Method and device for detecting touch input

Abstract

Provided is a touch input detection method that detects a contact or approach of a touch input means ( 90 ) such as a finger of a human body, an electric conductor or a touch pen on a touch panel ( 10 ) and produces an input signal. The touch input detection method includes the steps of: (a) detecting a first touch input; (b) calculating an area where the first touch input has been detected; (c) detecting a second touch input that occurs at a predetermined time interval after occurrence of the first touch input; (d) calculating an area where the second touch input has been detected; and (e) judging a change in the areas from the first touch input to the second touch input to thus produce a zooming signal. Accordingly, a zooming signal is produced according to a change in an area of a touch input, to thus implement a zoom gesture very simply, to also realize the zoom gesture with only one finger, and to thereby achieve a touch input operation compactly.

1 . A touch input detection device that detects a contact or approach of a touch input means ( 90 ) such as a finger of a human body, an electric conductor or a touch pen on a touch panel ( 10 ) and produces an input signal, the touch input detection device comprising:
 an area calculator ( 80 ) that calculates an area of a corresponding touch input region at a point in place where the touch input has been detected; and   a zooming signal generator ( 85 ) that judges a change in the area of the touch input that has been calculated in the area calculator ( 80 ) according to lapse of time,   wherein the touch panel ( 10 ) is installed in the upper portion of a display device.