Apparatus and method for controlling an interface based on bending

A method of controlling an apparatus that includes a touch panel display having one or more sensors to detect an input operation on the touch panel display, the input operation corresponding to a combination of one or more of a bending operation whereby the touch panel display is bent so as to generate a substantially parallel stripe pattern and a touch operation whereby an instruction object contacts a surface of the touch panel display so as to generate a substantially rounded stripe pattern, the substantially parallel stripe pattern and the substantially rounded stripe pattern formed at spaced apart locations on the touch panel display, the method comprising:

• detecting, by circuitry in response to detecting the bending operation, a presence of the stripe pattern based on sensor values output by the one or more sensors when the bending operation is detected;
• determining, by the circuitry when the stripe pattern is detected, one or more features of the stripe pattern;
• determining, by the circuitry based on the one or more features of the stripe pattern, whether the one or more features of the detected stripe pattern match one or more features of a predetermined pattern stored in a memory;
• and
• executing, by the circuitry when the one or more features of the detected stripe pattern match the one or more features of the predetermined pattern, a predetermined function or process corresponding to the predetermined pattern,
• wherein when the circuitry detects the touch operation and the bending operation concurrently, the circuitry determines one or more features of the touch operation and determines, based on a combination of the one or more detected stripe pattern features and the one or more features of the touch operation, whether the combination matches a predetermined combination stored in the memory,
• wherein the apparatus includes a motion sensor that outputs a motion signal to the circuitry in response to detecting a movement of the apparatus, and
• when the circuitry detects the stripe pattern and the movement concurrently, the circuitry determines one or more features of the movement and determines, based on a combination of the one or more detected stripe pattern features and the one or more features of the movement, whether the combination matches a predetermined combination stored in the memory.