IMAGE DISPLAY DEVICE, IMAGE DISPLAY METHOD AND INFORMATION RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20100085380A1
• Filed: 12/11/2007
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tsuda, Munetaka
• Granted Patent: US 8,952,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

To provide an image display device for displaying, when displaying a plurality of display targets while scrolling, the respective display targets in a manner that takes into consideration the sizes and scroll directions of the respective display targets. An image display device places a plurality of display targets on a virtual plane, instructs the size of a display area defined on a part of the virtual plane, displays an image showing a picture inside the display area, and moves at least either one of the display targets and display area along a predetermined direction set on the virtual plane, relative to the virtual plane, in which the respective display targets are placed so as to be included in an area which is a band area extending in the predetermined direction on the virtual plane, having a width corresponding to the instructed size of the display area, and partially overlapping the display area.

Claims

1. An image display device, comprising:

placing means for placing a plurality of display targets on a virtual plane;

instructing means for instructing a size of a display area defined on a part of the virtual plane;

image display means for displaying an image showing a picture inside the display area; and

moving means for moving at least either one of the respective display targets and display area along a predetermined direction defined on the virtual plane, relative to the virtual plane,

wherein

the placing means places the respective display targets so as to be included in an area which is a band area extending in the predetermined direction on the virtual plane, having a width corresponding to the size instructed by the instructing means, of the display area, and at least partially overlapping the display area.

2. The image display device according to claim 1, wherein the placing means places the respective display targets according to one placement pattern selected from among a plurality of placement patterns which respectively have different widths of the band area, according to the instructed size of the display area.

3. The image display device according to claim 2, wherein, when one placement pattern is changed to another placement pattern among the plurality of placement patterns according to an instruction to change the size of the display area, the placing means, using as a reference one display target which is determined based on a position of the display area and the respective display targets on the virtual plane when the instruction is issued, moves a display target other than the one display target according to the other placement pattern, to thereby again place the respective display targets.

4. The image display device according to claim 2, wherein

the plurality of placement patterns are respectively associated with a plurality of ranges of the size of the display area, and

the placing means places the respective display targets according to a placement pattern associated with a range which includes the instructed size of the display area, among the plurality of ranges.

5. The image display device according to claim 2, wherein

the display target is an image of a predetermined size, and

the plurality of placement patterns are placement patterns in each of which a different number of display targets are placed in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction on the virtual plane, the number being determined according to the predetermined size and the width of the band area.

6. An image display method, comprising:

a placing step of placing a plurality of display targets on a virtual plane;

an instructing step of instructing a size of a display area defined on a part of the virtual plane;

an image display step of displaying an image showing a picture inside the display area; and

a moving step of moving at least either one of the respective display targets and display area along a predetermined direction defined on the virtual plane, relative to the virtual plane,

wherein

at the placing step, the respective display targets are placed so as to be included in an area which is a band area extending in the predetermined direction on the virtual plane, having a width corresponding to the size instructed at the instructing step, of the display area, and at least partially overlapping the display area.

7. A computer readable information storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as:

placing means for placing a plurality of display targets on a virtual plane;

instructing means for instructing a size of a display area defined on a part of the virtual plane;

image display means for displaying an image showing a picture inside the display area; and

moving means for moving at least either one of the respective display targets and display area along a predetermined direction defined on the virtual plane, relative to the virtual plane, wherein

the placing means places the respective display targets so as to be included in an area which is a band area extending in the predetermined direction on the virtual plane, having a width corresponding to the size instructed by the instructing means, of the display area, and at least partially overlapping the display area.

8. An image display device comprising:

image display means for displaying an image showing at least one of a plurality of display targets;

target changing means for sequentially changing the display target shown by the image; and

restriction means for restricting, when change of a magnification ratio for the display target shown by the image is instructed, change of the display target by the target changing means according to an instructed magnification ratio.

9. The image display device according to claim 8, further comprising

placing means for placing the plurality of display targets on a virtual plane,

wherein

the image display means displays an image showing a picture inside a display area defined on a part of the virtual plane and including at least one of the plurality of display targets placed,

the target changing means moves at least either one of the respective display targets and display area along a predetermined direction defined on the virtual plane, relative to the virtual plane, to thereby change the display targets, and

the restriction means restricts movement of the respective display targets or the display area relative to the virtual plane, to thereby restrict change of the display targets.

10. The image display device according to claim 9, wherein the restriction means moves the display area or the respective display targets to a position which is determined based on a position of the display area and the respective display targets on the virtual plane at a time of receiving the instruction, and then stops movement of the display area or the respective display targets.

11. The image display device according to claim 8, wherein the restriction means, when change of the magnification ratio to a value equal to or larger than a predetermined value is instructed, restricts change of the display targets by the target changing means.

12. The image display device according to claim 11, wherein the restriction means, when change of the magnification ratio to a value smaller than the predetermined value is instructed, releases restriction of the change of the display targets.

13. An image display device, comprising:

means for displaying an image showing a picture in which a plurality of display targets sequentially move on a screen; and

means for stopping, when change of a magnification ratio for a display target shown by the image is instructed, movement of the display targets on the screen according to an instructed magnification ratio.

14. An image display method comprising:

an image display step of displaying an image showing at least one of a plurality of display targets;

a target changing step of sequentially changing the display target shown by the image; and

a restriction step of restricting, when change of a magnification ratio for the display target shown by the image is instructed, change of the display target at the target changing step according to an instructed magnification ratio.

15. A computer readable information storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as:

image display means for displaying an image showing at least one of a plurality of display targets;

target changing means for sequentially changing the display target shown by the image; and

restriction means for restricting, when change of a magnification ratio for the display target shown by the image is instructed, change of the display target by the target changing means according to an instructed magnification ratio.