Analyzing and processing a verbal expression containing multiple goals

A personal electronic device comprising:

• a microphone configured for receiving a verbal expression for multiple goals from a user of the personal electronic device, wherein the expression for multiple goals being an expression to perform a plurality of similar tasks,
• an output interface;
• and
• a processor operatively coupled to the microphone to the output interface and configured for analyzing the verbal expression to extract potential terms, for searching a database with the potential terms, for analyzing a temporal distribution of potential terms embedded in top-ranked results of the searching to determine if the verbal expression is the multiple-goal expression, for assigning at least some of the potential terms to categories when the verbal expression is the multiple-goal expression, for creating a set of a plurality of the potential terms, wherein members of the set are potential terms that do not overlap temporally with one another and that have been assigned to categories obeying associational rules, for assigning confidence levels to the members of the set, for comparing confidence levels of the members of the set, and for, if the members of the set have similar confidence levels, then:
• presenting to the user, via the output interface, the multiple-goal expression based, at least in part, on the received verbal expression, the multiple goals represented by the members of the set when the confidence levels of the members of the set are low and executing the multiple goal expression by performing the plurality of similar tasks based on user feedback or executing the multiple goal expression by performing the plurality of similar tasks.

A server comprising:

• a network communications interface configured for receiving a verbal expression for multiple goals, wherein the expression for multiple goals being an expression to perform a plurality of similar tasks;
• and
• a processor operatively coupled to the network communications interface and configured for analyzing the verbal expression to extract potential terms, for searching a database with the potential terms, for analyzing a temporal distribution of potential terms embedded in top-ranked results of the searching to determine if the verbal expression is the multiple-goal expression, for assigning at least some of the potential terms to categories when the verbal expression is the multiple-goal expression, for creating a set of a plurality of the potential terms, wherein members of the set are potential terms that do not overlap temporally with one another and that have been assigned to categories obeying associational rules, for assigning confidence levels to the members of the set, for comparing confidence levels of the members of the set, and for, if the members of the set have similar confidence levels, then either:
• transmitting, via the network communications interface, the multiple-goal expression based, at least in part, on the received verbal expression, the multiple goals represented by the members of the set when the confidence levels of the members of the set are low and executing the multiple goal expression by performing the plurality of similar tasks based on user feedback or executing the multiple goal expression by performing the plurality of similar tasks.