Image display apparatus, image display method, and information storage medium

1. An image display apparatus, comprising:

an image acquiring unit that acquires a plurality of images;

an image classifying unit that classifies the plurality of images into a plurality of groups having a rank order associated therewith;

a group image layout unit that places respective group images corresponding to each of the plurality of groups, according to the rank order of the groups, along a group image layout reference line which is a curved line including a portion extending in a lower right direction and a portion extending in a lower left direction provided in a display region;

a defining unit that defines grid regions of a first given size in the display region;

an extracting unit that extracts, from among the grid regions, respective sets of successive grid regions on which no group image is placed as respective representative image layout candidate regions, where respective sizes of the representative image layout candidate regions are larger than a second given size;

a designating unit that designates, among the representative image layout candidate regions, a plurality of representative image layout regions;

a representative image layout unit that: (i) places a respective representative image on each of the designated representative image layout regions, each of the respective representative images being selected from among the plurality of images belonging to any one of the plurality of groups represented by one of the respective group images on the group image layout reference line that is displayed within a circular boundary defined by a predetermined radius from a predetermined point within the respective representative image layout region; and (ii) repeats the selection and placement such that new respective representative images are displayed on each of the designated representative image layout regions at one or more predetermined time intervals; and

a displaying unit that displays, on a screen, at least part of the display region.

2. The image display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the representative image layout unit places, as the representative image, at least one image of the plurality of images, the at least one image belonging to any one of the plurality of groups of consecutive ranks.

3. The image display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the representative image layout unit places, as the representative image, at least one image of the plurality of images, the at least one image being selected based on a random number.

4. The image display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image classifying unit classifies the plurality of images into the one or the plurality of groups, based on an attribute associated with each of the plurality of images.

5. The image display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the display region has a plurality of the representative image layout regions provided therein.

6. The image display apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the representative image layout unit places, in one of the plurality of the representative image layout regions, an image as the representative image in the one of the plurality of the representative image layout regions, the image being different from an image placed in another one of the plurality of the representative image layout regions which is spaced apart from the one of the plurality of the representative image regions at a distance falling within a predetermined range from a representative point in the one of the plurality of the representative image layout regions.

7. An image display method, comprising:

acquiring a plurality of images;

classifying the plurality of images into a plurality of groups having a rank order associated therewith;

placing respective group images corresponding to each of the plurality of groups, according to the rank order of the groups, along a group image layout reference line which is a curved line including a portion extending in a lower right direction and a portion extending in a lower left direction provided in a display region;

defining grid regions of a first given size in the display region;

extracting, from among the grid regions, respective sets of successive grid regions on which no group image is placed as a-respective representative image layout candidate regions, where respective sizes of the representative image layout candidate regions are larger than a second given size;

designating, among the representative image layout candidate regions, a plurality of representative image layout regions;

placing a respective representative image on each of the designated representative image layout regions, each of the respective representative images being selected from among the plurality of images belonging to any one of the plurality of groups represented by one of the respective group images on the group image layout reference line that is displayed within a circular boundary defined by a predetermined radius from a predetermined point within the respective representative image layout region;

repeating the selecting and placing steps such that new respective representative images are displayed on each of the designated representative image layout regions at one or more predetermined time intervals; and

displaying, on a screen, at least part of the display region.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable information storage medium storing a program which is to be executed by a computer, the program including instructions to:

acquire a plurality of images;

classify the plurality of images into a plurality of groups having a rank order associated therewith;

place respective group images corresponding to each of the plurality of groups, according to the rank order of the groups, along a group image layout reference line which is a curved line including a portion extending in a lower right direction and a portion extending in a lower left direction provided in a display region;

define grid regions of a first given size in the display region;

extract, from among the grid regions, respective sets of successive grid regions on which no group image is placed as respective representative image layout candidate regions, where respective sizes of the representative image layout candidate regions are larger than a second given size;

designate, among the representative image layout candidate regions, a plurality of representative image layout regions;

place a respective representative image on each of the designated representative image layout regions, each of the respective representative images being selected from among the plurality of images belonging to any one of the plurality of groups represented by one of the respective group images on the group image layout reference line that is displayed within a circular boundary defined by a predetermined radius from a predetermined point within the respective representative image layout region;

repeat the selecting and placing steps such that new respective representative images are displayed on each of the designated representative image layout regions at one or more predetermined time intervals; and

display, on a screen, at least part of the display region.