Abstract:
According to an aspect, a mobile electronic device includes a display unit and a control unit. The display unit has a display area for displaying a plurality of objects. The control unit is configured to display the objects in a first arrangement in the display area, move the objects displayed in the first arrangement outward from inside the display area, and display the objects moved outward of the display area again in the display area in a second arrangement.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a National Stage of PCT international application Ser. No. PCT/JP2011/056297 filed on Mar. 16, 2011 which designates the United States, incorporated herein by reference, and which is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-059511, filed on Mar. 16, 2010. 
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to a mobile electronic device, a display control method and a storage medium storing a display control program. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A mobile phone that is an example of mobile electronic devices displays an idle screen (a screen when the mobile phone is switched on and not during a call) on a display unit, for example. Some of such mobile phones display objects such as memo information in which text is described laid on (attached to) the idle screen (see Patent Literature 1). 
     In a mobile electronic device, a user registers objects that can be displayed on an idle screen and objects are thereby stored in a storage unit. Then, a desired object out of the objects stored in the storage unit is displayed on the idle screen. 
     CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature 
     
         
         Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-51316 
       
    
     Technical Problem 
     With a mobile electronic device of related art, the arrangement of objects when displayed on the display unit is set uniquely, and there are cases where the objects are not optimally arranged for the user. 
     For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a mobile electronic device, a display control method and a display control program capable of displaying a plurality of objects in various arrangements. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to an aspect, a mobile electronic device includes a display unit having a display area for displaying a plurality of objects; and a control unit for controlling display of the objects in the display area. When the objects displayed in a first arrangement in the display area are moved outward from inside the display area and then displayed again in the display area, the control unit displays the objects in a second arrangement. 
     According to another aspect, the mobile electronic device further includes a storage unit for storing priority levels set to the respective objects. The control unit displays the objects again in an arrangement according to the priority levels as the second arrangement. 
     According to another aspect, the mobile electronic device further includes an operating unit for performing an operation to select any of the objects. The control unit sets the priority levels of the objects on a basis of frequency of selecting operations via the operating unit. 
     According to another aspect, the mobile electronic device further includes an operating unit for performing an operation to select any of the objects. The control unit sets the priority levels of the objects on a basis of time last selected via the operating unit. 
     According to another aspect, the control unit scrolls the objects when the objects are moved outward from inside the display area. 
     According to another aspect, when the objects displayed in the first arrangement are moved toward a first end of the display area and then moved from a second end that is opposite to the first end into the display area, the control unit displays the objects again in the second arrangement. 
     According to another aspect, the mobile electronic device further includes a housing; and a detection unit for detecting tilting of the housing. The control unit moves the objects according to tilting detected by the detection unit. 
     According to another aspect, the mobile electronic device further includes an operating unit for performing an operation to select any of the objects; and a storage unit for storing a plurality of application programs each of which is associated with each of the objects. When one of the objects is selected via the operating unit, the control unit activates an application associated with the object. 
     According to another aspect, when the objects are displayed again in the second arrangement, the control unit displays the objects so that color thereof becomes darker in an order of arrangement. 
     According to another aspect, the control unit displays the objects over a standard screen, and when a display screen is switched from a screen other than the standard screen to the standard screen, the control unit scrolls the objects on the standard screen. 
     According to another aspect, a display control method includes displaying a plurality of objects in a display area of a display unit; moving the objects displayed in a first arrangement in the display area outward from inside the display area; and displaying the objects moved outward of the display area in a second arrangement. 
     According to another aspect, according to the present invention, a display control program causes a mobile electronic device to execute: displaying a plurality of objects in a display area of a display unit; moving the objects displayed in a first arrangement in the display area outward from inside the display area; and displaying the objects moved outward of the display area in a second arrangement. 
     Advantageous Effects of Invention 
     According to the present invention, a plurality of objects can be displayed in various arrangements. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a diagram illustrating an example of external appearance of a mobile phone in a closed state. 
         FIG. 1B  is a diagram illustrating an example of external appearance of the mobile phone in an open state. 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of the mobile phone. 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart for explaining display control of attached memos. 
         FIG. 4  is a state transition diagram of a display unit. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     ==Configuration of Mobile Phone== 
       FIGS. 1A and 1B  are external views of a mobile phone body according to the present embodiment, in which  FIG. 1A  illustrates an external view in a closed state and  FIG. 1B  illustrates an external view in an open state.  FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of main circuits of the mobile phone according to the present embodiment. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1A and 1B  and  2 , a mobile phone  1  includes a body housing  11 , a communication unit  12 , a sound processing unit  13 , a display unit  14 , an operating unit  15 , a memory  16  as a storage unit, a control unit  17  that is an example of a control unit, a movable mechanism  18 , and an acceleration sensor (detection unit)  19  that is an example of a tilt detection unit. 
     The communication unit  12  includes a transmitting/receiving antenna  121  and a radio circuit  122 . The transmitting/receiving antenna  121  is built in the body housing  11  at a side where the display unit  14  is provided. The radio circuit  122  modulates sound information, IDs, web page data browsing request information and the like processed by the control unit  17  and transmits the modulated information to a base station that is not illustrated through the transmitting/receiving antenna  121  so as to perform wireless communication utilizing radio waves. The radio circuit  122  also demodulates various information such as page data and sound information transmitted wirelessly from a base station and received by the transmitting/receiving antenna  121 , and outputs the demodulated information to the control unit  17 . 
     The sound processing unit  13  includes a sound processing circuit  131  to which a microphone  132  that is an example of an input unit for performing voice input and a speaker  133  for performing voice output are connected for a call function. The sound processing circuit  131  performs predetermined processing on a sound input from the microphone  132  and supplies the processed sound to the control unit  17 . The sound processing circuit  131  has a function of a recognition unit that recognizes voice input from the microphone  132 . The sound processing circuit  131  also performs predetermined processing on sound information supplied from the control unit  17  and outputs the processed information through the speaker  133 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1B , the microphone  132  is positioned below the operating unit  15  and the speaker  133  is positioned above the display unit  14  of the body housing  11 . 
     The display unit  14  includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) arranged at an upper part of the body housing  11  as illustrated in  FIG. 1B , and displays a telephone number input for the call function, memos such as various messages and text data, etc. Part of the display unit  14  corresponding to one line at the top is used as a guide display line for displaying a mode type, a radio field strength, a remaining battery level and the like. 
     In particular, the display unit  14  according to the present embodiment can display a plurality of windows called attached memos (an example of objects operated on the screen) having predetermined sizes on the idle screen (standby display) over background display of the idle screen under control by the control unit  17 . The idle screen refers to a screen when the mobile phone is switched on and not during a call. The idle screen may also be called a standard screen, an initial screen, a desktop screen, a home screen, or wallpaper, for example. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1B , the operating unit  15  is arranged at a lower part of the body housing  11  and includes an end (clearing)/power key  15   a , a start (calling) key  15   b , a plurality of numerical keys  15   c  associated with numbers and the like, up, down, left and right keys  15   d , a center key  15   e , and the like. 
     The memory  16  includes an EEPROM, for example, and stores therein control programs for calls and/or transmission/reception of mail messages, an Internet browser, message data, an address book in which names and phone numbers are registered, etc. The memory  16  also stores therein application programs to be executed by the control unit  17 . 
     The memory  16  further stores therein attached memo data (an example of object data) corresponding to respective attached memos. The attached memo data are composed of data registered as attached memos each of which being associated with displayed text data to be displayed in a window, symbol data, window display position data in addition to link data for the data. 
     The displayed text data are text data determined according to predetermined priority among text data included in various data or part thereof stored in the memory  16  and selected by a user through the operating unit  15 . An upper limit is set to the amount of text data displayed in windows displayed on the display unit  14 . Since the upper limit is eight characters in the present embodiment, top eight characters of the determined text data become the displayed text data. 
     The symbol data is used for identifying a symbol displayed in addition to an attached memo when the attached memo is displayed on the display unit  14  so that the user can easily identify the attribute of the memo. The symbol data are associated with a symbol such as image data and an icon that is stored separately from the symbol data. 
     The control unit  17  is mainly constituted by a microcomputer and performs the integral control of the mobile phone  1 . For example, the control unit  17  performs control on wireless transmission/reception of various information by the communication unit  12 , processing of sound information for the sound processing unit  13 , control on display of information to the display unit  14 , processing according input information of the operating unit  15 , and access control to the memory  16  according to the processing. 
     The control unit  17  has functions of a display control unit that controls display of attached memos attached on the idle screen. In the present embodiment, the control unit  17  performs display control of attached memos according to the tilt of the mobile phone body (details of the control will be described later). 
     The movable mechanism  18  horizontally turnably supports a portion (at a side including the display unit  14 ) of the body housing  11  and another portion (at a side including the operating unit  15 ) of the body housing  11 . Accordingly, the side of the display unit of the body housing  11  can be horizontally turned in one direction so that the mobile phone can become the open state as in  FIG. 1B  from the closed state as in  FIG. 1A , for example. 
     The acceleration sensor (detecting unit)  19  is for detecting tilting of the mobile phone body that is the device body. The mobile phone  1  may include another sensor such as a gyro sensor as the detection unit. 
     ==Display Control of Attached Memos According to Tilting of Mobile Phone Body== 
     As described above, a plurality of attached memos are attached on the idle screen. Since the display area of the idle screen of the mobile phone  1  is limited (small), however, only attached memos corresponding to some of attached memo data among registered attached memo data can be display on the idle screen when the number of memo data (memo information pieces) registered in the memory  16  is large. Accordingly, in the related art, a registration screen of attached memos (a screen different from the idle screen) needs to be displayed so as to check attached memos other than some attached memos mentioned above. 
     The mobile phone  1  of the present embodiment, therefore, performs display control of attached memos as will be described below so that the user can easily recognize attached memos that are registered in the memory  16  but not displayed on the idle screen.  FIG. 3  is a flowchart for explaining display control of attached memos according to tilting of the mobile phone body.  FIG. 4  is a state transition diagram of the display unit  14 . 
     The display control illustrated in  FIG. 3  starts from display of an idle screen on the display unit  14  by the control unit  17  (Step S 2 ). In the present embodiment, it is assumed that a plurality of (six) attached memos M 1  to M 6  are displayed such that they are vertically arranged and attached to (overlaid on) the idle screen as illustrated in (a) of  FIG. 4 . In the present embodiment, it is assumed that up to six attached memos can be displayed at a time on the idle screen. The arrangement order of the attached memos M 1  to M 6  is stored in the memory  16  in advance. 
     Then, the control unit  17  detects tilting of the mobile phone body (Step S 4 ). Specifically, the control unit  17  detects whether or not the mobile phone body is tilted for a predetermined time by means of the acceleration sensor  19 . When tilting of the mobile phone body is detected (Step S 4 : Yes), the control unit  17  obtains the number of attached memo data registered in the memory  16  (hereinafter may also be referred to as the number of registered memos) (Step S 6 ). 
     Subsequently, the control unit  17  determines whether the number of registered memos registered in the memory  16  is larger than the number of attached memos that can be displayed at a time on the idle screen (hereinafter may also be referred to as the number of displayed memos) (Step S 8 ). When the number of registered memos is not larger than the number of displayed memos (Step S 8 : No), the control unit  17  maintains the state of the idle screen illustrated in (a) of  FIG. 4 , that is, does not scroll the attached memos on the idle screen (Step S 22 ). It is thus possible to prevent unnecessary scrolling. 
     On the other hand, when the number of registered memos is larger than the number of displayed memos (Step S 8 : Yes), the control unit  17  scrolls attached memos corresponding to attached memo data registered in the memory  16  by sequentially moving the attached memos on the idle screen as will be described below. In the present embodiment, the scrolling of the attached memos will be described assuming that the number of registered memos registered in the memory  16  is eight (attached memos M 1  to M 8 ). Accordingly, the objects to be scrolled are not the attached memos M 1  to M 6  illustrated in (a) of  FIG. 4  but the attached memos M 1  to M 8  corresponding to the attached memo data stored in the memory  16 . 
     First of all, the control unit  17  sets colors with different tones from one another to the attached memos M 1  to M 8  (Step S 10 ). The tone of colors becomes darker in the order of the attached memos M 1 , M 2 , M 3  . . . . In other words, the tone of the colors gradually changes in units of memos. As a result of setting colors with different tones to the memos, the user can recognize the progress of scrolling when the attached memos are scrolled, for example. 
     Subsequently, the control unit  17  moves the attached memos M 1  to M 8  with colors in the direction of an arrow A illustrated in (b) of  FIG. 4  to scroll the attached memos M 1  to M 8  (Step S 12 ). The arrow A is illustrated for explanation but the arrow A is not actually displayed on the display unit  14 . As a result, the attached memos M 7  and M 8  that are not displayed in the state of (a) of  FIG. 4  are displayed in a scrolling manner as illustrated in (c) of  FIG. 4 . The user can thus recognize the attached memos M 7  and M 8  that are registered in the memory  16  but are not attached to the idle screen. As illustrated in (c) of  FIG. 4 , attached memos are sequentially deleted from an end (a first end) of the screen as a result of scrolling. 
     The control unit  17  determines the display priority of the attached memos M 1  to M 8  while the attached memos M 1  to M 8  are scrolled (Step S 14 ). For example, the control unit  17  sets higher display priority to attached memos that are more frequently selected (memos with larger number of clicks). Alternatively, the control unit  17  may set higher display priority to attached memos in which time nearer to the current time is described. Still alternatively, higher display priority may be set to attached memos relating to an application executed immediately before detection of tilting, for example. Information such as selection frequency is stored in the memory  16 . 
     Subsequently, the control unit  17  determines whether or not the order of arrangement according to display priority of the attached memos determined at Step S 14  is coincident with the order of arrangement of the attached memos illustrated in (a) of  FIG. 4  (Step S 16 ). When it is determined that the orders of arrangement are coincident (Step S 16 : Yes), the control unit  17  moves the attached memos M 1  to M 6  to be displayed in the arrangement as illustrated in (a) of  FIG. 4  (Step S 24 ). 
     When it is determined that the orders of arrangement are not coincident at Step S 16  (No), the control unit  17  arranges the attached memos M 1  to M 8  in an arrangement in the order according to the priority to be displayed. Specifically, it is assumed that the priority of the attached memos M 2 , M 3  and M 4  is determined to be high, the priority of the attached memos M 1 , M 5  and M 6  is determined to be medium, and the priority of the attached memos M 7  and M 8  is determined to be low. 
     Then, the control unit  17  moves only the attached memos M 1  to M 6  with higher priority among the attached memos M 1  to M 8  upward from a lower portion of the screen (an end opposite to the first end) after scrolling as illustrated in (d) of  FIG. 4  (Step S 18 ). Thus, the attached memos that have once been deleted from the screen are displayed again. 
     Subsequently, the control unit  17  displays the attached memos M 1  to M 6  in an arrangement in descending order of the priority as illustrated in (e) of  FIG. 4  (Step S 20 ). As a result, the order of arrangement of the attached memos M 1  to M 6  is changed according to the priority between before and after scrolling. Since the attached memos M 1  to M 6  are arranged in descending order of the priority, the user can easily recognize a desired attached memo (an attached memo with higher priority). 
     In the above description, the priority of the attached memos M 7  and M 8  are low; however, when the priority of the attached memo M 7  is high, for example, the attached memo M 7  will be displayed on the idle screen instead of any one of the attached memos M 1  to M 6  after scrolling. As a result, the attached memo M 7  that has a high priority but is not attached to the idle screen by the user will be automatically attached to the display screen after scrolling. The user can thus skip such an operation of displaying a registration screen for checking the attached memo M 7  with high priority as in the related art. 
     In the above description, an embodiment in which the attached memos M 1  to M 8  are all once deleted from the screen and then displayed again on the idle screen during scrolling is presented; however, embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, when the attached memos M 7  and M 8  are positioned at an upper portion of the screen as illustrated in (c) of  FIG. 4 , the control unit  17  may display the attached memos once deleted on a lower portion of the screen. In such a case, the scrolling time for the attached memos is reduced. 
     Other Embodiments 
     A mobile phone as an embodiment has been described. The above embodiment is provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention but not to lead to limited interpretation of the present invention. Needless to say, the present invention can be modified and improved without departing from the scope thereof, and equivalents thereof are included in the present invention. In particular, embodiments described below are also included in the present embodiment. 
     While a mobile phone  1  is described as the mobile electronic device in the embodiment described above, the mobile electronic device is not limited to mobile phones but may be PHSs (personal handy phone systems), PDAs (personal digital assistants), portable navigation devices, electronic dictionary devices, and laptop computers, for example. 
     While the mobile phone  1  has a structure that can be horizontally turned as illustrated in  FIGS. 1A and 1B  in the embodiment described above, the structure is not limited thereto. For example, the mobile phone  1  may be a folding type mobile phone, a sliding type mobile phone, or a straight type (slate type) mobile phone formed of one housing. 
     While the scrolling direction of the attached memos is the direction of the arrow A illustrated in (b) of  FIG. 4  in the embodiment described above, the scrolling direction is not limited thereto. For example, the attached memos may be scrolled either in the direction of the arrow A illustrated in  FIG. 4  and in the direction opposite thereto depending on the tilting direction of the mobile phone body. 
     While the attached memos M 1  to M 8  are scrolled after tilting of the mobile phone  1  is detected in a state in which the idle screen is displayed in the embodiment described above, the control of scrolling is not limited thereto. For example, the attached memos may be scrolled when one application being executed is terminated (or suspended) and the display is accordingly switched from the screen for the application to the idle screen. 
     While the objects to be scrolled are the attached memos in the embodiment described above, the objects to be scrolled are not limited to attached memos. For example, the objects to be scrolled may be icons, images or incoming and outgoing call history instead of attached memos. 
     While the attached memos are scrolled in the direction in which the mobile phone is tilted detected by the acceleration sensor  19  in the embodiment described above, the control of scrolling is not limited thereto. For example, the attached memos may be scrolled when it is detected by the acceleration sensor  19  that the mobile phone body is shaken by the user. 
     In an embodiment in which the objects are icons, an application program associated with an icon may be executed by the control unit  17  when the icon is selected via the operating unit  15 . In this embodiment, the control unit  17  may set the display priority higher to objects more frequently selected. In this embodiment, the control unit  17  may set the display priority higher to objects with later selected time. In this embodiment, in a case where execution of an application program associated with an icon selected on a standard screen on which the icons are arranged is terminated and the display screen is thus switched from a screen other than the standard screen to the standard screen, icons may be scrolled on the standard screen.