Patent Publication Number: US-2023135063-A1

Title: Icon display controlling device and icon display controlling program

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of and priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-178168, filed on Oct. 29, 2021, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
     FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY 
     The present disclosure relates to an icon display controlling device and icon display controlling program. 
     BACKGROUND 
     There are known icon display controlling devices for controlling the display of icons. A specific structure for this type of icon display controlling device is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-26961 (“Patent Document 1”). 
     In the icon display controlling device according to Patent Document 1, when an icon for an application that is to be deleted is touched when in a deleting mode, deletion candidate applications related to this application are extracted, and the extracted deletion candidate applications are deleted together with the application that is the deletion object. 
     SUMMARY 
     With the icon display controlling device that is shown as an example in Patent Document 1, the size of the display area for displaying icons is limited. Because of this, the number of icons that can be displayed on a single screen is also limited. If the number of icons displayed in the display area reaches an upper limit, it will not be possible to add, in that state, a new icon to be displayed in the display area. The user must, for example, delete an icon that is displayed, to thereby make space to display the new icon. 
     In this case, the user must perform an operation for switching to the deleting mode, an operation for deleting the icon, an operation for switching to the registering mode, an operation for registering the new icon, and the like. The need for such complex operations causes a problem with poor usability. 
     In contemplation of the situation described above, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an icon display controlling device and icon display controlling program able to improve the ease of operations when deleting an icon that is displayed in a display area and placing another icon. 
     An icon display controlling device according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: an area displaying unit for displaying a first display area wherein an icon can be placed; a deleting mode switching unit for switching to a deleting mode that enables deletion of a second icon that has already been placed in the first display area, upon performance of a predetermined operation for placing a first icon in the first display area; and an icon positioning unit for placing the first icon in the first display area upon deletion of the second icon in the deleting mode. 
     The icon display controlling device and icon display controlling program according to one embodiment according to the present disclosure enable an improvement in the ease of operations when deleting an icon that is displayed in a display area and placing another icon. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG.  1    is a block diagram showing the structure of an icon display controlling device according to one embodiment. 
         FIG.  2 A  is a diagram showing an example of an image that is displayed on the screen of a touch panel display in one embodiment. 
         FIG.  2 B  is a diagram showing an example of an image that is displayed on the screen of a touch panel display in one embodiment. 
         FIG.  3    is a flowchart showing the process of the icon display controlling program that is executed by a CPU in one embodiment. 
         FIG.  4    is a diagram showing the subroutine of Step S 107  in  FIG.  3   . 
         FIG.  5    is a diagram showing an example of an image that is displayed on the screen when in the deleting mode in one embodiment. 
         FIG.  6 A  is a diagram showing an example of processes in Steps S 208  through S 211  of  FIG.  4   . 
         FIG.  6 B  is a diagram showing an example of processes in Steps S 208  through S 211  of  FIG.  4   . 
         FIG.  6 C  is a diagram showing an example of processes in Steps S 208  through S 211  of  FIG.  4   . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An icon display controlling device and icon display controlling program according to one embodiment will be explained below. 
     The icon display controlling device according to one embodiment is a vehicle-mounted device for car audio, a navigation device, or the like. Note that the icon display controlling device is not limited to a vehicle-mounted device, but instead may be a device of another form, such as a smart phone, a feature phone, a tablet terminal, a Personal Computer (PC), a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a Portable Navigation Device (PND), a portable game machine, or the like. 
       FIG.  1    is a block diagram showing the structure of an icon display controlling device  1  according to one embodiment. As showed in  FIG.  1   , the icon display controlling device  1  comprises a controlling unit  100  (e.g., a controller), a communication interface unit  110  (e.g., a communication interface), an operating unit  120 , a displaying unit  130  (e.g., a display), a sound outputting unit  140  (e.g., a speaker assembly), and a vibrating unit  150  (e.g., a vibration assembly). Note that the main structural elements required for explaining the present embodiment are illustrated in  FIG.  1   . However, some structural elements may be omitted from the figure. 
     The controlling unit  100  is that which controls the icon display controlling device  1  as a whole, and is a microcomputer structured from a Central Processing Unit (CPU)  100 A, a Random Access Memory (RAM)  100 B, a Read Only Memory (ROM)  100 C, an input/output port  100 D, and bus lines for connecting these ports, and the like. 
     The CPU  100 A reads in a program that is stored in the ROM  100 C, to control the icon display controlling device  1  in accordance with the program that has been read in. The CPU  100 A comprises, as functional blocks, an area displaying unit  100   a , a deleting mode switching unit  100   b , and an icon positioning unit  100   c.    
     The CPU  100 A, which is an example of a processor, may be, for example, a single processor or multiple processors, and includes at least one processor. When structured including a plurality of processors, the processor  10  may be packaged as a single device, or may be structured as a plurality of physically separated devices within a single icon display controlling device  1 . 
     The RAM  100 B is a storing unit for temporarily storing programs and data, and provides a work area. The RAM  100 B may be, for example, a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM). 
     Icon information  104  and icon placement information  106  are stored in the RAM  100 B. The icon information  104  includes images, sizes, and shapes of icons, launch information for corresponding content (for example, music player applications, radio player applications, map applications, and the like), and so forth. 
     The ROM  100 C is a non-volatile memory for storing various types of programs and data, including an icon display controlling program  102 . The ROM  100 C may be, for example, a flash memory. The music player application, radio player application, and map application, listed above by way of illustration, are stored in the ROM  100 C. 
     The icon display controlling program  102  that is stored in the ROM  100 C causes execution, on the CPU  100 A, which is a computer, of: an area displaying step for displaying a first display area in which an icon may be placed; a deleting mode switching step for switching to a deleting mode wherein it is possible to delete a second icon that has already been placed in the first display area, upon performance of a predetermined operation for placing a first icon in the first display area; and an icon placing step for placing the first icon in the first display area upon deletion of the second icon in the deleting mode. The ease of operations when deleting an icon that is displayed in the display area and placing another icon can be improved through executing the icon display controlling program  102 . The details of the icon display controlling program  102  will be described below. 
     In the present embodiment, each functional block of the CPU  100 A is achieved by the icon display controlling program  102 , which is software. Note that each functional block of the CPU  100 A may be achieved, in whole or in part, by hardware, such as a dedicated logic circuit, instead. 
     The input/output port  100 D connects the controlling unit  100  to other structural elements (specifically, a communication interface unit  110 , an operating unit  120 , a displaying unit  130 , a sound outputting unit  140 , and a vibrating unit  150 ). 
     The communication interface unit  110  is an interface that handles the process of communicating with another terminal device. The icon display controlling device  1  is connected communicatively to another terminal device through a public circuit or a communication circuit that is a closed network such as a Virtual Private Network (VPN), through the communication interface unit  110 . 
     The operating unit  120  (e.g., a user interface, one or more input devices, etc.) is operating members for the user to operate the icon display controlling device  1 , such as buttons, switches, or the like. 
     The displaying unit  130  has a touch panel display  132  and a display driver  134  for driving the touch panel display  132 . The touch panel display  132  is structured so as to enable touch operations on the entire screen area. Note that “touch panel display” may refer simply to a “touch panel,” or may refer to a “touch screen.” 
     The touch panel display  132  is structured using, for example, an Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) or organic Electro Luminescence (EL) display. A resistance film system, electrostatic capacitance system, ultrasonic surface acoustic wave system, infrared radiation optical imaging system, electromagnetic induction system, or the like, may be used in the touch panel display  132 . A pressure sensor  136  for detecting the pressure of a touch on the screen (in other words, a region wherein a touch operation can be performed) is built into the touch panel display  132 . 
     The sound outputting unit  140  has a speaker  142  and a speaker driver  144  for driving the speaker  142 . Music or voice that is stored in, for example, the ROM  100 C or a storage medium that is not shown (a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), a Solid State Drive (SSD), a removable memory card, or the like) is outputted from the speaker  142  through driving of the speaker  142  by the speaker driver  144 . 
     The vibrating unit  150  has a vibrator  152  and a vibrator driver  154  for driving the vibrator  152 . The vibrator  152  may be structured using, for example, an Eccentric Rotating Mass (ERM), a Linear Resonant Actuator (LRA), a piezo element, or the like. The screen of the touch panel display  132  is vibrated through driving of the vibrator  152  by the vibrator driver  154 . 
       FIG.  2 A  and  FIG.  2 B  are diagrams showing examples of images that are displayed on the screen  138  of the touch panel display  132 . Note that in  FIG.  2 A  and  FIG.  2 B  an icon of a hand that indicates the state where the user has touched the screen  138  is shown. The position of the fingertip of this icon is the user touch position TP on the screen  138 . The user touch position TP on the screen  138  is acquired as X and Y two-dimensional coordinate information. The crosswise direction of the screen  138  corresponds to the X direction, and the vertical direction of the screen  138  corresponds to the Y direction. 
     As showed in  FIG.  2 A , a Graphical User Interface (GUI) screen that includes the icon display area  220  and a fixed icon display area at  230  is displayed on the screen  138 . 
     Icons corresponding to various content are displayed in the icon display area  220  and the fixed icon display area  230 . The user can cause the CPU  100 A to execute the content that corresponds to an icon by touching that icon in the icon display area  220  or the fixed icon display area  230 . For convenience, reference symbol  222  will be assigned to an icon that is placed in the icon display area  220 , and reference symbol  232  will be assigned to an icon that is placed in the fixed icon display area  230 . 
     When the user touches an icon  222  or  232 , execution of the content corresponding to the touched icon is started, and also, as showed in  FIG.  2 B , a window  210  is displayed superimposed in front of the icon display area  220 . An image for the content corresponding to the icon that was touched (for example, a music player application, a radio player application, a map application, or the like) is displayed in the window  210 . By way of illustration, the jacket image, track name, artist name, playback position, and the like, for the music that is being played is displayed in the window  210  of a music player application. The broadcasting station, program name, broadcast frequency, and the like, is displayed in a radio player application. 
     A button  212  is displayed to the side of the window  210 . When the button  212  is touched by a user, the window  210  is closed, and the screen  138  returns to the screen showed in  FIG.  2 A . The user may instead return the screen  138  to the screen showed in  FIG.  2 A  through performing a swiping operation on the window  210 . 
     The icons  222  and  232  are of a display size that is smaller than the window  210 . Because of this, the amount of information that can be displayed by the icons  222  and  232  is more limited than that of the window  210 . For example, with the icon  222  or  232  for the music player application, only an icon image that indicates that it is the application is displayed. 
     The icon display controlling program  102  controls the display size and shape of each individual icon  222  and  232  within the icon display area  220  and the fixed icon display area  230  depending on the display size and shape information included in the icon information  104 . The icon display controlling program  102  controls the placement of each icon  222  and  232  in the icon display area  220  and fixed icon display area  230  through icon placement information  106 . 
     As showed in  FIG.  2 B , when the window  210  is displayed, icons  222  that are placed in the icon display area  220  will no longer be visible. That is, the icons  222  cannot always be seen. 
     In contrast, an icon  232  that is displayed in the fixed icon display area  230  can always be seen. Because of this, typically the user places, in the fixed icon display area  230 , icons  232  that correspond to content that is used frequently. 
     By way of illustration, a maximum of six icons  232  can be placed in the fixed icon display area  230 . Note that the number of icons  232  that can be placed in the fixed icon display area  230  is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the number of icons  232  that can be placed in the fixed icon display area  230  may instead be 5 or less, or may instead be 7 or more. 
     The number of icons  232  that can be placed in the fixed icon display area  230  is limited. When, in the conventional structure, an icon  232  is to be replaced, for example, the user is forced to complete complex operations such as an operation to switch to a deleting mode, an operation to delete the icon, an operation to switch to a registering mode, an operation to register a new icon, and the like. Performing such complex operations is difficult when the user is in a situation wherein there is limited opportunity to look at the screen  138  (for example, when a driver is in a car). 
     Given this, in the present embodiment the execution of the icon display controlling program  102  by the CPU  100 A enables the user to change the placement of an icon  232  in the fixed icon display area  230  (for example, replacing an icon  232 ) through a simpler operation. 
       FIG.  3    is a flowchart showing the processes of the icon display controlling program  102  that is executed by the CPU  100 A in one embodiment. Execution of the processes in the flowcharts shown in  FIG.  3    commences upon startup of the system of the icon display controlling device  1 , for example. The processes in the flowchart shown in  FIG.  3    are terminated when the system of the icon display controlling device  1  is shut down. 
     When the system of the icon display controlling device  1  is started, the icon display controlling program  102  displays a GUI screen, of which an example is given in  FIG.  2 A , on the screen  138  (Step S 101 ). In this way, in Step S 101  the icon display controlling program  102  operates as an area displaying unit  100   a  for displaying a fixed icon display area  230  (a first display area), wherein an icon can be placed. 
     The icon display controlling program  102  determines whether or not a predetermined operation has been performed for placing a first icon (that is, an icon that does not currently exist in the fixed icon display area  230 , hereinafter termed an “unplaced icon”) into the fixed icon display area  230  (Step S 102 ). 
     For example, upon detection by the pressure sensor  136  that an unplaced icon that is one of the icons  222  placed in the icon display area  220  has been touched with a pressure of no less than (e.g., greater than or equal to) a predetermined threshold value, the icon display controlling program  102  switches to a mode that enables a drag-and-drop operation on the unplaced icon. The “predetermined operation” referenced above is an operation for dragging and dropping an unplaced icon into the fixed icon display area  230  in this mode. When the touch on the screen  138  is released (for example, when the user removes the finger from the screen  138 ), this mode is terminated. 
     The “predetermined operation” referenced above may instead be an operation for touching a bookmark button  210   a  of the window  210  that displays content corresponding to an unplaced icon. 
     When the predetermined operation, referenced above, is performed (Step S 102 : YES), the icon display controlling program  102  determines whether or not there is space in the fixed icon display area  230  to enable placement of the unplaced icon that is to be placed (Step S 103 ). 
     If the fixed icon display area  230  has space for placement of the unplaced icon (Step S 103 : YES), the icon display controlling program  102  determines whether or not a position for the unplaced icon in the fixed icon display area  230  has been designated (Step S 104 ). 
     If the position for the unplaced icon in the fixed icon display area  230  has been designated (Step S 104 : YES), the icon display controlling program  102  places the unplaced icon onto the designated position (Step S 105 ). 
     For example, the “designated position,” referenced above, may be the drop position (that is, the position wherein the user has removed the finger from the screen  138 ) within the fixed icon display area  230  of the unplaced icon that has been dragged from the icon display area  220 . 
     If the position for the unplaced icon in the fixed icon display area  230  has not been designated (Step S 104 : NO), the icon display controlling program  102  places the unplaced icon on a predetermined position within the fixed icon display area  230  (Step S 106 ). 
     For example, if a bookmark button  210   a  is touched, the icon display controlling program  102  determines that the position of the unplaced icon has not been designated. 
     The “predetermined position” referenced above may be, for example, the position of the vacant space that is nearest to the first position. Taking  FIG.  2 A  as an example, the position in the top row, furthest to the negative side in the X-direction in the fixed icon display area  230  would be the first position. The further a position in the top row of the fixed icon display area  230  is toward the positive side in the X-direction from the first position, the further the position is from the first position. Moreover, a position in the bottom row of the fixed icon display area  230  that is furthest toward the negative side in the X-direction (the bottom row first position) is a position that is further from the first position than any position on the top row. For a position in the bottom row of the fixed icon display area  230 , the further that position is toward the positive side in the X-direction from the bottom row first position, the further the position is from the bottom row first position, and also from the first position. 
     After the processes in Step S 105  and S 106 , the icon display controlling program  102  returns to the process of Step S 102 , to await inputting of a predetermined operation. 
     If there is no space for placement of the unplaced icon in the fixed icon display area  230  (Step S 103 : NO), the icon display controlling program  102  switches to a deleting mode that enables deletion of an icon  232 , and executes the deleting mode (Step S 107 ). 
     In this way, when, in Step S 107 , a predetermined operation for placing the unplaced icon (e.g., the first icon) into the fixed icon display area  230  (e.g., the first display area) is performed, the icon display controlling program  102  operates as a deleting mode switching unit  100   b  for switching to a deleting mode that enables deletion of an icon  232  (e.g., a second icon) that has already been placed in the fixed icon display area  230 . More specifically, the icon display controlling program  102  that operates as the deleting mode switching unit  100   b  switches to the deleting mode if, when the predetermined operation referenced above is performed, there is no space for placing the unplaced icon in the fixed icon display area  230 . 
     The icon display controlling program  102  may cause a sound that indicates switching to the deleting mode to be outputted from the speaker  142 . Additionally, the icon display controlling program  102  may drive the vibrator  152  to vibrate the screen  138  in a predetermined pattern to notify the user that the mode has been switched to the deleting mode. 
     The icon display controlling program  102  may also display, on the screen  138 , an image (such as a garbage can mark) for notifying the user that the mode has switched to the deleting mode. Moreover, when switching to the deleting mode, the icon display controlling program  102  may display on the screen  138 , or cause outputting from the speaker  142  as voice guidance, a message stating, for example, “Please touch the icon to delete.” 
       FIG.  4    is a diagram showing a subroutine in Step S 107  of  FIG.  3   .  FIG.  5    is a diagram showing an example of an image that is displayed on the screen  138  when in deleting mode. 
     As showed in  FIG.  4   , the icon display controlling program  102  displays a temporary placement area  260  at a position that is adjacent to the fixed icon display area  230 , and places, into the displayed temporary placement area  260 , the unplaced icon that is to be placed (Step S 201 ). As described below, an unplaced icon that is placed in the temporary placement area  260  is assigned reference symbol  262 . 
     In the present embodiment, in the deleting mode not just icons  232 , but the unplaced icon  262  is also set as deletion object. The temporary placement area  260  is displayed in a position adjacent to the fixed icon display area  230 , and the unplaced icon  262  is placed in the temporary placement area  260 , to enable all of the icons that are deletion object to be visible to the user. 
     While in  FIG.  5    the temporary placement area  260  is displayed in the center above the fixed icon display area  230 , the position for displaying the temporary placement area  260  is not limited thereto. Instead, the temporary placement area  260  may be placed adjacent to the fixed icon display area  230  at a different position from that in  FIG.  5   , such as at the center below the fixed icon display area  230 . Conversely, the temporary placement area  260  may instead be placed at a position that is not adjacent to the fixed icon display area  230 . 
     The user may set only the icons  232  to be deletion object. In this case, the icon display controlling program  102 , when in the deleting mode, would not need to display the temporary placement area  260  and the unplaced icon  262  on the screen  138 . That is, the icon display controlling program  102  may skip the process in Step S 201 . 
     The icon display controlling program  102  displays, at a brightness that is lower than that of the fixed icon display area  230  and the temporary placement area  260 , the area in the screen  138  that is other than that of the fixed icon display area  230  and the temporary placement area  260  (Step S 202 ). 
     By way of illustration, the icon display controlling program  102  displays the fixed icon display area  230  at the same brightness, without changing, from before switching to the deleting mode, and displays the temporary placement area  260  with the same brightness as that of the fixed icon display area  230 , but reduces the brightness of the areas other than those of the fixed icon display area  230  and the temporary placement area  260  when compared with the brightness thereof prior to switching to the deleting mode. Through this, the brightness of the areas other than those of the fixed icon display area  230  and the temporary placement area  260  will be less than that of the fixed icon display area  230  and the temporary placement area  260 . 
     Because of this, in the screen  138 , the fixed icon display area  230  and the temporary placement area  260  are displayed brightly, the user can easily identify the icons  232  in the fixed icon display area  230  and the unplaced icon  262  in the temporary placement area  260 . 
     The icon display controlling program  102  displays the fixed icon display area  230  enlarged when compared to prior to switching to the deleting mode (Step S 203 ). 
     Enlarging the display of the fixed icon display area  230  will cause the display size of the icons  232  to be larger, and the spacing between the icons  232  to be wider. This reduces the likelihood of an erroneous operation of touching an icon  232  that is not the icon  232  that the user wishes to delete in the deleting mode. 
     The icon display controlling program  102  displays delete buttons  270  superimposed on the icons  232  within the fixed icon display area  230  and on the unplaced icon  262  in the temporary placement area  260  (Step S 204 ). An image such as illustrated in  FIG.  5    will be displayed on the screen  138  thereby. Delete buttons  270  that are displayed superimposed on each of the icons  232  and the unplaced icon  262  correspond to those icons. By touching a delete button  270 , the user is able to delete the icon  232  or unplaced icon  262  that corresponds to the delete button  270  that is touched. 
     A determination is performed as to whether or not the user has touched a delete button  270  (Step S 205 ). If no delete button  270  has been touched (Step S 205 : NO), the icon display controlling program  102  determines whether or not an operation to terminate the deleting mode has been performed (Step S 206 ). This terminating operation may be an operation that is a long push on a low-brightness area other than the fixed icon display area  230  and the temporary placement area  260 , or a heavy touch operation on a low-brightness area. 
     When the operation for terminating the deleting mode has been performed (Step S 206 : YES), the icon display controlling program  102  returns the screen  138  to the display from immediately prior to switching to the deleting mode (Step S 207 ), terminating the deleting mode. The icon display controlling program  102  returns to the process of Step S 102 , and awaits inputting of a predetermined operation. In this case, the deleting mode is terminated without having deleted any icon  232 . This can be stated differently as the deleting mode being terminated after having deleted the unplaced icon  262  of the temporary placement area  260 . 
     When a delete button  270  is touched (Step S 205 : YES), the icon display controlling program  102  deletes the icon  232  or the unplaced icon  262  that corresponds to the delete button  270  that has been touched (Step S 208 ). 
     When an icon  232  has been deleted (Step S 209 : YES), the icon display controlling program  102  places the unplaced icon  262  into the space within the fixed icon display area  230  that has been vacated by the deletion of the icon  232  (Step S 210 ). The icon display controlling program  102  returns the screen  138  to the display from immediately prior to switching to the deleting mode (albeit a display after the unplaced icon  262  has been placed into the fixed icon display area  230 ) (Step S 211 ), and terminates the deleting mode. The icon display controlling program  102  returns to the process of Step S 102 , to await inputting of a predetermined operation. 
       FIG.  6 A  through  FIG.  6 C  show examples of the processes in Steps S 208  through S 211 . In the example in  FIG.  6 A , the icon  232  that is to be deleted is assigned reference symbol  232   b . Moreover, the space vacated by the deletion of the icon  232   b  is assigned reference symbol S. 
     When the delete button  270  that corresponds to the icon  232   b  that is showed in  FIG.  6 A  is touched, the icon display controlling program  102  deletes the icon  232   b  (Step S 208  and Step S 209 : YES). As showed in  FIG.  6 C , the icon display controlling program  102  places the unplaced icon  262  in the space S that is vacated by the deletion of the icon  232   b  (referencing  FIG.  6 B ) (Step S 210 ), and returns the screen  138  to the display from immediately prior to switching to the deleting mode (Step S 211 ). 
     Note that the position of the unplaced icon  262  within the fixed icon display area  230  is not limited to the position described above. In another embodiment, the icon display controlling program  102  may move the icons  232  that are after the space (the icons  232  that are at positions that are further from the first position) toward the first position side, so as to pack into the space that was vacated by the deletion of the icon  232 , and then place the unplaced icon  262  in the place that is at the end, which was vacated by moving the other icons  232 . 
     If the unplaced icon  262  has been deleted (Step S 209 : NO), the icon display controlling program  102  returns the screen  138  to the display from immediately prior to switching into the deleting mode (Step S 207 ), terminating the deleting mode, and returns to the process of Step S 102 , to await inputting of a predetermined operation. 
     Through this, in Step S 107  the icon display controlling program  102 , in the period between the switch into the deleting mode and the deletion of the icon  232  (e.g., the second icon), places the unplaced icon  262  (e.g., the first icon) into a temporary placement area  260  (e.g., a second display area) that is other than the fixed icon display area  230  (e.g., the first display area). 
     Moreover, in Step S 107 , while in the deleting mode the icon display controlling program  102  displays, with a brightness that is less than that of the fixed icon display area  230  and the temporary placement area  260 , the areas other than the fixed icon display area  230  (e.g., the first display area) and the temporary placement area  260  (e.g., the second placement area) in the screen  138 . 
     Moreover, in Step S 107 , while in the deleting mode, the icon display controlling program  102  enlarges, when compared to prior to switching to the deleting mode, the display of the fixed icon display area  230  (e.g., the first display area) wherein the icons  232  (e.g., second icons) are placed. 
     Additionally, in Step S 107 , the icon display controlling program  102  operates as an icon positioning unit  100   c  for positioning the unplaced icon  262  (e.g., the first icon) in the fixed icon display area  230  (e.g., the first display area) when the icon  232  (e.g., the second icon) is deleted in the deleting mode. 
     In this way, the present embodiment enables replacement of an icon  232  in the fixed icon display area  230  by merely the simple operation of selecting the icon  232  that is to be deleted, through performing a predetermined operation to place an unplaced icon  262  into the fixed icon display area  230 . That is, this brings about an improvement in the ease of operations where performing such a replacement, when compared to the operations in a conventional icon display controlling device. 
     The above is an explanation of an exemplary embodiment. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to that which was explained above, and a variety of modifications are possible within the scope of the technical concept and idea of the present disclosure. For example, details of arbitrary combinations of embodiments that are explicitly illustrated in the Specification, and embodiments that are obvious, and the like, are included in embodiments of the present application. 
     In the embodiments described above, the user can delete an icon  232  or the unplaced icon  262  by touching a delete button  270 . The icon deletion operation is not limited thereto. The user may instead delete an icon  232  by performing a swiping operation or flicking operation on the icon  232  so as to flick the icon  232  out of the fixed icon display area  230 . Conversely, the user may delete the icon  232  by double tapping the icon  232 . For the unplaced icon  262  as well, the user may similarly delete it through performing a swiping operation, a flick operation, or a double-tap operation. 
     The icon  232  or unplaced icon  262  may be deleted through an operation on, for example, a button that is provided in an operating unit  120 , instead of a touch operation on the screen  138 . 
     The processing detail of the icon display controlling program  102 , explained in the embodiments above, is no more than an example. For example, an icon display controlling program  102  that does not execute the processes in Step S 202  and Step S 203  would still fall within the present disclosure. That is, during the deleting mode, the icon display controlling program  102  need not necessarily display with reduced brightness the areas other than the fixed icon display area  230  and the temporary placement area  260 , and need not necessarily enlarge the display of the fixed icon display area  230 . 
     The icon display controlling program  102  may switch into an editing mode when there is a long push on an arbitrary position of the screen  138  while awaiting an operation input in Step S 102 . When switching to the editing mode, the icon display controlling program  102  may enlarge the fixed icon display area  230 , when compared to prior to switching to the editing mode, similarly to Step S 203  of  FIG.  4   . The user can change the order of the icons  232  in the icon display area  230  through performing drag-and-drop operations on the icons  232  within the fixed icon display area  230 . 
     EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
     
         
           1 : Icon Display Controlling Device 
           100 : Controlling Unit 
           100 A: CPU 
           100 B: RAM 
           100 C: ROM 
           100 D: Input/Output Port 
           100   a : Area Displaying Unit 
           100   b : Deleting Mode Switching Unit 
           100   c : Icon Positioning Unit 
           102 : Icon Display Controlling Program 
           110 : Communication Interface Unit 
           120 : Operating Unit 
           130 : Displaying Unit 
           132 : Touch Panel Display 
           134 : Display Driver 
           136 : Pressure Sensor 
           140 : Sound Outputting Unit 
           142 : Speaker 
           144 : Speaker Driver 
           150 : Vibrating Unit 
           152 : Vibrator 
           154 : Vibrator Driver