Patent Document ID: 20130016397
Application ID: 13549172
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. A layout editing device comprising: a display portion that is capable of displaying an interactive screen that enables a user to interactively edit a layout of an image in which image object areas can be set, each of the image object areas being an area in which an object can be disposed, the object including at least one of a character and a picture; an operation portion that enables the user to perform various types of operations at least including an operation on the interactive screen that is displayed by the display portion; a template storage portion that stores at least one template, the at least one template each being a set of standard format data in which is defined template object areas, each of the template object areas being an area in which an object can be disposed; a template acquiring portion that acquires a similar template, the similar template being one of the at least one template stored in the template storage portion and including a corresponding area, the corresponding area being one of the template object areas defined in the similar template and being one of the same as and almost the same as an image object area that has been set on the interactive screen from the operation portion and in which an object has been disposed; an area displaying portion that displays a candidate area on the interactive screen, the candidate area being another of the template object areas defined in the similar template and being different from the corresponding area; a setting determination portion that, in accordance with a command from the operation portion, determines whether the candidate area that is displayed by the area displaying portion will be set on the interactive screen; an object disposing portion that, in a case where it has been determined by the setting determination portion that the candidate area will be set on the interactive screen, sets the candidate area that is displayed by the area displaying portion, as an additional image object area, in the interactive screen and disposes an object which has been one of input and selected from the operation portion in the set additional image object area; and an image generating portion that, based on the objects that have been disposed on the interactive screen, generates image data that describe the image for which the layout has been edited.