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

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.

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.