Object display order changing program and apparatus

• US 20090271723A1
• Filed: 04/29/2008
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Kawase, Tomohiro, Matsushima, Yoshihiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,116,721 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

An icon line is displayed on a screen so as to align icons laterally. When a user slides a stick laterally based on an originating point corresponding to a point on an icon of the icon line, it is possible to scroll the icon line laterally in accordance with the stick being moved, and when a user slides a stick vertically based on an originating point corresponding to a point on an icon of the icon line, it is possible to move only the icon of the icon line in accordance with the stick being moved. Therefore, a user is allowed to easily change the display order in which a plurality of objects are displayed on the screen.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an object display order changing program for enabling a user to change, by using coordinate input means, a display order in which a plurality of objects are displayed on a screen,

the object display order changing program causing a computer to execute:

an object display step of displaying a subset of the plurality of objects in an object display area on the screen in a predetermined display order;

a designated position detection step of detecting for a position, in the object display area, designated by the coordinate input means, as a designated position;

a process method selection step of selecting one of a first process method and a second process method, in accordance with a predetermined determination criterion, when the designated position is moved based on an originating point corresponding to a point on a first object of the subset displayed in the object display area;

a first scrolling step of scrolling and displaying the plurality of objects in the object display area in accordance with the designated position being moved, when the first process method is selected in the process method selection step;

a first object movement step of moving only the first object among the plurality of objects in accordance with the designated position when the second process method is selected in the process method selection step; and

a first object insertion step of inserting and displaying the first object between any two objects of the plurality of objects, said any two objects being adjacent to each other, in accordance with the designated position having been most recently detected, when detection of the designated position stops while the first object is being moved in the first object movement step.

2. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein, in the process method selection step, the first process method is selected when the designated position is moved in a first direction, and the second process method is selected when the designated position is moved in a second direction other than the first direction.

3. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2, wherein the first direction and the second direction are orthogonal to each other.

4. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 3,

wherein the subset is displayed in a line along a predetermined direction in the predetermined display order in the object display step;

and

wherein the first direction represents the predetermined direction.

5. The computer-readable storage medium according to the claim 1, wherein the object display order changing program causes the computer to further execute a second scrolling step of scrolling and displaying all the plurality of objects other than the first object when one of the designated position and the first object enters a first specific area while the first object is being moved in the first object movement step.

6. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 5, wherein the first specific area is an area including an edge portion of the object display area.

7. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2, wherein the first scrolling step scrolls and displays the plurality of objects in accordance with the designated position being moved, not only when the first process method is selected in the process method selection step, but also when the designated position is moved in the first direction based on an originating point corresponding to a clearance between any two objects of the plurality of objects, said any two objects being displayed adjacent to each other in the object display area.

8. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2, wherein

the object display order changing program causes the computer to further execute:

a saving determination step of determining, when detection of the designated position stops while the first object is being moved in the first object movement step, whether or not one of the first object and the designated position having been most recently detected is in a predetermined saving area;

a saving step of saving the first object in the predetermined saving area when a determination result obtained in the saving determination step is positive; and

a third scrolling step of scrolling the plurality of objects other than the first object in accordance with the designated position being moved, when the designated position is moved in the first direction based on an originating point corresponding to a point on an object, among the plurality of objects, displayed in the object display area, the object being other than the first object, while the first object is saved in the predetermined saving area.

9. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the object display order changing program causes the computer to further execute an object movement resuming step of resuming the first object movement step of moving the first object in accordance with the designated position, when the designated position is moved based on an originating point corresponding to a point on the first object while the first object is saved in the predetermined saving area.

10. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the object display order changing program causes the computer to further execute a second object insertion step of inserting the first object between any two objects of the plurality of objects, said any two objects being displayed adjacent to each other in the object display area, when a predetermined input operation is performed by using the coordinate input means while the first object is saved in the predetermined saving area.

11. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein

the computer is connected to input means including a plurality of operation switches as well as to the coordinate input means,

the object display order changing program causes the computer to further execute:

a switch operation saving step of saving, in the predetermined saving area, one of the plurality of objects displayed on the object display area, when a first operation switch, among the plurality of operation switches, is pressed;

a switch operation scrolling step of scrolling all the plurality of objects other than the object saved in the predetermined saving area, when a second operation switch, among the plurality of operation switches, is pressed while the one of the plurality of objects is saved in the predetermined saving area; and

a switch operation object insertion step of inserting the object saved in the predetermined saving area, between any two objects of the plurality of objects, said any two objects being displayed adjacent to each other on the object display area, when a third operation switch, among the plurality of operation switches, is pressed while the one of the plurality of objects is saved in the predetermined saving area.

12. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8,

wherein the object display order changing program causes the computer to further execute:

a second object movement step of moving only a second object in accordance with the designated position, when the designated position is moved in the second direction based on an originating point corresponding to a point on the second object among the plurality of objects, other than the first object, displayed on the object display area, while the first object is saved in the predetermined saving area; and

a first object interchanging step of inserting the first object between any two objects of the plurality of objects, said any two objects being displayed adjacent to each other on the object display area, when movement of the second object is started in the second object movement step.

13. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8,

wherein the object display order changing program causes the computer to further execute:

a second object movement step of moving only a second object in accordance with the designated position, when the designated position is moved in the second direction based on an originating point corresponding to a point on the second object among the plurality of objects, other than the first object, displayed on the object display area, while the first object is saved in the predetermined saving area; and

a second object interchanging step of saving the second object in the predetermined saving area and inserting the first object between any two objects of the plurality of objects, said any two objects being displayed adjacent to each other on the object display area, when detection of the designated position stops in a state where one of the second object and the designated position having been most recently detected is in the predetermined saving area after movement of the second object is started in the second object movement step.

14. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein two or more objects are able to be simultaneously saved in the predetermined saving area.

15. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14,

wherein the object display order changing program causes the computer to further execute:

a second object movement step of moving only a second object in accordance with the designated position, when the designated position is moved in the second direction based on an originating point corresponding to a point on the second object among the plurality of objects, other than a plurality of objects saved in the predetermined saving area, displayed on the object display area, while the plurality of objects are saved in the predetermined saving area; and

a third object interchanging step of saving the second object in the predetermined saving area and inserting a third object between any two objects of the plurality of objects, said any two objects being displayed adjacent to each other on the object display area, when detection of the designated position stops in a state where the second object is on the third object among the plurality of objects saved in the predetermined saving area after movement of the second object is started in the second object movement step.

16. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein, in the first object insertion step, the first object is inserted between two objects of the plurality of objects, said two objects being displayed adjacent to each other on the object display area, and being closest to the designated position having been most recently detected, when detection of the designated position stops while the first object is being moved in the first object movement step.

17. An object display order changing apparatus enabling a user to change, by using coordinate input means, a display order in which a plurality of objects are displayed on a screen, the object display order changing apparatus comprising:

display means having the screen;

the coordinate input means;

object display means for displaying a subset of the plurality of objects in an object display area on the screen in a predetermined display order;

designated position detection means for detecting for a position, in the object display area, designated by the coordinate input means, as a designated position;

process method selection means for selecting one of a first process method and a second process method, in accordance with a predetermined determination criterion, when the designated position is moved based on an originating point corresponding to a point on a first object of the subset displayed in the object display area;

first scrolling means for scrolling and displaying the plurality of objects in the object display area in accordance with the designated position being moved, when the first process method is selected by the process method selection means;

first object movement means for moving only the first object among the plurality of objects in accordance with the designated position when the second process method is selected by the process method selection means; and

first object insertion means for inserting and displaying the first object between any two objects of the plurality of objects, said any two objects being adjacent to each other, in accordance with the designated position having been most recently detected, when detection of the designated position stops while the first object is being moved by the first object movement means.

18. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein an object display order changing program for enabling a user to change, by using coordinate input means, a display order in which a plurality of objects are displayed on a screen,

the object display order changing program causing a computer to execute:

an object display step of displaying a subset of the plurality of objects in an object display area on the screen in a predetermined display order;

a designated position detection step of detecting for a position, in the object display area, designated by the coordinate input means, as a designated position;

a process method selection step of selecting one of a first process method and a second process method, in accordance with a predetermined determination criterion, when the designated position is moved based on an originating point corresponding to a point on the object display area;

a first scrolling step of scrolling and displaying the plurality of objects in the object display area in accordance with the designated position being moved, when the first process method is selected in the process method selection step;

a first object movement step of moving only a first object among the plurality of objects in accordance with the designated position when the second process method is selected in the process method selection step; and

a first object insertion step of inserting and displaying the first object between any two objects of the plurality of objects, said any two objects being adjacent to each other, in accordance with the designated position having been most recently detected, when detection of the designated position stops while the first object is being moved in the first object movement step.

19. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 18, wherein, in the process method selection step, the first process method is selected when the originating point is outside an object of the subset, and the second process method is selected when the originating point is on an object of the subset such that only the object of the subset is moved in accordance with the designated position.