Patent ID: 7995865

Claim:
An image layout apparatus for laying out images, the image layout apparatus comprising: layout control means for laying out the images in a background area having a plurality of rectangular reference areas by respectively inscribing the images in the reference areas; display means for displaying a catalog of the images laid out in the background area; and input means for receiving input to specify images within the catalog of the images; the layout control means laying out all of the images such that they are inscribed within the reference areas, designating a specified image as an image having a high degree of priority and laying out the image in a similar area corresponding to a number of reference areas equal to the number of times that the image is specified by the input means, in the case that a specified image among the laid out images is a still image, and laying out images which are excluded as processing targets due to this layout operation from among those in the background area to a next background area; and the layout control means extracting scenes included in a video in the case that videos are included in the plurality of images and is specified by the input means, laying out each of the extracted scenes such that they are inscribed in the reference areas, and laying out images which are excluded as processing targets due to this layout operation from among those in the background area to a next background area.