Portable terminal having user interface function, display method, and computer program

1. A portable terminal comprising:

a display device;

a sensor configured to detect an orientation or position of the portable terminal;

a storage unit configured to store data; and

a display control unit configured to display on the display device one or more icons or objects that correspond to the data stored in the storage unit, wherein:

the display control unit acquires information regarding the orientation or position of the portable terminal from the sensor and determines a display mode of the icons or objects in accordance with a change in the orientation or position of the portable terminal,

the information includes whether a magnitude of acceleration of the portable terminal in a direction perpendicular to a screen of the display device exceeds a predetermined value, and

in response to the information that the magnitude of acceleration exceeds the predetermined value, the display control unit causes the icons or objects on the screen of the display device to appear to a user of the portable terminal to jump in the direction of the magnitude of acceleration by enlarging sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device.

2. The portable terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the display control unit further causes the icons or objects on the screen of the display device to appear to jump in the direction of the magnitude of acceleration by: (i) gradually enlarging the sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device from original sizes to enlarged sizes; and (ii) thereafter gradually reducing the sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device from the enlarged sizes back to the original sizes.

3. The portable terminal according to claim 2 , wherein upon reception of a specific command from the user during a period of time in which the display control unit is gradually enlarging the sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device, or has enlarged the sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device to the enlarged sizes, the display control unit freezes positions and sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device.

4. The portable terminal according to claim 3 , wherein upon continued reception of the specific command from the user, the display control unit does not thereafter gradually reduce the sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device from the enlarged sizes back to the original sizes.

5. The portable terminal according to claim 4 , wherein upon release of the specific command from the user, the display control unit thereafter gradually reduces the sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device from the enlarged sizes back to the original sizes.

6. The portable terminal according to claim 1 , wherein in response to the information that the magnitude of acceleration exceeds the predetermined value, the display control unit causes the icons or objects on the screen of the display device to appear to jump in the direction of the magnitude of acceleration by both enlarging the sizes of the icons or objects and blurring a background image on the screen of the display device.

7. The portable terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the display control unit, from the information regarding the orientation of the portable terminal, calculates virtual gravity acting upon the icons or objects in accordance with a tilt of the portable terminal, and modifies the appearance of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device to jump in the direction of the magnitude of acceleration based on the virtual gravity.

8. The portable terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the display control unit modifies the appearance of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device to jump in the direction of the magnitude of acceleration based on one or more icon attributes selected from the group comprising: type of data file associated with the icon; amount of data associated with the icon; date and time of creation of the associated file; date and time of change of the associated file; date and time of start-up of the device; and presence or absence of the latest information for the associated file.

9. A display method, comprising:

acquiring, from a sensor for detecting an orientation or position of a portable terminal, information regarding the orientation or position of the portable terminal; and

determining, when displaying one or more icons or objects that correspond to data stored in a storage unit for storing data on a display device, a display mode of the icons or objects in accordance with a change in the orientation or position of the portable terminal; and

displaying the icons or objects on a screen of the display device, wherein:

the information includes whether a magnitude of acceleration of the portable terminal in a direction perpendicular to a screen of the display device exceeds a predetermined value, and

in response to the information that the magnitude of acceleration exceeds the predetermined value, the display step includes causing the icons or objects on the screen of the display device to appear to a user of the portable terminal to jump in the direction of the magnitude of acceleration by enlarging sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device.

10. The display method according to claim 9 , wherein the step of displaying further causes the icons or objects on the screen of the display device to appear to jump in the direction of the magnitude of acceleration by: (i) gradually enlarging the sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device from original sizes to enlarged sizes; and (ii) thereafter gradually reducing the sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device from the enlarged sizes back to the original sizes.

11. The display method according to claim 10 , wherein upon reception of a specific command from the user during a period of time in which the displaying step is gradually enlarging the sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device, or has enlarged the sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device to the enlarged sizes, the display step includes freezing positions and sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device.

12. The display method according to claim 11 , wherein upon continued reception of the specific command from the user, the displaying step does not thereafter gradually reduce the sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device from the enlarged sizes back to the original sizes.

13. The display method according to claim 12 , wherein upon release of the specific command from the user, the displaying step thereafter gradually reduces the sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device from the enlarged sizes back to the original sizes.

14. The display method according to claim 9 , wherein in response to the information that the magnitude of acceleration exceeds the predetermined value, the displaying step causes the icons or objects on the screen of the display device to appear to jump in the direction of the magnitude of acceleration by both enlarging the sizes of the icons or objects and blurring a background image on the screen of the display device.

15. The display method according to claim 9 , wherein the displaying step, from the information regarding the orientation of the portable terminal, calculates virtual gravity acting upon the icons or objects in accordance with a tilt of the portable terminal, and modifies the appearance of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device to jump in the direction of the magnitude of acceleration based on the virtual gravity.

16. The display method according to claim 9 , wherein the displaying step modifies the appearance of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device to jump in the direction of the magnitude of acceleration based on one or more icon attributes selected from the group comprising: type of data file associated with the icon; amount of data associated with the icon; date and time of creation of the associated file; date and time of change of the associated file; date and time of start-up of the device; and presence or absence of the latest information for the associated file.

17. A non-transitory, computer-readable recording medium containing a computer program, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out actions, comprising:

acquiring, from a sensor for detecting an orientation or position of a portable terminal, information regarding the orientation or position of the portable terminal; and

determining, when displaying one or more icons or objects that correspond to data stored in a storage unit for storing data on a display device, a display mode of the icons or objects in accordance with a change in the orientation or position of the portable terminal; and

displaying the icons or objects on a screen of the display device, wherein:

the information includes whether a magnitude of acceleration of the portable terminal in a direction perpendicular to a screen of the display device exceeds a predetermined value, and

in response to the information that the magnitude of acceleration exceeds the predetermined value, the display step includes causing the icons or objects on the screen of the display device to appear to a user of the portable terminal to jump in the direction of the magnitude of acceleration by enlarging sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable recording medium according to claim 17 , wherein:

the step of displaying further causes the icons or objects on the screen of the display device to appear to jump in the direction of the magnitude of acceleration by: (i) gradually enlarging the sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device from original sizes to enlarged sizes; and (ii) thereafter gradually reducing the sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device from the enlarged sizes back to the original sizes;

upon reception of a specific command from the user during a period of time in which the displaying step is gradually enlarging the sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device, or has enlarged the sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device to the enlarged sizes, the display step includes freezing positions and sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device; and

upon continued reception of the specific command from the user, the displaying step does not thereafter gradually reduce the sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device from the enlarged sizes back to the original sizes.

19. The non-transitory, computer-readable recording medium according to claim 18 , wherein upon release of the specific command from the user, the displaying step thereafter gradually reduces the sizes of the icons or objects on the screen of the display device from the enlarged sizes back to the original sizes.

20. The non-transitory, computer-readable recording medium according to claim 17 , wherein in response to the information that the magnitude of acceleration exceeds the predetermined value, the displaying step causes the icons or objects on the screen of the display device to appear to jump in the direction of the magnitude of acceleration by both enlarging the sizes of the icons or objects and blurring a background image on the screen of the display device.