Patent ID: 7853875

Claim:
A method for enabling a user to select a specific menu item from among a plurality of different menu items being displayed, to access data in a database that has been opened by a database program, comprising the steps of: (a) providing an input device having a plurality of user actuatable switches that are tactilely distinguishable from each other; (b) creating a menu that comprises a plurality of menu items, wherein there is a one-to-one relationship between each menu item and a different user actuatable switch from among the plurality of user actuatable switches that is tactilely distinguishable from any other of the plurality of switches, wherein the one-to-one relationship is established by formatting an appearance of each of the icons associated with each of the menu items to correspond with tactile properties of each of the corresponding switches, and wherein the menu items are each associated with data in the database; (c) displaying the menu to a user on the display, wherein said display does not comprise said user actuatable switches; and (d) enabling the user to select a menu item to access the data in the database associated with the menu item that was selected, by actuating a user actuatable switch that corresponds to and is in the one-to-one relationship with said menu item, so that a tactile sensation experienced by touching the user actuatable switches enables the user to identify each user actuatable switch being touched to detect a desired user actuatable switch.