Information processing device, operation input method and operation input program

1. An information processing device comprising:

a contact detection unit configured to detect a contact operation input to an operation surface from among a plurality of available contact operation inputs;

an approach detection unit configured to detect an approach operation input to the operation surface from among a plurality of available approach operation inputs; and

a control unit configured to (i) recognize the detected approach operation input as a respective operation input and to issue a respective command corresponding thereto and (ii) recognize the detected approach operation input and the detected contact operation input as a related operation input when the detected contact operation input is detected within a predetermined time after detection of the approach operation input and to issue a combination command corresponding thereto to cause an operation to be executed which is different from that of the detected contact operation input or the detected approach operation input,

in which the predetermined time is approximately one second such that when the detected contact operation input is detected within the approximately one second after detection of the approach operation input the control unit is configured to issue the combination command to cause the operation corresponding thereto to be executed which is different from that of the detected contact operation input or the detected approach operation input and when the detected contact operation input is detected after the approximately one second after detection of the approach operation input the control unit is configured to issue a command to cause the operation corresponding to that of the detected approach operation input to be executed.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1 , in which the plurality of available contact operation inputs includes one or more of a contact pinch-in input or a contact pinch-out input and the plurality of available approach operation inputs includes one or more of an approach pinch-in input, an approach pinch-out input, or an approach shuffle input.

3. An operation input method for use by an information processing device, said method comprising:

detecting a contact operation input to an operation surface of a touch panel from among a plurality of available contact operation inputs;

detecting an approach operation input to the operation surface of the touch panel from among a plurality of available approach operation inputs;

recognizing the detected approach operation input as a respective operation input and issuing a respective command corresponding thereto; and

recognizing the detected approach operation input and the detected contact operation input as a related operation input when the detected contact operation input is detected within a predetermined time after detection of the approach operation input and issuing a combination command corresponding thereto to cause an operation to be executed which is different from that of the detected contact operation input or the detected approach operation input,

in which the predetermined time is approximately one second such that when the detected contact operation input is detected within the approximately one second after detection of the approach operation input the combination command is issued to cause the operation corresponding thereto to be executed which is different from that of the detected contact operation input or the detected approach operation input and when the detected contact operation input is detected after the approximately one second after detection of the approach operation input a command is issued to cause the operation corresponding to that of the detected approach operation input to be executed.

4. The operation input method according to claim 3 , in which the plurality of available contact operation inputs includes one or more of a contact pinch-in input or a contact pinch-out input and the plurality of available approach operation inputs includes one or more of an approach pinch-in input, an approach pinch-out input, or an approach shuffle input.

5. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon an operation input program to enable an information processing device to perform an operation input method, said method comprising:

detecting a contact operation input to an operation surface from among a plurality of available contact operation inputs;

detecting an approach operation input to the operation surface from among a plurality of available approach operation inputs;

recognizing the detected approach operation input as a respective operation input and issuing a respective command corresponding thereto; and

recognizing the detected approach operation input and the detected contact operation input as a related operation input when the detected contact operation input is detected within a predetermined time after detection of the approach operation input and issuing a combination command corresponding thereto to cause an operation to be executed which is different from that of the detected contact operation input or the detected approach operation input,

in which the predetermined time is approximately one second such that when the detected contact operation input is detected within the approximately one second after detection of the approach operation input the combination command is issued to cause the operation corresponding thereto to be executed which is different from that of the detected contact operation input or the detected approach operation input and when the detected contact operation input is detected after the approximately one second after detection of the approach operation input a command is issued to cause the operation corresponding to that of the detected approach operation input to be executed.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 5 , in which the plurality of available contact operation inputs includes one or more of a contact pinch-in input or a contact pinch-out input and the plurality of available approach operation inputs includes one or more of an approach pinch-in input, an approach pinch-out input, or an approach shuffle input.

7. An information processing device comprising:

a contact detection unit configured to detect a contact operation input to an operation surface from among a plurality of available contact operation inputs;

an approach detection unit configured to detect an approach operation input to the operation surface from among a plurality of available approach operation inputs; and

a control unit configured to (i) recognize the detected approach operation input as a respective operation input and to issue a respective command corresponding thereto and (ii) recognize the detected approach operation input and the detected contact operation input as a related operation input when the detected contact operation input is detected within a predetermined time after detection of the approach operation input and to issue a combination command corresponding thereto to cause an operation to be executed which is different from that of the detected contact operation input or the detected approach operation input,

in which the plurality of available contact operation inputs includes one or more of a contact pinch-in input or a contact pinch-out input and the plurality of available approach operation inputs includes one or more of an approach pinch-in input, an approach pinch-out input, or an approach shuffle input,

in which when the approach shuffle is detected within the predetermined time after detecting the contact pinch-in input or a contact pinch-out input, the combination command causes a display scaling factor of an image to return to a previous value, and

in which when the approach shuffle is detected after the predetermined time has elapsed after detecting the contact pinch-in input or a contact pinch-out input, the approach shuffle is considered to be independent of the detected contact pinch-in input or contact pinch-out input such that a previous image is displayed instead of a current image.

8. An operation input method comprising:

detecting a contact operation input to an operation surface of a touch panel from among a plurality of available contact operation inputs;

detecting an approach operation input to the operation surface of the touch panel from among a plurality of available approach operation inputs;

recognizing the detected approach operation input as a respective operation input and issuing a respective command corresponding thereto; and

recognizing the detected approach operation input and the detected contact operation input as a related operation input when the detected contact operation input is detected within a predetermined time after detection of the approach operation input and issuing a combination command corresponding thereto to cause an operation to be executed which is different from that of the detected contact operation input or the detected approach operation input,

in which the plurality of available contact operation inputs includes one or more of a contact pinch-in input or a contact pinch-out input and the plurality of available approach operation inputs includes one or more of an approach pinch-in input, an approach pinch-out input, or an approach shuffle input,

in which when the approach shuffle is detected within the predetermined time after detecting the contact pinch-in input or a contact pinch-out input, the combination command causes a display scaling factor of an image to return to a previous value, and

in which when the approach shuffle is detected after the predetermined time has elapsed after detecting the contact pinch-in input or a contact pinch-out input, the approach shuffle is considered to be independent of the detected contact pinch-in input or contact pinch-out input such that a previous image is displayed instead of a current image.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon an operation input program to enable an information processing device to perform an operation input method, said method comprising:

detecting a contact operation input to an operation surface from among a plurality of available contact operation inputs;

detecting an approach operation input to the operation surface from among a plurality of available approach operation inputs;

recognizing the detected approach operation input as a respective operation input and issuing a respective command corresponding thereto; and

recognizing the detected approach operation input and the detected contact operation input as a related operation input when the detected contact operation input is detected within a predetermined time after detection of the approach operation input and issuing a combination command corresponding thereto to cause an operation to be executed which is different from that of the detected contact operation input or the detected approach operation input,

in which the plurality of available contact operation inputs includes one or more of a contact pinch-in input or a contact pinch-out input and the plurality of available approach operation inputs includes one or more of an approach pinch-in input, an approach pinch-out input, or an approach shuffle input,

in which when the approach shuffle is detected within the predetermined time after detecting the contact pinch-in input or a contact pinch-out input, the combination command causes a display scaling factor of an image to return to a previous value, and

in which when the approach shuffle is detected after the predetermined time has elapsed after detecting the contact pinch-in input or a contact pinch-out input, the approach shuffle is considered to be independent of the detected contact pinch-in input or contact pinch-out input such that a previous image is displayed instead of a current image.