Touch panel device

1. A touch panel device comprising:

a rectangular screen including a detection region for a button on the screen and a respective visible display region for indicating a position of the detection region, the detection region being smaller than, and completely inside, the respective visible display region and having an area greater than an area of a detected contact in the detection region; and

a control section for setting a parallelogram shape of the detection region for the button for generating a control signal in response to the contact detected in the detection region, said control signal indicating a corresponding input;

wherein the parallelogram shape of the detection region has a top boundary, a bottom boundary, a right boundary, and a left boundary, with the top and bottom boundaries being parallel to one another and to a boundary of the visible display region and the left and right boundaries being parallel to one another and inclined with respect to a side edge of the rectangular screen and the visible display region, the inclination being determined based on a hand configuration setting associated with a hand used to contact the detection region, the hand configuration setting being based on user input regarding handedness preferences or a default hand configuration setting; and

wherein the visible display region is not identical to the detection region and comprises a non-detection region.

2. The touch panel device according to claim 1 , wherein:

when the hand configuration setting is a right hand configuration, the detection region has a parallelogram shape that is inclined to the left side with respect to the side edge of the rectangular screen; and

when the hand configuration setting is a left hand configuration, the detection region has a parallelogram shape that is inclined to the right side with respect to the side edge of the rectangular screen.

3. The touch panel device according to claim 1 , wherein the default hand configuration setting is a right hand configuration.

4. The touch panel device according to claim 1 , wherein the hand configuration setting is stored by the control section.

5. The touch panel device according to claim 1 , wherein the control section is configured to set the parallelogram shape of the detection region by changing a direction of inclination of at least one side edge.

6. The touch panel device according to claim 1 , wherein the left and right boundaries are inclined with respect to the side edge of the visible display region at an angle of about 45°.

7. A method for processing input, comprising:

configuring a detection region on a screen by setting a parallelogram shape of the detection region, wherein the parallelogram shape of the detection region has a top boundary, a bottom boundary, a right boundary, and a left boundary, with the top and bottom boundaries being parallel to one another and to a boundary of a visible display region and with the left and right boundaries being parallel to one another and inclined with respect to a side edge of the rectangular screen and the visible display region, the inclination being determined based on a hand configuration setting associated with a hand used to contact the detection region, the hand configuration setting being based on user input regarding handedness preferences or a default hand configuration setting;

the visible display region indicating a position of the detection region, wherein the visible display region is not identical to the detection region and comprises a non-detection region, and wherein the detection region is smaller than and completely inside the visible display region and has an area greater than an area of a detected contact in the detection region;

detecting contact in the detection region; and

generating a control signal in response to the contact detected in the detection region, said control signal indicating a corresponding input.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein:

when the hand configuration setting is a right hand configuration, the detection region has a parallelogram shape that is inclined to the left side with respect to the side edge of the rectangular screen; and

when the hand configuration setting is a left hand configuration, the detection region has a parallelogram shape that is inclined to the right side with respect to the side edge of the rectangular screen.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the default hand configuration setting is a right hand configuration.

10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the parallelogram shape of the detection region is set by changing a direction of inclination of at least one side edge.

11. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the left and right boundaries are inclined with respect to the side edge of the visible display region at an angle of about 45.

12. A touch panel device, comprising:

a rectangular screen including a detection region for a button on the screen and a respective visible display region for indicating a position of the detection region, the detection region being smaller than, and completely inside, the respective visible display region and having an area greater than an area of a detected contact in the detection region;

a user interface comprising a plurality of hardware buttons, a T-bar, a jog dial, and keyboard configured to accept user input regarding handedness preferences; and

a control section for setting a parallelogram shape of the detection region for the button based on the user input and for generating a control signal in response to the contact detected in the detection region, said control signal indicating a corresponding input;

wherein the parallelogram shape of the detection region has a top boundary, a bottom boundary, a right boundary, and a left boundary, with the top and bottom boundaries being parallel to one another and to a boundary of the visible display region and the left and right boundaries being parallel to one another and inclined with respect to a side edge of the rectangular screen and the visible display region, the inclination being determined based on a hand configuration setting associated with a hand used to contact the detection region, the hand configuration setting being based on the user input regarding handedness preferences or a default hand configuration setting; and

wherein the visible display region is not identical to the detection region and comprises a non-detection region.

13. The touch panel device according to claim 12 , wherein the default hand configuration setting is a right hand configuration.

14. The touch panel device according to claim 12 , wherein the parallelogram shape of the detection region is set by changing a direction of inclination of at least one side edge.

15. The touch panel device according to claim 12 , wherein the left and right boundaries are inclined with respect to the side edge of the visible display region at an angle of about 45°.

16. The touch panel device according to claim 12 , wherein:

when the hand configuration setting is a right hand configuration, the detection region has a parallelogram shape that is inclined to the left side with respect to the side edge of the rectangular screen; and

when the hand configuration setting is a left hand configuration, the detection region has a parallelogram shape that is inclined to the right side with respect to the side edge of the rectangular screen.