Information processing apparatus

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

means for displaying on a screen one display region of a plurality of display regions that can be switched with the other plurality of display regions;

means for terminating the display of the display region when an operation of specifying a first direction is received with respect to a predetermined region in the screen from a user; and

means for restricting the termination of the display region when the operation specifying the first direction is received when an operation of specifying a second direction that is different from the first direction with respect to the predetermined region is received from the user prior to receiving the operation specifying the first direction.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second direction is a direction opposite to the first direction.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein each of the operation of specifying the first direction and the operation of specifying the second direction is an operation of specifying, with one point inside the predetermined region as a start point, a direction from the start point toward an outside of the predetermined region.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the operation of specifying the first direction is an operation of specifying, with one point inside the predetermined region as a start point, a direction from the start point toward an outside of the predetermined region, and

wherein the operation of specifying the second direction is an operation of specifying, with one point inside the predetermined region as an end point, a direction from outside the predetermined region toward the end point.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising means for displaying an operation position guide image for indicating a position of the predetermined region to the user on the screen.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5 ,

wherein the means for displaying displays a display target range, which is a part of the display region, on the screen,

wherein the information processing apparatus further comprises means for controlling a scroll to move, when a scroll instruction is received from the user in a state in which the display target range is displayed, the display target range in the display region in accordance with a direction of the scroll instruction, and

wherein the predetermined region is a region that is set inside the display target range and does not change in position in the display target range even when the display target range moves inside the display region.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the information processing apparatus is connected to a sensor for detecting a position of an object on a detection surface corresponding to the screen,

wherein the means for terminating the display judges, when the sensor detects a movement of the object on a region of the detection surface that corresponds to the predetermined region toward the first direction, that the operation of specifying the first direction is performed, and

wherein the means for restricting the display termination judges, when the sensor detects a movement of the object on the region of the detection surface that corresponds to the predetermined region toward the second direction, that the operation of specifying the second direction is performed.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the means for terminating the display displays, when it is judged that the operation of specifying the first direction is started, an in-operation image indicating that the operation is started on the screen, and terminates the display of the display region, when the user continues the operation of specifying the first direction after the in-operation image is displayed.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the means for terminating the display terminates the display of the display region when, at a time point when the user finishes the operation of specifying the first direction, an operation amount of the operation satisfies a predetermined condition.

10. An information processing method, comprising the steps of:

displaying on a screen one display region of a plurality of display regions that can be switched with the other plurality of display regions;

terminating the display of the display region when an operation of specifying a first direction with respect to a predetermined region in the screen is received from a user; and

restricting the termination of the display region when the operation specifying the first direction is received when an operation of specifying a second direction that is different from the first direction with respect to the predetermined region is received from the user prior to receiving the operation specifying the first direction.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable information storage medium having a program stored therein, the program causing a computer to function as:

means for displaying on a screen one display region of a plurality of display regions that can be switched with the other plurality of display regions;

means for terminating the display of the display region when an operation of specifying a first direction with respect to a predetermined region in the screen is received from a user; and

means for restricting the termination of the display region when the operation specifying the first direction is received when an operation of specifying a second direction that is different from the first direction with respect to the predetermined region is received from the user prior to receiving the operation specifying the first direction.