JP2023104536A - Program and information processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technology for a viewer to view a game distribution, etc. more comfortably.SOLUTION: First camera control means 180 controls a first virtual camera disposed in a virtual space of a game according to an input operation of a distributor. Second camera control means 181 controls an operating second virtual camera according to an operation of the first virtual camera by the first camera control means 180. Operation control means 190 determines whether or not the operation of the first virtual camera satisfies a predetermined condition (moving volume, angle, velocity, etc.), and if the operation of the first virtual camera satisfies the predetermined condition, restricts the operation of the second virtual camera. Third camera control means 182 controls a third virtual camera that does not interlock with the operations of the first virtual camera and the second virtual camera. Image management means 183 manages various game images presented to the distributor or the viewer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

The present invention relates to a program and an information processing system.

2. Description of the Related Art In games, movies, etc., in recent years, the so-called screen sickness of users has become a problem due to an increase in the amount of information displayed on the screen. In this respect, for example, a technology has been proposed to reduce the user's screen sickness by limiting the operating angle of the virtual camera (see, for example, paragraph [0045] of Patent Document 1).

JP 2015-226767 A

However, in the conventional technology including the technology described in Patent Literature 1 described above, if a measure for reducing screen sickness is applied to a user playing a game, the realism and sense of speed of the game are lost.
On the other hand, in recent years, game distribution for distributing game images to a large number of viewers has also become common. In game distribution, if a measure for reducing screen sickness, such as the technique described in Patent Document 1, is applied, it is considered that the technique of playing the game itself, which is the centerpiece of the distribution, will be affected.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a technology that allows viewers to more comfortably watch game distribution and the like.

In order to achieve the above object, the first aspect of the present invention is
a first information processing terminal used by a first user who plays a game;
a second information processing terminal used by a second user who watches the distribution of the game;
an information processing device that constitutes an information processing system including
first camera control means for controlling a first virtual camera arranged in the virtual space of the game in accordance with the first user's input operation;
a second camera control means for controlling an operating second virtual camera in accordance with the operation of the first virtual camera;
image presenting means for presenting the first image generated by the first virtual camera to the first user and presenting the second image generated by the second virtual camera to the second user;
It is a program that functions as

Further, in the first aspect, the program determines whether or not the operation of the first virtual camera satisfies a predetermined condition, and restricts the operation of the second virtual camera when the condition is satisfied. It can further function as an operation limiting means for

Further, in the first aspect, the program can further function as third camera control means for controlling a third virtual camera that does not interlock with the operations of the first virtual camera and the second virtual camera, and the image presentation The means can present the second user with a third image generated by the third virtual camera when the operation restricting means determines that the condition is satisfied.

Further, in the first aspect, the second camera control means can further function as stimulation reduction means that executes processing for reducing screen sickness of the second user presented with the second image.

Moreover, in the first aspect, the stimulus reduction means can execute processing for reducing up-and-down shaking in the second virtual camera.

A second aspect of the present invention is
a first information processing terminal used by a first user who plays a game;
a second information processing terminal used by a second user who watches the distribution of the game;
An information processing system comprising
first camera control means for controlling a first virtual camera arranged in the virtual space of the game in accordance with the first user's input operation;
a second camera control means for controlling an operating second virtual camera in accordance with the operation of the first virtual camera;
image presenting means for presenting the first image generated by the first virtual camera to the first user and presenting the second image generated by the second virtual camera to the second user;
An information processing system comprising

An information processing system of one aspect of the present invention is also provided as an information processing system corresponding to the program of one aspect of the present invention.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technology that allows viewers to more comfortably watch game distribution or the like.

It is a figure showing an example of composition of an information processing system concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a distributor terminal in the information processing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of functional configurations of a distributor terminal, a viewer terminal, and a server according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is an image diagram for explaining a method of generating a first viewer image according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of first viewer image generation processing executed by the server in FIG. 3 ; FIG. FIG. 4 is an image diagram showing an example of an image displayed on the distributor terminal of FIG. 3; 4 is an image diagram showing an example of an image displayed on the viewer terminal of FIG. 3; FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of a structure of the information processing system concerning 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of functional configurations of a distributor terminal and a viewer terminal according to the second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 10 is an image diagram showing an image displayed on the distributor terminal or the viewer terminal of FIG. 9; FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of second viewer image generation processing executed by the distributor terminal of FIG. 9; FIG.

[First embodiment]
An information processing system (hereinafter referred to as "first system") according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, before explaining the first system, "screen sickness (3D sickness)" related to the first system will be briefly explained. As described above, in games and movies in recent years, the phenomenon of screen sickness, which causes mild dizziness, nausea, and the like due to improvements in screen transition speed and sophistication of graphic performance, is known.
Although the exact mechanism of screen sickness has not been elucidated, it is generally considered to be a phenomenon caused by the difference between the movement predicted by one's own kinesthetic sense and the movement obtained by sight. Therefore, in many conventional technologies including the technology described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, attempts have been made to reduce the phenomenon of screen sickness by narrowing the range of the angle of view of the displayed image, slowing down the image transition speed, and the like. has been done.
However, all of these methods not only impair the realism and sense of speed inherent in the game, but also reduce the player's playing skills when, for example, a high-level battle is assumed. transition play becomes impossible). Such deterioration in playing skills can be a problem, especially in game distribution and the like.
In addition, it is known that symptoms of screen sickness are improved by getting used to it. Therefore, screen sickness is less likely to be a problem for users who play games on a daily basis. However, there are many viewers of game distribution who do not usually play games, and it is thought that the problem of screen sickness is more likely to occur.

Based on this background, the first system provides a game environment to users who wish to distribute games (hereinafter referred to as "distributors"), and users who wish to view game distributions (hereinafter referred to as "distributors"). This is an information processing system that realizes game distribution by sharing the distributor's game image with the distributor (referred to as "viewers").
Here, one of the features of the first system is that the game image presented to the distributor and the game image presented to the viewer are not always the same. That is, the first system provides a normal game environment (game image) to the distributor, while the game image (hereinafter referred to as "second (referred to as "1-viewer image") is presented. As a result, the distributor can freely play the game in the usual game environment, and viewers who are not accustomed to the game images can safely enjoy the game distribution without getting screen sickness.

Here, the game related to the first system (hereinafter referred to as "this game") is, for example, a network-type competitive game called FPS (First Person Shooter) or TPS (Third Person Shooter).
In this game, for example, many players connected via a network share a virtual space, and each player uses weapons (such as firearms) and recovery items to fight and aim to win the game. . When each player's HP (hit points), which decreases due to various factors during the game, such as being attacked by an enemy, falls below a certain number, the player is not allowed to continue the game and is removed from the game. be done.
In the following description, the notation "image" may include not only simple images but also characters, symbols, sounds, and the like. Also, in this game, the distributor can independently issue an operation instruction to the character and an operation instruction for the viewpoint of the background image (control of the virtual camera).

<Description of overview>
FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the first system includes a distributor terminal 1, viewer terminals 2-1 to 2-n (n is an arbitrary integer value of 1 or more), and a server 3. be. The distributor terminal 1, the viewer terminals 2-1 to 2-n, and the server 3 are interconnected via a network N such as the Internet.
However, the network N is not an essential component, and for example, NFC (Near Field Communication), Bluetooth (registered trademark), LAN (Local Area Network), etc. may be used.
When there is no need to distinguish between the viewer terminals 2-1 to 2-n, they are collectively referred to as the "viewer terminal 2".

The distributor terminal 1 is used by the distributor of this game. The distributor terminal 1 is composed of a general-purpose personal computer, game machine, tablet, or the like. The distributor terminal 1 executes various processes and the like necessary for progress of the game and distribution of the game while communicating with other hardware and the like.

The viewer terminal 2 is used by viewers of the distribution of this game. The viewer terminal 2 is composed of a general-purpose personal computer, smart phone, tablet, or the like. The viewer terminal 2 executes various processes required for viewing the game distribution.

The server 3 is managed by an administrator or the like of the first system. The server 3 is composed of a general-purpose personal computer or the like. The server 3 executes various processes in the first viewer image generation process, which will be described later. In addition, the server 3 saves and manages information necessary for the progress of the game on the distributor terminal 1 and the like.

<Hardware configuration>
FIG. 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the distributor terminal in the information processing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the distributor terminal 1 includes a control unit 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a bus 14, an input/output interface 15, and an output unit 16. , an input unit 17 , a storage unit 18 , a communication unit 19 , and a drive 20 .

The control unit 11 is composed of a CPU, a GPU, a microcomputer including a semiconductor memory, and the like. The control unit 11 executes various processes according to programs recorded in the ROM 12 or programs loaded from the storage unit 18 to the RAM 13 .
The RAM 13 also appropriately stores information necessary for the control unit 11 to execute various processes.

The control unit 11 , ROM 12 and RAM 13 are interconnected via a bus 14 . An input/output interface 15 is also connected to this bus 14 . An output unit 16 , an input unit 17 , a storage unit 18 , a communication unit 19 and a drive 20 are connected to the input/output interface 15 .

The output unit 16 outputs image information, audio information, or the like to a display, a speaker, or the like. The image information and audio information output by the output unit 16 are output from a display, a speaker, or the like in a state that can be recognized by humans as an image or audio.

The input unit 17 is composed of a mouse, a keyboard, a game controller, etc., and inputs various kinds of information according to input operations of the distributor or the like.

The storage unit 18 is configured by a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or the like, and stores various information. For example, the storage unit 18 stores various game programs, save data, account information, and the like that are necessary for progressing the game.

The communication unit 19 controls mutual communication with other hardware or the like via a network N including the Internet.

A drive 20 is provided as required. A removable medium 31 such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory is mounted in the drive 20 as appropriate. The removable media 31 stores various programs and the like for executing the game. A program read from the removable medium 31 by the drive 20 is installed in the storage unit 18 as necessary.
In addition, the removable medium 31 can also store various information stored in the storage section 18 in the same manner as the storage section 18 .

Here, since the hardware configuration of the viewer terminal 2 and the server 3 can be basically the same as the hardware configuration of the distributor terminal 1, description thereof will be omitted. Various types of processing can be executed in the distributor terminal 1, the viewer terminal 2, and the server 3 by cooperation of such various types of hardware and various types of software.

FIG. 3 shows an example of functional configurations of a distributor terminal, a viewer terminal and a server according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
First, an example of the functional configuration of the distributor terminal 1 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 11 of the distributor terminal 1 executes various programs and the like to control game processing execution means 60, camera control means 61, camera information management means 62, distributor image The generation means 63 and the output control means 64 function.

The game processing executing means 60 executes various types of processing related to the game.
Specifically, the game processing execution means 60 reads virtual game space objects, textures, etc. included in the game information etc. from a storage unit (not shown) according to various input operations of the distributor, and executes the game program. 2D or 3D images and sounds related to the game are also generated. That is, the game processing executing means 60 controls the progress of the game by generating and managing the results of the user's operation instructions. In addition, the game processing execution means 60 acquires various kinds of information necessary for the progress of the game from the server 3 or the like.

The camera control means 61 controls the virtual camera arranged in the virtual space of the game according to the input operation of the distributor. Specifically, the camera control means 61 controls the position of an arbitrary viewpoint in the virtual space (three-dimensional coordinates in the virtual space, etc.) and the rotation angle ( range of angle of view in the line-of-sight direction from the coordinates described above).

The camera information management means 62 transmits to the server 3 information about the position and rotation angle of the virtual camera controlled by the camera control means 61 in the virtual space (hereinafter referred to as “distributor camera information”). Note that the camera information management unit 62 also transmits to the server 3 information related to the input operation by the distributor (hereinafter referred to as "distributor input information").

The distributor image generating means 63 generates a game image to be presented to the distributor as a result of various game processing based on the distributor's input operation and the position and rotation angle information of the virtual camera controlled by the camera control means 61. (hereinafter referred to as "distributor image").
In other words, the image for the distributor is a game image directed from a predetermined position in the virtual space toward a predetermined viewpoint direction based on the input operation of the distributor and reflecting the result of the game processing.

The output control means 64 executes control processing for outputting various images (game images, etc.), sounds, etc. to the output unit 16 or the like.

Next, an example of the functional configuration of the server 3 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 120 of the server 3 executes various programs and the like to perform a distributor information acquisition unit 140, a condition determination unit 141, a viewer image generation unit 142, and a presentation image management unit. and means 143 function.

The distributor information acquisition means 140 acquires the camera information and the distributor input information transmitted from the distributor terminal 1 via the communication unit 130 .

Based on the camera information and the distributor input information acquired by the distributor information acquisition unit 140, the condition determination unit 141 determines whether the input operation of the distributor or the image presented to the distributor satisfies a predetermined condition related to screen sickness. Determine whether or not
Specifically, when the input operation of the distributor or the image presented to the distributor satisfies a predetermined condition regarding screen sickness, for example, when the change for each image is large, the speed of presenting each image is fast. For example, the viewing angle of the image is large, the depth of the background of the image is wide, and the action of the game character is difficult to recall as a normal human action.
For example, based on these factors, the condition determination unit 141 determines whether the input operation of the distributor or the image presented to the distributor satisfies a predetermined condition regarding screen sickness.
Further, if the condition determination means 141 does not determine that the input operation of the distributor or the image presented to the distributor satisfies a predetermined condition related to screen sickness, Based on the distributor's camera information and the distributor's input information, a normal game image for viewing is generated to be presented to the viewer. It should be noted that the normal viewing game image referred to here is basically the same as the distributor image.

If the condition determining means 141 determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied, the viewer image generating means 142 takes measures to reduce screen sickness and generates a game image (hereinafter referred to as " (referred to as "first viewer image").
Here, the viewer image generating means 142 is provided with an image/audio editing means 150 . The image/audio editing means 150 executes an editing process on the game image in the section determined by the condition determination means that the predetermined condition is satisfied (hereinafter referred to as "detection section"). The details of the editing process by the image/audio editing means 150 will be described later with reference to FIG. That is, when the condition determination means 141 determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied, the viewer image generation means 142 generates a to generate the image for the first viewer.
Note that the term “interval” is used as a term indicating a unit of time used for the passage of time in the game and management of game images. That is, the detection interval indicates a certain interval determined by the condition determining means that a predetermined condition is satisfied, for example, based on a predetermined in-game time unit.

When the condition determination means 141 does not determine that the predetermined condition is satisfied, the presentation image management means 143 displays information about the normal viewing game image generated by the condition determination means 141 (hereinafter referred to as "normal game image information”) is transmitted to the viewer terminal 2.
In addition, when the condition determination means 141 determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied, the presentation image management means 143 provides information about the first viewer image generated by the viewer image generation means 142 (hereinafter referred to as (referred to as “first viewer image information”) is transmitted to the viewer terminal 2 .

Furthermore, an example of the functional configuration of the viewer terminal 2 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 80 of the viewer terminal 2 functions as an image information management means 100 and an output control means 101 by executing various programs.

The image information management means 100 acquires the normal game image information or the first viewer image information transmitted from the server 3 via the communication section 90 .

The output control means 101 executes control processing for outputting various images (game images, etc.), sounds, etc. to an output unit (not shown) or the like. For example, the output control means 101 presents the normal viewing game image or the first viewer image to the viewer based on the normal game image information or the first viewer image information.

Next, an example of editing processing by the image/audio editing means 150 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 shows an image of a method for generating a first viewer image according to a first embodiment of the invention.

One area on the horizontal axis of FIG. 4A is indicated as "detection section". This indicates that the detection interval was detected in a predetermined area of the time course in the game shown on the horizontal axis. The detection section is a section in which the original game image includes an image with large movements or changes, and there is a high possibility of causing screen sickness if the generated game image is presented to the viewer as it is.
Therefore, in the first system, as shown in FIG. 4B, for example, the so-called slow motion effect of increasing the number of times the image is displayed at the same time in the detection section (reducing the playback speed of the image) is performed. By assigning it, it is possible to generate a game image (image for the first viewer) that does not easily cause screen sickness. As a result, viewers of the game distribution can slowly perceive the movements and changes in the game situation without the risk of screen sickness, even if the game images originally have large movements and changes.
The first system may add a slow motion effect to the sound or the like when the sound or the like is associated with the game image or the like in the detection section, or as shown in FIG. Audio or the like may be reproduced at normal speed in time with the timing at which the presentation of the image in the detection section ends.

The flow of image generation processing for the first viewer will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 shows an example of the flow of image generation processing for the first viewer executed by the server of FIG.

In step S<b>1 , the distributor information acquisition means 140 of the server 3 acquires camera information and distributor input information transmitted from the distributor terminal 1 via the communication unit 130 .

In step S2, the condition determination unit 141 determines whether the input operation of the broadcaster or the image presented to the broadcaster is a predetermined condition related to screen sickness based on the camera information and the broadcaster input information acquired by the broadcaster information acquisition unit 140. It is determined whether or not the following conditions are satisfied.
If the input operation of the distributor or the image presented to the distributor does not satisfy the predetermined condition regarding screen sickness, it is determined No in step S2, and the process proceeds to step S5.
On the other hand, if the input operation of the distributor or the image presented to the distributor satisfies the predetermined condition regarding screen sickness, it is determined as Yes in step S2, and the process directly proceeds to step S3.

In step S3, the image/audio editing means 150 performs an editing process on the game image or the like in the detection section determined by the condition determination means that the predetermined condition is satisfied.

In step S4, the viewer image generation means 142 generates the first viewer image based on the camera information and the distributor input information acquired by the distributor information acquisition means 140 and the result of the editing process by the image/audio editing means 150. Generate an image. After that, the process proceeds to step S6.

In step S5, if the condition determination means 141 determines that the input operation of the distributor or the image presented to the distributor does not satisfy the predetermined conditions related to screen sickness, Based on the distributor's camera information and the distributor's input information, a normal game image to be presented to the viewer is generated. After that, the process proceeds to step S6.

In step S<b>6 , the presentation image management means 143 transmits the normal game image information or the first viewer image information to the viewer terminal 2 . This completes the first viewer image generation process.

Here, an example of editing processing by the image/audio editing means 150, which is different from the example of FIG. 4, will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG.
First, in the example of FIG. 6A, in the game image (field of view) directed from the bottom of the screen (south) to the top of the screen (north), the weapon (gun) is held toward the left of the screen. A character C1 is displayed. On the other hand, (B) of FIG. 6 shows that at the next instant (timing of displaying the game image) of (A) of FIG. In the game image (field of view), a character C1 is displayed with a weapon held toward the right side of the screen.
Note that t (t is an arbitrary integer value equal to or greater than 1), t+1, and t+2 shown at the top of each figure indicate a predetermined time unit in processing in the game for each game image. That is, in the various processes in the game, input information is processed for each predetermined unit time such as t, t+1, t+2, etc., a game image is generated based on the input information for each unit time, and the game progresses.
That is, FIGS. 6A and 6B are, to put it simply, an instruction to change the direction of the screen to the right and a background image to the character C1 who has held the weapon toward the left side of the screen in the virtual space. This shows the transition of the game image when instructions to change the viewpoint are given at the same time. If such an operation instruction is made quickly in the game, the content of the displayed game image changes abruptly.

On the other hand, FIG. 7 shows an example of the first viewer image displayed to the viewer for the purpose of preventing screen sickness.
Looking at (A) of FIG. 7, as in the case of (A) of FIG. A character C1 holding a weapon is displayed.
On the other hand, in FIG. 7B, in the game image (field of view) directed from the bottom of the screen (south) to the top of the screen (north), the weapon (gun) is held toward the right of the screen. character C1 is displayed. In (C) of FIG. 7, as in the case of (B) in FIG. 6, in the game image (field of view) directed from the upper direction of the screen (north direction) to the lower direction of the screen (south direction), A character C1 is displayed facing him with a weapon.
In the example of (B) of FIG. 7, similar to (C) of FIG. 7, the character C1 is pointing the weapon toward the right side of the screen according to the instruction of the distributor, but the viewpoint of the background image is not changed. , a game image from the same viewpoint as in FIG. 7A. In other words, (B) of FIG. 7 is an edited image generated by fixing the viewpoint of the background image when transitioning from the game image of (A) of FIG. 7 to the game image of (C) of FIG. . The first system presents such an intermediate edited image only to the viewer, and as a result, the distributor can freely play the game while reducing the viewer's risk of screen sickness. can be done. This completes the description of the first system.

[Second embodiment]
Next, an information processing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "second system") will be described with reference to the drawings.
The second embodiment of the present invention shows an example of generating a game image for viewers that reduces the risk of screen sickness by a method different from that of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to the second embodiment of the invention.
As shown in FIG. 8, the second system includes a distributor terminal 1 and viewer terminals 2-1 to 2-m (m is an arbitrary integer value of 1 or more). The distributor terminal 1 and viewer terminals 2-1 to 2-m are interconnected via a network N such as the Internet.
However, the network N is not an essential component, and for example, NFC (Near Field Communication), Bluetooth (registered trademark), LAN (Local Area Network), etc. may be used.
The hardware configuration of the distributor terminal 1 and the viewer terminals 2-1 to 2-m is the same as the hardware configuration in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2 and the like. Further, in the following description, when there is no particular need to distinguish between the viewer terminals 2-1 to 2-m, they will be referred to as the "viewer terminal 2" as in the first embodiment.

FIG. 9 shows an example of functional configurations of a distributor terminal and a viewer terminal according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 11 of the distributor terminal 1 executes various programs to control the game processing execution means 60, the first camera control means 180, the second camera control means 181, and the third camera. Control means 182, image management means 183, and output control means 64 function. The functional configurations of the game processing execution means 60 and the output control means 64 are the same as the corresponding functional configurations of the first embodiment.

The first camera control means 180 controls the first virtual camera arranged in the virtual space of the game according to the input operation of the distributor. Specifically, the first camera control means 180 controls the position (three-dimensional coordinates in the virtual space, etc.) and rotation of an arbitrary viewpoint in the virtual space, which serves as a reference for generating the game image, according to the input operation of the distributor. A control process relating to the angle (range of angle of view in the line-of-sight direction from the coordinates described above, etc.) is executed.

The second camera control means 181 controls the operating second virtual camera according to the operation of the first virtual camera by the first camera control means 180 . Specifically, the second camera control means 181 follows the operation of the first virtual camera, and executes control processing regarding the position and rotation angle of an arbitrary viewpoint in the virtual space that serves as a reference for generating game images.

Here, the second camera control means 181 is provided with an operation restriction means 190 .
The motion restriction means 190 determines whether or not the motion of the first virtual camera satisfies a predetermined condition (amount of movement, angle, speed, etc.), and determines if the motion of the first virtual camera satisfies the predetermined condition. , control is executed to limit the operation of the second virtual camera.

The third camera control means 182 controls a third virtual camera that does not interlock with the operations of the first virtual camera and the second virtual camera. Specifically, the third camera control means 182 executes control processing regarding the position and rotation angle of an arbitrary viewpoint in the virtual space that is arbitrarily set independently of the operations of the first virtual camera and the second virtual camera. do.

The image management means 183 manages various game images to be presented to distributors or viewers. Specifically, image management means 183 is provided with distributor image generation means 200 and viewer image generation means 201 .

Distributor image generating means 200 presents results of various game processes to the distributor based on information on the input operation of the distributor and the position and rotation angle of the first virtual camera controlled by first camera control means 180. Generate a distributor image for

The viewer image generating means 201 generates a game image (hereinafter referred to as "second viewer image") to be presented to the viewer.
Specifically, if the motion restriction means 190 does not determine that the motion of the first virtual camera satisfies a predetermined condition (amount of movement, angle, speed, etc.), the viewer image generation means 201 may and the position and rotation angle of the second virtual camera controlled by the second camera control means 181, a second viewer image to be presented to the viewer is generated.
On the other hand, when the motion limiting means 190 determines that the motion of the first virtual camera satisfies the predetermined conditions (movement amount, angle, speed, etc.), the viewer image generating means 201 performs the input operation of the distributor. , based on the position and rotation angle of the second virtual camera controlled by the second camera control means 181 and the position and rotation angle of the third virtual camera controlled by the third camera control means 182, to present to the viewer to generate a second viewer image.
In addition, the viewer image generating means 201 transmits information about the generated second viewer image (hereinafter referred to as “second viewer image information”) to the viewer terminal 2 .

As shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 80 of the viewer terminal 2 executes various programs and the like, thereby causing the second viewer image information obtaining means 230 and the output control means 101 to function. The functional configuration of the output control means 101 is the same as the corresponding functional configuration of the first embodiment.

The second viewer image information acquisition means 230 acquires the second viewer image information transmitted from the distributor terminal 1 via the communication unit 90 .

Next, an image of the image for the second viewer will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 shows an image of the second viewer image displayed on the distributor terminal 1 or the viewer terminal 2. As shown in FIG.

(A) of FIG. 10 is an example of a normal game image captured by the first virtual camera. Here, in the game situation shown in (A) of FIG. 10, it is assumed that the operation of the first virtual camera is confirmed such that the operation restricting means 190 determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied. In that case, as described above, the operation of the second virtual camera is restricted by the operation of the first virtual camera, and the game image captured by the third virtual camera is adopted as the image for the second viewer.
A game image captured from the viewpoint of the third virtual camera is, for example, the image in (B) of FIG. As described above, the position and rotation angle of the third virtual camera are arranged independently of those of the first virtual camera and the second virtual camera. In the example of FIG. 10B, the viewpoint is in the sky in the game space.
That is, when the operation restriction unit 190 determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied, the viewer image generation unit 201 not only performs control processing of the second virtual camera, but also appropriately generates an image of the third virtual camera. It is employed to generate a second viewer image and present it to the viewer. As a result, the second system reduces the possibility of viewers suffering from screen sickness while ensuring an environment in which the distributor can freely play the game.

The flow of the image generation process for the second viewer will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 shows an example of the flow of image generation processing for the second viewer executed by the distributor terminal of FIG.

In step S21, the first camera control means 180 controls the virtual camera arranged in the virtual space of the game according to the input operation of the distributor.

In step S<b>22 , the distributor image generating means 200 distributes images as a result of various game processes based on the input operation of the distributor and information on the position and rotation angle of the first virtual camera controlled by the first camera control means 180 . Generate a distributor image to present to the distributor.

In step S<b>23 , the second camera control means 181 controls the operating second virtual camera according to the operation of the first virtual camera by the first camera control means 180 .

In step S24, the motion limiting means 190 determines whether or not the motion of the first virtual camera satisfies a predetermined condition (movement amount, angle, speed, etc.).
If the motion of the first virtual camera does not satisfy the predetermined conditions (movement amount, angle, speed, etc.), the motion limiting means 190 determines No in step S24, and the process proceeds to step S26.
On the other hand, if the operation of the first virtual camera satisfies the predetermined conditions (movement amount, angle, speed, etc.), it is determined as Yes in step S24, and the process directly proceeds to step S25.

In step S25, if the motion restriction means 190 determines that the motion of the first virtual camera satisfies a predetermined condition (movement amount, angle, speed, etc.), the viewer image generation means 201 Presented to the viewer based on the input operation, the position and rotation angle of the second virtual camera controlled by the second camera control means 181, and the position and rotation angle of the third virtual camera controlled by the third camera control means 182. generate a second viewer image for

In step S26, if the motion restriction means 190 does not determine that the motion of the first virtual camera satisfies a predetermined condition (movement amount, angle, speed, etc.), the viewer image generation means 201 and the position and rotation angle of the second virtual camera controlled by the second camera control means 181, a second viewer image to be presented to the viewer is generated.

In step S<b>27 , the viewer image generating means 201 transmits the second viewer image information related to the generated second viewer image to the viewer terminal 2 . Thus, the image generation processing for the second viewer ends.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications, improvements, etc. within the range that can achieve the object of the present invention are included in the present invention. is.

<Other embodiments>
Further, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the first viewer image or the second viewer image for distribution has been described as being automatically generated by the server 3 or the like. not. The first system or the second system may have a function of accepting editing of moving images from the distributor. In the following, when there is no need to distinguish between the images for the first viewer and the images for the second viewer, they are simply referred to as images for the viewer, and there is no need to distinguish between the first system and the second system. In this case, it is simply called this system.
Specifically, for example, the system sets a flag for editing when it is determined by the condition determination unit 141 or the operation restriction unit 190 that the operation of the first virtual camera satisfies a predetermined condition. good too.
As a result, the editor can easily edit a moving image or the like with a high risk of screen sickness and generate an image for viewers.

Also, in the first embodiment described above, the camera information is transmitted to the server, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the server may acquire only the rotation angle, movement speed, etc. of the camera and perform various determinations.
Further, for example, various determinations may be made by another information processing terminal (for example, the distributor terminal 1). Programs related to various determinations may be included in the game program, or may be processed by a separately prepared program.
To summarize including these aspects, all or part of the processing performed by the server 3 in the above-described first embodiment may be performed by the distributor terminal 1 or the viewer terminal 2 .

Further, when accepting editing of a moving image by a distributor as described above, the present system may accept, for example, the following editing.
For example, the system may accept editing such as changing the speed at which moving images are played back to 0.5x speed, 1.2x speed, or 2.0x speed.
Furthermore, the system may accept changes in the playback speed of moving images from viewers and the like.

In addition, although the description is omitted in the above-described first and second embodiments, the present system generates viewer images according to the degree of operation of the first virtual camera (degree of exceeding conditions, etc.). You can change the contents of

In addition, although only a simple explanation has been given in the above-described first and second embodiments, the present system includes an editing method for reducing screen sickness (for example, the image/audio editing means 150 of the first embodiment). etc.), the present system may adopt the following editing method for generating an image for viewers, for example.
(1) This system may generate an image for viewers by, for example, deleting the background image in the detection section in the above-described embodiment, or reducing the number of images (the number of frames) to display.
(2) This system, for example, when the camera (virtual camera in the first embodiment or the first virtual camera in the second embodiment) satisfies a predetermined condition, especially when the obtained image is shaken vertically (for example , when the game character moves significantly up and down in the virtual space), an image for the viewer may be generated by deleting unnecessary images above and below based on the positional coordinates of the virtual camera or the character. Note that the present system may generate an image for the viewer by supplementing corrected images instead of simply deleting unnecessary images.
(3) This system may generate an image for the viewer by fixing all the images in the detection section, for example.
(4) For example, with respect to the image in the detection section, the system permits only the image in the center of the image (surrounding the character) to be changed, and fixes or deletes the image in the outer periphery (including the background, etc.) of the image. may be used to generate viewer images.

In addition, although the description is omitted in the above-described first and second embodiments, the present system can also utilize techniques such as rendering in generating images for viewers (image editing). The present system may generate, for example, an image in which only the character portion is moved and the background image and the like are all fixed by rendering or the like.

In addition, in the above-described first and second embodiments, whether or not the condition determining means 141 or the action restricting means 190 satisfies a predetermined condition is determined regardless of the distributor or the character used by the distributor. Although described as uniform, it is not limited.
For example, this system can change the contents of the conditions according to the progress of the game (specific events, enemies), character properties (levels and occupations), owned game media, viewer properties, etc. good too. Furthermore, the system may adopt a specification that allows the distributor or viewer to change the content of the conditions.

Further, in the above-described second embodiment, when the first virtual camera satisfies a predetermined condition (amount of movement, angle, speed, etc.), the operation restricting means 190 prohibits the operation of the second virtual camera (the operation of the second virtual camera is prohibited). the virtual camera is switched to the third virtual camera), but the present invention is not limited to this. The movement limiting means 190 may limit the movement (movement amount, angle, speed, etc.) of the second virtual camera when the first virtual camera satisfies a predetermined condition (movement amount, angle, speed, etc.). In this case, the third virtual camera may or may not operate simultaneously with the second virtual camera.

Although not described in the above-described second embodiment, the present system sets the priority or the like for switching between the second virtual camera and the third virtual camera, or sets the image of the second virtual camera and the third virtual camera. may be presented to the viewer or the like.
For example, if a scene in which an enemy character or the like suddenly appears is known in the progress of the game, the image of the third virtual camera is automatically acquired at the timing when such a scene appears, and the image is displayed for the viewer. To easily reduce a viewer's risk of screen sickness by generating an image, and to generate a powerful moving image (by obtaining such an image in advance with a third virtual camera). can be done.
Further, for example, the system may present the image of the second virtual camera or the third virtual camera to the distributor or the like. As a result, the distributor can perform distribution (or play the game) more appropriately by checking the image presented to the viewer. In this case, the system may display the image of the second virtual camera or the third virtual camera as an image separate from the image of the first virtual camera, or display the image of the first virtual camera in one area of the image of the first virtual camera. The image of the second virtual camera or the third virtual camera may be presented to the distributor in the form of a composition.

In addition, although the description is omitted in the above-described second embodiment, the present system may set a plurality of third virtual cameras. A more appropriate game image can be generated by switching to an appropriate third virtual camera according to the position of the character in the game.

In addition, although the description is omitted in the above-described second embodiment, the present system may take measures to reduce the stimulation of various types of screen sickness when controlling the second virtual camera. Here, measures for reducing stimulation include, for example, a so-called gimbal function, which is used in digital cameras, drones, etc., to prevent up-and-down shaking, camera shake, etc., and stabilize imaging.

In addition, although the description is omitted in the above-described first and second embodiments, in the game, if a specific section (so-called spoiler prohibited section etc.) is set in advance to limit distribution etc., this system For example, a still image generated in that section may be displayed, or the imaging of each virtual camera may be forcibly stopped. When displaying a still image, the present system may present the voice of the distributor to the viewer along with the still image.

Also, although the present system has been described as being applied to games, it is not particularly limited. For example, the present invention may be applied to general-purpose information processing systems other than games, such as distribution systems for various moving images.

In addition, the hardware on which this game is executed includes, for example, home-use game machines such as PlayStation (registered trademark), portable game machines such as Nintendo Switch (registered trademark), various game machines designed for business use, Alternatively, it may be an electronic device such as a personal computer, a smart phone, or a tablet.

Also, in the above-described embodiment and other embodiments, the game to which the present system is applied is described as a network-type competitive game called FPS or TPS, but it is not limited to this.
This system may be applied to any game such as RPG (Role Playing Game), simulation game, sports game, card game, MOBA (Multiplayer online battle arena), music game, fighting game, and quiz game.

Also, the series of processes described above can be executed by hardware or by software.
In other words, the functional configurations shown in FIGS. 3, 9, etc. are merely examples and are not particularly limited.
In other words, it is sufficient for the information processing system to have a function capable of executing the above-described series of processes as a whole. Not limited. Also, the location of the functional block is not limited to the examples shown in FIGS. 3, 9, etc., and may be arbitrary.
Also, one functional block may be composed of hardware alone, may be composed of software alone, or may be composed of a combination thereof.

Moreover, the number of various types of hardware or users constituting this system is arbitrary, and the system may be arbitrarily configured including other hardware.

Also, when a series of processes is executed by software, a program constituting the software may be installed in a computer or the like from a network or a recording medium.

Any computer, any mobile terminal such as a smart phone, any game machine, or the like may be freely adopted as the various hardware in the above-described embodiments. Furthermore, any combination of types and contents of various input units and various output units may be employed.

Also, the computer in the above-described embodiments may be a computer built into dedicated hardware. Also, the computer may be a computer capable of executing various functions by installing various programs.

In addition, the recording medium containing such a program is not only constituted by a removable medium (not shown) provided separately from the device main body in order to provide the program to the user, etc., but also is preinstalled in the device main body. It may be composed of a recording medium or the like provided to the user in the

In this specification, the steps of writing the program recorded on the recording medium may be executed in parallel or individually, as well as being executed in chronological order. Also, some of the steps described in the above embodiments may be omitted.

Further, in this specification, the term "system" means an overall device composed of a plurality of devices, a plurality of means, or the like.

Even when these other embodiments are employed, the effects of this embodiment are exhibited. Further, it is also possible to appropriately combine this embodiment with other embodiments, and other embodiments with each other.

In summary, the information processing system to which the present invention is applied can take various embodiments having the following configurations.
That is, the program to which the present invention is applied is
a first information processing terminal used by a first user who plays a game;
a second information processing terminal used by a second user who watches the distribution of the game;
an information processing device that constitutes an information processing system including
a first camera control means (for example, a first camera control means 180) for controlling a first virtual camera placed in the virtual space of the game in accordance with an input operation by the first user;
a second camera control means (for example, a second camera control means 181) that controls a second virtual camera that operates according to the operation of the first virtual camera;
image presenting means (for example, image management means) for presenting the first image generated by the first virtual camera to the first user and presenting the second image generated by the second virtual camera to the second user; 183) and
A program that functions as

That is, the camera control means 61 functions as a camera control means.
The distributor image generation means 63 functions as an image generation means.
The image/audio editing means 150 functions as an image/audio editing means.
The presentation image management means 153 functions as an image display means.
The first camera control means 180 functions as first camera control means.
The second camera control means 181 functions as a second camera control means.
The third camera control means 182 functions as a third camera control means.
The motion limiter 190 functions as a motion limiter.
The image manager 183 functions as an image presenter.

<effect>
As a result, viewers can more comfortably watch game distribution and the like.

<First embodiment>
1 Distributor Terminal 11 Control Unit 60 Game Processing Execution Means 61 Camera Control Means 62 Camera Information Management Means 63 Distributor Image Generation Means 64 Output Control Means 2 (2-1 to 2-n) Viewer Terminal 80 Control Unit 100 Image Information Management Means 101 Output Control Means 3 Server 120 Control Unit 140 Distributor Information Acquisition Means 141 Condition Judgment Means 142 Viewer Image Generation Means 143 Presented Image Management Means 150 Image/Audio Editing Means <Second Embodiment>
1 Distributor Terminal 60 Game Processing Execution Means 180 First Camera Control Means 181 Second Camera Control Means 182 Third Camera Control Means 183 Image Management Means 190 Operation Restriction Means 200 Distributor Image Generation Means 201 Viewer Image Generation Means 2 (2-1 to 2-m) Viewer terminal 80 Control unit 230 Second viewer image information acquisition means 101 Output control means

Claims (6)

a first information processing terminal used by a first user who plays a game;
a second information processing terminal used by a second user who watches the distribution of the game;
an information processing device that constitutes an information processing system including
first camera control means for controlling a first virtual camera arranged in the virtual space of the game in accordance with the first user's input operation;
a second camera control means for controlling an operating second virtual camera in accordance with the operation of the first virtual camera;
image presenting means for presenting the first image generated by the first virtual camera to the first user and presenting the second image generated by the second virtual camera to the second user;
A program that acts as a determining whether the operation of the first virtual camera satisfies a predetermined condition, and further functioning as operation limiting means for limiting the operation of the second virtual camera when the condition is satisfied;
A program according to claim 1. further functioning as third camera control means for controlling a third virtual camera that is not linked to the operations of the first virtual camera and the second virtual camera;
The image presenting means presents a third image generated by the third virtual camera to the second user when the operation restricting means determines that the condition is satisfied.
3. A program according to claim 2. The second camera control means further functions as stimulation reduction means for executing processing for reducing screen sickness of the second user presented with the second image,
4. A program according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The stimulus reduction means executes processing to reduce up-and-down shaking in the second virtual camera.
5. A program according to claim 4. a first information processing terminal used by a first user who plays a game;
a second information processing terminal used by a second user who watches the distribution of the game;
An information processing system comprising
first camera control means for controlling a first virtual camera arranged in the virtual space of the game in accordance with the first user's input operation;
a second camera control means for controlling an operating second virtual camera in accordance with the operation of the first virtual camera;
image presenting means for presenting the first image generated by the first virtual camera to the first user and presenting the second image generated by the second virtual camera to the second user;
An information processing system comprising