Patent ID: 8149084

Claim:
A simplified remote control apparatus for controlling an electronic appliance, comprising a housing including a face divided into three substantially equally sized sections, the three sections being a top section, a middle section, and a lower section; a volume control device being of a first type and located within one of the three sections; and a channel control device being of a second type and located within another one of the three sections, a power control device for controlling the power to the remote control apparatus, the power control device being of a third type and located within a further one of the three sections; the housing being generally rectangular in shape and having a thin thickness; the volume control device having a large generally spherical shape rotatably mounted on and protruding from the face of the housing and having a diameter being substantially greater than the thickness of the housing to enable the volume control device to be readily located manually by the user; the channel control device being elongated generally rectangular in shape and being a rocker switch having one side for going up a channel and the other side for going down a channel; the channel control device extending across the face of the housing and having a thickness being substantially less than the diameter of the spherical volume control device to distinguish readily the volume and channel control devices by tactile feel by the user; the power control device being generally circular in shape and being a pushbutton, the power control device having a thickness being substantially less than the diameter of the spherical volume control device to distinguish it readily from the volume and channel control devices by tactile feel by the user; wherein each one of the three substantially equal size sections confines only an individual one of the three control devices only and no other control device; and wherein the first type, the second type, and the third type are different.