INPUT DEVICE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an input device which can be manufactured by space saving, easily recognizes an operation conducted by an operator himself/herself by using hands, fingers, etc., as physical distance information and position information and with which the operator can move a pointer on the screen at a long distance with a small number of operating times in the input device used as a pointing device for a personal computer, etc. SOLUTION: This input device used as the pointing device that generates a control signal for freely moving a pointer displayed on the screen, is provided with an input plate capable of horizontally moving a range up to a mechanical limit position in X and Y directions, a moving quantity detecting means for detecting the moving quantity of the input plate, an origin returning mechanism for returning the input plate to the original position, an operation discriminating means for discriminating whether or not the operator is touching the input plate, and a control signal generating means for generating the control signal corresponding to the moving quantity of the input plate from information obtained from the moving quantity detecting means.