JP6782685B2 - Display device and display method - Google Patents

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 recent years, information processing devices such as personal computers and tablet terminals have come to display a plurality of windows (also referred to as display areas) for each application on the display surface at the same time in order to execute a plurality of application programs at the same time. On the other hand, when a plurality of windows are displayed on the display surface at the same time and the windows are displayed overlapping, the user needs to perform an operation of displaying the required window in the front row with a mouse or the like. It's complicated for you.

Therefore, there is disclosed a window display control method capable of rearranging windows displayed on a display surface according to a predetermined alignment pattern (see Patent Document 1).

JP-A-2007-323343

However, in the window display control method as in Patent Document 1, since it is premised that the number of windows to be aligned and the number of aligned windows are the same, the number of windows before alignment displayed on the display surface is premised. When the number of windows is large, the size of the arranged windows becomes small, and there is a problem that the images in the windows are difficult to recognize. In particular, when it becomes possible to display many windows on the display surface with the 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 of the present invention is to provide a display device and a display method capable of displaying a display area as intended by a user.

The display device according to the present invention is
A display device that displays a display area arranged at an arbitrary position on the display surface.
A storage unit that stores a plurality of different arrangement patterns for arranging the plurality of display areas on the display surface without superimposing them.
A selection reception unit that accepts an operation of selecting one arrangement pattern from a plurality of arrangement patterns stored in the storage unit.
A display control unit that arranges and displays a plurality of display areas displayed at arbitrary positions on the display surface according to an arrangement pattern selected by the selection reception unit.
A display unit that displays the reception unit that accepts alignment operations,
With
The display unit displays the reception unit only in the display area located in the foreground of the plurality of display areas.
When the reception unit receives an alignment operation, the selection reception unit receives an operation of selecting one arrangement pattern from a plurality of arrangement patterns read from the storage unit and displayed.

The display device according to the present invention is characterized in that the display unit displays the reception unit at a position near the edge of the display area.

The display device according to the present invention is characterized in that 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 the display area where the user last operates among the plurality of display areas.

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

The display device according to the present invention is
A specific unit for specifying the order in which the plurality of display areas displayed on the display surface are operated is provided.
The display control unit
It is characterized in that the plurality of display areas are arranged and displayed in the order of the most recently operated according to the arrangement order of the selected arrangement pattern.

When the display device according to the present invention arranges and displays a plurality of display areas displayed on the display surface according to a selected arrangement pattern, a reduced image for displaying a reduced image of each of the plurality of display areas is displayed. It is characterized by having a display unit.

The display device according to the present invention is
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 is
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 that is not displayed according to the arrangement pattern is displayed. ..

The display device according to the present invention is
The reduced image display unit is
Among 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 and the reduced image of the display area not displayed according to the arrangement pattern are displayed differently. It is characterized in that it is displayed in an aspect.

The display device according to the present invention is
It is provided with a movement reception unit that accepts an operation of moving a reduced image of a display area that is not displayed according to the selected arrangement pattern to the display area displayed according to the arrangement pattern.
The display control unit
When the operation is received by the movement receiving unit, the display area of the moving destination is replaced with a display area corresponding to the moved reduced image and displayed.

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

The display method according to the present invention is
It is a display method that displays a display area arranged at an arbitrary position on the display surface.
A plurality of different arrangement patterns for arranging the plurality of display areas on the display surface without superimposing them are stored in the storage unit.
A step in which the selection reception unit accepts an operation of selecting one arrangement pattern from a plurality of arrangement patterns stored in the storage unit, and
A step of arranging and displaying a plurality of display areas displayed at arbitrary positions on the display surface by the display control unit according to the selected arrangement pattern.
A step in which the display unit displays a reception unit that accepts an alignment operation only in the display area located in the foreground of the plurality of display areas.
When the alignment operation is accepted by 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
It is characterized by including.

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

It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the appearance of the display device of Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the structure of the display device of this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of a plurality of display areas displayed at an arbitrary position 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 the arrangement pattern. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the alignment pattern. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the window list which is updated when the windows are arranged and displayed. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the arranged window. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the operation which exchanges the window which displays in order by operating a thumbnail. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the state in which the windows which are arranged and displayed by the operation of the thumbnail are exchanged. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the arranged display window after the exchange operation. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the operation which exchanges the window which displays in order by operating the window which displayed in order. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the arranged display window when the window is exchanged by the operation of a window. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of a plurality of windows which are displayed at arbitrary position of the display surface in the case of multi-monitor. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the window list in the case of multi-monitor. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the selection menu of the alignment pattern in the case of multi-monitor. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the window list which is updated when the windows are arranged and displayed in the case of multi-monitor. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the arranged window in the case of multi-monitor. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the operation which exchanges the window which displays in order by operating the thumbnail in the case of multi-monitor. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the state in which the windows which are arranged and displayed by the operation of the thumbnail in the case of multi-monitor are exchanged. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the window arranged and displayed after the exchange operation in the case of multi-monitor. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the operation which exchanges the window which displays in order by operating the window which was arranged and displayed in the case of multi-monitor. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the arranged display window when the window is exchanged by the operation of the window in the case of multi-monitor. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing procedure of the window arrangement display by the display device of this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing procedure of the window arrangement display by the display device of this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing procedure of the window arrangement display by the display device of this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing procedure of the window arrangement display by the display device of this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the procedure of the arrangement processing of the alignment button by the display device of this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the procedure of the window arrangement processing by the alignment pattern in the case of a single monitor by the display device of this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the procedure of the window arrangement processing by drag drop by the display device of this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the procedure of the window arrangement processing by the alignment pattern in the case of the multi-monitor by the display device of this embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the appearance of the display device of Embodiment 2.

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

As shown in FIG. 2, the display device 100 includes a control unit 10, a touch detection unit 11, a display control unit 12, a storage unit 13, a display unit 14, and a thumbnail display unit 15 which are composed of a CPU, a memory, and the like and control the entire device. , Communication unit 16 and the like.

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 is composed of a capacitance type touch panel, a resistance film type touch panel, and the like. The touch detection unit 11 has a function as an operation panel, and receives 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, a finger, or the like, the touch detection unit 11 presses the information indicating the position on the display surface on which the touch operation is performed, that is, 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 portion) is acquired.

Further, when two or more separated parts are pressed, the touch detection unit 11 can also acquire the position information of each part, and so-called multi-touch operation is possible. 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 manipulating the display surface with a pen or a finger, the windows (display area) can be easily arranged and displayed as described later.

The storage unit 13 includes volatile memories such as DDR and SDRAM (Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory), non-volatile memories such as flash ROM (Read Only Memory), EEPROM (registered trademark), and HDD (Hard Disk Drive). Consists of. The storage unit 13 includes a window list described later, predetermined information such as an arrangement pattern (also referred to as an alignment pattern), 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) described later is stored.

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

Further, 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 / 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, in the case of a single monitor, the operation by the display device 100 will be described.

(First Example)
The first embodiment describes a case where the windows are arranged and displayed according to the layers of the overlapping windows.

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, 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 at the rearmost surface. Further, window D is the top layer and is located in the foreground. One window is positioned so as to cover the other window, and a part or all of the windows other than the foreground window are hidden by the other windows. The number of windows is not limited to the example shown in FIG. Moreover, although each window is displayed so as to overlap with the other windows, it can be displayed at a position separated from each other.

When the window A is displayed on the display surface, the display control unit 12 arranges, for example, an alignment button at a predetermined position on the title bar of the window A to display the window A. Then, when the window B is displayed next, the alignment button of the window A is moved to the title bar of the 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. The window list 70 illustrated in FIG. 4 corresponds to the example in 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 a structure such as an arrangement order, windows, window coordinates, and thumbnail windows. The arrangement order represents the layers of the window, and indicates that the layers are from the top to the bottom according to the arrangement order of 1, 2, 3, and 4. Further, the coordinates of the window can be specified by, for example, the coordinates of the upper left and the coordinates of the lower right 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 the alignment pattern selection menu 51. The alignment pattern is synonymous with the alignment 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 the 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 superimposing them. Arranging without superimposing means aligning each window without superimposing, and a part of the boundary portion of the window is overlapped as long as the visibility of the image in the window is not impaired. It shall also include alignment. As for the alignment pattern, the number of windows to be aligned and the arrangement of each window can be predetermined according to the size of the display surface, the resolution, and the like.

In the example of FIG. 5, patterns such as "aligned horizontally", "aligned vertically", "aligned by left 1 and right 2", and "aligned by left 2 right 1" are exemplified as the arrangement of each window. In addition, 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, or 3.

In the following description, it is assumed that the alignment pattern "alignment with left 1 and right 2" is selected from the alignment patterns shown in FIG. That is, when the user touches a required alignment pattern with respect to 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 is selected. be able to. Then, the display control unit 12 arranges and displays (aligned display) the window 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 an alignment pattern is selected, the windows to align on the monitor are identified. In the example of FIG. 7, since the alignment pattern for aligning the three windows, "align with left 1 and right 2," is selected, windows D, C, and B are arranged and displayed in the order of 1 to 3. In this case, there are three windows D, C, and B that are aligned and displayed according to the alignment pattern, and the window A that is displayed before alignment is not aligned. As will be described later, the window A is covered with the arranged windows D, C, and B, and cannot be visually recognized.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of windows arranged and displayed. As shown in FIG. 8, according to the alignment pattern "aligned by 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 Window C is arranged at a position above the right 2 of the arrangement order 2, and window B of the arrangement order 3 is arranged at a position below the right 2 of the arrangement order 3. In the window A of the arrangement order 4, since the arrangement order of the arrangement patterns is three from 1 to 3, the arrangement pattern is not displayed in the arrangement arrangement, for example, and is arranged at the position illustrated in FIG. Cannot be visually recognized.

As mentioned above, it is selected even if one window is in a position to cover the other window and some or all of the windows other than the foreground window are hidden by the other windows. Since the windows are arranged and displayed according to the alignment pattern, the windows can be arranged and displayed as the user intends without overlapping the windows.

Further, when a plurality of windows are superimposed and displayed on the display surface by a plurality of layers, the display control unit 12 arranges and displays the windows 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 lower layers are in the order of windows D, C, B, and A from the upper layer. And. Then, when the arrangement order of the selected alignment patterns is 1, 2, or 3, the display control unit 12 arranges the window D at the position where the arrangement order is 1, and the window C at the position where the arrangement order is 2. The window B is arranged at the position where the arrangement order is 3. As a result, the windows of the upper layers are displayed in an aligned manner without overlapping, so that the list is excellent and the operation is easy.

(Second Example)
The second embodiment describes the case where the duplicated windows are arranged and displayed according to the order of the most recently used windows.

That is, the control unit 10 has a function as a specific unit, and specifies the order in which the 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.). Etc.), then the user performs the required operation on window B, then the user performs the required operation on window C, and finally the user performs the required operation on window D. Suppose that In this case, the operation (used) order is 1, 2, 3, 4 in the order of windows A, B, C, and D.

When the plurality of windows are displayed without overlapping, the display control unit 12 arranges and displays the plurality of windows in the order of the most recently operated windows 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 placed first, and then window B is placed. As a result, the windows that have been operated most recently are arranged without overlapping, so that the listability is excellent and the operation becomes easy.

When a plurality of windows are separated from each other and displayed without being overlapped with each other, the windows may be arranged in the order of the most recently operated (used) windows. As a result, the windows that have been operated most recently are displayed in a line, so that the list is excellent and the operation becomes easy.

(Third Example)
The third embodiment describes the case where thumbnails are displayed.

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

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

In particular, when many applications are started in order and many windows are displayed on the display surface in an overlapping manner, all the windows are arranged and displayed. When the number of windows is large, the windows are arranged and displayed. The size (size) of the window becomes small, the visibility is poor, 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 is determined in advance as the arrangement order so that the size of each window does not become a size that lacks visibility. Even when many windows are displayed in a superimposed state, the windows that the user wants to use immediately can be preferentially arranged and displayed by simply selecting the desired alignment pattern, improving operability and convenience. Can be done.

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

Further, the thumbnail display unit 15 displays differently from the thumbnails of the windows aligned according to the selected alignment pattern and the thumbnails of the windows not aligned according to the alignment pattern among the thumbnails of the plurality of windows. Display by aspect. For example, among thumbnails, thumbnails of aligned windows are highlighted (highlighted), and thumbnails of windows that are not aligned (that is, completely hidden windows) are particularly highlighted. Absent.

In the example of FIG. 8, the thumbnails 60B, 60C, and 60D of the aligned windows B, C, and D, respectively, 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. This makes it possible to easily distinguish between the aligned windows and the hidden windows that are not aligned.

(Fourth Example)
The fourth embodiment describes a case where the thumbnails are operated to replace the windows to be arranged and displayed.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an operation of 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 (thumbnails 60A in the example of FIG. 9) of windows (window A in the example of FIG. 9) that are not displayed according to the selected alignment pattern according to the alignment pattern. It accepts the operation of moving to the window (window D in the example of FIG. 9). The operation of moving is, for example, an operation of dragging and dropping thumbnails into the arranged window 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 by the operation of thumbnails are exchanged. When the display control unit 12 receives the move operation, the display control unit 12 replaces the move destination window (window D in the example of FIG. 9) with the window corresponding to the moved thumbnail (window A in the example of FIG. 10). indicate. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the window D arranged and displayed on the left in FIG. 9 is replaced with the window A. In this way, the windows to be arranged and displayed can be replaced by simply selecting and moving an arbitrary thumbnail from the thumbnails displayed in the list, and the required windows can be arranged and displayed by a simple operation.

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

As described above, the windows that are not arranged and displayed can be arranged and displayed by simply moving the thumbnails of the windows that are not arranged and displayed to the window at a desired position among the windows that are arranged and displayed. As a result, when many windows are displayed in an overlapping manner, it is possible to easily find the desired window from the windows hidden by the thumbnails without aligning all the displayed windows. By a simple operation of moving thumbnails, windows that are not displayed in a line can be displayed in a line.

(Fifth Example)
A fifth embodiment describes a case where the windows to be arranged and displayed are replaced by moving the windows to be arranged and displayed.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an operation of operating the arranged and displayed windows to replace the arranged and displayed windows. The touch detection unit 11 changes the window displayed according to the selected alignment pattern (window C in the example of FIG. 12) to the window displayed according to the alignment pattern (window D in the example of FIG. 12). Accepts operations to move to.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of arranged and displayed windows when the windows are replaced by operating the windows. When the movement operation is accepted, the display control unit 12 replaces the moved destination window (window D in the example of FIG. 12) with the moved window (window C in the example of FIG. 12) and displays the window. As shown in FIG. 13, the window D arranged and displayed on the left in FIG. 12 is replaced with the window C. In this way, the positions of the arranged and displayed windows can be exchanged by simply moving a desired window among the arranged and displayed windows, and the arrangement can be changed by a simple operation.

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

(6th Example)
A sixth embodiment describes a case where the windows are arranged and displayed according to the layers of the windows that are displayed in duplicate 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 multiple monitors. As illustrated in FIG. 14, three windows, window A, window B, and window D, are superimposed and displayed on the monitor 1. Further, the 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 multiple monitors. The window list 70 illustrated in FIG. 15 corresponds to the example in FIG. In the example of FIG. 15, for the monitor 1, window D is arranged in order 1, window B is arranged in order 3, and window A is arranged in order 4. Further, regarding the monitor 2, the windows C are arranged in the order 2.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an alignment pattern selection menu 51 in the case of multiple monitors. In the case of multiple monitors, the display control unit 12 displays the 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 a window list 70 that is updated when the windows are arranged and displayed in the case of multiple monitors. When an alignment pattern is selected, the windows to align on the monitor are identified. The example of FIG. 17 shows a case where an alignment pattern for aligning two windows called “align left and right” illustrated in FIG. 6 is selected. Since the alignment pattern in which the two windows are arranged and displayed is selected, the windows D and B of the arrangement order 1 and 3 of the monitor 1 are arranged and displayed. On the other hand, since the monitor 2 is not the monitor for which the selection pattern is selected (in this case, the monitor 1), the window C in the order 2 is maintained in the displayed state. In this case, on the monitor 1, there are two windows, windows D and B, which are arranged and displayed according to the alignment pattern. Window A that is displayed before alignment is not displayed in alignment. The window A is covered with the aligned windows D and B and cannot be visually recognized.

FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of windows arranged and displayed in the case of multiple monitors. As shown in FIG. 18, according to the alignment pattern "aligned left and right" and the arrangement order of the alignment pattern, the window D of the arrangement order 1 is arranged at the left position of the arrangement order 1 on the monitor 1, and the arrangement order 3 Window B is arranged at the position to the right of the arrangement order 2. In the window A of the arrangement order 4, since the arrangement order of the arrangement patterns is two from 1 to 2, the arrangement pattern is not displayed in the arrangement arrangement, for example, and is arranged at the position illustrated in FIG. Cannot be visually recognized.

In the case of multiple monitors, the thumbnails of the windows are displayed as in the case of single monitors. Since the thumbnails are the same as in the case of a single monitor, the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an operation of switching the windows to be arranged and displayed by operating the thumbnails in the case of multiple monitors. The touch detection unit 11 displays the thumbnail (thumbnail 60C in the example of FIG. 19) of the window (window C in the example of FIG. 19) displayed on the monitor 2 on the window (window C) displayed on the monitor 1 according to the alignment pattern. In the example of FIG. 19, the operation of moving to the window D) is accepted. The operation of moving is, for example, an operation of dragging and dropping thumbnails into the arranged window 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 exchanged by operating thumbnails in the case of multiple monitors. When the display control unit 12 receives the move operation, the display control unit 12 moves the moved destination window (window D in the example of FIG. 19) to the window corresponding to the moved thumbnail (thumbnail 60C in the example of FIG. 19) (FIG. 20). In the example, it is replaced with window C) and displayed. As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, in FIG. 19, the window D displayed aligned to the left of the monitor 1 is replaced with the window C displayed on the monitor 2. In this way, the windows to be arranged and displayed can be replaced by simply selecting and moving an arbitrary thumbnail from the thumbnails displayed in the list, and the required windows can be arranged and displayed by a simple operation.

FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of windows arranged and displayed after the replacement operation in the case of multiple monitors. In FIG. 20, when the user operates the "decision button", the thumbnail list display disappears, and the arranged display of the windows replaced by the thumbnail operation can be confirmed.

(7th Example)
In the case of the multi-monitor, the seventh embodiment describes a case where the windows to be arranged and displayed are replaced by moving the windows to be arranged and displayed.

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

FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the aligned windows when the windows are replaced by operating the windows in the case of multiple monitors. When the movement operation is accepted, the display control unit 12 replaces the moved destination window (window D in the example of FIG. 22) with the moved window (window B in the example of FIG. 22) and displays the window. As shown in FIG. 23, the window D arranged and displayed on the left in FIG. 22 is replaced with the window B. In this way, the positions of the arranged and displayed windows can be exchanged by simply moving a desired window among the arranged and displayed windows, and the arrangement can be changed by a simple operation. In this case, the window C displayed on the monitor 2 is maintained as it is.

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

24, 25, 26, and 27 are flowcharts showing an example of a procedure for processing window alignment display by the display device 100 of the present embodiment. In the following description, the control unit 10 is the main body of the process for the sake of simplicity. The control unit 10 displays the window A (S11) and arranges the alignment button in the window A (S12). The control unit 10 displays the window B (S13) and rearranges the alignment button in the window B (S14). The control unit 10 displays the window C (S15) and rearranges the alignment button in the window C (S16). The control unit 10 displays the window D (S17) and rearranges the alignment button in the window D (S18). The detailed processing procedure of steps S12, S14, S16, and S18 will be described later. By performing the processes from steps 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 the alignment pattern selection menu (S20). The control unit 10 accepts the selection of the alignment pattern selection menu (S21) and acquires the window list (S22). The control unit 10 arranges the 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 in 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 window of the aligned (aligned display) window (S25), and draws the thumbnail of the aligned window (S26). The control unit 10 determines whether or not a thumbnail or an arranged window is selected (S27).

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

The control unit 10 arranges the windows corresponding to the thumbnails in the layout of the dropped aligned windows (S30). That is, the moved destination window is replaced with the 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 or not the enter button or the cancel button has been operated (S32). When the enter button is operated (decision button in S32), the control unit 10 closes the thumbnail window (S33). As a result, the list of thumbnails is deleted from the display surface.

When the cancel button is operated (cancel button in S32), the control unit 10 puts the window in the original position according to the acquired window list (S34). The control unit 10 determines whether or not the process is completed (S35), and if it is not the end of the process (NO in S35), the control unit 10 continues the process after step S19. When the processing is completed (YES in S35), the control unit 10 ends the processing.

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

The control unit 10 determines whether or not the dropped position is within the range of another arranged window (S38), and if it is within the range (within the range in S38), the arrangement of the windows is exchanged (that is, within the range of S38). , Window replacement) (S39), and the process of step S35 is performed. If it is out of the range (outside the range in S38), the processing of step S35 is performed without performing the arrangement exchange (that is, window replacement) between the windows (S40).

FIG. 28 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for arranging the alignment buttons 50 by the display device 100 of the present embodiment. The process exemplified in FIG. 28 describes the process of steps S12, S14, S16, and S18 in FIG. 24 in more detail. The control unit 10 determines whether or not there is a working window (S101), and if there is no working window (NO in S101), the process of step S101 is continued.

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

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 window being worked on (S104), and ends the process. As a result, the alignment button 50 is arranged at a position as illustrated in FIG.

FIG. 29 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for arranging windows according to an alignment pattern in the case of a single monitor by the display device 100 of the present embodiment. The process illustrated in FIG. 29 describes the process in step S23 of FIG. 25 in more detail.

The control unit 10 determines the selected alignment pattern (S111), and determines the windows 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 the 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 windows arranged on the monitor according to the acquired coordinate values (S115), and ends the process.

FIG. 30 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for arranging windows by dragging and dropping by the display device 100 of the present embodiment. The process illustrated in FIG. 30 describes the process in step S30 of FIG. 26 in more detail.

The control unit 10 acquires the coordinates of the aligned window (window displayed in alignment) 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 aligned window (window displayed in alignment) (S123), and sets the arranged window (window displayed in alignment) in the coordinates of the window corresponding to the thumbnail. Put them together (S124) and end the process.

Next, the case of multiple monitors will be described. The processing in the case of multiple monitors is different from the processing illustrated in FIG. 29 described above. Since the processes of FIGS. 24 to 28 and 30 are similarly applicable to the case of multiple monitors, the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 31 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for arranging windows according to an alignment pattern in the case of multi-monitor by the display device 100 of the present embodiment. The process illustrated in FIG. 31 describes the process in step S23 of FIG. 25 in more detail.

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 the monitor on which the working window is displayed.

The control unit 10 determines which windows are 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 the coordinate values registered in the alignment pattern (S135). The control unit 10 adjusts and arranges the size of the windows arranged on the monitor according to the acquired coordinate values (S136), and ends the process.

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

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, a device such as a tablet terminal has been described as an example of the display device, but the display device is not limited to the tablet terminal or the like, and information can be shared by a plurality of users. It can also be applied to a display device having a large display surface that can be used.

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

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 around the display unit 214. When the user touches (touches) the display unit 214 with a touch pen, a finger, or the like, the infrared light from the light emitting unit is blocked according to the touched position, and the touch position can be detected. The display device 120 of the second embodiment also has the same effect as the display device 100 of the first embodiment.

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

The display device of 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 is described above without superimposing a plurality of display areas. A storage unit (13) that stores a plurality of different arrangement patterns for arrangement on the display surface, and a selection reception unit (11, 12) that accepts an operation of selecting one arrangement pattern from the plurality of arrangement patterns stored in the storage unit. ), And a display control unit (12) that arranges and displays a plurality of display areas displayed at arbitrary positions on the display surface according to the arrangement pattern selected by the selection reception unit. It is a feature.

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 the plurality of display areas are arranged on the display surface without overlapping. A step in which the selection reception unit (11, 12) accepts an operation of storing a plurality of different arrangement patterns for the purpose in the storage unit (13) and selecting one arrangement pattern from the plurality of arrangement patterns stored in the storage unit. It is characterized by including a step of arranging and displaying a plurality of display areas displayed at arbitrary positions on the display surface by the display control unit (12) according to the selected arrangement pattern.

In the present embodiment, the storage unit (13) stores a plurality of different arrangement patterns for arranging the plurality of display areas on the display surface without superimposing them. The display area is, for example, a window displayed on the display surface. Arranging without superimposing means aligning the respective display areas (windows) without superimposing them, and at the boundary portion of the display area as long as the visibility of the image in the display area is not impaired. It shall also include overlapping and aligning some parts. As for the arrangement pattern, the number of display areas to be arranged and the position of the display area can be determined in advance according to the size of the display surface, the resolution, and the like.

The selection receiving unit (11, 12) accepts an operation of selecting one arrangement pattern from a 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. A plurality of display areas displayed at arbitrary positions on the display surface are, for example, in a position where one display area covers another display area, and a part or all of the display areas 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 of 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) stores the display surface (14, When a plurality of display areas are superimposed and displayed on a plurality of layers in 214), 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 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, or 3. When a plurality of display areas are superimposed and displayed on the display surface (14, 214) by a plurality of layers (also referred to as layers), the display control unit (12) may perform a plurality of display areas according to the arrangement order of the selected arrangement pattern. Arrange and display 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 displayed 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 on the front surface and the display area A is on the rearmost surface. Then, when the arrangement order of the selected arrangement pattern is 1, 2, or 3, the display control unit (12) arranges the display area D at the position where the arrangement order is 1, and arranges the display area D at the position where the arrangement order is 2. The display area C is arranged, and the display area B is arranged at the position where the arrangement order is 3. As a result, the display areas of the upper layers are arranged without overlapping, so that the listability is excellent and the operation becomes easy.

The display device of the present embodiment includes a specific unit (10) that specifies the order in which the plurality of display areas displayed on the display surface (14, 214) are operated, and the display control unit (12) It is characterized in that the plurality of display areas are arranged and displayed in the order of the most recently operated according to the arrangement order of the selected arrangement pattern.

In the present embodiment, the specific unit (10) specifies the order in which the plurality of display areas displayed on the display surfaces (14, 214) are operated. For example, assuming that four display areas A, B, C, and D are displayed on the display surface, a user performs a required operation on the display area A (for example, an operation of opening a window, a button or an icon in the window, or the like. The user then performs the required operation on the display area B, then the user performs the required operation on the display area C, and then the user performs the required operation on the display area D. On the other hand, it is assumed that the required operation is performed. In this case, the manipulated order is 1, 2, 3, and 4 in the order of display areas A, B, C, and D. The display control unit (12) arranges and displays the plurality of display areas in the order of the most recently operated according to the arrangement order of the selected arrangement pattern. For example, when the display areas B and C are displayed, the most recently operated display area C is arranged first, and then the display area B is arranged. As a result, the display areas that have been operated most recently are arranged without overlapping, so that the listability is excellent and the operation becomes easy.

When a plurality of display areas displayed on the display surfaces (14, 214) are arranged and displayed according to the selected arrangement pattern, the display device of the present embodiment reduces each of the plurality of display areas. It is characterized by including a reduced image display unit (15) for displaying an image.

In the present embodiment, when 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 called a thumbnail) of each of a plurality of display areas is displayed. Even when the number of a plurality of display areas displayed on the display surface is large, by displaying the reduced image, each display area can be collectively listed, so that the visibility is excellent.

In the display device of the present embodiment, the display control unit (12) has a part or all of a plurality of display areas displayed on the display surface (14, 214) according to a selected arrangement pattern. The reduced image display unit (15) is arranged and displayed, and when a part of the plurality of display areas is arranged and displayed according to the arrangement pattern, the reduced image display unit (15) is displayed according to the arrangement pattern. It is characterized in that a reduced image of a display area that is not 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. When a part of the plurality of display areas is arranged and displayed according to the arrangement pattern, the reduced image display unit (15) displays a reduced image of the display area that is not 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 the display area that is hidden without being arranged after the display area is arranged (aligned). It can be done and has excellent listability.

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

The display device of the present embodiment receives an operation of moving a reduced image of a display area that is not displayed according to the selected arrangement pattern to the display area displayed according to the arrangement pattern (11). When the movement receiving unit accepts the operation, the display control unit (12) replaces the moving destination display area with a display area corresponding to the moved reduced image and displays the image. It is characterized by that.

In the present embodiment, the movement reception unit (11) performs an operation of moving a reduced image of the display area that is not displayed according to the selected arrangement pattern to the display area 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 aligned display area. When the movement operation is accepted, the display control unit (12) replaces the display area of the movement destination with the display area corresponding to the moved reduced image and displays the image. As a result, the display areas to be arranged and displayed can be replaced by simply selecting and moving any thumbnail from the thumbnails displayed in the list, and the required display areas can be arranged and displayed by a simple operation. ..

The display device of the present embodiment is characterized by including an operation panel (11) that receives an input of a touch operation on the display surface (14, 214).

In the present embodiment, the display area is aligned by operating the display surface with a pen or a finger by providing an operation panel (11) for receiving an input of a touch operation on the display surface (14, 214). The display can be done easily.

Further, one aspect of the invention is a display device that displays a display area arranged at an arbitrary position on the display surface, and a plurality of different display devices for arranging the plurality of display areas on the display surface without superimposing them. A storage unit that stores an arrangement pattern, a selection reception unit that accepts an operation of selecting one arrangement pattern from a plurality of arrangement patterns stored in the storage unit, and a plurality of displays displayed at arbitrary positions on the display surface. A display control unit that arranges and displays an area according to an arrangement pattern selected by the selection reception unit and a reception unit that accepts an alignment operation in the display area located in the foreground of the plurality of display areas are displayed. The storage unit stores the arrangement order of the display areas of the plurality of arrangement patterns, and the selection reception unit receives the alignment operation when the reception unit receives the alignment operation. The display control unit accepts an operation of selecting one arrangement pattern from a plurality of arrangement patterns read and displayed from, and the display control unit displays a plurality of display areas superimposed on the display surface by a plurality of layers. In this case, the display device may be characterized in that the layers 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 patterns.

At this time, the display control unit includes a specific unit that specifies the order in which the plurality of display areas displayed on the display surface are operated, and the display control unit is the closest to the plurality of display areas according to the arrangement order of the selected arrangement pattern. It may be characterized in that it is arranged and displayed in the order of operations.

At this time, 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 for displaying 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 according to the selected arrangement pattern, and displays the reduced image. When a part of the plurality of display areas is arranged and displayed according to the arrangement pattern, the unit is designed to display 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 is displayed according to the reduced image of the display area displayed arranged according to the selected arrangement pattern and the reduced image according to the arrangement pattern among the reduced images of the plurality of display areas. It may be characterized in that the reduced image of the non-display area is displayed in a different display mode.

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

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

Further, one aspect of the invention is a display method for displaying a display area arranged at an arbitrary position on the display surface, and a plurality of different display methods for arranging the plurality of display areas on the display surface without superimposing them. The arrangement pattern is stored in the storage unit, and the operation of selecting one arrangement pattern from the plurality of arrangement patterns stored in the storage unit is accepted by the selection reception unit, and the display is displayed at an arbitrary position on the display surface. A step in which the display control unit arranges and displays a plurality of display areas according to a selected arrangement pattern, and a reception unit that accepts an alignment operation in the display area located in the foreground of the plurality of display areas. Including a step to be displayed by the display unit, the storage unit stores the arrangement order of the display area of each of the plurality of arrangement patterns, and when the reception unit receives the alignment operation, the storage unit A step of accepting an operation of selecting one arrangement pattern from a plurality of arrangement patterns read and displayed, and a selection when a plurality of display areas are superimposed and displayed on the display surface by a plurality of layers. The display method may include a step of arranging and displaying the display control unit in order from the upper layer of the plurality of display areas according to the arrangement order of the arrangement pattern.

10 Control unit 11 Touch detection unit 12 Display control unit 13 Storage unit 14, 214 Display unit 15 Thumbnail display unit 16 Communication unit

Claims (12)

A display device that displays a display area arranged at an arbitrary position on the display surface.
A storage unit that stores a plurality of different arrangement patterns for arranging the plurality of display areas on the display surface without superimposing them.
A selection reception unit that accepts an operation of selecting one arrangement pattern from a plurality of arrangement patterns stored in the storage unit.
A display control unit that arranges and displays a plurality of display areas displayed at arbitrary positions on the display surface according to an arrangement pattern selected by the selection reception unit.
A display unit that displays the reception unit that accepts alignment operations,
With
The display unit displays the reception unit only in the display area located in the foreground of the plurality of display areas.
The display device is characterized in that, when the reception unit receives an alignment operation, the selection reception unit receives an operation of selecting one arrangement pattern from a plurality of arrangement patterns read from the storage unit and displayed. .. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays the reception unit at a position near the 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 claim 2 or 3, wherein the display unit displays the reception unit in the display area where the user last operated among the plurality of display areas. The display control unit
The claim is characterized in that when the operation of selecting the one arrangement pattern is accepted, the plurality of display areas are arranged and displayed in a predetermined order according to the arrangement order of the selected arrangement pattern. The display device according to any one of items 1 to 4. A specific unit for specifying the order in which the plurality of display areas displayed on the display surface are operated is provided.
The display control unit
The display according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the plurality of display areas are arranged and displayed in the order of most recently operated according to 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 the selected arrangement pattern, a reduced image display unit for displaying a reduced image of each of the plurality of display areas is provided. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. 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 is
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 that is not displayed according to the arrangement pattern is displayed. The display device according to claim 7. The reduced image display unit is
Among 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 and the reduced image of the display area not displayed according to the arrangement pattern are displayed differently. The display device according to claim 8, wherein the display device is designed to display in an embodiment. It is provided with a movement reception unit that accepts an operation of moving a reduced image of a display area that is not displayed according to the selected arrangement pattern to the display area displayed according to the arrangement pattern.
The display control unit
According to claims 7 to 9, when the operation is received by the movement receiving unit, the display area of the moving destination is replaced with a display area corresponding to the moved reduced image and displayed. The display device according to any one item. The display device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising an operation panel for receiving an input of a touch operation on the display surface. It is a display method that displays a display area arranged at an arbitrary position on the display surface.
A plurality of different arrangement patterns for arranging the plurality of display areas on the display surface without superimposing them are stored in the storage unit.
A step in which the selection reception unit accepts an operation of selecting one arrangement pattern from a plurality of arrangement patterns stored in the storage unit, and
A step of arranging and displaying a plurality of display areas displayed at arbitrary positions on the display surface by the display control unit according to the selected arrangement pattern.
A step in which the display unit displays a reception unit that accepts an alignment operation only in the display area located in the foreground of the plurality of display areas.
When the alignment operation is accepted by 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 display method characterized by including.

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