JP2018060561A - Display device and display method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a display device and a display method capable of displaying a display area according to intention of a user.SOLUTION: A display device includes: a storage part that stores a plurality of different disposing patterns for displaying display areas which are disposed at an arbitrary position on the display plane and for disposing a plurality of display areas on the display plane without overlapping with each other; a selection reception section that receives an operation for selecting one dispose pattern from the plurality of disposing patterns stored in the storage part; and a display control section that disposes and displays the plurality of display areas which are displayed at arbitrary positions of the display plane according to a disposing pattern selected by the selection reception section.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a display device and a display method for displaying a display area arranged at an arbitrary position on a display surface.

  In information processing apparatuses such as personal computers and tablet terminals in recent years, a plurality of windows (also referred to as display areas) are simultaneously displayed for each application on a display surface so that a plurality of application programs can be simultaneously executed. On the other hand, when a plurality of windows are displayed on the display surface at the same time, if the windows are displayed in an overlapping manner, the user needs to perform an operation to display the required window in the front row with a mouse or the like. It is cumbersome for me.

  In view of this, a window display control method is disclosed in which windows displayed on a display surface can be rearranged according to a predetermined alignment pattern (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2007-323343 A

  However, the window display control method as in Patent Document 1 is based on the premise that the number of windows to be aligned and the number of aligned windows are the same. When the number of windows increases, there is a problem that the size of the aligned windows becomes small and it becomes difficult to recognize images in the windows. In particular, when a large number of windows can be displayed on the display surface with high resolution of the display surface, such a problem becomes remarkable.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a display device and a display method capable of displaying a display area as intended by a user.

A display device according to the present invention includes:
A display device for displaying a display area arranged at an arbitrary position on a display surface,
A storage unit for storing a plurality of different arrangement patterns for arranging on a display surface without superimposing a plurality of display areas;
A selection receiving unit that receives an operation of selecting one arrangement pattern from a plurality of arrangement patterns stored in the storage unit;
A display control unit configured to arrange and display a plurality of display areas displayed at arbitrary positions on the display surface according to the arrangement pattern selected by the selection receiving unit;
A display unit that displays a reception unit that accepts an alignment operation;
With
The selection receiving unit
When an alignment operation is received by the reception unit, an operation for selecting one arrangement pattern from a plurality of arrangement patterns read and displayed from the storage unit is received.

  In the display device according to the present invention, the display unit displays the reception unit in at least one of the plurality of display areas.

  In the display device according to the present invention, the display unit displays the reception unit at a position near an edge of the display region.

  In the display device according to the present invention, the display unit displays the reception unit at a position of a title bar in the display area.

  The display device according to the present invention is characterized in that the display unit displays the reception unit in a display region located in the forefront among the plurality of display regions.

  The display device according to the present invention is characterized in that the display unit displays the reception unit in a display region where the user has last operated among the plurality of display regions.

A display device according to the present invention includes:
The display control unit
When an operation for selecting the one arrangement pattern is received, the plurality of display areas are arranged and displayed in a predetermined order according to the arrangement order of the selected arrangement pattern.

A display device according to the present invention includes:
The storage unit
An arrangement order of display areas of each of the plurality of arrangement patterns is stored,
The display control unit
When a plurality of display areas are superimposed on a plurality of layers on the display surface, the display areas are arranged and displayed in order from the upper layer of the plurality of display areas according to the arrangement order of the selected arrangement pattern. It is characterized by being.

A display device according to the present invention includes:
A specifying unit for specifying the order in which the plurality of display areas displayed on the display surface are operated;
The display control unit
According to the arrangement order of the selected arrangement pattern, the plurality of display areas are arranged and displayed in the order operated in the immediate vicinity.

  When the display device according to the present invention arranges and displays a plurality of display areas displayed on the display surface in accordance with a selected arrangement pattern, the reduced image displays a reduced image of each of the plurality of display areas. A display unit is provided.

A display device according to the present invention includes:
The display control unit
A part or all of the plurality of display areas displayed on the display surface is arranged and displayed according to the selected arrangement pattern,
The reduced image display unit includes:
When a part of the plurality of display areas is arranged and displayed according to the arrangement pattern, a reduced image of the display area not displayed according to the arrangement pattern is displayed. .

A display device according to the present invention includes:
The reduced image display unit includes:
Of the reduced images of the plurality of display areas, the reduced image of the display area arranged and displayed according to the selected arrangement pattern is different from the reduced image of the display area not displayed according to the arrangement pattern. It is characterized by being displayed in a manner.

A display device according to the present invention includes:
A movement receiving unit that receives an operation of moving a reduced image of a display area that is not displayed according to the selected arrangement pattern to a display area that is displayed according to the arrangement pattern;
The display control unit
When the operation is accepted by the movement accepting unit, the display area of the movement destination is replaced with a display area corresponding to the moved reduced image and displayed.

  The display device according to the present invention includes an operation panel that receives an input of a touch operation on the display surface.

The display method according to the present invention includes:
A display method for displaying a display area arranged at an arbitrary position on a display surface,
A plurality of different arrangement patterns for arranging on the display surface without overlapping a plurality of display areas are stored in the storage unit,
A step of accepting an operation of selecting one arrangement pattern from a plurality of arrangement patterns stored in the storage unit;
A step of arranging and displaying a plurality of display areas displayed at arbitrary positions on the display surface according to a selected arrangement pattern; and
A step in which a display unit displays a reception unit that accepts an alignment operation;
A step of accepting an operation of selecting one arrangement pattern from a plurality of arrangement patterns read and displayed from the storage unit when an accepting operation is accepted by the accepting unit;
It is characterized by including.

  According to the present invention, the display area can be displayed as intended by the user.

3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of an appearance of a display device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of the display apparatus of this Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the some display area displayed on the arbitrary positions of a display surface. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of a window list. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the selection menu of an arrangement | positioning pattern. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of an alignment pattern. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the window list updated when arranging and displaying a window. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the window displayed in alignment. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of operation which replaces the window displayed by aligning and operating a thumbnail. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the state which replaced the window displayed in alignment by operation of a thumbnail. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the window by which the arrangement display was performed after replacement | exchange operation. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of operation which replaces the window made to arrange and display by operating the window displayed by arrangement. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the window by which the arrangement display was performed when replacement | exchange was performed by operation of a window. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the some window displayed on the arbitrary positions of the display surface in the case of a multi-monitor. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the window list in the case of a multi-monitor. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the selection menu of the alignment pattern in the case of a multi-monitor. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the window list updated when arranging and displaying the window in the case of a multi-monitor. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the window displayed in alignment in the case of a multi-monitor. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of operation which operates the thumbnail in the case of a multi-monitor, and replaces the windows displayed in alignment. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the state which replaced the window displayed in alignment by operation of the thumbnail in the case of a multi-monitor. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the window displayed by arrangement after the exchange operation in the case of a multi-monitor. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of operation which operates the window displayed by arrangement in the case of a multi-monitor, and replaces the window to arrange and display. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the window displayed by arrangement | sequence when replacement | exchange is performed by operation of the window in the case of a multi-monitor. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process sequence of the window alignment display by the display apparatus of this Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process sequence of the window alignment display by the display apparatus of this Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process sequence of the window alignment display by the display apparatus of this Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process sequence of the window alignment display by the display apparatus of this Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the procedure of the arrangement | positioning process of the alignment button by the display apparatus of this Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the procedure of the arrangement | positioning process of the window by the alignment pattern in the case of the single monitor by the display apparatus of this Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the procedure of the arrangement | positioning process of the window by drag / drop by the display apparatus of this Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the procedure of the arrangement | positioning process of the window by the alignment pattern in the case of the multi monitor by the display apparatus of this Embodiment. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of an appearance of a display device according to Embodiment 2. FIG.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings illustrating embodiments. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the appearance of the display device 100 according to Embodiment 1, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the display device 100 according to this embodiment. The display device 100 includes a display unit 14 having a display surface, a case 20 that houses the display unit 14, and the like. The display device 100 may be a tablet device, a notebook personal computer, a mobile phone such as a smartphone, or a display device or an information processing device including a large display surface that can share information in a conference room or a classroom. Good.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the display device 100 includes a CPU, a memory, and the like, and controls the entire device, the touch detection unit 11, the display control unit 12, the storage unit 13, the display unit 14, and the thumbnail display unit 15. The communication unit 16 is provided.

  The display unit 14 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, an EL (Electro Luminescence) display, or the like, and can display an image on the display surface.

  The touch detection unit 11 includes a capacitive touch panel, a resistive touch panel, and the like. The touch detection unit 11 has a function as an operation panel and accepts an input of a touch operation on the display surface of the display unit 14. When the user performs a touch operation on the display surface of the display unit 14 with a pen or a finger, the touch detection unit 11 is information that indicates a position on the display surface where the touch operation is performed, that is, pressed by the touch operation. Position information (for example, when the display surface is represented by xy coordinates, coordinate data such as the x coordinate and y coordinate of the touched part) is acquired.

  In addition, when two or more separated locations are pressed, the touch detection unit 11 can also acquire position information of each location, and so-called multi-touch operation is possible. Note that the touch detection unit 11 can also detect a flick operation. The touch detection unit 11 outputs the acquired position information to the control unit 10. By operating the display surface with a pen or a finger, the windows (display areas) can be easily aligned and displayed as will be described later.

  The storage unit 13 includes a volatile memory such as DDR and SDRAM (Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory), a nonvolatile memory such as a flash ROM (Read Only Memory), an EEPROM (registered trademark), and an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). Consists of. The storage unit 13 includes predetermined information such as a window list and an arrangement pattern (also referred to as an alignment pattern) described later, a program for controlling the display device 100, and a display area (also referred to as a window) displayed on the display surface of the display unit 14. ), A thumbnail (also referred to as a reduced image), which will be described later, and the like are stored.

  The display control unit 12 and the touch detection unit 11 have a function as a selection receiving unit. The display control unit 12 and the touch detection unit 11 accept an operation of selecting one arrangement pattern from the plurality of arrangement patterns stored in the storage unit 13.

  The display control unit 12 arranges and displays a plurality of display areas displayed at arbitrary positions on the display surface of the display unit 14 according to the selected arrangement pattern.

  The communication unit 16 has a wired or wireless communication function, and transmits and receives information necessary for displaying a display area on a display unit (not shown) provided in another display device or information processing device. In this embodiment, there are two modes: a single monitor having only one display unit (display surface) and a multi-monitor having a plurality of (for example, two) display units (display surfaces). First, the operation of the display device 100 will be described for a single monitor.

(First embodiment)
In the first embodiment, a description will be given of the case where the display is arranged according to the layer of the window displayed in an overlapping manner.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a plurality of windows displayed at arbitrary positions on the display surface. A window is synonymous with a display area. In the example of FIG. 3, four windows of window A, window B, window C, and window D are superimposed and displayed on the display surface. In the example of FIG. 3, the window A is the lowest layer (also referred to as a hierarchy) and is located on the last surface. Further, the window D is the highest layer and is located at the forefront. One window is in a position covering another window, and a part or all of the window other than the frontmost window is hidden by another window. The number of windows is not limited to the example of FIG. Each window is displayed so as to overlap with other windows, but can be displayed at positions separated from each other.

  When the window A is displayed on the display surface, the display control unit 12 displays an arrangement button at a predetermined position on the title bar of the window A, for example. Next, when window B is displayed, the alignment button of window A is moved to the title bar of window B and arranged. In the example of FIG. 3, since the window D is displayed last, the alignment button 50 is arranged in the window D.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the window list 70. A window list 70 illustrated in FIG. 4 corresponds to the example of FIG. When a window is displayed on the display surface, the display control unit 12 generates a window list 70 for the window. The window list 70 has an arrangement order, windows, window coordinates, thumbnail windows, and the like. The arrangement order represents the layers of the window, and indicates that the order is from the upper layer to the lower layer as the arrangement order becomes 1, 2, 3, 4. The coordinates of the window can be specified by, for example, the upper left coordinates and the lower right coordinates of the window. The window thumbnail indicates that the thumbnail of the window has been generated, that is, the presence or absence of the thumbnail.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an alignment pattern selection menu 51. The alignment pattern is synonymous with the arrangement pattern and is referred to as an alignment pattern in the following description. When the user operates the alignment button (for example, touch operation), the display control unit 12 displays a selection menu 51 corresponding to a plurality of preset alignment patterns.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the alignment pattern. The alignment pattern is a pattern for arranging a plurality of windows on the display surface without overlapping. Arranging without overlapping means aligning the windows without overlapping, and overlapping a part of the boundary of the window as long as the visibility of the image in the window is not impaired. It also includes aligning. In the alignment pattern, the number of windows to be aligned and the arrangement of the windows can be determined in advance according to the size of the display surface, the resolution, and the like.

  In the example of FIG. 5, as the arrangement of the windows, patterns such as “align left and right”, “align vertically”, “align left 1 right 2”, “align left 2 right 1”, etc. are illustrated. The numbers shown in each window indicate the arrangement order when the windows are arranged and displayed. For example, when the number of windows arranged in the alignment pattern is 3, the arrangement order is 1, 2, and 3.

  In the following description, it is assumed that the alignment pattern “align left 1 right 2” is selected from the alignment patterns shown in FIG. That is, when the user touches a required alignment pattern on the selection menu 51 displayed by the display control unit 12, the touch detection unit 11 detects the touched position and identifies which alignment pattern has been selected. be able to. Then, the display control unit 12 arranges and displays (aligned display) windows that are being displayed (see FIG. 3) according to the selected alignment pattern.

  FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the window list 70 that is updated when the windows are arranged and displayed. When the alignment pattern is selected, a window to be aligned on the monitor is specified. In the example of FIG. 7, since the alignment pattern for aligning three windows “align left 1 right 2” is selected, windows D, C, and B are aligned and displayed from 1 to 3 in the arrangement order. In this case, there are three windows D, C, and B that are displayed in alignment by the alignment pattern, and the window A that is being displayed before the alignment is not displayed in alignment. As will be described later, the window A is covered with the windows D, C, and B displayed in an aligned manner and cannot be visually recognized.

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of windows that are arranged and displayed. As shown in FIG. 8, in accordance with the alignment pattern “align left 1 right 2” and the arrangement order of the alignment pattern, the window D of the arrangement order 1 is arranged at the position of the left 1 of the arrangement order 1, and the arrangement order 2 The window C in the arrangement order 2 is arranged at the upper position on the right 2 in the arrangement order 2, and the window B in the arrangement order 3 is arranged in the lower position on the right 2 in the arrangement order 3. Since the arrangement order of the windows A in the arrangement order 4 is three from 1 to 3, the arrangement patterns are arranged at the positions illustrated in FIG. It cannot be visually recognized.

  As described above, even if one window is in a position that covers another window and part or all of the window other than the frontmost window is hidden by another window, it is selected. Since the windows are arranged and displayed according to the arranged patterns, the windows can be arranged and displayed as intended by the user without overlapping the windows.

  In addition, when a plurality of windows are superimposed on a display surface and displayed on the display surface, the display control unit 12 arranges and displays in order from the upper layer of the plurality of windows according to the arrangement order of the selected alignment pattern. To do. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, assuming that four windows A, B, C, and D are displayed on the display surface, the windows D, C, B, and A are arranged in the lower layer in order from the upper layer. And When the arrangement order of the selected alignment pattern is 1, 2, 3, the display control unit 12 arranges the window D at the position where the arrangement order is 1, and arranges the window C at the position where the arrangement order is 2. Arrange the window B at the position where the arrangement order is 3. As a result, the upper layer windows are arranged and displayed without overlapping, so that the list is excellent and the operation is easy.

(Second embodiment)
In the second embodiment, an explanation will be given of a case where the display is arranged in accordance with the order used most recently in the overlapping window.

  That is, the control unit 10 has a function as a specifying unit, and specifies the order in which a plurality of windows displayed on the display surface are operated. For example, assuming that four windows A, B, C, and D are displayed on the display surface, the user performs a required operation on the window A (for example, an operation of opening a window, an operation of a button or an icon in the window, etc.). Next, the user performs a required operation on the window B, then the user performs a required operation on the window C, and finally the user performs a required operation on the window D. Suppose that In this case, the operation (use) order is 1, 2, 3, 4 in the order of windows A, B, C, and D.

  When a plurality of windows are displayed without being overlapped, the display control unit 12 arranges and displays them in the order in which they are operated most recently according to the arrangement order of the selected arrangement pattern. For example, when windows B and C are displayed, the most recently operated window C is arranged first, and then window B is arranged. As a result, the windows that have been operated most recently are arranged without overlapping, so that the list is excellent and the operation is easy.

  Note that when a plurality of windows are separated from each other and displayed without being superimposed, they may be arranged in the order of the windows that have been operated (used) most recently. As a result, the windows that have been operated most recently are arranged and displayed, so that the listability is excellent and the operation becomes easy.

(Third embodiment)
In the third embodiment, a case where thumbnails are displayed will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 8, thumbnails (reduced images) 60A, 60B, 60C, and 60D are displayed in a horizontal row, respectively, for windows A, B, C, and D. The display of thumbnails is not limited to a horizontal example, and may be displayed as a vertical example, or may be displayed in a plurality of columns in a matrix.

  The thumbnail display unit 15 has a function as a reduced image display unit, and displays a plurality of windows (see FIG. 3) displayed on the display screen in an aligned manner according to the selected alignment pattern. As shown in FIG. 8, the thumbnails of each of the plurality of windows are displayed. Even when the number of the plurality of windows displayed on the display surface is large, a plurality of windows can be listed together by displaying the reduced thumbnails, and thus visibility is excellent.

  In particular, when many applications are started in order and many windows are displayed on the display surface, the windows are arranged and displayed when all the windows are arranged and displayed. The size (size) of the window is reduced, the visibility is inferior, and the convenience for the user is lacking.

  In the present embodiment, even when the windows are arranged and displayed, the number of windows to be arranged and displayed in advance is determined as an arrangement order so that the size of each window does not become invisible. Even when many windows are displayed in a superimposed state, windows that the user wants to use can be preferentially displayed by simply selecting a desired alignment pattern, improving operability and convenience. Can do.

  In the example of FIGS. 3 and 8, assuming that the number of windows displayed in a superimposed state is N (for example, N = 4) and the number of windows displayed in an aligned manner is M (M = 3, M <N). , (N−M) windows are not arranged and displayed. However, when many windows are displayed in a superimposed state, even if there are windows that are not aligned, thumbnails of the windows are displayed, so it is possible to determine which windows are not aligned. be able to. In other words, by displaying thumbnails of windows that are not displayed according to the alignment pattern, when windows are aligned according to the selected alignment pattern, windows that are hidden without being aligned can be easily recognized. Yes, it has excellent listability.

  In addition, the thumbnail display unit 15 displays different thumbnails of the windows that are arranged and displayed according to the selected arrangement pattern and the thumbnails of the windows that are not arranged and displayed according to the arrangement pattern, among the thumbnails of the plurality of windows. Display in a manner. For example, among thumbnails, thumbnails of windows that are arranged and displayed are highlighted (emphasized), and thumbnails of windows that are not arranged and displayed (that is, windows that are completely hidden) are particularly highlighted. Absent.

  In the example of FIG. 8, the thumbnails 60B, 60C, and 60D of the windows B, C, and D that are arranged and displayed are highlighted (in the example of FIG. 8, a pattern is added to the background of the thumbnails). On the other hand, the thumbnail 60A of the window A that is not arranged and displayed is not highlighted. As a result, it is possible to easily distinguish between windows that are displayed in alignment and windows that are hidden without being displayed in alignment.

(Fourth embodiment)
In the fourth embodiment, a case will be described in which thumbnails are manipulated to replace windows to be arranged and displayed.

  FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an operation for switching the windows to be arranged and displayed by operating the thumbnails. The touch detection unit 11 has a function as a movement reception unit. The touch detection unit 11 displays thumbnails (thumbnail 60A in the example of FIG. 9) of the windows (window A in the example of FIG. 9) that are not displayed according to the selected alignment pattern according to the alignment pattern. An operation to move to a window (window D in the example of FIG. 9) is accepted. The operation to move is, for example, an operation of dragging and dropping thumbnails into windows arranged and displayed as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a state in which the windows to be arranged and displayed are changed by the operation of thumbnails. When the display control unit 12 accepts the move operation, the display control unit 12 replaces the destination window (window D in the example of FIG. 9) with a window (window A in the example of FIG. 10) corresponding to the moved thumbnail. indicate. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the window D that has been aligned and displayed on the left in FIG. 9 is replaced with a window A. In this way, by simply selecting and moving an arbitrary thumbnail from the thumbnails displayed in a list, it is possible to replace the windows that are displayed in an aligned manner, and the required windows can be displayed in an aligned manner with a simple operation.

  FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the windows displayed in alignment after the replacement operation. In FIG. 10, when the user operates the “decision button”, the thumbnail list display disappears, and the aligned display of the windows replaced by the thumbnail operation can be confirmed.

  As described above, by simply moving the thumbnails of the windows that are not aligned and displayed to a window at a desired position among the windows that are aligned and displayed, the windows that are not aligned and displayed can be aligned and displayed. As a result, when many windows are displayed in a superimposed manner, it is possible to easily find a desired window from among the windows hidden by thumbnails without arranging all the displayed windows in alignment. A simple operation of moving thumbnails can display windows that are not aligned and displayed.

(5th Example)
In the fifth embodiment, a case will be described in which the windows to be aligned and displayed are switched by moving the windows that are aligned and displayed.

  FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an operation for switching windows to be arranged and displayed by operating windows that are arranged and displayed. The touch detection unit 11 displays a window (window C in the example of FIG. 12) displayed according to the selected alignment pattern, and a window (window D in the example of FIG. 12) displayed according to the alignment pattern. The operation to move to is accepted.

  FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of windows displayed in an aligned manner when the windows are switched by operating the windows. When the display control unit 12 accepts a moving operation, the display control unit 12 displays the moving destination window (window D in the example of FIG. 12) by replacing it with the moved window (window C in the example of FIG. 12). As shown in FIG. 13, the window D aligned and displayed on the left in FIG. As described above, by simply moving a desired window among the windows displayed in alignment, the positions of the windows displayed in alignment can be switched, and the layout can be changed by a simple operation.

  Next, the operation of the display device 100 in the case of a multi-monitor will be described.

(Sixth embodiment)
In the sixth embodiment, an explanation will be given of the case of arranging and displaying in accordance with the layer of the window displayed in the case of multiple monitors.

  FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a plurality of windows displayed at arbitrary positions on the display surface in the case of a multi-monitor. As illustrated in FIG. 14, three windows of window A, window B, and window D are superimposed on the monitor 1 and displayed. A window C is displayed on the monitor 2.

  FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the window list 70 in the case of a multi-monitor. A window list 70 illustrated in FIG. 15 corresponds to the example of FIG. In the example of FIG. 15, with respect to the monitor 1, the window D is in the order 1, the window B is in the order 3, and the window A is in the order 4. As for the monitor 2, the window C is arranged in order 2.

  FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an alignment pattern selection menu 51 in the case of a multi-monitor. Also in the case of a multi-monitor, the display control unit 12 displays a selection menu 51 corresponding to a plurality of preset alignment patterns as in the example of FIG.

  FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the window list 70 that is updated when the windows are arranged and displayed in the case of the multi-monitor. When the alignment pattern is selected, a window to be aligned on the monitor is specified. The example of FIG. 17 illustrates a case where an alignment pattern that aligns two windows “align left and right” illustrated in FIG. 6 is selected. Since the alignment pattern in which the two windows are aligned and displayed is selected, the windows D and B in the order 1 and 3 of the monitor 1 are aligned and displayed. On the other hand, since the monitor 2 is not the monitor (in this case, the monitor 1) that has selected the selection pattern, the window C in the arrangement order 2 maintains the displayed state. In this case, there are two windows, D and B, that are displayed in alignment by the alignment pattern on the monitor 1. The window A being displayed before the alignment is not displayed in alignment. The window A is covered with the windows D and B displayed in alignment and cannot be visually recognized.

  FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of windows arranged and displayed in the case of a multi-monitor. As shown in FIG. 18, according to the alignment pattern “align left and right” and the arrangement order of the alignment pattern, the window 1 in the arrangement order 1 is arranged at the left position of the arrangement order 1 in the monitor 1 and the arrangement order 3 The window B is arranged at the right position in the arrangement order 2. Since the arrangement order 4 window A has two arrangement patterns 1 to 2, the arrangement is not arranged and displayed, for example, at the position illustrated in FIG. It cannot be visually recognized.

  In the case of a multi-monitor, a window thumbnail is displayed as in the case of a single monitor. Since the thumbnail is the same as that of the single monitor, the description is omitted.

  FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an operation for switching the windows to be arranged and displayed by operating thumbnails in the case of a multi-monitor. The touch detection unit 11 displays a thumbnail (window 60C in the example of FIG. 19) of the window currently displayed on the monitor 2 (thumbnail 60C in the example of FIG. 19) displayed on the monitor 1 according to the alignment pattern ( In the example of FIG. 19, an operation for moving to window D) is accepted. The operation to move is, for example, an operation of dragging and dropping thumbnails into windows arranged and displayed as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a state in which windows to be arranged and displayed are changed by operation of thumbnails in the case of a multi-monitor. When the display control unit 12 accepts the move operation, the display control unit 12 moves the destination window (window D in the example of FIG. 19) to the window (thumbnail 60C in the example of FIG. 19) corresponding to the moved thumbnail (window 20 of FIG. 19). In the example, it is replaced with the window C) and displayed. As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, in FIG. 19, the window D aligned and displayed on the left side of the monitor 1 is replaced with the window C displayed on the monitor 2. In this way, by simply selecting and moving an arbitrary thumbnail from the thumbnails displayed in a list, it is possible to replace the windows that are displayed in an aligned manner, and the required windows can be displayed in an aligned manner with a simple operation.

  FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of windows displayed in an aligned manner after the replacement operation in the case of a multi-monitor. In FIG. 20, when the user operates the “decision button”, the thumbnail list display disappears, and the aligned display of the windows replaced by the thumbnail operation can be confirmed.

(Seventh embodiment)
In the seventh embodiment, in the case of a multi-monitor, a case will be described in which the windows to be arranged and displayed are switched by moving the windows that are arranged and displayed.

  FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an operation for switching the windows to be arranged and displayed by operating the windows arranged and displayed in the case of the multi-monitor. The touch detection unit 11 displays a window (window B in the example of FIG. 22) displayed on the monitor 1 according to the selected alignment pattern, and a window (FIG. 22) displayed on the monitor 1 according to the alignment pattern. In the example, an operation for moving to the window D) is accepted.

  FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of windows arranged and displayed when switching is performed by operating the windows in the case of a multi-monitor. When the display control unit 12 accepts a moving operation, the display control unit 12 displays the moving destination window (window D in the example of FIG. 22) by replacing it with the moved window (window B in the example of FIG. 22). As shown in FIG. 23, the window D that has been aligned and displayed on the left in FIG. As described above, by simply moving a desired window among the windows displayed in alignment, the positions of the windows displayed in alignment can be switched, and the layout can be changed by a simple operation. In this case, the display of the window C being displayed on the monitor 2 is maintained as it is.

  Next, a processing procedure performed by the display device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. First, the case of a single monitor will be described.

  FIGS. 24, 25, 26 and 27 are flowcharts showing an example of the processing sequence of the window alignment display by the display device 100 of the present embodiment. In the following description, the main subject of processing is the control unit 10 for simplicity. The control unit 10 displays the window A (S11), and arranges an alignment button in the window A (S12). The control unit 10 displays the window B (S13), and rearranges the alignment buttons in the window B (S14). The control unit 10 displays the window C (S15), and rearranges the alignment buttons in the window C (S16). The control unit 10 displays the window D (S17), and rearranges the alignment buttons in the window D (S18). The detailed processing procedure of steps S12, S14, S16, and S18 will be described later. By performing the processing from step S11 to S18, the state illustrated in FIG. 3 is obtained.

  The control unit 10 accepts the operation of the alignment button (S19), and displays an alignment pattern selection menu (S20). The control unit 10 accepts selection of an alignment pattern selection menu (S21), and acquires a window list (S22). The control unit 10 arranges windows according to the selected alignment pattern (S23). The detailed processing procedure of step S23 will be described later. The control unit 10 creates a thumbnail window at the center of the monitor (S24). The thumbnail window is a frame for displaying thumbnails.

  The control unit 10 highlights the background of the thumbnail windows of the aligned (aligned display) windows (S25), and draws the thumbnails of the aligned windows (S26). The control unit 10 determines whether a thumbnail or an aligned window has been selected (S27).

  When a thumbnail is selected (thumbnail selection in S27), the control unit 10 detects a drag (move operation) of the thumbnail (S28), detects a drop of the thumbnail, and detects a dropped position (S29).

  The control unit 10 arranges the window corresponding to the thumbnail on the layout of the dropped aligned window (S30). That is, the destination window is replaced with a window corresponding to the moved thumbnail. The detailed processing procedure of step S30 will be described later.

  The control unit 10 highlights the background of the thumbnail windows of the arranged windows (S31), and determines whether the determination button or the cancel button has been operated (S32). When the determination button is operated (the determination button in S32), the control unit 10 ends the thumbnail window (S33). This erases the list of thumbnails from the display surface.

  When the cancel button is operated (cancel button in S32), the control unit 10 places the window in the original position according to the acquired window list (S34). The control unit 10 determines whether or not the process is finished (S35). If the process is not finished (NO in S35), the process after step S19 is continued. When it is the end of the process (YES in S35), the control unit 10 ends the process.

  On the other hand, when the aligned window is selected (the window aligned in S27), the control unit 10 detects that the aligned window is selected (S36), and detects the position where the aligned window is selected. (S37).

  The control unit 10 determines whether or not the dropped position is within the range of another aligned window (S38), and if it is within the range (within the range at S38), the arrangement of the windows is exchanged (that is, within the range). , Window replacement) is performed (S39), and the process of step S35 is performed. If it is out of the range (outside the range in S38), the arrangement exchange between the windows (that is, the window exchange) is not performed (S40), and the process of step S35 is performed.

  FIG. 28 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the arrangement process of the alignment button 50 by the display device 100 of the present embodiment. The process illustrated in FIG. 28 describes the processes of steps S12, S14, S16, and S18 of FIG. 24 in more detail. The control unit 10 determines whether there is a working window (S101). If there is no working window (NO in S101), the control unit 10 continues the process of step S101.

  When there is a working window (YES in S101), the control unit 10 acquires window information of the working window (S102). The window information includes, for example, window position information (for example, the coordinates of the upper left corner and the lower right corner of the window), height information of the title bar, and the width of buttons arranged on the title bar.

  The control unit 10 calculates the position of the title bar from the acquired window information (S103), places the alignment button 50 in front of the title bar of the working window (S104), and ends the process. Thereby, the alignment button 50 is arrange | positioned in the position which is illustrated in FIG.

  FIG. 29 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure of window arrangement processing based on an alignment pattern in the case of a single monitor by the display device 100 according to the present embodiment. The process illustrated in FIG. 29 explains the process of step S23 of FIG. 25 in more detail.

  The control unit 10 determines the selected alignment pattern (S111), and determines a window to be aligned on the monitor (display surface) (S112). The control unit 10 sets a window to be aligned on the monitor in the window list (S113), and acquires coordinate values registered in the alignment pattern (S114). The coordinate value registered in the alignment pattern is a coordinate value for specifying the position of the window when the window is arranged according to the alignment pattern.

  The control unit 10 adjusts and arranges the size of the window aligned with the monitor according to the acquired coordinate value (S115), and ends the process.

  FIG. 30 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure of window arrangement processing by drag and drop by the display device 100 according to the present embodiment. The process illustrated in FIG. 30 explains the process of step S30 of FIG. 26 in more detail.

  The control unit 10 acquires the coordinates of the aligned window (aligned and displayed window) at the position where the thumbnail is dropped (S121), and acquires the coordinates of the window corresponding to the thumbnail (S122). The coordinates of the window corresponding to the thumbnail are, for example, the coordinates of the window A corresponding to the thumbnail 60A in FIG.

  The control unit 10 places the window corresponding to the thumbnail in accordance with the coordinates of the alignment window (aligned and displayed window) (S123), and sets the alignment window (aligned and displayed window) to the coordinates of the window corresponding to the thumbnail. In combination (S124), the process is terminated.

  Next, the case of multi-monitor will be described. The process in the case of the multi-monitor is different from the process illustrated in FIG. The processing of FIGS. 24 to 28 and FIG. 30 is similarly applicable to the case of a multi-monitor, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 31 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure of window arrangement processing based on an alignment pattern in the case of multi-monitoring by the display device 100 of the present embodiment. The process illustrated in FIG. 31 is a more detailed description of the process of step S23 of FIG.

  The control unit 10 determines the selected alignment pattern (S131), and determines the monitor on which the work window is placed (S132). The monitor on which the work window is placed is a monitor on which a working window is displayed.

  The control unit 10 determines a window aligned with the monitor (display surface) (S133). The control unit 10 sets a window to be aligned on the monitor in the window list (S134), and acquires coordinate values registered in the alignment pattern (S135). The control unit 10 adjusts and arranges the size of the window aligned with the monitor according to the acquired coordinate value (S136), and ends the process.

  The processing performed by the display device 100 of this embodiment can also be realized using a general-purpose computer including a CPU, a RAM, and the like. That is, by reading a recording medium recording a computer program that defines each processing procedure as shown in FIGS. 24 to 31 with a recording medium reader provided in the computer, the computer program is loaded into the RAM, and the computer A display device can be realized on a computer by executing the program by the CPU.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, the display device is described by taking a device such as a tablet terminal as an example. However, the display device is not limited to a tablet terminal or the like, and a plurality of users may share information. The present invention can also be applied to a display device having a large display surface.

  FIG. 32 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the appearance of the display device 120 according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the display device 120 is a touch panel device including a large display unit 214 (for example, 60 inches, 70 inches, 80 inches, etc.).

  Around the display unit 214, a light emitting unit having a plurality of light emitting diodes emitting infrared light and a light receiving unit having a plurality of photodiodes receiving infrared light are provided. When the user touches (contacts) the display unit 214 with a touch pen or a finger, infrared light from the light emitting unit is blocked according to the touched position, and the touch position can be detected. Note that the display device 120 of the second embodiment also has the same effects as the display device 100 of the first embodiment.

  As described above, in the display devices according to the first and second embodiments, overlapping windows are displayed according to the usage, and the ratio (size) of each window and the layout according to the user's desired state. From the state where some or all of the windows are displayed in a duplicated state, only simple windows can be arranged, and only the windows with high priority for the user are aligned. It can be displayed and all information in the window can be easily grasped. In addition, even for a window that is covered by an aligned window and cannot be directly viewed by the user, the thumbnails of the window are displayed in a list, and the windows are replaced (replaced) by a simple operation of moving the thumbnails. Therefore, a desired window can be viewed instantaneously with a simple operation. Further, the technical features described in the above embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other to form a new technical plan.

  The display device according to the present embodiment is a display device (100, 120) that displays a display area arranged at an arbitrary position on the display surface (14, 214), and does not overlap a plurality of display areas. A storage unit (13) that stores a plurality of different arrangement patterns to be arranged on the display surface, and a selection reception unit (11, 12) that receives an operation for selecting one arrangement pattern from the plurality of arrangement patterns stored in the storage unit. And a display control unit (12) for arranging and displaying a plurality of display areas displayed at arbitrary positions on the display surface according to the arrangement pattern selected by the selection receiving unit. Features.

  The display method of the present embodiment is a display method for displaying a display area arranged at an arbitrary position on the display surface (14, 214), and a plurality of display areas are arranged on the display surface without overlapping. Steps for storing a plurality of different arrangement patterns for storage in the storage unit (13) and for receiving an operation for selecting one arrangement pattern from the plurality of arrangement patterns stored in the storage unit (11, 12) And a step in which the display control unit (12) arranges and displays a plurality of display areas displayed at arbitrary positions on the display surface according to the selected arrangement pattern.

  In this Embodiment, a memory | storage part (13) memorize | stores several different arrangement | positioning patterns for arrange | positioning on a display surface, without overlapping a some display area. The display area is, for example, a window displayed on the display surface. Arranging without superimposing means aligning the display areas (windows) without superimposing, and if the visibility of the image within the display area is not impaired, It also includes aligning a part of it. In the arrangement pattern, the number of display areas to be arranged and the position of the display areas can be determined in advance according to the size of the display surface, the resolution, and the like.

  The selection receiving unit (11, 12) receives an operation for selecting one arrangement pattern from the plurality of arrangement patterns stored in the storage unit. The display control unit (12) arranges and displays a plurality of display areas displayed at arbitrary positions on the display surface according to the selected arrangement pattern. The plurality of display areas displayed at arbitrary positions on the display surface are, for example, in positions where one display area covers another display area, and a part or all of the display area other than the frontmost display area Is hidden by other display areas. Since such a display area is arranged and displayed according to the selected arrangement pattern, the display area can be displayed as intended by the user.

  In the display device according to the present embodiment, the storage unit (13) stores the arrangement order of the display areas of the plurality of arrangement patterns, and the display control unit (12) includes the display surface (14, 214), when a plurality of display areas are superimposed and displayed on a plurality of layers, they are arranged and displayed in order from the upper layer of the plurality of display areas according to the arrangement order of the selected arrangement pattern. It is characterized by that.

  In the present embodiment, the storage unit (13) stores the arrangement order of the display areas of each of the plurality of arrangement patterns. For example, when the number of display areas arranged in the arrangement pattern is 3, the arrangement order is 1, 2, and 3. When a plurality of display areas are superimposed and displayed on a plurality of layers (also referred to as hierarchies) on the display surface (14, 214), the display control unit (12) displays a plurality of display areas according to the arrangement order of the selected arrangement pattern. It arranges and displays in order from the upper layer of the display area. For example, it is assumed that four display areas A, B, C, and D are displayed on the display surface, and the lower layers are arranged in the order of the display areas D, C, B, and A from the upper layer. That is, it is assumed that the display area D is at the forefront and the display area A is at the rearmost face. When the arrangement order of the selected arrangement patterns is 1, 2, and 3, the display control unit (12) arranges the display area D at the position where the arrangement order is 1, and the arrangement order is at the position where the arrangement order is 2. The display area C is arranged, and the display area B is arranged at a position where the arrangement order is 3. As a result, the display areas of the upper layers are aligned without overlapping, so that it is excellent in listability and easy to operate.

  The display device according to the present embodiment includes a specifying unit (10) that specifies the order in which a plurality of display areas displayed on the display surface (14, 214) are operated, and the display control unit (12) According to the arrangement order of the selected arrangement pattern, the plurality of display areas are arranged and displayed in the order operated in the immediate vicinity.

  In the present embodiment, the specifying unit (10) specifies the order in which the plurality of display areas displayed on the display surface (14, 214) are operated. For example, assuming that four display areas A, B, C, and D are displayed on the display surface, the user performs a required operation on the display area A (for example, an operation for opening a window, a button or an icon in the window, etc.) Next, the user performs a required operation on the display area B, then the user performs a required operation on the display area C, and then the user enters the display area D. Assume that a required operation has been performed. In this case, the operation order is 1, 2, 3, 4 in the order of display areas A, B, C, and D. The display control unit (12) arranges and displays in the order operated in the immediate vicinity of the plurality of display areas according to the arrangement order of the selected arrangement pattern. For example, when the display areas B and C are displayed, the display area C operated most recently is arranged first, and then the display area B is arranged. As a result, since the display areas that have been operated most recently are aligned without overlapping, it is excellent in listability and easy to operate.

  When the display device according to the present embodiment arranges and displays a plurality of display areas displayed on the display surface (14, 214) according to the selected arrangement pattern, each of the display areas is reduced. A reduced image display unit (15) for displaying an image is provided.

  In the present embodiment, the reduced image display unit (15) arranges and displays a plurality of display areas displayed on the display surface (14, 214) according to the selected arrangement pattern. A reduced image (also referred to as a thumbnail) of each of the plurality of display areas is displayed. Even when the number of the plurality of display areas displayed on the display surface is large, by displaying the reduced image, each display area can be listed together, and thus the visibility is excellent.

  In the display device according to the present embodiment, the display control unit (12) causes some or all of the plurality of display areas displayed on the display surface (14, 214) to be in accordance with the selected arrangement pattern. The reduced image display unit (15) displays in accordance with the arrangement pattern when a part of the plurality of display areas is arranged and displayed in accordance with the arrangement pattern. A reduced image of a display area that has not been displayed is displayed.

  In the present embodiment, the display control unit (12) arranges a part or all of the plurality of display areas displayed on the display surface (14, 214) according to the selected arrangement pattern. To display. The reduced image display unit (15) displays a reduced image of a display area that is not displayed according to the arrangement pattern when a part of the plurality of display areas is arranged and displayed according to the arrangement pattern. For example, it is assumed that four display areas A, B, C, and D are displayed on the display surface, and three display areas are arranged in the selected arrangement pattern. In this case, if the display areas D, C, and B are arranged in this order, the display area A is completely covered by the display areas B to D. Therefore, by displaying a reduced image of the display area A that is not displayed according to the arrangement pattern, it is possible to easily recognize a display area that is hidden without being arranged after the display area is arranged (aligned). Yes, it has excellent listability.

  In the display device according to the present embodiment, the reduced image display unit (15) includes a reduced image of a display area arranged and displayed according to a selected arrangement pattern among the reduced images of the plurality of display areas. A reduced image of a display area that is not displayed according to the arrangement pattern is displayed in a different display mode.

  In the present embodiment, the reduced image display unit (15) displays the reduced image and the arrangement pattern of the display area arranged and displayed according to the selected arrangement pattern among the reduced images of the plurality of display areas. Accordingly, the reduced image of the display area that is not displayed is displayed in a different display mode. For example, among the reduced images, the reduced images in the display area arranged and displayed (aligned display) are highlighted (emphasized) and not displayed in the arranged (not aligned display) display. The reduced image of the region (that is, the display region that is completely hidden) is not particularly highlighted. As a result, it is possible to easily distinguish between the display area that is displayed in alignment and the display area that is hidden without being displayed in alignment.

  The display device according to the present embodiment has a movement receiving unit (11) that receives an operation of moving a reduced image of a display area that is not displayed according to the selected arrangement pattern to a display area that is displayed according to the arrangement pattern. The display control unit (12) is configured to display the display area by replacing the display area of the movement destination with a display area corresponding to the moved reduced image when the operation is received by the movement receiving section. It is characterized by that.

  In the present embodiment, the movement receiving unit (11) performs an operation of moving a reduced image of a display area that is not displayed according to the selected arrangement pattern to a display area that is displayed according to the arrangement pattern. Accept. The operation of moving is, for example, an operation of dragging and dropping the reduced images to the display area displayed in alignment. When the display control unit (12) receives the movement operation, the display control unit (12) replaces the display area of the movement destination with a display area corresponding to the moved reduced image and displays the display area. As a result, it is possible to change the display area to be arranged and displayed simply by selecting and moving any thumbnail from the thumbnails displayed in a list, and the required display area can be arranged and displayed with a simple operation. .

  The display device according to the present embodiment includes an operation panel (11) that receives an input of a touch operation on the display surface (14, 214).

  In the present embodiment, by providing the operation panel (11) that receives an input of a touch operation on the display surface (14, 214), the display region is aligned by operating the display surface with a pen or a finger. Display can be performed easily.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display device for displaying a display area arranged at an arbitrary position on a display surface, and a plurality of different devices for arranging a plurality of display areas on the display surface without overlapping each other. A storage unit that stores an arrangement pattern, a selection reception unit that receives an operation of selecting one arrangement pattern from a plurality of arrangement patterns stored in the storage unit, and a plurality of displays that are displayed at arbitrary positions on the display surface A display control unit that arranges and displays an area according to the arrangement pattern selected by the selection receiving unit, and a reception unit that accepts an alignment operation in the display region that is positioned at the forefront among the plurality of display regions are displayed. The storage unit stores the arrangement order of the display areas of each of the plurality of arrangement patterns, and when the selection receiving unit receives an alignment operation in the receiving unit, An operation for selecting one arrangement pattern from a plurality of arrangement patterns read and displayed from the storage unit is received, and the display control unit displays a plurality of display areas superimposed on a plurality of layers on the display surface. In this case, the display device may be arranged and displayed in order from the upper layer of the plurality of display areas in accordance with the arrangement order of the selected arrangement pattern.

  At this time, the display unit includes a specifying unit that specifies an order in which the plurality of display areas displayed on the display surface are operated, and the display control unit is configured to display the nearest to the plurality of display areas according to the arrangement order of the selected arrangement pattern. They may be arranged and displayed in the order operated.

  In this case, when a plurality of display areas displayed on the display surface are arranged and displayed according to the selected arrangement pattern, a reduced image display unit that displays a reduced image of each of the plurality of display areas is provided. May be a feature.

  At this time, the display control unit arranges and displays a part or all of the plurality of display areas displayed on the display surface in accordance with the selected arrangement pattern, and displays the reduced image display. When the part of the plurality of display areas is arranged and displayed according to the arrangement pattern, the unit displays a reduced image of the display area that is not displayed according to the arrangement pattern. It may be a feature.

  At this time, the reduced image display unit displays the reduced image of the display area arranged and displayed according to the selected arrangement pattern among the reduced images of the plurality of display areas and the arrangement pattern. A reduced image of a display area that is not displayed may be displayed in a different display mode.

  At this time, the display control unit includes a movement receiving unit that receives an operation of moving a reduced image of a display area that is not displayed according to the selected arrangement pattern to a display area that is displayed according to the arrangement pattern. When the operation is received by the movement receiving unit, the display area of the movement destination may be replaced with a display area corresponding to the moved reduced image and displayed.

  At this time, an operation panel that receives an input of a touch operation on the display surface may be provided.

  According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a display method for displaying a display area arranged at an arbitrary position on a display surface, and a plurality of different methods for arranging a plurality of display areas on the display surface without overlapping the display areas. The arrangement pattern is stored in the storage unit, the selection receiving unit receives an operation of selecting one arrangement pattern from the plurality of arrangement patterns stored in the storage unit, and displayed at an arbitrary position on the display surface. A plurality of display areas arranged by a display control unit according to a selected arrangement pattern, and a reception unit that receives an alignment operation in a display area located in the forefront among the plurality of display areas The display unit displays the arrangement order of the display areas of the plurality of arrangement patterns in the storage unit, and further accepts an alignment operation in the reception unit A step of accepting an operation of selecting one arrangement pattern from a plurality of arrangement patterns read and displayed from the storage unit, and a plurality of display areas are superimposed and displayed on the display surface in a plurality of layers. The display control unit may arrange and display in order from the upper layer of the plurality of display areas according to the arrangement order of the selected arrangement pattern.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Control part 11 Touch detection part 12 Display control part 13 Memory | storage part 14,214 Display part 15 Thumbnail display part 16 Communication part

Claims (15)

A display device for displaying a display area arranged at an arbitrary position on a display surface,
A storage unit for storing a plurality of different arrangement patterns for arranging on a display surface without superimposing a plurality of display areas;
A selection receiving unit that receives an operation of selecting one arrangement pattern from a plurality of arrangement patterns stored in the storage unit;
A display control unit configured to arrange and display a plurality of display areas displayed at arbitrary positions on the display surface according to the arrangement pattern selected by the selection receiving unit;
A display unit that displays a reception unit that accepts an alignment operation;
With
The selection receiving unit
A display device that receives an operation of selecting one arrangement pattern from a plurality of arrangement patterns that are read from the storage unit and displayed when an alignment operation is received by the reception unit.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays the reception unit in at least one of the plurality of display areas.   The display device according to claim 2, wherein the display unit displays the reception unit at a position near an edge of the display area.   The display device according to claim 2, wherein the display unit displays the reception unit at a position of a title bar in the display area.   The display device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the display unit displays the reception unit in a display region located in the forefront among the plurality of display regions.   The display according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the display unit displays the reception unit in a display region in which the user has last operated among the plurality of display regions. apparatus. The display control unit
The plurality of display areas are arranged and displayed in a predetermined order according to the arrangement order of the selected arrangement pattern when an operation for selecting the one arrangement pattern is received. The display device according to any one of 1 to 6. The storage unit
An arrangement order of display areas of each of the plurality of arrangement patterns is stored,
The display control unit
When a plurality of display areas are superimposed on a plurality of layers on the display surface, the display areas are arranged and displayed in order from the upper layer of the plurality of display areas according to the arrangement order of the selected arrangement pattern. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display device is provided. A specifying unit for specifying the order in which the plurality of display areas displayed on the display surface are operated;
The display control unit
The display according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the plurality of display areas are arranged and displayed in the order operated in accordance with the arrangement order of the selected arrangement pattern. apparatus.   When a plurality of display areas displayed on the display surface are arranged and displayed according to a selected arrangement pattern, a reduced image display unit that displays a reduced image of each of the plurality of display areas is provided. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The display control unit
A part or all of the plurality of display areas displayed on the display surface is arranged and displayed according to the selected arrangement pattern,
The reduced image display unit includes:
When a part of the plurality of display areas is arranged and displayed according to the arrangement pattern, a reduced image of the display area not displayed according to the arrangement pattern is displayed. The display device according to claim 10. The reduced image display unit includes:
Of the reduced images of the plurality of display areas, the reduced image of the display area arranged and displayed according to the selected arrangement pattern is different from the reduced image of the display area not displayed according to the arrangement pattern. The display device according to claim 11, wherein display is performed in a form. A movement receiving unit that receives an operation of moving a reduced image of a display area that is not displayed according to the selected arrangement pattern to a display area that is displayed according to the arrangement pattern;
The display control unit
13. The display device according to claim 10, wherein when the operation is received by the movement receiving unit, the display area of the movement destination is replaced with a display area corresponding to the moved reduced image. The display device according to any one of the above.   The display device according to claim 1, further comprising an operation panel that receives an input of a touch operation on the display surface. A display method for displaying a display area arranged at an arbitrary position on a display surface,
A plurality of different arrangement patterns for arranging on the display surface without overlapping a plurality of display areas are stored in the storage unit,
A step of accepting an operation of selecting one arrangement pattern from a plurality of arrangement patterns stored in the storage unit;
A step of arranging and displaying a plurality of display areas displayed at arbitrary positions on the display surface according to a selected arrangement pattern; and
A step in which a display unit displays a reception unit that accepts an alignment operation;
A step of accepting an operation of selecting one arrangement pattern from a plurality of arrangement patterns read and displayed from the storage unit when an accepting operation is accepted by the accepting unit;
A display method comprising:

Images