Patent ID: 6894680

Claim:
A groping operation apparatus, comprising: a display device having a display screen; a touch panel, which is provided on the display screen, for outputting the positional information indicating a contact point on the touch panel that is touched by the operator; specifying means for specifying an action commanded by the operator touching the touch panel in accordance with the positional information; and control means for outputting a control signal in accordance with an output of said specifying means, wherein in that said specifying means detects said contact point moved from one end portion of said touch panel to another end portion, with the end portions located at four corner areas of said touch panel, on the basis of said positional information, and said action commanded by said operator is specified from a movement start end portion and a movement termination end portion of said detected contact point, so that the operator can specify the action without seeing the screen by using the movement between the two end portions.