Input apparatus, input method and computer-executable program

1. A method, comprising:

capturing, using a camera, an image of a movable object, separate from an information handling device;

thereafter, based upon detecting a hand of the user contacting the movable object, capturing, using the camera, movement of the hand of the user with respect to the movable object;

detecting, while the hand of the user is in contact with the movable object, a gesture of the hand of the user with respect to the movable object that emulates an input operation of a pointing device; and

controlling an application running on the information handling device based on the gesture.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting further comprises detecting, in a plane, hand contact and movable object motion.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising registering a particular movable object for future identification.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the registering comprises assigning attributes to at least one particular feature of the movable object.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said controlling an application comprises moving an on-screen indicator.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said controlling an application comprises performing an action associated with a mouse button click.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said gesture is selected from the group consisting of a single finger click gesture, a multiple finger click gesture, a right finger click gesture, a left finger click gesture, and a scrolling finger flick gesture.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the camera comprises a three dimensional camera.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising additionally detecting that gesture input comprises the user gesture not in contact with the movable object and thereafter controlling of the application ceases.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a camera;

a processor operatively coupled to the camera; and

a memory having instructions that are stored and executed by the processor to:

capture, using the camera, an image of a movable object, separate from the apparatus;

thereafter, based upon detecting a hand of the user contacting the movable object, capture, using the camera, movement of the hand of the user with respect to the movable object;

detect, while the hand of the user is in contact with the movable object, a gesture of the hand of the user with respect to the movable object that emulates an input operation of a pointing device; and

control an application running on the information handling device based on the gesture.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein to detect further comprises detecting, in a plane, hand contact and movable object motion.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the instructions are executed to register a particular movable object for future identification.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein to register comprises assigning attributes to at least one particular feature of the movable object.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein to control an application comprises moving an on-screen indicator.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein to control an application comprises performing an action associated with a mouse button click.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said gesture is selected from the group consisting of a single finger click gesture, a multiple finger click gesture, a right finger click gesture, a left finger click gesture, and a scrolling finger flick gesture.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the camera comprises a three dimensional camera.

18. An input apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having instructions that executed by the processor to:

accept, from a camera, an image of a movable object, separate from an information handling device;

thereafter, based upon detecting a hand of the user contacting the movable object, accept movement of the hand of the user with respect to the movable object;

detect, while the hand of the user is in contact with the movable object, a gesture of the hand of the user with respect to the movable object that emulates an input operation of a pointing device; and

control an application running on the information handling device based on the gesture.