Information processing apparatus and information processing method

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a display device;

pointed position detecting means for detecting a specified position by a touch operation of a pointing device on a screen of the display device;

sensor means for detecting a position of the pointing device when the pointing device is not in contact with the screen of the display device; and

control means for recognizing the touch operation detected by the pointed position detecting means and controlling the information processing apparatus in accordance with the recognized touch operation and the position of the pointing device detected by the sensor means,

wherein the sensor means includes at least four sensor means each disposed at a position corresponding to a different quadrant or corner of the screen and each of the at least four sensor means is inclined at a non-zero angle with respect to the screen, and

the sensor means recognizes a direction of movement of the pointing device when the pointing device is not in contact with the screen which includes at least recognizing a circular movement of the pointing device along a plane that is parallel with respect to the screen when the pointing device is not in contact with the screen.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor means measures a distance between the screen and the pointing device.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pointed position detecting means detects a multi-touch operation by a plurality of pointing devices which contact the screen at multiple locations.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the sensor means detects a position of the pointing devices when they are not in contact with the screen after the pointed position detecting means detects the multi-touch operation by the plurality of pointing devices on the screen and a pinched-in gesture by the plurality of pointing devices towards an object displayed on the screen.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the object displayed on the screen is enlarged when the sensor means detects that the pointing devices have moved away from contacting the screen following the pinched-in gesture.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the object is returned back to its original size when the pointed position detecting means detects a touch operation on the screen after the object has been enlarged.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor means recognizes a movement of the pointing device in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction with respect to the screen when the pointing device is not in contact with the screen.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pointed position detecting means detects that an object displayed on the screen is selected according to a touch operation on the screen.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the touch operation to select the object is a double-tap operation on the object by the pointing device.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the touch operation to select the object is a circular motion around the object by the pointing device.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pointing device is a finger of a user.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the information processing apparatus is configured to receive an input of a selection of an item which has a varying output level on the information processing apparatus, and following the selection of the item, when the sensor means recognizes the circular movement of the pointing device along a plane that is parallel with respect to the screen when the pointing device is not in contact with the screen, the information processing apparatus is configured to change the output level of the selected item in accordance with the circular movement.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the information processing apparatus is configured to change the output level of the selected item in accordance with a direction of the circular movement in one of the clockwise and counterclockwise direction.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the item is one of brightness of the display device, sound volume, and tone.

15. An information processing method, implemented on an information processing apparatus having a display device, comprising:

detecting a specified position by a touch operation of a pointing device on a screen of the display device;

detecting, with a sensor unit, a position of the pointing device when the pointing device is not in contact with the screen of the display device; and

recognizing the touch operation and controlling the information processing apparatus in accordance with the recognized touch operation and the position of the pointing device detected by the sensor unit,

wherein the sensor unit includes at least four sensors each disposed at a position corresponding to a different quadrant or corner of the screen and each of the at least four sensor means is inclined at a non-zero angle with respect to the screen,

the method further including recognizing, with the sensor unit, a direction of movement of the pointing device when the pointing device is not in contact with the screen which includes at least recognizing a circular movement of the pointing device along a plane that is parallel with respect to the screen when the pointing device is not in contact with the screen.

16. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a display device;

a pointed position detecting unit configured to detect a specified position by a touch operation of a pointing device on a screen of the display device;

a sensor unit configured to detect a position of the pointing device when the pointing device is not in contact with the screen of the display device; and

a control unit configured to recognize the touch operation detected by the pointed position detecting unit and control the information processing apparatus in accordance with the recognized touch operation and the position of the pointing device detected by the sensor unit,

wherein the sensor unit includes at least four sensors each disposed at a position corresponding to a different quadrant or corner of the screen and each of the at least four sensor means is inclined at a non-zero angle with respect to the screen, and

the sensor unit recognizes a direction of movement of the pointing device when the pointing device is not in contact with the screen which includes at least recognizing a circular movement of the pointing device along a plane that is parallel with respect to the screen when the pointing device is not in contact with the screen.