WE CLAIM:
1. An operation input device comprising:
a touch point detecting unit for detecting a touch point on a touch panel; and an operation determination unit for determining an operation of one or a plurality of operation devices arranged on the touch panel on a basis of a distance between touch points specified from information on touch points detected by the touch point detecting unit and a positional relationship of three or more touch points, and determining an operation corresponding to a touch point that is determined not to depend on the operation device as a touch operation on the touch panel.
2. The operation input device according to claim 1,
wherein the touch point detecting unit detects each of a plurality of conductor columnar supports provided in the operation device as a touch point,
the operation determination unit retrieve, from among shapes with touch points as vertices, a shape in which a distance and a positional relationship between the touch points are within an allowable range of a distance and a positional relationship between the conductor columnar supports that allows the operation device to include, and determines an operation corresponding to the touch points as vertices of the retrieved shape as an operation of the operation device.
3. The operation input device according to claim 2,
wherein when a same or similar shape is retrieved, the operation determination unit repeats a retrieving process of the shape until a difference is recognized between the same or similar shapes.
42

4. The operation input device according to claim 2,
wherein when a plurality of touch points is detected around a previously retrieved shape, the operation determination unit determines an operation corresponding to the detected touch points as an operation of the operation device corresponding to the previously retrieved shape.
5. The operation input device according to claim 1,
wherein the operation determination unit determines whether the touch point is a touch point by the operation device or a touch point by the touch operation on a basis of at least one of an electrostatic capacitance detected at the touch point, a contact state of a touched object at the touch point, and a change in position coordinates of the touch point.
6. The operation input device according to claim 2,
wherein the operation determination unit does not retrieve a same or similar shape.
7. The operation input device according to claim 2,
wherein the operation determination unit retrieves a shape in the allowable range selected on a basis of a priority order given to a shape with conductor columnar supports of the operation device as vertices from among shapes with touch points as vertices.
8. An information processing system comprising:
one or a plurality of operation devices;
43

a touch panel on which one or the plurality of operation devices is arranged;
an operation input device including a touch point detecting unit for detecting a touch point on the touch panel, and an operation determination unit for determining an operation of one or the plurality of operation devices on a basis of a distance between touch points specified from information on touch points detected by the touch point detecting unit and a positional relationship of three or more touch points, and determining an operation corresponding to a touch point that is determined not to depend on the operation device as a touch operation on the touch panel;
a process determination unit for determining a process corresponding to the operation determined by the operation determination unit; and
a process execution unit for executing the process determined by the process determination unit.
9. An operation determination method comprising:
detecting, by a touch point detecting unit, a touch point on a touch panel; and determining, by an operation determination unit, an operation of one or a plurality of operation devices arranged on the touch panel on a basis of a distance between touch points specified from information on touch points detected by the touch point detecting unit and a positional relationship of three or more touch points, and determining an operation corresponding to a touch point that is determined not to depend on the operation device as a touch operation on the touch panel.
44