Information processing apparatus and method for arranging elements on a display region

An information processing method comprising:

• displaying an image including the arrangement of one or more elements on a display region of a display, each of the one or more elements characterized by a type from among a plurality of types;
• detecting an operation performed in the display region;
• setting, in response to detection of a first operation including an operation in which a point in the background of the display region where no element is displayed is specified as a specified point, a first region that is the entirety or a portion of the display region in accordance with details of the first operation;
• displaying element information relating to a first element displayed in the first region at a position closer to the specified point than the position of the first element prior to detection of the first operation;
• and
• executing, in response to detection of a second operation performed on the element information, a process corresponding to the second operation on the first element, the process being predetermined in accordance with the type of the first element,
• wherein the executing comprises executing, in response to the detection of the second operation performed on the element information, the process corresponding to the second operation on the first element and another element characterized by a same type as the type of the first element,
• wherein the element information is not displayed prior to the first operation, and the first element and the element information are both simultaneously displayed after the first operation.

An information processing apparatus comprising:

• a touch panel configured to display a plurality of icons in a display region and that detects an operation performed in the display region, each of plurality of icons characterized by a type from among a plurality of types;
• an approaching display unit configured to display, in response to detection of an operation performed in a background portion other than the icons displayed in the display region, one or more icons displayed in the display region in the vicinity of a position where the operation is detected;
• and
• an element processor configured to execute, in response to a second operation performed on an icon of the one more icons, a process corresponding to the second operation on the icon, the process being predetermined in accordance with the type of the icon,
• wherein the executing comprises executing, in response to the detection of the second operation performed on the element information, the process corresponding to the second operation on the first element and another element characterized by a same type as the type of the first element,
• wherein the element information is not displayed prior to the first operation, and the first element and the element information are both simultaneously displayed after the first operation.