Information processing device, program, and display control method

Abstract

To reduce a decrease in the degree of freedom of arrangement compared with a screen where thumbnails are aligned in reduction display.SOLUTION: An information processing apparatus comprises a processor, and the processor arranges documents 510-560 to be reduced and displayed to determine a thumbnail group to which the documents 510-560 belong, and performs reduction display in a mode in which the documents 510-560 belonging to the thumbnail group and other documents 610-630 than the documents 510-560 are arranged to approach each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a program, and Display control a method. [[Background Art]]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a document information management apparatus comprising: a storage unit that stores document information, first storage destination information for storing the document information and storing first position information including arrangement positions of reference images of the stored document information, and second storage destination information for storing the document information and storing second position information including arrangement positions of reference images of the stored document information; first display means for displaying, based on the first position information, a reference image of the document information stored in the first storage destination in a first display window; second display means that, when the reference image of the document information displayed in the first display window is selected and moved, and if the second storage destination is designated as a movement destination, creates a second display window and displays, based on the second position information, a reference image of the document information stored in the second storage destination; and storage means that, when the reference image of the selected document information is designated to be moved to an arrangement position in the second display window, changes the storage destination of the selected document information to the second storage destination, updates the second position information based on the arrangement position of the reference image of the document information moved onto the second display window, and stores the updated second position information in the storage unit. [[Prior Art Documents]] [[Patent Documents]]

[0003] [[Patent Document 1]] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-151348 [[Summary of the Invention]] [[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]]

[0004] In this case, when displaying a list of thumbnails in an arbitrary arrangement, attempting to zoom out to get an overview of the entire display can result in the thumbnails becoming too small, reducing their visibility, depending on their placement. On the other hand, arranging the thumbnails to eliminate unnecessary space may compromise the arbitrariness or flexibility of their placement. The objective of this invention is to suppress the reduction in the degree of freedom in arrangement compared to systems that align thumbnails when displayed in a reduced size. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The invention described in claim 1 is an information processing device comprising a processor, wherein when a first operation is performed by a user, the processor displays a plurality of thumbnails located in a first workspace that includes a first area, among a plurality of thumbnails located in a first workspace that includes a second area, when a second operation is performed by a user, the processor displays a plurality of thumbnails located in a second workspace that includes a second area, among a plurality of thumbnails located in a second workspace that includes a second area, and when the plurality of thumbnails in the first area are displayed, the processor groups the plurality of thumbnails in the second area into a plurality of thumbnail groups based on their respective positions in the second workspace, calculates and obtains a display position in which the plurality of thumbnail groups grouped in response to the third operation are closer to each other than the display in response to the second operation, and displays the plurality of thumbnails in the second area in a reduced display at the obtained display position. The invention described in claim 2 is an information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the reduced display maintains the distance between thumbnails belonging to the thumbnail group. The invention described in claim 3 is an information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the reduced display reduces the distance between the thumbnails belonging to the thumbnail group while maintaining their relative positions. The invention described in claim 4 is an information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the reduced display is displayed in a manner that makes each of the plurality of thumbnail groups distinguishable. The invention described in claim 5 is an information processing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the distinguishing aspect is to add an image that overlaps with at least a portion of the thumbnails belonging to the thumbnail group. The invention described in claim 6 is an information processing device according to claim 5, characterized in that the overlapping images are different for each group of thumbnails. The invention described in claim 7 is an information processing device according to claim 6, characterized in that each of the thumbnail groups is assigned a different color. The invention described in claim 8 is an information processing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the embodiment of making distinguishable is the addition of a common image to the thumbnails belonging to the thumbnail group. The invention described in claim 9 is an information processing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the addition of a common image to the thumbnails is the addition of a different color to each group of thumbnails. The invention described in claim 10 is an information processing device according to claim 8, characterized in that the addition of a common image to the thumbnails belonging to the thumbnail group is an image added to the thumbnail that is different for each thumbnail group. The invention described in claim 11 is a program for an information processing device that, when a user performs a first operation, displays a plurality of thumbnails located in a first workspace that includes a first area, among a plurality of thumbnails located in the first workspace that includes a first area; when a user performs a second operation, displays a plurality of thumbnails located in a second workspace that includes a second area, among a plurality of thumbnails located in the second workspace that includes a second area; when the plurality of thumbnails in the first area are displayed, a user performs a third operation, a function that groups the plurality of thumbnails in the second area into a plurality of thumbnail groups based on their respective positions in the second workspace; and a function that calculates and obtains a display position in which the plurality of thumbnail groups grouped in response to the third operation are closer to each other than the display in response to the second operation, and displays the plurality of thumbnails in the second area in a reduced display at the obtained display position. The invention described in claim 12 is, A display control method performed by a processor in an information processing device, When the user performs a first operation, multiple thumbnails located in the first workspace, which includes the first area, are displayed. When the user performs a second operation, multiple thumbnails located in the second workspace, which includes the second area, are displayed. Control Step A, when the user performs a third operation while the plurality of thumbnails in the first area are displayed, the plurality of thumbnails in the second area are grouped into a plurality of thumbnail groups based on their respective positions in the second workspace. Control Step 1: The system calculates and obtains a display position in which the grouped thumbnails, according to the third operation, are closer to each other than the display corresponding to the second operation, and then performs a reduced display of the thumbnails in the second region at the obtained display position. Control A step comprising Display control It is a method. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to claim 1, compared to systems that align thumbnails when displaying in a reduced size, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the degree of freedom of placement. 。 Claim 2 According to Thumbnail view Thumbnail group In the thumbnail group Distance between thumbnails but maintain So Compared to cases where this feature is not used, it can suppress the reduction in the degree of freedom in placement. Claim 3 According to Thumbnail view Thumbnail group In the thumbnail group The distance between thumbnails decreases while maintaining their relative positions. It Compared to cases where the predetermined area is narrow, it can also accommodate situations where the area is narrower. 。 Claim 4 According to the information, the reduced display is multiple Thumbnail group Make each of them distinguishableCompared with a case where display is not performed in this mode, it is possible to more easily grasp the thumbnail group to which the reduced-display thumbnail belongs. Claim 5 According to Make it distinguishable , when the mode does not add at least a part of said thumbnails belonging to a thumbnail group The overlapping image , compared with such a case, it is possible to more easily grasp the thumbnail group to which the reduced-display thumbnail belongs. Claim 6 According to Overlapping images for each thumbnail group different , compared with a case that is not configured to, it is possible to more easily grasp the thumbnail group to which the reduced-display thumbnail belongs. Claim 7 According to, compared with a case where different colors are not provided for each thumbnail group, it is possible to more easily grasp the thumbnail group to which the reduced-display thumbnail belongs. Claim 8 According to Make it distinguishable , when the mode does not add to said thumbnails belonging to a thumbnail group Common images , compared with a case that is not such an addition, it is possible to more easily grasp the thumbnail group to which the reduced-display thumbnail belongs. Claim 9 According to, when adding to the thumbnail Common images is not the addition of a different color for each thumbnail group, compared with such a case, it is possible to more easily grasp the thumbnail group to which the reduced-display thumbnail belongs. Claim 10 According to Belonging to the thumbnail group , adding to said thumbnail Common images is The icon that is added to the thumbnail in question. , compared with a case that is not the addition of a different icon for each corresponding thumbnail group, it is possible to more easily grasp the thumbnail group to which the reduced-display thumbnail belongs. Claim 11 According to, compared with a configuration in which thumbnails are aligned during reduced display, a reduction in the degree of freedom in layout can be suppressed. Claim 12 According to, compared with a configuration in which thumbnails are aligned during reduced display, a reduction in the degree of freedom in layout can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the overall configuration of an information processing system to which this embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of the hardware configuration of an image display device to which this embodiment is applied. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example configuration of an image display device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the configuration of the operation screen displayed on the display unit. [Figure 5] This is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an image display device. [Figure 6] This is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an image display device. [Figure 7] This diagram illustrates the operation screen of an image display device; (a) shows the operation screen of an image display device, and (b) shows the operation screen of another image display device. [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates the operation screen of another image display device, where (a) shows the mouseover state and (b) shows the first aspect of the overview display. [Figure 9] This diagram illustrates the operation screen of another image display device, where (a) shows a second mode of overview display and (b) shows a third mode of overview display. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing by the summary display processing unit, relating to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] This diagram shows a workspace for providing additional explanations of the flowchart; (a) is a diagram illustrating step 102, and (b) is a diagram illustrating steps 104 and 106. [Figure 12] This diagram shows a workspace for providing additional explanations of the flowchart; (a) is a diagram explaining steps 107-108, and (b) is a diagram explaining steps 109-111. [Figure 13] This diagram shows a workspace for providing additional explanations of the flowchart, with (a) and (b) illustrating step 112. [Figure 14] This diagram shows a workspace for providing additional explanations of the flowchart, with (a) and (b) illustrating step 114. [Figure 15] This diagram illustrates the information stored in the non-volatile memory of an image display device, with (a) showing work area information and (b) showing document information. [Figure 16] This figure shows an example configuration of an image display device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 17] This diagram illustrates the operation screen of an image display device; (a) shows the operation screen of an image display device, and (b) shows the operation screen of another image display device. [Figure 18] This diagram illustrates the operation screen of another image display device, where (a) shows the mouseover state and (b) shows the first aspect of the overview display. [Figure 19] This is a flowchart illustrating a processing example by the summary display processing unit, relating to a second embodiment. [Figure 20] This diagram shows a workspace for providing additional explanations of the flowchart; (a) illustrates steps 202 and 206, and (b) illustrates steps 204 and 209. [Figure 21] This diagram shows a workspace for providing additional explanations of the flowchart; (a) is a diagram explaining steps 210-211, and (b) is a diagram explaining steps 212-214. [Figure 22] This diagram illustrates object information stored in the non-volatile memory of an image display device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the information processing system 1 to which this embodiment is applied. The information processing system 1 according to this embodiment is configured such that image display devices 1a and 1b, etc., used by the user to view files, are connected via a communication line NW. The communication line NW is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet, and is used for information communication between the image display device 1a and the image display device 1b. However, the network may also be a hybrid configuration of LAN and the Internet. In this embodiment, the information processing system 1 is configured to view and edit files using image display devices 1a and 1b. Image display devices 1a and 1b are examples of information processing devices.

[0009] In this embodiment, "file" refers to an electronic file stored in the image display devices 1a, 1b, etc. This file may contain images in addition to text, or it may consist only of images without any text. Furthermore, the file may contain not only document data and image data, but also information used when converting document data to images, as well as attribute information such as the file's modification date and time, paper size, number of pages, and keywords within the file.

[0010] Image display devices 1a and 1b are devices for viewing and editing files. Each image display device 1a and 1b has a display unit that displays images corresponding to files. Each image display device 1a and 1b is equipped with a computer. Examples of image display devices 1a and 1b include desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, smartphones, and game consoles.

[0011] [Hardware configuration of image display devices 1a and 1b] Figure 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of image display devices 1a and 1b to which this embodiment is applied. As shown in Figure 2, the image display devices 1a and 1b according to this embodiment include an arithmetic processing unit 10 that performs digital arithmetic processing according to a predetermined processing program when displaying on the screen, an input unit 20 that receives input operations from the user, and a secondary storage unit 30 that is implemented by an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). Furthermore, the image display devices 1a and 1b include a display unit 40 consisting of a liquid crystal display panel or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display panel that displays images, text information, etc. to the user, and a communication unit 50 that transmits and receives data via a network.

[0012] The arithmetic processing unit 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 that controls the entire device as an example of a processor, RAM (Random Access Memory) 12 used as working memory for the CPU 11, and ROM (Read Only Memory) 13 that stores image display processing programs executed by the CPU 11. The arithmetic processing unit 10 also includes a rewritable non-volatile memory 14 such as SRAM (Static RAM) or flash memory backed up by a battery that can retain data even if the power supply is interrupted, and an interface unit 15 that controls various parts such as the input unit 20 connected to the arithmetic processing unit 10. The non-volatile memory 14 stores documents and image information such as thumbnail information displayed on the display unit 40.

[0013] The input unit 20 is a device such as a pointing device that allows the user to input operations. For example, if the input unit 20 is a mouse or the like, the user can specify the position of the display unit 40 on the screen or the displayed image by moving the cursor or clicking. Furthermore, if the input unit 20 is a touch panel or the like, the user can specify a position on the screen or a displayed image by touching the touch panel with their finger or other object, or by maintaining this contact for a longer period than predetermined. In this case, the input unit 20 is provided as an integral part of the display unit 40. In addition to the pointing device and other devices described above, the input unit 20 may also include a keyboard or the like for key input operations.

[0014] In addition, the secondary storage unit 30 stores image data and other data, as well as an image display processing program executed by the arithmetic processing unit 10. The arithmetic processing unit 10 reads this image display processing program, thereby executing the respective processes of the image display devices 1a and 1b in this embodiment.

[0015] The display unit 40 displays, for example, office documents created by office software or other application programs, and uses thumbnail information, which is highly convenient for managing multiple application files, image files, etc.

[0016] Thumbnail information refers to reduced-size images used to display files in a list, allowing users to get a general idea of ​​the file's contents without opening it. If such a file consists of multiple pages, it may be displayed in a reduced-size view that allows the user to roughly grasp the contents of only the first page or a representative page, or in a reduced-size view that separates all pages so that each page can be distinguished and roughly grasped. Furthermore, the thumbnail image may be displayed in a way that allows the user to enlarge it on the display unit 40 without opening the file. Images in this manner are sometimes called "enlarged thumbnail images," and the act of displaying enlarged thumbnail images is sometimes called "enlarged display." The file may consist of a single page or a set of multiple pages.

[0017] Here, the program executed by the CPU 11 is provided to the arithmetic processing unit 10 while stored on a computer-readable recording medium such as a magnetic recording medium (e.g., magnetic tape, magnetic disk, etc.), an optical recording medium (e.g., optical disk, etc.), a magneto-optical recording medium, or a semiconductor memory. Alternatively, the program executed by the CPU 11 may be downloaded to the image display devices 1a and 1b using a communication means such as the Internet.

[0018] Note that the term "processor" refers to a broad category of processors, including general-purpose processors such as CPUs, as well as specialized processors such as GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), and programmable logic devices. Furthermore, the operation of a processor may not be performed solely by a single processor, but may also be performed collaboratively by multiple processors located in physically separate locations. The order of each processor operation is not limited to the order described and may be changed.

[0019] Furthermore, the image display devices 1a and 1b may be connected to other devices via a network. This allows documents created on other devices and transferred via the network to be displayed on the image display devices 1a and 1b. For example, if a certain task consists of multiple documents, such as development specifications and work orders, these multiple documents will be displayed on the image display devices 1a and 1b. Additionally, the process of circulating each page to different relevant departments and finally compiling them into a single document can be performed on the image display devices 1a and 1b, and further tasks such as approvals can also be carried out. Such networks use a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet, but a hybrid configuration combining a LAN and the Internet is also acceptable.

[0020] [First Embodiment] Next, the image display devices 1a and 1b according to the first embodiment will be described. Figure 3 shows an example configuration of image display devices 1a and 1b according to the first embodiment. As shown in the figure, the display unit 40a of the image display device 1a and the display unit 40b of the image display device 1b (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the display unit 40) are configured with workspaces 41a and 41b (hereinafter sometimes referred to as workspace 41) as personal workspaces. Workspace 41 is implemented by file handling software using RAM 12 (see Figure 2).

[0021] Workspace 41 displays thumbnail information associated with a document at any given coordinate position. Workspace 41 is also the user's workspace where they can move the coordinate position of the thumbnail information and perform tasks such as previewing, copying, and deleting documents. The term "document" here refers to the actual document (the original content data). As mentioned above, workspace 41 displays thumbnail information associated with the document, but the terms "thumbnail" or "document" may be used instead of "thumbnail information" in this explanation.

[0022] The work areas 42 and 43 located in workspace 41 are workspaces where users can work on documents that have been moved from an inbox (not shown) using drag-and-drop or batch extraction operations with a mouse. In the example shown in Figure 3, documents 1-1 and 1-2 are saved as thumbnail information in work area 42, and documents 2-1 and 2-2 are saved in work area 43. The inbox (not shown in the illustration) has the function of receiving multiple documents from any other user and is a storage area where documents received from other users can be temporarily stored.

[0023] Furthermore, a work area management unit 14a is configured in the database, which serves as the non-volatile memory 14 of the image display devices 1a and 1b. The work area management unit 14a contains work area information such as a work area ID and a work area name (see, for example, reference numeral 14c in Figure 15(a)).

[0024] Furthermore, the database is configured with a document information management unit 14b. The document information management unit 14b has the function of managing document information (see, for example, reference numeral 14d in Figure 15(b)), which is attribute information attached to the actual document. Attribute information includes, for example, document ID, document name, coordinate position on workspace 41 (X coordinate value, Y coordinate value), as well as creator ID, document type, case number, etc.

[0025] Figure 4 shows an example of the configuration of the operation screen 400b displayed on the display unit 40b. The display unit 40b is provided by the image display device 1b (see Figure 1) and displays the operation screen 400b illustrated in the same figure. The operation screen 400b is the workspace 41b on the file handling software. File handling software is software that digitizes and manages files such as image data and document data, and has the function of promoting unified management of paper and electronic files.

[0026] The operation screen 400b displays the workspace list display section 410b and the workspace display section 420b. The workspace list display section 410b of the operation screen 400b displays a list of workspaces accessible to the logged-in user. In the example shown in Figure 4, the workspace list display section 410b displays items 411 indicating "workspace1" and 412 indicating "workspace2" as workspaces. "workspace1" is the workspace of the image display device 1a, and "workspace2" is the workspace of the image display device 1b. The state shown in Figure 4 is when item 412, indicated by hatching, is selected, and documents 500, 600, and 700, indicated by dashed lines, are displayed in "workspace2". Note that documents 500, 600, and 700, indicated by dashed lines, indicate the placement of thumbnail information, but they may also represent user areas, which are areas set for each user where multiple documents that the user edits are placed.

[0027] For example, selecting item 411 with the mouse will display an image or similar prompt to confirm whether to switch to "workspace1," and performing the appropriate action will switch the workspace display unit 420b to display thumbnail information for "workspace1." Similarly, selecting item 412 with the mouse will display an image or similar prompt to confirm whether to switch to "workspace2," and performing the appropriate action will switch the workspace display unit 420b to display thumbnail information for "workspace2."

[0028] To further explain, in this embodiment, for example, when item 412 is selected, if a user operation such as mouseover over item 411 is detected, an overview display of "workspace1" is added to the workspace display unit 420b without launching a new program. Details will be described later.

[0029] Here, documents 500, 600, and 700, which serve as thumbnail information, are placed at arbitrary locations (coordinates) within "workspace2," indicating that "workspace2" is being used as a shared workspace (work area). To explain further, documents 500, 600, and 700 are arranged in a way that allows for visual distinction based on the user. In other words, in "workspace2," the workspace is organized into areas for document 500, document 600, and document 700. For example, the area for document 500 is the user area (workspace) for user A, the area for document 600 is the user area (workspace) for user B, and the area for document 700 (workspace) is the user area for user C.

[0030] Documents 500, 600, and 700, which serve as thumbnail information, are images that allow users to grasp an overview of a document or file before opening it, and are therefore displayed. Furthermore, for files managed by file handling software, documents 500, 600, and 700 are images that help users understand the contents, displaying information that facilitates their work. In this embodiment, documents 500, 600, and 700 function as icons for opening the corresponding documents. For example, the corresponding document is opened by performing a specific operation, such as a double-click, on documents 500, 600, or 700.

[0031] [Functional configuration of image display devices 1a and 1b] Next, the functional configurations of the image display devices 1a and 1b will be described. Figures 5 and 6 are block diagrams showing examples of the functional configurations of image display devices 1a and 1b. As shown in Figure 5, the image display devices 1a and 1b include an extraction processing unit 101, a display control unit 102, an overview display processing unit 103, a thumbnail information generation unit 104, and a thumbnail information storage unit 105, all of which are implemented in the arithmetic processing unit 10 (see Figure 1).

[0032] The retrieval processing unit 101 performs document retrieval processing from the inbox (not shown). Specifically, the retrieval processing unit 101 moves the document as thumbnail information to, for example, the workspace display unit 420b (see Figure 4), and at that time determines the coordinate position of the workspace display unit 420b where the document as thumbnail information is placed.

[0033] The display control unit 102 places thumbnail information on the workspace display unit 420b based on the coordinate positions determined by the retrieval processing unit 101. When used as a shared workspace, the display control unit 102 may also automatically arrange the thumbnail information in a predetermined area for each user.

[0034] To explain further, the overview display processing unit 103 shown in Figure 5 comprises, as shown in Figure 6, an acquisition unit 3a, a document grouping unit 3b, a calculation unit 3c, a group document movement information holding unit 3d, and an inter-group movement information holding unit 3e.

[0035] The acquisition unit 3a acquires the aforementioned work area information held by the work area management unit 14a (see Figure 3) of the non-volatile memory 14, and the aforementioned document information held by the document information management unit 14b (see the same figure). The acquisition unit 3a also detects when an operation to instruct the display of an overview (overview display operation) has been performed.

[0036] The document grouping unit 3b groups multiple documents in workspaces 41a and 41b based on their location information. For example, when workspaces 41a and 41b are used as a shared workspace, the grouping distinguishes documents for each user.

[0037] The calculation unit 3c uses the information acquired by the acquisition unit 3a and the grouping results from the document grouping unit 3b to calculate the representative point of each group, the radius of a virtual circle encompassing the documents of each group, and so on.

[0038] The group document movement information storage unit 3d stores movement information for each group grouped by the document grouping unit 3b, when each document within a group moves in conjunction with the overview display. This group document movement information is calculated by the calculation unit 3c described above.

[0039] The inter-group movement information storage unit 3e stores movement information when each group moves in conjunction with the summary display, using the groups grouped by the document grouping unit 3b as the unit. This inter-group movement information is calculated by the calculation unit 3c described above.

[0040] Here, the summary display described above will be explained using Figures 7 to 9. Specifically, the cases in which the summary display is shown will be explained using Figures 7(a), 7(b), and 8(a), and the first form of the summary display shown in Figure 8(b), the second form of the summary display shown in Figure 9(a), and the third form of the summary display shown in Figure 9(b) will be explained. The following explanation applies when a document is displayed as thumbnail information on the operation screen 400a of the image display device 1a, and a summary of the document on the operation screen 400b of the image display device 1b is displayed on the operation screen 400a.

[0041] Figure 7 illustrates the operation screens 400a and 400b of the image display devices 1a and 1b, with Figure 7(a) showing the operation screen 400a of the image display device 1a and Figure 7(b) showing the operation screen 400b of the image display device 1b. Figure 8 also illustrates the operation screen 400a of the image display device 1a, with (a) showing the mouseover state and (b) showing the first mode of overview display. Note that the operation screen 400a shown in Figures 7(a) and 8(a) and (b) is for "workspace1" as indicated in the upper left corner, and the operation screen 400b shown in Figure 7(b) is for "workspace2" as indicated in the upper left corner.

[0042] The operation screen 400a shown in Figure 7(a) shows the workspace 41a of the image display device 1a (see Figure 1), and in the workspace display unit 420a, the document 810 labeled "D-1" and the document 820 labeled "D-2" are placed in the area of ​​document 800 in the upper right corner.

[0043] To further explain, the area slightly to the left of the center of workspace 41a is an empty area where no documents are placed. This empty area is used to display the summary display unit 4, which will be described later. For example, if the area of ​​document 800 is in the center of workspace display unit 420a, the area of ​​document 800 may be displayed in the upper right corner, for example, when the summary display unit 4 is displayed.

[0044] The operation screen 400b shown in Figure 7(b) shows the workspace 41b of the image display device 1b (see Figure 1). In the workspace display unit 420b, the document 500 in the upper left corner contains the documents "A-1" 510, "A-2" 520, "A-3" 530, "A-4" 540, "A-5" 550, and "A-6" 560. Furthermore, in the workspace display section 420b, the area for document 600 located to the right contains document 610 labeled "B-1", document 620 labeled "B-2", and document 630 labeled "B-3", while the area for document 700 located towards the bottom center contains document 710 labeled "C-1", document 720 labeled "C-2", and document 730 labeled "C-3".

[0045] The areas for document 500, document 600, and document 700 are located far apart from each other, and the distance between them is greater than the distance between documents 510, etc., within each of the document 500, 600, and 700 areas, so that each document 510, etc., is neatly organized within the workspace display unit 420b.

[0046] To explain further, in the workspace display unit 420b shown in Figure 7(b), a slider bar is displayed on the right side, showing a portion of workspace 41b. Specifically, the areas for document 500 and document 600 are fully displayed, but the area for document 700 is not fully displayed. More precisely, only the upper part of the area for document 700, i.e., document 710, is displayed, while the remaining part, i.e., documents 720 and 730, is not displayed in the workspace display unit 420b. Documents 720 and 730 will be displayed in the workspace display unit 420b by moving the slider bar downwards.

[0047] In Figure 7(a), the workspace list display unit 410a shows item 411 selected, and in Figure 7(b), the workspace list display unit 410b shows item 412 selected.

[0048] Then, as shown in Figure 8(a), when the cursor 44a is placed over item 412 in the workspace list display unit 410a on the operation screen 400a, the summary display unit 4 is displayed in the workspace 41a, as shown in Figure 8(b). This summary display unit 4 is arranged to fit within the workspace display unit 420a together with the document 810 of "D-1" and the document 820 of "D-2".

[0049] Furthermore, when cursor 44a moves away from item 412 and mouseover ceases, the summary display section 4 disappears. However, it is also conceivable that the summary display section 4 remains displayed even after mouseover ceases, until a predetermined operation is performed.

[0050] The manner in which the summary is displayed as described above will now be explained. As the first mode of the overview display, the overview display unit 4 shown in Figure 8(b) displays the entire workspace 41a shown in Figure 7(a). In other words, the overview display unit 4 displays everything, including documents 720 and 730 which are not visible unless the slider bar is moved, so that the entire workspace can be viewed at a glance.

[0051] To explain further, the areas for document 500, document 600, and document 700 are arranged so that they are close to each other. In other words, each area is positioned to be close to the others. In this way, the positions of each area are adjusted so that they are displayed efficiently. At the same time, the relative positions of documents 510-560 in the area of ​​document 500 are maintained, the relative positions of documents 610-630 in the area of ​​document 600 are maintained, and the relative positions of documents 710-730 in the area of ​​document 700 are maintained. In this way, the overall readability of the summary display unit 4 is enhanced. Furthermore, if, for example, the relative positional relationship between documents 510-560 within the area of ​​document 500 is maintained, the distance between documents 510-560 may be kept unchanged, or the distance may be reduced.

[0052] Furthermore, the size of documents 510, etc., in the summary display unit 4 is the same as in the case of workspace 41b shown in Figure 7(b). Even when the size of documents 510, etc., in the summary display unit 4 is reduced compared to the case of workspace 41b, the reduction rate is suppressed to prevent it from becoming too small.

[0053] Furthermore, in the first embodiment shown in Figure 8(b), the overview display unit 4 displays an image CA of a circular area indicating the area of ​​document 500, an image CB of a circular area indicating the area of ​​document 600, and an image CC of a circular area indicating the area of ​​document 700. These images CA, CB, and CC are not displayed in the workspace 41b shown in Figure 7(b), making it easier to recognize which area multiple documents 510 etc. belong to, thereby improving the visibility of the overview display unit 4.

[0054] Furthermore, in the first embodiment shown in Figure 8(b), the sizes of the circular images CA, CB, and CC are such that at least a portion of the document is contained within the circles. This ensures readability. Alternatively, the entire document may be contained within the circles. In addition, the size of image CA is larger than images CB and CC. This is because the size was determined according to the number of documents it contains. However, if the documents are relatively far apart, a large circular shape may be used even if there are few documents. It is also possible to use shapes other than circles for images CA, CB, and CC, such as elliptical or rectangular shapes.

[0055] Furthermore, in the first embodiment shown in Figure 8(b), images CA, CB, and CC are shown only by outlines, but the representation is not limited to this, and the inside of the circles may be colored. In that case, it is preferable to set the relative position in the vertical direction of the paper so that documents 510-560 are displayed preferentially over images CA, CB, and CC. Also, when coloring the inside of the circles of images CA, CB, and CC, they may be the same color, or they may be different colors.

[0056] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the operation screen 400a of the image display device 1a, where (a) shows a second mode of overview display and (b) shows a third mode of overview display. As a second aspect of the summary display, the summary display section 4 shown in Figure 9(a) changes the line type of the outlines of documents 510-560 located within the area of ​​document 500, documents 610-630 located within the area of ​​document 600, and documents 710-730 located within the area of ​​document 700. Specifically, documents 510-560 are shown with solid lines, documents 610-630 with dashed lines, and documents 710-730 with dotted lines.

[0057] The second embodiment involves changing the way the thumbnails representing the documents are displayed. For example, this could involve changing the line type of the thumbnail outline, or changing the color of the outline. As an example, the outlines of documents 510-560 are shown in blue, the outlines of documents 610-630 are shown in purple, and the outlines of documents 710-730 are shown in green. Thus, the second embodiment, in that it does not add another image, can improve visibility compared to the first embodiment (Figure 8(b)) which uses circular images CA, CB, and CC, when there are many documents.

[0058] The document arrangement in the summary display section 4 of the second embodiment is the same as in the first embodiment described above, and its explanation, including variations, is omitted.

[0059] As a third aspect of the summary display, the summary display unit 4 shown in Figure 9(b) has icons AA attached to documents 510-560 located within the area of ​​document 500, icons AB attached to documents 610-630 located within the area of ​​document 600, and icons AC attached to documents 710-730 located within the area of ​​document 700. Icons AA, AB, and AC have different shapes; icon AA is circular, icon AB is triangular, and icon AC is square.

[0060] Thus, the third embodiment, in that it does not add another image, can improve visibility when there are many documents compared to the first embodiment (Figure 8(b)) which uses circular images CA, CB, and CC. Furthermore, the third embodiment can improve visibility compared to the second embodiment, which distinguishes documents by their frames by adding another image to each document.

[0061] In the third embodiment, the icons AA, AB, and AC are positioned in the upper right corner of the document, but this is just one example; they could be in other corners, or, for example, in the center of the top edge. Furthermore, filling in the inside of icons AA, AB, and AC improves their visibility.

[0062] The document arrangement in the summary display section 4 of the third embodiment is the same as in the first embodiment described above, and its explanation, including variations, is omitted.

[0063] Furthermore, a combination of multiple of the first, second, and third embodiments described above may be applied to the summary display unit 4. For example, one could combine the addition of images CA, CB, and CC from the first embodiment (see Figure 8(b)) with the display change of thumbnails from the second embodiment (see Figure 9(a)), or combine the display change of thumbnails from the second embodiment (see Figure 9(a)) with the addition of icons AA, AB, and AC from the third embodiment (see Figure 9(b)).

[0064] Here, in the summary display section 4 (see Figures 8(b), 9(a), and 9(b)), for example, documents 510 to 560 are displayed in a manner that indicates group A to which documents 510 to 560 belong. This display is an example of a display that indicates the group of thumbnails to which the thumbnails belong.

[0065] In such a case, the image CA (see Figure 8(b)) added to the summary display unit 4 is an example of an area that includes at least a portion of documents 510 to 560 belonging to group A, and at least a portion of thumbnails belonging to the thumbnail group. Furthermore, image CA for group A, image CB for group B, and image CC for group C can be distinguished for each of groups A, B, and C by applying colors or patterns, and images CA, CB, and CC are examples of areas to be added. Images CA, CB, and CC may be colored differently for each of groups A, B, and C.

[0066] In addition, in such cases, documents 510-560 belonging to group A, documents 610-630 belonging to group B, and documents 710-730 belonging to group C are marked with an indication of which group they belong to. The method of changing the display method of the document thumbnails (see Figure 9(a)) is an example of marking thumbnails belonging to thumbnail groups, and is an example of marking different colors for each thumbnail group. The method of marking icons AA, AB, and AC (see Figure 9(b)) is also an example of marking thumbnails belonging to thumbnail groups, and is an example of marking different icons for each thumbnail group.

[0067] [Processing example based on the functional configuration of image display devices 1a and 1b] Next, we will explain an example of processing using the functional configuration of the image display devices 1a and 1b (see Figures 5 and 6) with reference to Figure 10. Specifically, we will explain an example of processing by the overview display processing unit 103. Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating a first embodiment showing an example of processing by the summary display processing unit 103. The following explanation will refer to Figures 7 to 8 and others that illustrate the summary display described above. For example, when workspace 41a is displayed on the operation screen 400a (see Figure 9(a)), if an overview display operation for another workspace 41b, such as a mouseover over item 412 (see Figure 8(a)), is detected (step 101), the acquisition unit 3a (see Figure 6) acquires the coordinate positions of all documents 510-560, 610-630, and 710-730 (see Figure 8(b)) that exist in the other workspace 41b (step 102).

[0068] The summary display processing unit 103 executes processing triggered by a mouseover as an operation to display the summary. However, the summary display operation is not limited to a mouseover; a button that instructs the user to display the summary may be placed in the workspace 41a, and clicking this button may also be used as a trigger for processing by the summary display processing unit 103.

[0069] Using the acquired coordinate positions, the calculation unit 3c (see Figure 6) calculates a representative point for the coordinate positions (positions in orthogonal coordinates of the X and Y axes) of all documents (step 103). Examples of representative points for documents include the center position of the document or the upper left corner of the document.

[0070] The document grouping unit 3b (see the same figure) performs non-hierarchical clustering based on the representative points of all calculated documents to group all documents (step 104). In other words, it performs non-hierarchical cluster analysis using the "X-means method" (an improved version of the k-means method) with the representative points of all documents as the population. Classification is performed automatically without specifying the number of clusters in advance. This classifies the representative points of each document into N cluster groups.

[0071] Next, groups are set for each document (Step 105). In other words, the group information classified for each document is linked based on the cluster analysis results using the "X-means method".

[0072] Then, the calculation unit 3c (see Figure 6) extracts representative points or centroid points for each group (see symbols 4a2, 4b2, and 4c2 in Figure 11(b)) (step 106), and calculates the components of the relative vector from the representative points of each group for each document (step 107). The extraction of these centroids is performed by retaining the representative point (centroid) of each group from the results of cluster analysis using the "X-means method".

[0073] Subsequently, the calculation unit 3c (see Figure 6) calculates the radius of a virtual circle encompassing the group of documents (see symbols 4a1, 4b1, and 4c1 in Figure 11(b)) (step 108). This radius is calculated by determining the relative vector components from the representative point of each group for each document, and the distance between the two points (the radius of the group circle).

[0074] Furthermore, the calculation unit 3c (see Figure 6) calculates the centroid of the N points formed by connecting the representative points of each group (see symbol 4d2 in Figure 12(b)) (step 109). Then, it forms a virtual small circle with the centroid of the N points as its center (see symbol 4d3 in Figure 12(b)) (step 110).

[0075] Furthermore, the representative points of each group (see symbols 4a2, 4b2, 4c2 in Figure 11(b)) are moved in the direction of the centroid of the N points (see symbol 4d2 in Figure 12(b)) so that the "virtual circles of each group (see symbols 4a1, 4b1, 4c1 in Figure 11(b))" and the "virtual smaller circles (see symbol 4d3 in Figure 12(b))" are externally tangent (see Figure 13(b)) (step 111). Subsequently, the centroid of the N points (see symbol 4d2 in Figure 12(b)) is moved to the origin of the drawing area, which is the overview display area (see symbol 4e3 in Figure 13(a)) (step 112).

[0076] Then, the coordinate positions of the centroid of the N points (see symbol 4d2 in Figure 13(a)), the representative point of each group (see symbols 4a2, 4b2, and 4c2 in Figure 13(a)), and the representative point of each document are calculated relatively and thumbnails are drawn (step 113). In addition, the thumbnails are highlighted to characterize that the documents are classified by group (see Figures 8(b), 9(a), and (b)) (step 114).

[0077] Next, we will provide further explanation of the processing example of the flowchart described above (see Figure 10) using Figures 11 to 14. Figure 11 shows workspace 41b for providing additional explanations of the flowchart, where (a) is a diagram explaining step 102, and (b) is a diagram explaining steps 104 and 106, respectively.

[0078] In workspace 41b shown in Figure 11(a), the coordinate positions of documents 510-560, 610-630, and 710-730 are obtained. For example, the coordinate positions of documents 510-560 are (20,30), (70,30), (110,30), (20,70), (70,70), and (110,70), respectively; the coordinate positions of documents 610-630 are (300,100), (350,100), and (300,150), respectively; and the coordinate positions of documents 710-730 are (60,200), (60,250), and (100,250), respectively.

[0079] In step 102 of the flowchart described above (see Figure 10), the coordinate positions of all documents 510, etc., present in workspace 41b are obtained in this manner. Based on these coordinate positions, the size of the documents and the spacing between them can be calculated.

[0080] In Figure 11(b), documents 510-560, 610-630, and 710-730 are grouped and defined as such. Specifically, in step 104 of the flowchart described above (see Figure 10), in this example, documents 510-560 are classified into group A, documents 610-630 into group B, and documents 710-730 into group C, resulting in three cluster groups. Specifically, (20,30), (70,30), (110,30), (20,70), (70,70), and (110,70) are classified into group A. Also, (300,100), (350,100), and (300,150) are classified into group B, and (60,200), (60,250), and (100,250) are classified into group C.

[0081] Furthermore, Figure 11(b) shows the representative point 4a2 for group A, the representative point 4b2 for group B, and the representative point 4c2 for group C. That is, in step 106 of the flowchart described above (see Figure 10), in this example, the representative point 4a2 for group A is (67, 50), the representative point 4b2 for group B is (316, 116), and the representative point 4c2 for group C is (73, 233).

[0082] Figure 12 shows workspace 41b for providing additional explanations of the flowchart, with (a) illustrating steps 107-108 and (b) illustrating steps 109-111. In workspace 41b shown in Figure 12(a), for example, in the case of group C, the representative point 4c2 is (73,233), and the relative vector components between representative point 4c2 and document 710 of "C-1" are (-13,-33), and the distance between the two points (radius of the group circle) is approximately 35. Also, the relative vector components between representative point 4c2 and document 720 of "C-2" are (-13,17), and the distance between the two points (radius of the group circle) is approximately 21. Furthermore, the relative vector components between representative point 4c2 and document 730 of "C-3" are (27,17), and the distance between the two points (radius of the group circle) is approximately 32. Note that the above vector components are shown as dashed lines in Figure 12(a).

[0083] In group C, if documents 710-730 move relative to representative point 4c2 based on the calculated distance between two points, the distance moved is stored as group document movement information in the group document movement information storage unit 3d (see Figure 6). If there is no movement of documents 710-730 relative to representative point 4c2, that information is stored in the group document movement information storage unit 3d.

[0084] In this way, in step 107 of the flowchart described above (see Figure 10), the relative vector components are calculated, and in step 108, for group C, the maximum value of the distances between the two points described above, "35", "21", and "32", which is "35", is stored as the "radius" of the circle that represents the range of that group. The calculations for groups A and B can be performed in the same way as for group C, as described above.

[0085] In workspace 41b shown in Figure 12(b), the calculation of the centroid of the 3N points formed by connecting the representative points of each group is as follows:

[0086]

number

[0087]

number

[0088] In step 109 of the flowchart described above (see Figure 10), the position of the centroid 4d2 can be calculated using the above formula. In this example, the coordinates of the centroid 4d2 are (152, 133).

[0089] Furthermore, the virtual small circle 4d3 in step 110 of the flowchart described above (see Figure 10) is, in this example, a small circle with a radius of 15, centered on the centroid point 4d2, whose coordinate position is (152, 133). The size of this virtual small circle 4d3 can be changed depending on how it is displayed. To elaborate on this value, for example, reducing the radius value can eliminate more unnecessary space when displaying an overview, but if it is made too small, the distance between documents in other groups will decrease, which may not necessarily make it easier to view.

[0090] Furthermore, the coordinate shift of the representative point of each group in step 111 of the flowchart described above (see Figure 10) is performed as follows: In other words, in Figure 12(b), first, we calculate the linear function equations of the line segments connecting the center points 4a2, 4b2, and 4c2 of the "virtual circles 4a1, 4b1, and 4c1 of each group" and the centroid point 4d2, which is the center point of the "virtual small circle 4d3". In this example, for group A, the equation is Y=0.9X-15, for group B, it is Y=-0.1X+148.2, and for group C, it is Y=-1.3X+326. That is, the linear function equation of line segment 4d4 is Y=0.9X-15, the linear function equation of line segment 4d5 is Y=-0.1X+148.2, and the linear function equation of line segment 4d6 is Y=-1.3X+326.

[0091] Next, we calculate the distance between the centers of two circles using the radii of "the virtual circles 4a1, 4b1, and 4c1 of each group" and the radius of "the virtual smaller circle 4d3". Here, we will use group C as an example. Let the radius of the virtual circle 4c1 in group C be "rc", and its value be 35. Also, let the radius of the virtual smaller circle 4d3 be "rg", and its value be 15. d = rc + rg ± ε (ε: tolerance) Calculate the coordinates (x,y) of the representative point 4c2 of group C that satisfy the condition "d". The size of the tolerance range here may be changed depending on the display method. Increasing this tolerance range may shorten the calculation time and reduce the response time to the user.

[0092] In this way, the distance between the coordinates (x,y) of the representative point 4c2 of group C, after the adjustment of its placement, and the coordinates of the centroid point 4d2 can be calculated. Specifically, in this example, the coordinates of the representative point 4c2 are (120,173), and the coordinates of the centroid point 4d2 are (152,133), so the distance is approximately 51. This distance information is stored as inter-group movement information in the inter-group movement information storage unit 3e (see Figure 6). The calculations for groups A and B can be performed in the same way as for group C, as described above.

[0093] Figures 13 and 14 show workspace 41b for providing additional explanations of the flowchart, where Figures 13(a) and (b) illustrate step 112, and Figure 14 illustrates step 114. As shown in Figure 13(a), after aligning the virtual circles 4a1, 4b1, and 4c1 of each group with the virtual smaller circle 4d3 (see Figure 12(b)) so that they are tangent to each other, the entire structure is moved so that the centroid 4d2 of the N points coincides with the center coordinate 4e3 of the drawing area. As a result, as shown in Figure 13(b), groups A, B, and C are positioned closer to the center of the drawing area. The drawing area is set by calculating the range in which all documents can be displayed. Furthermore, the center coordinate 4e3 of the drawing area is the intersection of the vertical line 4e1 and the horizontal line 4e2, which can be the center position of the workspace 41b.

[0094] In Figure 14, the virtual circles 4a1, 4b1, and 4c1, the representative points 4a2, 4b2, and 4c2 of each group, the centroid point 4d2, and the virtual small circle 4d3 (see Figure 12(b)) that were shown in Figure 13(b) are no longer displayed. In addition, the vertical line 4e1, the horizontal line 4e2, and the center coordinate 4e3 are also no longer displayed. Furthermore, in Figure 14, circular images CA, CB, and CC are added as thumbnail highlighting for step 114 of the flowchart described above (see Figure 10) (see the first embodiment in Figure 8(b)). In this way, the summary display processing unit 103 (see Figures 5 and 6) generates a summary display, and the summary display unit 4 becomes displayable.

[0095] Documents 510-560, 610-630, and 710-730 of workspace 41b (see Figure 14) are examples of thumbnails that are subject to reduced display, and groups A, B, and C are thumbnail groups to which the thumbnails belong, and are examples of thumbnail groups determined by the arrangement of the thumbnails. Furthermore, the summary display of the summary display unit 4 is an example of an arrangement in which documents belonging to group A and other documents 610-630 and 710-730 other than documents 510-560 belonging to group A are arranged close to each other, and documents 510-560, 610-630 and 710-730 in the summary display are an example of a reduced display performed in this manner.

[0096] Furthermore, the area within the frame of the summary display section 4 is an example of a predetermined area, and the arrangement in which documents 510-560 and other documents 610-630 and 710-730 are contained within the frame of the summary display section 4 is an example of an arrangement. In such cases, documents 510-560 in group A may be arranged while maintaining the distance between them, or they may be arranged so that the distance between them decreases while maintaining their relative positions. Also, if group B exists in addition to group A, groups A and B may be arranged so that they are closer to each other.

[0097] Figure 15 illustrates the information stored in the non-volatile memory 14 of the image display devices 1a and 1b, where (a) shows work area information 14c and (b) shows document information 14d. The work area information 14c is stored in the work area management unit 14a (see Figure 3), and the document information 14d is stored in the document information management unit 14b (see the same figure).

[0098] The work area information 14c shown in Figure 15(a) includes a work area ID that identifies the work area (see reference numerals 42 and 43 in Figure 3) and a work area name that corresponds to the work area ID. Furthermore, the document information 14d shown in Figure 15(b) includes a document ID, a document name corresponding to the document ID, and its coordinate information, specifically the X and Y coordinates. Such document information 14d is information acquired by the acquisition unit 3a (see Figure 6).

[0099] [Second Embodiment] Next, the image display devices 1a and 1b according to the second embodiment will be described. Since the second embodiment has configurations and processes common to the first embodiment described above, the same reference numerals will be used for common configurations, and their descriptions may be omitted.

[0100] Figure 16 is a diagram showing an example configuration of image display devices 1a and 1b according to the second embodiment, and corresponds to Figure 3 which describes the first embodiment. In the image display devices 1a and 1b shown in Figure 16, "Document 1-1" is saved as thumbnail information in the work area 42, and "Tray 1" is set. In addition, "Document 2-1" is saved in the work area 43, and "Tray 2" is set. Thus, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment (see Figure 3) in that it includes trays 1 and 2 that contain thumbnails of multiple documents.

[0101] Furthermore, the database, which serves as non-volatile memory 14, includes not only the work area management unit 14a but also an object information management unit 14e. The object information management unit 14e holds object information such as object ID and object name (see, for example, reference numeral 14f in Figure 22).

[0102] Figures 17 and 18 illustrate the operation screens 400a and 400b of the image display devices 1a and 1b. Figure 17(a) shows the operation screen 400a of the image display device 1a, and Figures 17(b) and 18(a) and (b) show the operation screen 400b of the image display device 1b. Figures 17 and 18 correspond to Figures 7 and 8, which illustrate the first embodiment. For ease of reference, Figure 17(a) shows the same content as Figure 7(a), and Figure 18(a) shows the same content as Figure 8(a).

[0103] In the operation screen 400b shown in Figure 17(b), the document 510 labeled "A-1", the document 520 labeled "A-2", the document 530 labeled "A-3", the document 540 labeled "A-4", the document 550 labeled "A-5", and the document 560 labeled "A-6" are placed in the area of ​​document 500 in the upper left corner. Furthermore, in the workspace display unit 420b, the area for document 600, which is located to the right, contains documents 610 labeled "B-1", 620 labeled "B-2", and 630 labeled "B-3".

[0104] Furthermore, tray 900 of "Tray 1" is located slightly below the center of the workspace display unit 420b. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment (see Figure 7(b)) in that the tray 900 is located in the workspace display unit 420b.

[0105] As shown in Figure 18(a), hovering the mouse over the display unit 4 results in the display of the summary display unit 4 in the workspace 41a, as shown in Figure 18(b). The summary display unit 4 displays the tray 900 along with the document 510, etc.

[0106] Next, we will describe an example of processing based on the functional configuration of the image display device 1. Figure 19 is a flowchart relating to a second embodiment illustrating an example of processing by the overview display processing unit 103 (see Figures 5 and 6), and corresponds to Figure 10 which illustrates the first embodiment. In Figure 19, steps 201 to 205 and 209 to 217 correspond to steps 101 to 114 in Figure 10, respectively. Therefore, steps 206 to 208 will be described below. Steps 206 to 208 relate to processing of the tray.

[0107] The acquisition unit 3a (see Figure 6(a)) acquires the coordinate positions of all trays (see Figure 18(b)) located in the other workspace 41b (step 206). Using the acquired coordinate positions, the calculation unit 3c (see Figure 6) calculates representative points for the coordinate positions (positions in orthogonal coordinates of the X and Y axes) of all trays (step 207). Then, configure each tray as a separate group (step 208).

[0108] Next, we will provide an additional explanation of the processing example of the flowchart described above (see Figure 19) using Figures 20 and 21. Figure 20 shows workspace 41b for providing additional explanations of the flowchart, with (a) illustrating steps 202 and 206, and (b) illustrating steps 204 and 209. Figure 20 corresponds to Figure 11, which illustrates the first embodiment.

[0109] In workspace 41b shown in Figure 20(a), the coordinate positions of documents 510-560 and 610-630 are obtained (see step 202), and the coordinate position of tray 900 is also obtained (see step 206). The coordinate positions of documents 510-560 and 610-630 are assumed to be the same as in the first embodiment. Furthermore, the coordinate position of tray 900 is assumed to be (73,233).

[0110] In Figure 20(b), documents 510-560 and 610-630 are grouped and configured as groups (see step 205). Tray 900 is configured as a separate group (see step 208). Furthermore, Figure 20(b) shows the representative point 4a2 for group A, the representative point 4b2 for group B, and the representative point 4f2 for tray 1. Through the extraction of these representative points 4a2, 4b2, and 4f2 (see step 209), in this example, the representative point 4a2 for group A is (67, 50), the representative point 4b2 for group B is (316, 116), and the representative point 4f2 for tray 1 is (73, 233).

[0111] Figure 21 shows workspace 41b for providing additional explanations of the flowchart, with (a) illustrating steps 210-211 and (b) illustrating steps 212-214. Figure 21 corresponds to Figure 12, which illustrates the first embodiment. Steps 210-211 correspond to steps 107-108 in the first embodiment, and steps 212-214 correspond to steps 109-111.

[0112] In workspace 41b shown in Figure 21(a), the vector component connecting documents 510-560 and representative point 4a2 in group A is shown by a dashed line, and the vector component connecting documents 610-630 and representative point 4bs in group B is also shown by a dashed line. Since tray 900 is a separate group, such a vector component is not shown.

[0113] In workspace 41b shown in Figure 21(b), move the representative point 4a2 of group A to the centroid point 4d2 along line segment 4d4 so that the virtual circle 4a1 is tangent to the virtual smaller circle 4d3. Similarly, do the same for the representative point 4b2 of group B. Furthermore, regarding the representative point 4f2 of group C, since there is no virtual circle, it moves along line segment 4d6 so that the outline of tray 900 becomes closer to the virtual small circle 4d3.

[0114] Figure 22 illustrates the object information 14f stored in the non-volatile memory 14 of the image display devices 1a and 1b. This object information is stored in the object information management unit 14e (see Figure 16). Note that the work area information 14c stored in the work area management unit 14a (see the same figure) of the non-volatile memory 14 is the same as that shown in Figure 15(a) illustrating the first embodiment, so its illustration and description are omitted. The object information 14f shown in Figure 22 includes the object ID of the document and tray, the object name corresponding to the object ID, the object type, and the X and Y coordinates as coordinate information. This object information 14f is information acquired by the acquisition unit 3a (see Figure 6).

[0115] In each of the above embodiments, the term "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, and includes general-purpose processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.). Furthermore, the operation of the processor in each of the above embodiments may not be performed by a single processor, but may be performed by multiple processors located in physically separate locations working together. Also, the order of the processor operations is not limited to the order described in each of the above embodiments, and may be changed. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0116] 1a, 1b…Image display device, 4…Summary display unit, 11…CPU, 103…Summary display processing unit, 510~560, 610~630, 710~730…Document, 900…Tray, AA, AB, AC…Icon, CA, CB, CC…Image

Claims

1. Equipped with a processor, The aforementioned processor, When the user performs a first operation, multiple thumbnails located in the first workspace, which includes the first area, are displayed. When the user performs a second operation, multiple thumbnails located in the second workspace, which includes the second area, are displayed. When the user performs a third operation while the plurality of thumbnails in the first area are displayed, the plurality of thumbnails in the second area are grouped into a plurality of thumbnail groups based on their respective positions in the second workspace. The system calculates and obtains a display position in which the grouped thumbnails are closer to each other compared to the display in response to the second operation, and displays the thumbnails of the second region in a reduced view at the obtained display position. An information processing device characterized by the following:

2. The aforementioned reduced display maintains the distance between thumbnails belonging to the thumbnail group. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

3. The aforementioned reduced display maintains the relative positions of the thumbnails belonging to the thumbnail group while reducing their distance from each other. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

4. The reduced display is shown in a manner that makes each of the multiple thumbnail groups distinguishable. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

5. The embodiment of making them distinguishable is to add an image that overlaps with at least a portion of the thumbnails belonging to the thumbnail group. The information processing apparatus according to feature 4.

6. The overlapping images are different for each group of thumbnails. The information processing apparatus according to feature 5.

7. Each of the aforementioned thumbnail groups is assigned a different color. The information processing apparatus according to feature 6.

8. The embodiment of making them distinguishable is the addition of a common image to the thumbnails belonging to the thumbnail group. The information processing apparatus according to feature 4.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the addition of a common image to the thumbnails is the addition of a different color to each group of thumbnails.

10. The addition of a common image to the thumbnails belonging to the aforementioned group of thumbnails is the addition of an image that is different for each thumbnail in the aforementioned group. The information processing apparatus according to feature 8.

11. In an information processing device, When the user performs a first operation, the system displays multiple thumbnails located in the first workspace, which includes the first area, and when the user performs a second operation, it displays multiple thumbnails located in the second workspace, which includes the second area, and When the user performs a third operation while the plurality of thumbnails in the first area are displayed, the system provides a function to group the plurality of thumbnails in the second area into a plurality of thumbnail groups based on their respective positions in the second workspace, A function that calculates and obtains a display position in which the grouped thumbnails in response to the third operation are closer to each other than the display in response to the second operation, and displays the grouped thumbnails in the second region in a reduced display at the obtained display position, A program that makes this possible.

12. A display control method performed by a processor in an information processing device, The process involves the following steps: when a first operation is performed by the user, the system displays multiple thumbnails located in a first workspace that includes a first area, and when a second operation is performed by the user, the system displays multiple thumbnails located in a second workspace that includes a second area, among a total of multiple thumbnails located in that second workspace; When the user performs a third operation while the plurality of thumbnails in the first area are displayed, the process includes the step of controlling the plurality of thumbnails in the second area to group them into a plurality of thumbnail groups based on their respective positions in the second workspace, A display control method characterized by including the step of calculating and obtaining a display position in which the plurality of thumbnail groups grouped in response to the third operation are closer to each other than the display in response to the second operation, and performing control to display the plurality of thumbnails of the second region in a reduced display at the obtained display position.

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