Patent ID: 7966568

Claim:
A method for remotely controlling a graphic user interface (GUI) on a display screen, the method comprising: displaying a pointer on the display screen in response to a user interacting with a remote control device wirelessly communicating with a GUI controller of the display screen; selecting an option from a GUI menu displayed on the display screen in response to the user interacting with the remote control device, wherein the user controls a location of the pointer on the display screen by interacting with the touch pad; and receiving a control operation signal in response to the user interacting with at least one menu item displayed on a touch pad of the remote control device, wherein the method further comprises: switching between a button mode and a touch screen mode when a menu key button is selected on the remote control device, and executing a function on the display screen when one of the menu items displayed on the touch pad of the remote control device is selected, the menu item displayed on the touch pad selected in the button mode and the function being performed on the display screen while the remote control device is in button mode without switching into the touch screen mode.