Vehicular touch pad and vehicular input interface

A vehicular input interface for operating an image displayed on a display device disposed in a vehicle compartment, the vehicular input interface comprising:

• a touch pad including a design panel;
• and
• a display control device controlling the image displayed on the display device based on an input from the touch pad, wherein
• the touch pad further includes:
• a capacitive sensor panel disposed below the design panel and including at least two planes having different distances to the design panel;
• and
• an arithmetic device, according to an output from the capacitive sensor panel including the at least two planes, estimating a proximity degree between a manipulation body and the design panel, estimating a position of the manipulation body relative to the design panel, and determining whether the manipulation body touches the design panel,
• the arithmetic device estimates the proximity degree between the manipulation body and the design panel and a position of the manipulation body relative to one plane, which is one of the at least two planes included in the capacitive sensor panel and has a shorter linear distance to the design panel, based on an electric charge stored between the one plane and the manipulation body,
• the arithmetic device determines whether the manipulation body touches the design panel and estimates a position of the manipulation body relative to a different plane, which is another one of the at least two planes included in the capacitive sensor panel and has a longer linear distance to the design panel, based on an electric charge stored between the manipulation body and the different plane, and
• the display control device operates the image displayed on the display device based on the proximity degree of the manipulation body relative to the design panel and a determination result of whether the manipulation body touches the design panel.