Patent ID: 8640054

Claim:
A controller to select a command for operating an electronic system, comprising: a display to display a hierarchy of levels to a user, wherein a plurality of options for one level of the hierarchy of levels is displayed at a time, and wherein for each selection of a lower level all higher level hierarchies of the hierarchy of levels are displayed with the plurality of options; a physical dial to select the one of a plurality of options on the one level of the hierarchy of levels in response to a physical movement of the physical dial; a processing device to update the display of the hierarchy of levels in response to selection of the option by the user; and wherein in response to the user selecting the option on the one level, the processing device is adapted to perform one of: display another level of the hierarchy of levels, and generate the command corresponding to the option to be executed by the electronic system; wherein the display is adapted to display all options of the one level around a curved line; and wherein in response to the display of another level of the hierarchy of levels, the curved line moves inward toward the physical dial, and a new curved line is displayed with new options for the other level.