of messages is associated with a corresponding one of said control options or one of said datums and includes an explanation thereof.

13. An interface to a machine for use by a man comprising:

display means for displaying a multiplicity of control options and a multiplicity of datums that are organized in a hierarchal trees having a plurality of control options or of datums, as the case may be, at each of a plurality of levels between a root level and leaf level;

autoscrolling means for causing the display means to automatically sequentially display one control option, or, at other times, one datum at a time of the plurality of control options and of datums that are each upon a one hierarchal level in an endless loop, commencing at root level;

an OK/YES switch actuable by a man for causing both (i) adoption and use by the machine of a currently displayed one of the multiplicity of control options, or of datums, as the case may be, and (ii) the display means to branch to displaying a plurality of control options or datums that are upon a next hierarchal level to the hierarchal level of a the currently-displayed one of the plurality of control options or of datums, as the case may be;

wherein the totality of the control options, and the datums, that may be individually hierarchically selected with but the single OK/YES switch permit both the control, and the parameterization with data, of the machine.

14. The interface according to claim 13 further comprising:

a NO/NEXT switch actuable by a man for causing the autoscrolling means to cause the display means to automatically advance in its one-at-a-time displaying of the plurality of control options or of datums, as the case may be, upon a one hierarchical level more rapidly, one to the next.

15. The interface according to claim 13

wherein the display means is further for displaying, at other times to the multiplicity of datums, a multiplicity of messages that are associated with the multiplicity of datums, this displaying of a multiplicity of messages also being one at a time;

and wherein the interface further comprises;

HELP means actuable by a man to cause the display means to display a one of the multiplicity of messages that is associated with a currently-displayed one of the multiplicity of datums, after which the display means will return to redisplaying said currently-displayed one of the multiplicity of datums.

16. An interface to a machine for use by a man comprising:

display means for displaying a multiplicity of control options one at a time, and, at other times, a multiplicity of datums one at a time, the collective control options and datums being sufficient to completely control and parameterize the operation of the machine;

autoscrolling means for causing the display means to automatically sequentially advance in its one-at-a-time displaying of the multiplicity of control options or of datums, as the case may be;

an OK/YES switch actuable by a man for causing the machine to adopt and use a currently-displayed one of the multiplicity of control options or of datums, as the case may be; and

a NO/NEXT switch actuable by a man for causing the autoscrolling means to cause the display means to automatically sequentially advance in the one-at-a-time displaying of the multiplicity of control options or the multiplicity of datums more rapidly, one control option or one datum to the next as the case may be.

18. The interface according to claim 16

wherein the display means is further for displaying, at other times to the multiplicity of datums, a multiplicity of messages that are associated with the multiplicity of datums, this displaying of a multiplicity of messages also being one at a time;

and wherein the interface further comprises;

HELP means actuable by a man to cause the display means to display a one of the multiplicity of messages that is associated with a currently-displayed one of the multiplicity of datums, after which the display means will return to redisplay said currently-displayed one of the multiplicity of datums.

19. An interface to a machine for use by a man comprising:

display means for displaying a multiplicity of control options and datums one at a time, and at other times a multiplicity of messages that are associated with at least some of the multiplicity of control options and datums also one at a time;

scrolling means for causing the display means to advance in its one-at-a-time displaying of the multiplicity of control options and the multiplicity of datums to the displaying of an associated one of the multiplicity of messages, or from displaying a one of the multiplicity of messages back to redisplaying of an associated one of the multiplicity of control options or of datums, as the case may be;

an OK/YES means actuable by a man for causing the machine to adopt and use a currently-displayed one of the multiplicity of control options or of datums, as the case may be; and

a HELP switch actuable by a man for causing the display means to display a one of the multiplicity of messages that is associated with a currently displayed one of the multiplicity of control options or of datums, as the case may be.

17. The interface according to claim 19

wherein the display means is for displaying a multiplicity of datums organized in a hierarchy having a plurality of datums upon a plurality of levels;

wherein the autoscrolling means is for causing the display means to automatically advance in a one-at-a-time displaying of a plurality of datums that are upon a single hierarchical level in an endless loop; and

wherein the OK/YES switch is further actuable by the man for causing the display means to progress to displaying a plurality of datums that are upon a next hierarchical level to the hierarchical level of the currently-displayed one of the plurality of datums.

20. The interface according to claim 19

wherein the display means is for displaying a multiplicity of control options and of datums in the form of a multiplicity of questions, and at other times a multiplicity of messages each in the form of an explanation to an associated one of the multiplicity of questions.

21. The interface according to claim 19

wherein the display means is for displaying a multiplicity of control options and of datums organized in a hierarchy having a plurality of control options and of datums upon a plurality of levels;

wherein the autoscrolling means is for causing the display means to automatically advance in its one-at-a-time displaying among a plurality of control options and of datums that are upon a single hierarchal level in an endless loop; and

wherein the OK/YES switch is further actuable by the man for causing the display means to progress to displaying a plurality of control options and of datums that are upon a next hierarchal level to the hierarchal level of the currently-displayed one of the plurality of control options and of datums.

22. The interface according to claim 19 further comprising:

a NO/NEXT switch actuable by a man for causing the autoscrolling means to cause the display means to automatically advance in its one-at-a-time displaying of the multiplicity of control options and of datums more rapidly, one control option and one datum to the next.

23. An interface to a machine for use by a man comprising:

display means for displaying a multiplicity of control options and datums one at a time, and at other times a multiplicity of messages that are associated with the multiplicity of control options and datums also one at a time;

an OK/YES switch actuable by a man to cause the machine to adopt and use a currently displayed one of the multiplicity of control options and datums;

a NO/NEXT switch actuable by a man to cause the display means to display a next one of the multiplicity of control options and datums; and

a HELP switch actuable by a man to cause the display means to display a one of the multiplicity of messages that is associated with a currently-displayed one of the multiplicity of control options and datums, after the display of which the display means will return to redisplaying said currently-displayed one of the multiplicity of control options and datums.

24. The interface according to claim 23

wherein at least some of the multiplicity of control options and of datums are in the form of questions;

wherein the multiplicity of messages associated with the multiplicity of questions are in the form of a multiplicity of explanations of the associated questions.

25. A method of man-machine interfacing comprising:

organizing a base of control and data information transmissible from a man to a machine as a hierarchy that has a multiplicity of questions upon a plurality of levels between a first hierarchal level and a last hierarchal level;

automatically sequentially displaying at successive time successive ones of the questions, one at a time in an endless loop, that are upon a one hierarchal level, starting at the first hierarchal level;

first recognizing a man'"'"'s positive response to, or affirmation and adoption of the premise of, a selected one question of the successive ones of the questions displayed one at a time in an endless loop, that are upon a one hierarchal level by act of the man'"'"'s selective actuation of but one single switch;

advancing the displaying from one hierarchal level to the next, first level to last level, as the man'"'"'s positive response selectively occurring by his actuation of the single switch in response to a selected one question upon each hierarchal level is first recognized; and

collecting the first-recognized positive responses to the selective questions, one upon each hierarchal level, to serve as both, at different times, control and data information transmitted from the man to the machine solely by the man'"'"'s selective actuations of but the single switch.

26. The method of man-machine interfacing according to claim 25

wherein the organizing of the base of information is as a hierarchal tree that has a multiplicity of questions between a first, root, level having questions dealing with control information and a last, leaf, level having questions dealing with data;

wherein each advancing of the displaying from one hierarchal level to the next is along that particular branch that is dictated by the selected one question to which the man'"'"'s positive response is first recognized.

27. The method of man-machine interfacing according to claim 25 further comprising

second recognizing a man'"'"'s negative response to, or rejection and disavowal of the premise of, a one question that is currently displayed;

and

reducing the display time latency of the automatically sequentially displaying of successive ones of the questions for all those ones of the questions for which the man'"'"'s negative response is second recognized.

28. The method of man-machine interfacing according to claim 25 wherein the second recognizing comprises:

detecting a manual actuation of a switch.

29. A method query-response user programming of a machine with complex sequences of both control and data comprising:

organizing the complex sequences into a hierarchy of a multiplicity of questions, the hierarchy of questions consisting of

a first plurality of questions dealing with machine control at a first, root, level, with at least some of these first plurality of questions having

an associated second plurality of questions also dealing with machine control, with some ones of these second plurality of questions having

an associated third plurality of questions dealing with data entry into the machine

and so on, the complex sequences being entirely broken down into a hierarchal tree of questions ranging from questions dealing with machine control at the root level to questions dealing with data entry to the machine at the leaf level;

cyclically displaying each successive plurality, starting with the first, of questions to a human user/programmer, the user/programmer permissively adopting for each single question displayed one of the options of

a.) doing nothing, in which case the cyclically displayed question will advance in a normal latency time to the next successive question in the same hierarchal plurality, and so on in an endless loop,

b.) actuating a no switch meaning NO, that the premise or the article of the currently displayed question is not adopted, in which case the displayed question will immediately cycle to a next successive question within the same currently cyclically displayed plurality of questions without waiting for the expiration of the normal latency time; and

c.) actuating on OK/YES switch meaning OK or YES, that the premise or article of the currently-displayed question is adopted, in which case IF the currently-displayed question is not of a leaf-level plurality of questions THEN progressing to a next associated plurality of questions and proceeding to the cyclically displaying of this plurality of questions ELSE IF the currently-displayed question is of a leaf level plurality of questions THEN returning to the cyclically displaying of the first plurality of questions.

30. The method according to claim 29 wherein during the cyclically displaying the human user/programmer has the further option of

d.) selecting a STOP response, meaning exit or stop current action, that interrupts the currently cyclically displayed plurality of questions and returns to the cyclically displaying of the first plurality of questions.

31. The method according to claim 30 wherein during the cyclically displaying the human user/programmer has the further option of

e.) selecting a HELP response, meaning help is requested, that will result in temporary display of a context sensitive help message explaining to the user/ programmer the responses that are being elicited by the currently cyclically displayed plurality of questions and how the user/programmer may evoke these responses.

32. The method according to claim 29 wherein continuously performing b.) selecting a NO response causes not only that the displayed question will immediately cycle to the next successive question but that, the b.) selecting a NO response being continued, the displayed question will cycle to still another successive question at the expiration of a reduced latency time, this faster cycling thereafter being continued until, and unless, the b.) selecting a NO response is ceased.

33. The method according to claim 29 wherein adoption of the user programmer of the displayed option c.) selecting a second response meaning OK/YES results in the further step comprising:

displaying a confirmation message to the user/programmer showing the particular question/response adopted by act of the user/programmer'"'"'s c.) selecting an OK/YES response until the user/programmer adopts a one of the options of

c1.) selecting again the OK/YES response, herein meaning that the currently displayed confirmation message is adopted, in which case IF further questions/responses of the same plurality of questions/responses remain unanswered and are potentially adoptable THEN returning to the display of successive further ones of the same plurality of questions/responses ELSE IF no further questions/responses of the same plurality of questions/responses remain unanswered and adoptable THEN returning to the cyclically displaying of the first plurality of questions/responses; and

c2.) selecting the NO response, herein meaning that the currently displayed confirmation message is not adopted, in which case the displayed question/response will ultimately return to that question/response for which, when previously displayed, the programmer/user did adopt the option c.) selecting an OK/YES response.

34. The method according to claim 33 wherein the displaying is further of an identifiable indicia accompanying the particular question/response adopted by act of the programmer/user.

35. The method according to claim 34 wherein the displaying of a question mark.

36. A method of communicating control and data information from a man to a machine comprising:

organizing in the machine the information in a hierarchy having a plurality of control options at each of a plurality of control levels, and a plurality of datums at each of a plurality of data levels;

sequentially displaying with the machine a first plurality of control options upon a first one of the plurality of hierarchal control levels one at a time in an endless loop;

progressing in the sequentially displaying upon such times as an advance-in-hierarchy occurrence is recognized to a next hierarchal level, one hierarchal level per occurrence, from control level to control level to, ultimately, data level to data level so as to, ultimately, automatically sequentially display an nth plurality of datums upon an nth one of the plurality of hierarchal data levels.

recognizing in the machine on advance-in-hierarchy occurrence responsive to an actuation by a man of a single first switch during the time that some one selective one of the plurality of control options, or of datums, as the case may be, that are upon each hierarchal level are being displayed; and

correlating each of the advance-in-hierarchy occurrences resultant from the man'"'"'s actuations of the single first switch with each associated selective one of the plurality of control options, or of datums, as the case may be, to produce both control and data information usable by the machine.

37. The method according to claim 36 wherein the organizing of the control and the data information is in a hierarchal tree;

and

wherein the progressing is by branching to a related plurality of control options, or of datums, as the case may be, upon a next hierarchal level of the hierarchal tree.

38. The method according to claim 36 wherein the automatically sequentially displaying is, datum to datum, at a first rate;

wherein the recognizing is further of the actuation by a man of a single second switch during the time that some selective one or ones of the plurality of datums that are on each hierarchal data level are being displayed; and

wherein the method for further comprises;

accelerating the automatically sequentially displaying to transpire at a second rate, faster than the first rate, doing the recognized actuation of the second switch.

39. The method according to claim 36 wherein the organizing of the data information is in a hierarchy of questions each directed to a one datum, a plurality of questions existing at each of a plurality of data levels.

40. A man-machine interface of a machine for the communication of information between a man and the machine, the machine'"'"'s interface comprising:

information base means containing a multiplicity of questions organized in a plurality of hierarchal levels, which questions span the space of control and data information that is communicated between man and machine;

display means for displaying, at times, successive individual ones of the questions from the information base means under control of a sequencer means;

a first, OK/YES, switch permitting the man to indicate the affirmative to a one question on that is at any one time displayed by the display means; and

sequencer means, receiving the affirmative indication from the first switch, for causing the display means to cycle, after a first latency time, in an endless loop between successive questions relevant to machine control that are upon a one hierarchal level UNTIL an affirmative indication to a one question is received THEN causing the display means to cycle in an endless loop between further successive questions again relevant to machine control that are corresponding to the one question for which the affirmation indication was received and that are upon a next hierarchal level containing questions relevant to data entry into the machine UNTIL another affirmative indication to one of the further successive questions relevant to data entry into the machine is received, and so on UNTIL an affirmative indication is received to a question again relevant to data entry into the machine at a lowest hierarchal level, at which time information that is respective of by the received affirmative indications to all questions has been communicated from the man to the machine;

wherein the affirmative indications to the questions have communicated both control and data information from the man to the machine by the man'"'"'s actuations of but the single switch.

41. An apparatus permitting user programming of control and data information into a machine having a multiplicity of both control options and of datums in a plurality of categories by process of the asking of questions and the collection of responses, the apparatus comprising:

display means for the displaying, of successive times under control of a computer means, a hierarchy of questions proceeding in successive levels from root level global questions inquiring whether a specific one of alternative courses of control is adopted to leaf level specific questions inquiring whether a particular one of a multiplicity of datums is confirmed as an answer;

a first, OK/YES, switch responsive to a human user/programmer for permitting the user/programmer to indicate affirmative responses to global questions or to specific questions as each is displayed by the display means;

computer means, receiving the affirmations from the first switch, for automatically sequencing of a first latency time the display means through successive questions on each of the successive levels of the hierarchy of questions, each level being entered because of an affirmative response to an associated question at a higher level, until an affirmative response to a leaf level successive question provides a datum, at which time the automatic sequencing at the latency time of the display means through successive questions is resumed at some level, the affirmative responses to a hierarchy of these questions ultimately leading to another datum, and so on until a multiplicity of datums in a plurality of categories are provided all by the collection of affirmative responses to questions;

wherein a singular characteristic of the query-response user programming of datums so effected is that the computer means automatically sequences the display means at a latency time, as well as because of affirmative responses to questions.

42. In a machine having a user interface and operating in consideration of information supplied by the user across the interface, an improvement to the user interface comprising;

display means for displaying at successive times under control of a computer means a hierarchy of questions one at time proceeding from root level questions directed to control options of the machine and asking whether an alternative branching within the hierarchy is confirmed and adopted to at least one leaf level specific question directed to entry of a datum into the machine and asking whether this particular datum is confirmed and adopted;

a first, OK/YES, switch responsive to selective actuations by the user for selectively indicating affirmative responses to a control option question or a datum question as each is displayed by the display means;

computer means, receiving the selective affirmative response indications from the first switch, for automatically sequencing at a first latency time the display means through successive questions in an endless loop at each level of the hierarchy of questions until, an affirmative response indication to a one question having been received, then causing automatic sequencing of the display means through successive questions in an endless loop at a next, branch, level of the hierarchy of questions, and so on until, an affirmative response to at least one leaf level specific question having been received, information represented by the cumulative user affirmative responses to selected ones of the questions has been effectively communicated from the user to the machine across the user interface, therein to communicate both selection amongst control options, and also data, from the user to the machine by act of the man'"'"'s selective actuations of but the single OK/YES switch.