Information processing apparatus

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a touch panel which displays pieces of identification information including letters, figures, and symbols and detects a contact of the panel with a finger of a user or other object. When the touch panel detects the contact of the panel, a detection unit specifies identification information of one or more of the multiple pieces of identification information displayed on the touch panel, indicated by a position at which the contact in question occurred. The detection unit also detects an area of part of the panel where the contact occurred. A storage unit stores reference identification information and a reference area range. A control unit performs particular processing upon matching of the detected identification information with the stored reference identification information and the area of the contact detected by the detection unit falling within the stored reference area range.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An information processing apparatus comprising:
 a touch panel which displaies displays a plurality of pieces of identification information and detecting a contact of the panel with an object of interest a finger of a user; 
 a storage unit which stores first information including reference identification information and a reference area range; 
 a detection unit, which detects second information necessary to identify the user when the touch panel detects a contact with the object finger of the user, which specifies wherein detecting the second information includes detecting (1) identification information indicated by a position at which the contact in question occurred, of the multiple pieces of identification information displayed on the panel, and which detects (2) an area of part contact where the contact occurred; 
 a control unit which controls the information processing apparatus to operate at least in an identification mode and a registering mode; and  
 a storage unit which stores reference identification information and a reference area range; 
 a determination unit which determines whether in the identification mode that the first information matches the second information when the identification information detected by the detection unit matches the reference identification information stored in the storage unit and whether when the area of the contact detected by the detection unit falls within the reference area range stored in the storage unit; and,  
 awherein the control unit which performs particular processing on condition the determination unit determines that the identification information detected by the detection unit matches the reference identification information stored in the storage unit and the area of the contact detected by the detection unit falls within the reference area range stored in the storage unit the first information matches the second information in the identification mode, 
 wherein the registering mode includes a first registering mode for inputting first input information corresponding to a first portion of the finger and a second registering mode for inputting second input information corresponding to a second portion of the finger, 
 wherein the reference identification information is generated and stored in the storage unit based on both the first input information and the second input information, the first portion corresponding to a pad of the finger, 
 wherein the determination unit determines in the identification mode that the first information matches the second information based on the first and second portions of the finger, and 
 wherein the controller is configured to associate a numeral password with the first information, and the storage unit is configured to store the association between the numeral password and the first information. 
 
     
     
       2. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the storage unit stores, when a predetermined condition is satisfied,the reference identification information and the reference area range stored in the storage unit are based on the identification information and the area of the contact detected by the detection unitas the reference identification information and the reference area range, respectively. 
 
     
     
       3. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein:
 the storage unit stores first identification information and a first area range and second identification information and a second area range as the reference identification information and the reference area ranges; and 
 the determination unit determines, on condition the identification information detected by the detection unit matches the first identification information stored in the storage unit and the area of the contact detected by the detection unit falls within the first area range stored in the storage unit, whether the identification information detected by the detection unit matches the second identification information stored in the storage unit and the area of the contact detected by the detecting unit falls within the second area range stored in the storing unit. 
 
     
     
       4. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein:
 the storage unit stores a threshold value; and 
 the reference area range stored in the storage unit is defined based on the threshold value. 
 
     
     
       5. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 the area of the contact detected by the detection unit is registered as the threshold value when a predetermined condition is satisfied. 
 
     
     
       6. An information processing apparatus comprising:
 a touch panel which displaies a plurality of pieces of identification information and detecting a contact of the panel with an object of interest;   a detection unit for, when the touch panel detects a contact of the panel with the object, which specifies identification information indicated by a position at which the contact in question occurred, of the multiple pieces of identification information displayed on the touch panel, and which detects an area of part where the contact occurred;   a storage unit whish stores a series of identification information and a series of area ranges, the series of area ranges each corresponding to the respective identification information; and   a control unit which performs particular processing on condition that a set of identification information detected by the detection unit matches the series of identification information stored in the storage unit and a series of contact areas detected by the detection unit each falls within the corresponding one of the series of area ranges stored in the storage unit.   
     
     
       7. The information processing apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein:
 the storage unit stores a first set of area ranges and a second set of area ranges as corresponding area ranges of the stored series of identification information; and   first processing is performed on condition that a set of identification information detected by the detecting unit matches the series of identification information stored in the storage unit and the areas of the contact detected by the detecting unit each falls within a corresponding one of the first set of area ranges stored in the storage unit, and second processing is performed on condition that a set of identification information detected by the detecting unit matches the series of identification information stored in the storing unit and the areas of the contact detected by the detecting unit each falls within a corresponding one of the second set of area ranges stored in the storage unit.