Patent ID: 7907118

Claim:
A user interface apparatus comprising: an operation member on which three different types of operations are possible; a managing unit operable to manage n alternatives by assigning thereto respective ordinal ranks; a setting unit operable to set, as selectable, m alternatives from among the n alternatives, without categorizing the n alternatives, where n and m are integers satisfying n>m>2; a table storage unit operable to store therein (i) a first table that includes operations each defined as a first type operation received by the operation member that one-to-one correspond to the set m alternatives displayed in a circular pattern and (ii) a second table that includes operations each defined as a second type operation received by the operation member that one-to-one correspond to change directions and change amounts with respect to an ordinal rank of one alternative currently being selected: a creation unit operable to create the first table based on m alternatives set by the setting unit, a first receiving unit operable to, each time the first type operation is received by the operation member until a third type operation is received by the operation member, receive selection of one of the m alternatives that corresponds to an operation defined as the received first type operation with reference to the first table; a second receiving unit operable to, each time the second type operation is received by the operation member until the third type operation is received by the operation member, receive, instead of one alternative currently being selected, selection of one alternative that is previous or subsequent to the currently selected alternative by at least one alternative, in accordance with a change direction and a change amount with respect to an ordinal rank of the currently selected alternative that corresponds to an operation defined as the received second type operation with reference to the second table; a third receiving unit operable to determine, according to the third type operation, one alternative currently being selected based on immediately previously received one of the first type operation and the second type operation; and a display control unit operable to, each time the first type operation or the second type operation is received until the third type operation is received, display, in a display apparatus, a set of alternatives in a predetermined number including one alternative currently being selected, the set of alternatives being consecutive in terms of ordinal ranks.