Patent ID: 7861188

Claim:
An interface apparatus comprising: a user interface for displaying information to a user, a motion sensor for sensing motion on, near, and/or about the motion sensor and producing an output signal, a processing unit for receiving output signals from the motion sensor and converting the output signal into a command function, where the command function is a scroll function or a simultaneous select and activate function, and one system or a plurality systems in electronic communication with and controllable by the processing unit, where one system or a plurality of systems includes a plurality of adjustable attributes and where the processing unit includes a system list having a system identifier for each system and system specific attribute lists, each attribute list having an attribute identifier, where motion in a first direction causes the motion sensor to produce a first output signal causing the processing unit to issue a scroll function, where the scroll function scrolls through the system list or a system specific attribute list, and where the first direction has a positive component and a negative component for scrolling through the list in forward or backward sense, where motion in a second direction causes the motion sensor to produce a second output signal causing the processing unit to issue a select and activate function, where the second direction is sufficiently different from the first direction to allow direction discrimination by the motion sensor or the processing unit and where the select and activate function simultaneously selects and activates a member of the list, if the selected member is a system specific attribute list, then the processing unit scrolls through the attributes, or if the selected member is an adjustable attribute, then the processing unit controls a value of the attribute, and where the second direction has a positive component and a negative component for scrolling through a list in forward or backward manner or changing a value of the attribute in an increasing or decreasing manner, and where if the second output is a scroll function, then motion in a third direction causes the motion sensor to produce a third output signal causing the processing unit to issue a select and activate function, where the third direction is sufficiently different from the first direction to allow direction discrimination by the motion sensor or the processing unit and where the select and activate function simultaneously selects a member from the system specific attribute list and controls a value of the attribute and where the second direction has a positive component and a negative component for scrolling through a list in forward or backward manner or changing a value of the attribute in an increasing or decreasing manner.