Patent ID: 7289645

Claim:
A hand pattern switch device comprising: image pickup means for picking up an image of a hand that is within a predetermined image pickup zone and recognizing a hand pattern therefrom and for detecting a hand motion from the picked-up image to obtain operation information for controlled objects; controlled object selecting means for selecting one of the controlled objects in accordance with at least one of the recognized hand pattern or a hand motion; and detection mode selecting means for selecting one of a plurality of prescribed detecting modes as a mode of detecting the operation information based on the hand motion in dependence with the controlled object selected by the controlled object selecting means; and instructed-operation recognizing section for controlling the controlled object selected by the controlled object selecting means based on the operation information detected with the detecting mode selected by the detection mode selecting means, wherein said plurality of prescribed detecting modes include: a moved distance detecting mode for detecting a moved distance of the hand in the image pickup zone, and a stop time detecting mode for detecting a period of stop time of the hand held at a stop position after the hand has been moved by a predetermined distance or more in the image pickup zone.