Information displaying apparatus, information displaying program and storage medium

• US 7,587,680 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2005
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: OM Digital Solutions Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Wada, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore; William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): TANK, ANDREW L
• Application Number:
  US11/028,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20060107207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,708 Days
• Field of Search: 715712-716, 715/721, 715/835, 715/839, 715/723, 715/781, 715/804, 715853-855, 715/790, 846/45
• US Class Current: 715/804
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An information displaying apparatus includes a mark displaying unit which displays on a display a file mark to identify each of files stored in a file memory and a folder mark to identify a folder by which the files are grouped, a viewer generating unit which generates on the display a viewer to display one of information about the files included in the folder and information included in the files, a viewer moving unit which moves the viewer on the display in accordance with an operation of an operating member, and a preview displaying unit which displays a file mark included in the folder when the viewer overlaps the folder mark displayed on the display and displays information included in the file as an image when the viewer overlaps the file mark.

Claims

1. An information displaying apparatus including a file memory which stores files hierarchically, an information reading unit which reads file information associated with the files from the file memory, and a display which displays the information of the files read by the information reading unit, comprising:

a mark displaying unit which displays on the display a file mark to identify each of the files stored in the file memory and a folder mark to identify a folder by which the files are grouped;

a viewer generating unit which generates on the display a plurality of viewers each having a display area, wherein each of the viewers is freely movable;

a viewer moving unit which selects one of the viewers displayed on the display and moves the selected viewer freely on the display in accordance with a drag operation; and

a preview displaying unit which (A) displays in the display area of the selected viewer a file mark of a file included in the folder when the selected viewer is moved and the display area of the selected viewer overlaps the folder mark displayed on the display, (B) displays in the display area of the selected viewer the file information associated with the file when the selected viewer is moved and the display area of the selected viewer overlaps the file mark, (C) displays in a display area of the selected viewer, a file mark of a file included in a second folder mark which has already been displayed in the display area of a second viewer when the selected viewer is moved and the display area of the selected viewer overlaps the second folder mark, and (D) displays in the display area of the selected viewer information associated with a file corresponding to a second file mark displayed in the second viewer when the selected viewer is moved and the display area of the selected viewer overlaps the second file mark displayed in the display area of the second viewer.

2. The information displaying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the folder mark is at least one of graphics representing a folder and a character representing the folder and the file mark is at least one of graphics representing a file and a character representing a name of the file.

3. The information displaying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the information associated with the files included in the folder is one of an icon representing the file and a name of the file.

4. The information displaying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information associated with the files included in the folder is one of an icon representing the file and a name of the file.

5. The information displaying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display area displays a reduced image of an image associated with the file when the file is an image file, an image representing a waveform of sound associated with the file when the file is a sound file, and music representing scales associated with the file when the file is a musical performance file including musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) data.

6. The information displaying apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the viewer plays back at least one of a movie, sound and musical performance information.

7. The information displaying apparatus according to claim 6, wherein when the information associated with the file is one of the movie, sound and musical performance information, an icon of the file has a shape to show a lapse of time, and the viewer moves along the shape of the icon while playing back the information.

8. The information displaying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the viewer varies in size and displays information on a plurality of files simultaneously.

9. The information displaying apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the viewer moving unit includes a user-controllable component used to select and drag the viewer within the display in accordance with a user'"'"'s input.

10. A recording medium that records an information displaying program of an information displaying apparatus including a file memory which stores files hierarchically and a display which displays information associated with the files stored in the file memory, the information displaying program of the recording medium causing a computer to perform:

a mark displaying process of displaying on the display a file mark to identify each of the files stored in the file memory and a folder mark to identify a folder by which the files are grouped;

a viewer generating process of generating on the display a plurality of viewers each having a display area, wherein each of the viewers is freely movable;

a viewer moving process of selecting one of the viewers displayed on the display and moving the selected viewer freely on the display in accordance with a drag operation; and

a preview displaying process of (A) displaying in the display area of the selected viewer a file mark of a file included in the folder when the selected viewer is moved and the display area of the selected viewer overlaps the folder mark displayed on the display, (B) displaying in the display area of the selected viewer the file information associated with the file within the viewer when the selected viewer is moved and the display area of the selected viewer overlaps the file mark displayed on the display, (C) displaying in a display area of the selected viewer, a file mark of a file included in a second folder mark which has already been displayed in the display area of a second viewer when the selected viewer is moved and the display area of the selected viewer overlaps the second folder mark, and (D) displaying in the display area of the selected viewer information associated with a file corresponding to a second file mark displayed in the second viewer when the selected viewer is moved and the display area of the selected viewer overlaps the second file mark displayed in the display area of the second viewer.

11. The recording medium according to claim 10, wherein the folder mark is at least one of graphics representing a folder and a character representing the folder and the file mark is at least one of graphics representing a file and a character representing a name of the file.

12. The recording medium according to claim 11, wherein the information associated with the files included in the folder is one of an icon representing the file and a name of the file.

13. The recording medium according to claim 10, wherein the information about the files associated with the folder is one of an icon representing the file and a name of the file,

14. The recording medium according to claim 10, wherein the display area displays a reduced image of an image associated with the file when the file is an image file, an image representing a waveform of sound associated with the file when the file is a sound file, and music representing scales associated with the file when the file is a musical performance file including musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) data.

15. The recording medium according to claim 14, wherein the viewer plays back at least one of a movie, sound and musical performance information.

16. The recording medium according to claim 15, wherein when the information associated with the file is one of the movie, sound and musical performance information, an icon of the file has a shape to show a lapse of time, and the viewer moves along the shape of the icon while playing back the information.

17. The recording medium according to claim 10, wherein the viewer varies in size and displays information on a plurality of files simultaneously.

18. The recording medium according to claim 10, wherein the viewer moving process of moving the view on the display includes selecting and dragging the viewer within the display in accordance with a user'"'"'s input.