Patent ID: 8780043

Claim:
An information selecting apparatus for making a user select an arbitrary item from a plurality of items, comprising: a direction input device allowing an input operation of a direction for inputting direction data indicating a direction in correspondence with an input operation, an operating unit for inputting operation data in accordance with a predetermined operation, a storage for storing item data indicative of said plurality of items, a selection item setter for setting the predetermined number of the items out of said item data as selection items which are brought into correspondence with a predetermined direction, a selector for selecting from said selection items an item corresponding to said direction data from said direction input device, and outputting said item when a predetermined operation data is input, a sequence input determiner for determining whether or not a predetermined series of direction input operations is performed according to a pattern on the basis of a manner of change of said direction data, the predetermined series of direction input operations being performed according to the pattern by rotation of the direction input device around a neutral position of the direction input device, and a switching unit for switching items out of the selection items to other items of said item data when it is determined that said predetermined series of direction input operations is performed according to the pattern by said sequence input determiner.