JP6718930B2 - Program, information processing apparatus, and method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a program, an information processing device, and a method.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for displaying a comment from a viewer while superimposing the comment on the live streaming video during distribution of the live streaming video.

JP 2012-120098 A

In the conventional technology, a message addressed to the performer, such as a comment from a viewer, is displayed at a position distant from the camera that photographs the performer. Therefore, there is a problem in that the performer cannot keep his eyes on the camera when reading the message.

An aspect of the present invention is to enable a performer to visually recognize a message addressed to the performer while maintaining a line of sight of the camera.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a photographing device that photographs a subject, a first computer that distributes an image of the subject photographed by the photographing device to a first viewer, and a first viewer addressed to the subject. In a system including a display device that displays a message, a program executed by a first computer is provided. The image capturing device and the display device are arranged vertically. The display area of the display device has a first end and a second end facing the first end in the vertical direction. The first end is an end closer to the image capturing device than the second end. The program sets, in a processor included in the first computer, a region of the display region closer to the first end side than the second end side as a first region for displaying the first message, Displaying the first message in the first area.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a performer can visually recognize a message addressed to the performer while maintaining a line of sight of the camera.

It is a figure showing the outline of the composition of the HMD system according to a certain embodiment. FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a computer according to an embodiment. It is a figure which represents notionally the uvw visual field coordinate system set to HMD according to a certain embodiment. It is a figure which represents notionally one aspect expressing the virtual space according to one embodiment. It is a figure showing from above the head of the user wearing the HMD according to an embodiment. It is a figure showing the YZ section which looked at the field of view from the X direction in virtual space. It is a figure showing the XZ section which looked at the field of view from the Y direction in virtual space. It is a figure showing the schematic structure of the controller according to a certain embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of yaw, roll, and pitch directions defined for a user's right hand according to an embodiment. It is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware constitutions of the server according to a certain embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a computer according to an embodiment as a module configuration. 7 is a sequence chart showing a part of processing executed in the HMD set according to an embodiment. It is a schematic diagram showing the situation where each HMD provides a virtual space to a user in a network. It is a figure which shows the visual field image of the user 5A in FIG. 12(A). FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram showing a process executed in the HMD system according to an embodiment. It is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of a module of a computer according to an embodiment. It is a figure which shows the outline of a structure of the video delivery system according to a certain embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram for describing a field of view of a camera of one embodiment. It is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware constitutions of the camera according to a certain embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of imaging|photography of the to-be-photographed object using a video distribution system. It is a block diagram showing the detailed structure of the module of the server according to an embodiment. FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram showing a part of processing executed in a server, an HMD set, and a display device according to an embodiment. It is a figure which shows the image displayed on the display apparatus according to one embodiment. It is a figure which shows the image displayed on the display apparatus according to one embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of this technical idea will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated. In one or more embodiments shown in the present disclosure, elements included in each embodiment can be combined with each other, and the resultant product is also a part of the embodiment shown in the present disclosure.

[Configuration of HMD system]
The configuration of an HMD (Head-Mounted Device) system 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an HMD system 100 according to the present embodiment. The HMD system 100 is provided as a home system or a business system.

The HMD system 100 includes a server 600, HMD sets 110A, 110B, 110C and 110D, an external device 700, and a network 2. Each of the HMD sets 110A, 110B, 110C, and 110D is configured to be communicable with the server 600 and the external device 700 via the network 2. Hereinafter, the HMD sets 110A, 110B, 110C, and 110D are collectively referred to as the HMD set 110. The number of HMD sets 110 configuring the HMD system 100 is not limited to four, and may be three or less or five or more. The HMD set 110 includes an HMD 120, a computer 200, an HMD sensor 410, a display 430, and a controller 300. The HMD 120 includes a monitor 130, a gaze sensor 140, a first camera 150, a second camera 160, a microphone 170, and a speaker 180. The controller 300 may include a motion sensor 420.

In one aspect, the computer 200 can be connected to the Internet or other network 2 and can communicate with the server 600 or other computers connected to the network 2. Examples of other computers include computers of other HMD sets 110 and external devices 700. In another aspect, HMD 120 may include sensor 190 instead of HMD sensor 410.

The HMD 120 may be mounted on the head of the user 5 and provide the virtual space to the user 5 during operation. More specifically, the HMD 120 displays an image for the right eye and an image for the left eye on the monitor 130, respectively. When each eye of the user 5 visually recognizes each image, the user 5 can recognize the image as a three-dimensional image based on the parallax of both eyes. The HMD 120 can include both a so-called head mounted display including a monitor and a head mounted device to which a terminal having a monitor such as a smartphone can be mounted.

The monitor 130 is realized as, for example, a non-transmissive display device. In one aspect, the monitor 130 is arranged on the main body of the HMD 120 so as to be located in front of both eyes of the user 5. Therefore, the user 5 can immerse himself in the virtual space when viewing the three-dimensional image displayed on the monitor 130. In one aspect, the virtual space includes, for example, a background, an object that the user 5 can operate, and an image of a menu that the user 5 can select. In one aspect, the monitor 130 can be realized as a liquid crystal monitor or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) monitor included in a so-called smartphone or other information display terminal.

In another aspect, the monitor 130 can be realized as a transmissive display device. In this case, the HMD 120 may be an open type such as a spectacle type instead of the closed type that covers the eyes of the user 5 as shown in FIG. 1. The transmissive monitor 130 may be temporarily configurable as a non-transmissive display device by adjusting the transmittance thereof. The monitor 130 may include a configuration for simultaneously displaying a part of an image forming the virtual space and the real space. For example, the monitor 130 may display an image of the real space taken by a camera mounted on the HMD 120, or may make the real space visible by setting a part of the transmittances high.

In one aspect, monitor 130 may include a sub-monitor for displaying an image for the right eye and a sub-monitor for displaying an image for the left eye. In another aspect, the monitor 130 may be configured to integrally display an image for the right eye and an image for the left eye. In this case, the monitor 130 includes a high speed shutter. The high-speed shutter operates so that the image for the right eye and the image for the left eye can be displayed alternately so that the image is recognized by only one of the eyes.

In one aspect, the HMD 120 includes a plurality of light sources (not shown). Each light source is realized by, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) that emits infrared rays. The HMD sensor 410 has a position tracking function for detecting the movement of the HMD 120. More specifically, the HMD sensor 410 reads a plurality of infrared rays emitted by the HMD 120 and detects the position and inclination of the HMD 120 in the physical space.

In another aspect, the HMD sensor 410 may be implemented by a camera. In this case, the HMD sensor 410 can detect the position and inclination of the HMD 120 by executing the image analysis process using the image information of the HMD 120 output from the camera.

In another aspect, the HMD 120 may include a sensor 190 as a position detector instead of the HMD sensor 410 or in addition to the HMD sensor 410. The HMD 120 can detect the position and the tilt of the HMD 120 itself using the sensor 190. For example, when the sensor 190 is an angular velocity sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, or an acceleration sensor, the HMD 120 may use any one of these sensors instead of the HMD sensor 410 to detect its own position and tilt. As an example, when the sensor 190 is an angular velocity sensor, the angular velocity sensor detects the angular velocity around the three axes of the HMD 120 in the physical space over time. The HMD 120 calculates the temporal change of the angle around the three axes of the HMD 120 based on each angular velocity, and further calculates the inclination of the HMD 120 based on the temporal change of the angle.

The gaze sensor 140 detects the directions in which the right and left eyes of the user 5 are directed. That is, the gaze sensor 140 detects the line of sight of the user 5. The detection of the direction of the line of sight is realized by, for example, a known eye tracking function. The gaze sensor 140 is realized by a sensor having the eye tracking function. In one aspect, the gaze sensor 140 preferably includes a sensor for the right eye and a sensor for the left eye. The gaze sensor 140 may be, for example, a sensor that emits infrared rays to the right and left eyes of the user 5 and detects the rotation angle of each eyeball by receiving reflected light from the cornea and iris with respect to the emitted light. The gaze sensor 140 can detect the line of sight of the user 5 based on each detected rotation angle.

The first camera 150 photographs the lower part of the face of the user 5. More specifically, the first camera 150 photographs the nose and mouth of the user 5. The second camera 160 captures the eyes and eyebrows of the user 5. The housing of the HMD 120 on the user 5 side is defined as the inside of the HMD 120, and the housing of the HMD 120 opposite to the user 5 is defined as the outside of the HMD 120. In an aspect, the first camera 150 may be arranged outside the HMD 120 and the second camera 160 may be arranged inside the HMD 120. The images generated by the first camera 150 and the second camera 160 are input to the computer 200. In another aspect, the first camera 150 and the second camera 160 may be realized as one camera, and the face of the user 5 may be captured by this one camera.

The microphone 170 converts the utterance of the user 5 into a voice signal (electrical signal) and outputs it to the computer 200. The speaker 180 converts the voice signal into voice and outputs the voice to the user 5. In another aspect, HMD 120 may include earphones instead of speaker 180.

The controller 300 is connected to the computer 200 by wire or wirelessly. The controller 300 receives an instruction input from the user 5 to the computer 200. In one aspect, the controller 300 is configured to be grippable by the user 5. In another aspect, the controller 300 is configured to be attachable to a part of the body or clothing of the user 5. In yet another aspect, the controller 300 may be configured to output at least one of vibration, sound, and light based on a signal transmitted from the computer 200. In still another aspect, the controller 300 receives an operation from the user 5 for controlling the position and movement of the object arranged in the virtual space.

In one aspect, the controller 300 includes multiple light sources. Each light source is realized by, for example, an LED that emits infrared rays. The HMD sensor 410 has a position tracking function. In this case, the HMD sensor 410 reads a plurality of infrared rays emitted by the controller 300 and detects the position and inclination of the controller 300 in the physical space. In another aspect, the HMD sensor 410 may be implemented by a camera. In this case, the HMD sensor 410 can detect the position and inclination of the controller 300 by executing the image analysis process using the image information of the controller 300 output from the camera.

The motion sensor 420 is attached to the hand of the user 5 in one aspect, and detects the movement of the hand of the user 5. For example, the motion sensor 420 detects the rotation speed, the rotation speed, etc. of the hand. The detected signal is sent to the computer 200. The motion sensor 420 is provided in the controller 300, for example. In one aspect, the motion sensor 420 is provided, for example, in the controller 300 that is configured to be held by the user 5. In another aspect, for safety in the physical space, the controller 300 is attached to an item that does not easily fly by being attached to the hand of the user 5 like a glove type. In yet another aspect, a sensor not attached to the user 5 may detect the movement of the hand of the user 5. For example, a signal of a camera that captures the user 5 may be input to the computer 200 as a signal representing the operation of the user 5. The motion sensor 420 and the computer 200 are wirelessly connected to each other, for example. In the case of wireless, the communication form is not particularly limited, and, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) or other known communication methods are used.

The display 430 displays an image similar to the image displayed on the monitor 130. As a result, a user other than the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 can also view the same image as the user 5. The image displayed on the display 430 does not have to be a three-dimensional image, and may be an image for the right eye or an image for the left eye. Examples of the display 430 include a liquid crystal display and an organic EL monitor.

The server 600 can send the program to the computer 200. In another aspect, the server 600 may communicate with other computers 200 for providing virtual reality to the HMD 120 used by other users. For example, when a plurality of users play a participation-type game at an amusement facility, each computer 200 communicates a signal based on the operation of each user with another computer 200 via the server 600 to allow a plurality of users in the same virtual space. Allows users to enjoy common games. Each computer 200 may communicate a signal based on the operation of each user with another computer 200 without passing through the server 600.

The external device 700 may be any device that can communicate with the computer 200. The external device 700 may be, for example, a device capable of communicating with the computer 200 via the network 2 or a device capable of directly communicating with the computer 200 by short-range wireless communication or wired connection. Examples of the external device 700 include, but are not limited to, smart devices, PCs (Personal Computers), and peripheral devices of the computer 200.

[Computer hardware configuration]
The computer 200 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of computer 200 according to the present embodiment. The computer 200 includes a processor 210, a memory 220, a storage 230, an input/output interface 240, and a communication interface 250 as main components. Each component is connected to the bus 260.

The processor 210 executes a series of instructions included in a program stored in the memory 220 or the storage 230 based on a signal given to the computer 200 or when a predetermined condition is satisfied. In one aspect, the processor 210 is realized as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processor Unit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or other device.

The memory 220 temporarily stores programs and data. The program is loaded from the storage 230, for example. The data includes the data input to the computer 200 and the data generated by the processor 210. In one aspect, the memory 220 is implemented as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or other volatile memory.

The storage 230 permanently holds programs and data. The storage 230 is realized as, for example, a ROM (Read-Only Memory), a hard disk device, a flash memory, or another non-volatile storage device. The programs stored in the storage 230 include a program for providing a virtual space in the HMD system 100, a simulation program, a game program, a user authentication program, and a program for realizing communication with another computer 200. The data stored in the storage 230 includes data and objects for defining the virtual space.

In another aspect, the storage 230 may be realized as a removable storage device such as a memory card. In yet another aspect, instead of storage 230 built in computer 200, a configuration using programs and data stored in an external storage device may be used. With such a configuration, for example, in a situation where a plurality of HMD systems 100 are used, such as in an amusement facility, it is possible to collectively update programs and data.

The input/output interface 240 communicates signals with the HMD 120, the HMD sensor 410, the motion sensor 420, and the display 430. The monitor 130, the gaze sensor 140, the first camera 150, the second camera 160, the microphone 170, and the speaker 180 included in the HMD 120 can communicate with the computer 200 via the input/output interface 240 of the HMD 120. In one aspect, the input/output interface 240 is realized by using a USB (Universal Serial Bus), a DVI (Digital Visual Interface), an HDMI (registered trademark) (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), and other terminals. The input/output interface 240 is not limited to the above.

In certain aspects, the input/output interface 240 may also be in communication with the controller 300. For example, the input/output interface 240 receives input of signals output from the controller 300 and the motion sensor 420. In another aspect, the input/output interface 240 sends the instruction output from the processor 210 to the controller 300. The command instructs the controller 300 to perform vibration, voice output, light emission, or the like. Upon receiving the command, the controller 300 executes any one of vibration, voice output, and light emission according to the command.

The communication interface 250 is connected to the network 2 and communicates with another computer (for example, the server 600) connected to the network 2. In one aspect, the communication interface 250 is realized as, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) or other wired communication interface, or a WiFi (Wireless Fidelity), Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC (Near Field Communication), or other wireless communication interface. To be done. The communication interface 250 is not limited to the above.

In one aspect, the processor 210 accesses the storage 230, loads one or more programs stored in the storage 230 into the memory 220, and executes a series of instructions included in the program. The one or more programs may include an operating system of the computer 200, an application program for providing a virtual space, game software executable in the virtual space, and the like. The processor 210 sends a signal for providing a virtual space to the HMD 120 via the input/output interface 240. The HMD 120 displays an image on the monitor 130 based on the signal.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, the computer 200 is shown to be provided outside the HMD 120, but in another aspect, the computer 200 may be built in the HMD 120. As an example, a portable information communication terminal (for example, a smartphone) including the monitor 130 may function as the computer 200.

The computer 200 may be configured to be commonly used by the plurality of HMDs 120. According to such a configuration, for example, the same virtual space can be provided to a plurality of users, so that each user can enjoy the same application as other users in the same virtual space.

In one embodiment, in the HMD system 100, a real coordinate system that is a coordinate system in the real space is preset. The real coordinate system has three reference directions (axes) that are respectively parallel to the vertical direction in the real space, the horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction, and the front-back direction orthogonal to both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. The horizontal direction, vertical direction (vertical direction), and front-back direction in the real coordinate system are defined as the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis, respectively. More specifically, in the real coordinate system, the x axis is parallel to the horizontal direction of the real space. The y-axis is parallel to the vertical direction of the real space. The z-axis is parallel to the front-back direction in real space.

In one aspect, HMD sensor 410 includes an infrared sensor. When the infrared sensor detects the infrared rays emitted from the respective light sources of the HMD 120, the presence of the HMD 120 is detected. The HMD sensor 410 further detects the position and inclination (direction) of the HMD 120 in the real space according to the movement of the user 5 wearing the HMD 120, based on the value of each point (each coordinate value in the real coordinate system). To do. More specifically, the HMD sensor 410 can detect a temporal change in the position and inclination of the HMD 120 by using each value detected over time.

Each inclination of the HMD 120 detected by the HMD sensor 410 corresponds to each inclination around the three axes of the HMD 120 in the real coordinate system. The HMD sensor 410 sets the uvw visual field coordinate system to the HMD 120 based on the inclination of the HMD 120 in the actual coordinate system. The uvw visual field coordinate system set in the HMD 120 corresponds to the viewpoint coordinate system when the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 views an object in the virtual space.

[Uvw view coordinate system]
The uvw visual field coordinate system will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram conceptually showing a uvw visual field coordinate system set in HMD 120 according to an embodiment. The HMD sensor 410 detects the position and inclination of the HMD 120 in the real coordinate system when the HMD 120 is activated. The processor 210 sets the uvw visual field coordinate system in the HMD 120 based on the detected values.

As shown in FIG. 3, the HMD 120 sets a three-dimensional uvw visual field coordinate system with the head of the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 as the center (origin). More specifically, the HMD 120 defines the horizontal direction, the vertical direction, and the front-rear direction (x axis, y axis, z axis) that define the real coordinate system by the inclination around each axis of the HMD 120 within the real coordinate system. Three directions newly obtained by inclining about the axis are set as a pitch axis (u axis), a yaw axis (v axis), and a roll axis (w axis) of the uvw visual field coordinate system in the HMD 120.

In a certain aspect, when the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 stands upright and visually recognizes the front, the processor 210 sets the uvw visual field coordinate system parallel to the real coordinate system in the HMD 120. In this case, the horizontal direction (x axis), the vertical direction (y axis), and the front-back direction (z axis) in the real coordinate system are the pitch axis (u axis) and yaw axis (v axis) of the uvw visual field coordinate system in the HMD 120. , And the roll axis (w axis).

After the uvw visual field coordinate system is set in the HMD 120, the HMD sensor 410 can detect the tilt of the HMD 120 in the set uvw visual field coordinate system based on the movement of the HMD 120. In this case, the HMD sensor 410 detects the pitch angle (θu), the yaw angle (θv), and the roll angle (θw) of the HMD 120 in the uvw visual field coordinate system as the inclination of the HMD 120. The pitch angle (θu) represents the tilt angle of the HMD 120 around the pitch axis in the uvw visual field coordinate system. The yaw angle (θv) represents the tilt angle of the HMD 120 around the yaw axis in the uvw visual field coordinate system. The roll angle (θw) represents the tilt angle of the HMD 120 around the roll axis in the uvw visual field coordinate system.

The HMD sensor 410 sets the uvw visual field coordinate system in the HMD 120 after the HMD 120 has moved to the HMD 120 based on the detected inclination of the HMD 120. The relationship between the HMD 120 and the uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD 120 is always constant regardless of the position and inclination of the HMD 120. When the position and the inclination of the HMD 120 change, the position and the inclination of the uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD 120 in the actual coordinate system change in association with the change of the position and the inclination.

In one aspect, the HMD sensor 410 uses the HMD 120 based on the light intensity of infrared light acquired based on the output from the infrared sensor and the relative positional relationship between the points (for example, the distance between the points). The position in the real space may be specified as the relative position with respect to the HMD sensor 410. The processor 210 may determine the origin of the uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD 120 in the real space (real coordinate system) based on the specified relative position.

[Virtual space]
The virtual space will be further described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram conceptually showing one aspect of expressing virtual space 11 according to an embodiment. The virtual space 11 has a spherical structure that covers the entire center 12 in the 360° direction. In FIG. 4, the celestial sphere in the upper half of the virtual space 11 is illustrated in order not to complicate the description. Each mesh is defined in the virtual space 11. The position of each mesh is defined in advance as coordinate values in the XYZ coordinate system, which is the global coordinate system defined in the virtual space 11. The computer 200 associates each partial image forming the panoramic image 13 (still image, moving image, etc.) expandable in the virtual space 11 with each corresponding mesh in the virtual space 11.

In a certain aspect, in the virtual space 11, an XYZ coordinate system whose origin is the center 12 is defined. The XYZ coordinate system is, for example, parallel to the real coordinate system. The horizontal direction, the vertical direction (vertical direction), and the front-back direction in the XYZ coordinate system are defined as the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis, respectively. Therefore, the X axis of the XYZ coordinate system (horizontal direction) is parallel to the x axis of the real coordinate system, the Y axis of the XYZ coordinate system (vertical direction) is parallel to the y axis of the real coordinate system, and the X axis of the XYZ coordinate system is The Z axis (front-back direction) is parallel to the z axis of the real coordinate system.

When the HMD 120 is activated, that is, in the initial state of the HMD 120, the virtual camera 14 is arranged at the center 12 of the virtual space 11. In an aspect, the processor 210 displays the image captured by the virtual camera 14 on the monitor 130 of the HMD 120. The virtual camera 14 similarly moves in the virtual space 11 in association with the movement of the HMD 120 in the physical space. As a result, changes in the position and inclination of the HMD 120 in the physical space can be reproduced in the virtual space 11 as well.

The uvw visual field coordinate system is defined for the virtual camera 14 as in the case of the HMD 120. The uvw visual field coordinate system of the virtual camera 14 in the virtual space 11 is defined so as to be linked to the uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD 120 in the real space (real coordinate system). Therefore, when the inclination of the HMD 120 changes, the inclination of the virtual camera 14 also changes accordingly. The virtual camera 14 can also move in the virtual space 11 in conjunction with the movement of the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 in the real space.

The processor 210 of the computer 200 defines the view area 15 in the virtual space 11 based on the position and the inclination (reference line of sight 16) of the virtual camera 14. The field-of-view area 15 corresponds to an area of the virtual space 11 that is visually recognized by the user 5 wearing the HMD 120. That is, the position of the virtual camera 14 can be said to be the viewpoint of the user 5 in the virtual space 11.

The line of sight of the user 5 detected by the gaze sensor 140 is the direction in the viewpoint coordinate system when the user 5 visually recognizes an object. The uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD 120 is equal to the viewpoint coordinate system when the user 5 visually recognizes the monitor 130. The uvw view coordinate system of the virtual camera 14 is linked to the uvw view coordinate system of the HMD 120. Therefore, HMD system 100 according to an aspect can regard the line of sight of user 5 detected by gaze sensor 140 as the line of sight of user 5 in the uvw visual field coordinate system of virtual camera 14.

[User's line of sight]
The determination of the line of sight of the user 5 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the head of user 5 wearing HMD 120 according to an embodiment from above.

In an aspect, the gaze sensor 140 detects each line of sight of the right eye and the left eye of the user 5. In one aspect, when the user 5 is looking close, the gaze sensor 140 detects the sight lines R1 and L1. In another aspect, when the user 5 is looking far away, the gaze sensor 140 detects the sight lines R2 and L2. In this case, the angle formed by the lines of sight R2 and L2 with respect to the roll axis w is smaller than the angle formed by the lines of sight R1 and L1 with respect to the roll axis w. The gaze sensor 140 transmits the detection result to the computer 200.

When the computer 200 receives the detection values of the sight lines R1 and L1 from the gaze sensor 140 as the detection result of the sight line, the computer 200 specifies the attention point N1 which is the intersection of the sight lines R1 and L1 based on the detection value. On the other hand, when the computer 200 receives the detection values of the sight lines R2 and L2 from the gaze sensor 140, the computer 200 specifies the intersection of the sight lines R2 and L2 as the gaze point. The computer 200 specifies the line of sight N0 of the user 5 based on the specified position of the gazing point N1. The computer 200 detects, as the line of sight N0, for example, the extending direction of a straight line passing through the gazing point N1 and the midpoint of the straight line connecting the right eye R and the left eye L of the user 5. The line of sight N0 is the direction in which the user 5 is actually directing his or her eyes with both eyes. The line-of-sight N0 corresponds to the direction in which the user 5 is actually looking at the field of view 15.

In another aspect, the HMD system 100 may include a television broadcast receiving tuner. With such a configuration, the HMD system 100 can display a television program in the virtual space 11.

In still another aspect, the HMD system 100 may include a communication circuit for connecting to the Internet or a call function for connecting to a telephone line.

[Field of view]
The visibility region 15 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 is a view showing a YZ cross section of the view field 15 in the virtual space 11 as seen from the X direction. FIG. 7 is a view showing an XZ cross section of the view field 15 in the virtual space 11 as seen from the Y direction.

As shown in FIG. 6, the view field region 15 in the YZ section includes a region 18. The area 18 is defined by the position of the virtual camera 14, the reference line of sight 16, and the YZ section of the virtual space 11. The processor 210 defines a range including the polar angle α around the reference line of sight 16 in the virtual space as a region 18.

As shown in FIG. 7, the view region 15 in the XZ section includes a region 19. The area 19 is defined by the position of the virtual camera 14, the reference line of sight 16, and the XZ section of the virtual space 11. The processor 210 defines a range including the azimuth angle β around the reference line of sight 16 in the virtual space 11 as a region 19. The polar angles α and β are determined according to the position of the virtual camera 14 and the inclination (direction) of the virtual camera 14.

In one aspect, the HMD system 100 provides the user 5 with a view in the virtual space 11 by displaying the view image 17 on the monitor 130 based on a signal from the computer 200. The visual field image 17 is an image corresponding to a portion of the panoramic image 13 corresponding to the visual field region 15. When the user 5 moves the HMD 120 mounted on the head, the virtual camera 14 also moves in conjunction with the movement. As a result, the position of the view field 15 in the virtual space 11 changes. As a result, the view image 17 displayed on the monitor 130 is updated to the image of the panorama image 13 that is superimposed on the view region 15 in the direction in which the user 5 is facing in the virtual space 11. The user 5 can visually recognize a desired direction in the virtual space 11.

Thus, the inclination of the virtual camera 14 corresponds to the line of sight (reference line of sight 16) of the user 5 in the virtual space 11, and the position where the virtual camera 14 is arranged corresponds to the viewpoint of the user 5 in the virtual space 11. Therefore, by changing the position or inclination of the virtual camera 14, the image displayed on the monitor 130 is updated and the field of view of the user 5 is moved.

While wearing the HMD 120, the user 5 can visually recognize only the panoramic image 13 developed in the virtual space 11 without visually recognizing the real world. Therefore, the HMD system 100 can give the user 5 a high sense of immersion in the virtual space 11.

In an aspect, the processor 210 may move the virtual camera 14 in the virtual space 11 in conjunction with the movement of the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 in the real space. In this case, the processor 210 specifies the image area (visual field area 15) projected on the monitor 130 of the HMD 120 based on the position and inclination of the virtual camera 14 in the virtual space 11.

In one aspect, virtual camera 14 may include two virtual cameras, a virtual camera for providing an image for the right eye and a virtual camera for providing an image for the left eye. Appropriate parallax is set for the two virtual cameras so that the user 5 can recognize the three-dimensional virtual space 11. In another aspect, the virtual camera 14 may be realized by one virtual camera. In this case, the image for the right eye and the image for the left eye may be generated from the image obtained by one virtual camera. In the present embodiment, the virtual camera 14 includes two virtual cameras, and the roll axis (w) generated by combining the roll axes of the two virtual cameras is adapted to the roll axis (w) of the HMD 120. The technical idea according to the present disclosure will be exemplified as one configured as described above.

[controller]
An example of the controller 300 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of controller 300 according to an embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 8, in one aspect, the controller 300 may include a right controller 300R and a left controller (not shown). The right controller 300R is operated by the right hand of the user 5. The left controller is operated by the left hand of the user 5. In one aspect, the right controller 300R and the left controller are symmetrically configured as separate devices. Therefore, the user 5 can freely move the right hand holding the right controller 300R and the left hand holding the left controller. In another aspect, the controller 300 may be an integrated controller that receives operations of both hands. The right controller 300R will be described below.

The right controller 300R includes a grip 310, a frame 320, and a top surface 330. The grip 310 is configured to be gripped by the right hand of the user 5. For example, the grip 310 may be held by the palm of the user 5's right hand and three fingers (middle finger, ring finger, little finger).

The grip 310 includes buttons 340 and 350 and a motion sensor 420. The button 340 is arranged on the side surface of the grip 310 and receives an operation by the middle finger of the right hand. The button 350 is arranged on the front surface of the grip 310 and receives an operation by the index finger of the right hand. In one aspect, buttons 340 and 350 are configured as trigger-type buttons. The motion sensor 420 is built in the housing of the grip 310. The grip 310 may not include the motion sensor 420 if the motion of the user 5 can be detected from around the user 5 by a camera or other device.

The frame 320 includes a plurality of infrared LEDs 360 arranged along the circumferential direction thereof. The infrared LED 360 emits infrared light according to the progress of the program while the program using the controller 300 is being executed. The infrared rays emitted from the infrared LED 360 can be used to detect each position and posture (tilt, orientation) of the right controller 300R and the left controller. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the infrared LEDs 360 arranged in two rows are shown, but the number of arrays is not limited to that shown in FIG. A single row or an array of three or more rows may be used.

The top surface 330 includes buttons 370 and 380 and an analog stick 390. Buttons 370 and 380 are configured as push buttons. Buttons 370 and 380 accept an operation by the thumb of the right hand of user 5. The analog stick 390 receives an operation in an arbitrary direction of 360 degrees from an initial position (neutral position) in a certain aspect. The operation includes, for example, an operation for moving an object arranged in the virtual space 11.

In one aspect, the right controller 300R and the left controller include batteries for driving the infrared LEDs 360 and other components. Batteries include, but are not limited to, rechargeable, button type, dry cell type, and the like. In another aspect, the right controller 300R and the left controller may be connected to the USB interface of the computer 200, for example. In this case, the right controller 300R and the left controller do not require batteries.

As shown in states (A) and (B) of FIG. 8, for example, the yaw, roll, and pitch directions are defined for the right hand of the user 5. When the user 5 extends his thumb and forefinger, the direction in which the thumb extends is the yaw direction, the direction in which the index finger extends is the roll direction, and the direction perpendicular to the plane defined by the yaw direction axis and the roll direction axis is the pitch direction. Is defined as

[Server hardware configuration]
The server 600 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of server 600 according to an embodiment. The server 600 includes a processor 610, a memory 620, a storage 630, an input/output interface 640, and a communication interface 650 as main components. Each component is connected to the bus 660.

Processor 610 executes a series of instructions included in a program stored in memory 620 or storage 630 based on a signal provided to server 600 or when a predetermined condition is satisfied. In one aspect, processor 610 is implemented as a CPU, GPU, MPU, FPGA or other device.

The memory 620 temporarily stores programs and data. The program is loaded from the storage 630, for example. The data includes data input to the server 600 and data generated by the processor 610. In one aspect, memory 620 is implemented as RAM or other volatile memory.

The storage 630 permanently holds programs and data. The storage 630 is realized as, for example, a ROM, a hard disk device, a flash memory, or another non-volatile storage device. The programs stored in the storage 630 may include a program for providing a virtual space in the HMD system 100, a simulation program, a game program, a user authentication program, and a program for realizing communication with the computer 200. The data stored in the storage 630 may include data and objects for defining the virtual space.

In another aspect, the storage 630 may be realized as a removable storage device such as a memory card. In yet another aspect, instead of the storage 630 built in the server 600, a configuration using programs and data stored in an external storage device may be used. With such a configuration, for example, in a situation where a plurality of HMD systems 100 are used, such as in an amusement facility, it is possible to collectively update programs and data.

The input/output interface 640 communicates signals with input/output devices. In one aspect, the input/output interface 640 is implemented using a USB, DVI, HDMI, or other terminal. The input/output interface 640 is not limited to the above.

The communication interface 650 is connected to the network 2 and communicates with the computer 200 connected to the network 2. In one aspect, the communication interface 650 is realized as a wired communication interface such as a LAN or a wireless communication interface such as WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC or the like. The communication interface 650 is not limited to the above.

In one aspect, the processor 610 accesses the storage 630, loads one or more programs stored in the storage 630 into the memory 620, and executes a series of instructions included in the program. The one or more programs may include an operating system of the server 600, an application program for providing a virtual space, game software executable in the virtual space, and the like. The processor 610 may send a signal for providing the virtual space to the computer 200 via the input/output interface 640.

[HMD controller]
The control device of the HMD 120 will be described with reference to FIG. 10. In one embodiment, the control device is realized by computer 200 having a well-known configuration. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a computer 200 according to an embodiment as a module configuration.

As shown in FIG. 10, the computer 200 includes a control module 510, a rendering module 520, a memory module 530, and a communication control module 540. In one aspect, control module 510 and rendering module 520 are implemented by processor 210. In another aspect, multiple processors 210 may operate as control module 510 and rendering module 520. The memory module 530 is realized by the memory 220 or the storage 230. The communication control module 540 is realized by the communication interface 250.

The control module 510 controls the virtual space 11 provided to the user 5. The control module 510 uses the virtual space data representing the virtual space 11 to define the virtual space 11 in the HMD system 100. The virtual space data is stored in, for example, the memory module 530. The control module 510 may generate virtual space data or acquire virtual space data from the server 600 or the like.

The control module 510 arranges the object in the virtual space 11 by using the object data representing the object. The object data is stored in the memory module 530, for example. The control module 510 may generate the object data or acquire the object data from the server 600 or the like. The objects include, for example, avatar objects that are the altercations of the user 5, character objects, operation objects such as virtual hands operated by the controller 300, landscapes including forests, mountains, etc. arranged according to the progress of the game story, cityscapes, animals. And the like.

The control module 510 arranges the avatar object of the user 5 of the other computer 200 connected via the network 2 in the virtual space 11. In one aspect, the control module 510 arranges the avatar object of the user 5 in the virtual space 11. In one aspect, control module 510 arranges an avatar object imitating user 5 in virtual space 11 based on an image including user 5. In another aspect, the control module 510 arranges in the virtual space 11 an avatar object that has been selected by the user 5 from among a plurality of types of avatar objects (for example, an object imitating an animal or an object of a deformed person). To do.

The control module 510 identifies the inclination of the HMD 120 based on the output of the HMD sensor 410. In another aspect, control module 510 identifies the tilt of HMD 120 based on the output of sensor 190 that functions as a motion sensor. The control module 510 detects organs (for example, mouth, eyes, eyebrows) forming the face of the user 5 from the images of the face of the user 5 generated by the first camera 150 and the second camera 160. The control module 510 detects the movement (shape) of each detected organ.

The control module 510 detects the line of sight of the user 5 in the virtual space 11 based on the signal from the gaze sensor 140. The control module 510 detects a viewpoint position (coordinate value in the XYZ coordinate system) at which the detected line of sight of the user 5 and the celestial sphere of the virtual space 11 intersect. More specifically, the control module 510 detects the viewpoint position based on the line of sight of the user 5 defined in the uvw coordinate system and the position and inclination of the virtual camera 14. The control module 510 transmits the detected viewpoint position to the server 600. In another aspect, control module 510 may be configured to send line-of-sight information representing the line-of-sight of user 5 to server 600. In this case, the viewpoint position can be calculated based on the line-of-sight information received by the server 600.

The control module 510 reflects the movement of the HMD 120 detected by the HMD sensor 410 on the avatar object. For example, the control module 510 detects that the HMD 120 is tilted and tilts the avatar object. The control module 510 reflects the detected motion of the facial organ on the face of the avatar object arranged in the virtual space 11. The control module 510 receives the line-of-sight information of the other user 5 from the server 600 and reflects it on the line-of-sight of the avatar object of the other user 5. In one aspect, control module 510 reflects the movement of controller 300 on an avatar object or an operation object. In this case, the controller 300 includes a motion sensor for detecting the movement of the controller 300, an acceleration sensor, or a plurality of light emitting elements (for example, infrared LEDs).

The control module 510 arranges an operation object for receiving the operation of the user 5 in the virtual space 11 in the virtual space 11. The user 5 operates, for example, an object arranged in the virtual space 11 by operating the operation object. In one aspect, the operation object may include, for example, a hand object that is a virtual hand corresponding to the hand of the user 5. In one aspect, the control module 510 moves the hand object in the virtual space 11 based on the output of the motion sensor 420 so as to interlock with the movement of the hand of the user 5 in the real space. In an aspect, the operation object may correspond to the hand part of the avatar object.

When each of the objects arranged in the virtual space 11 collides with another object, the control module 510 detects the collision. The control module 510 can detect, for example, a timing at which a collision area of a certain object and a collision area of another object touch, and when the detection is performed, a predetermined process is performed. The control module 510 can detect the timing when the object is separated from the state in which the objects are in contact with each other, and when the detection is performed, a predetermined process is performed. The control module 510 can detect that the objects are in contact with each other. For example, control module 510, when the operation object touches another object, detects that the operation object touches the other object and performs a predetermined process.

In one aspect, control module 510 controls image display on monitor 130 of HMD 120. For example, the control module 510 arranges the virtual camera 14 in the virtual space 11. The control module 510 controls the position of the virtual camera 14 in the virtual space 11 and the inclination (direction) of the virtual camera 14. The control module 510 defines the field of view 15 according to the inclination of the head of the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 and the position of the virtual camera 14. The rendering module 520 generates the visual field image 17 displayed on the monitor 130 based on the determined visual field area 15. The visual field image 17 generated by the rendering module 520 is output to the HMD 120 by the communication control module 540.

When the control module 510 detects an utterance using the microphone 170 of the user 5 from the HMD 120, the control module 510 identifies the computer 200 to which the voice data corresponding to the utterance is transmitted. The voice data is transmitted to the computer 200 specified by the control module 510. When the control module 510 receives voice data from another user's computer 200 via the network 2, the control module 510 outputs a voice (utterance) corresponding to the voice data from the speaker 180.

The memory module 530 holds data used by the computer 200 to provide the virtual space 11 to the user 5. In one aspect, the memory module 530 holds spatial information, object information, and user information.

The spatial information holds one or more templates defined to provide the virtual space 11.

The object information includes a plurality of panoramic images 13 forming the virtual space 11, and object data for arranging objects in the virtual space 11. The panoramic image 13 may include a still image and a moving image. The panoramic image 13 may include an image in unreal space and an image in real space. Examples of the image in the unreal space include an image generated by computer graphics.

The user information holds a user ID that identifies the user 5. The user ID may be, for example, an IP (Internet Protocol) address or a MAC (Media Access Control) address set in the computer 200 used by the user. In another aspect, the user ID may be set by the user. The user information includes a program or the like for causing the computer 200 to function as a control device of the HMD system 100.

The data and programs stored in the memory module 530 are input by the user 5 of the HMD 120. Alternatively, the processor 210 downloads a program or data from a computer (for example, the server 600) operated by a business operator that provides the content, and stores the downloaded program or data in the memory module 530.

The communication control module 540 can communicate with the server 600 and other information communication devices via the network 2.

In one aspect, the control module 510 and the rendering module 520 can be implemented using Unity (registered trademark) provided by Unity Technologies, Inc., for example. In another aspect, the control module 510 and the rendering module 520 can be implemented as a combination of circuit elements that implement each process.

The processing in the computer 200 is realized by hardware and software executed by the processor 210. Such software may be stored in advance in the memory module 530 such as a hard disk. The software may be stored in a computer-readable non-volatile data recording medium such as a CD-ROM and distributed as a program product. Alternatively, the software may be provided as a downloadable program product by an information provider connected to the Internet or other network. Such software is read from a data recording medium by an optical disk drive or other data reading device, or downloaded from the server 600 or other computer via the communication control module 540, and then temporarily stored in the storage module. .. The software is read from the storage module by the processor 210 and stored in the RAM in the form of an executable program. The processor 210 executes the program.

[Control structure of HMD system]
The control structure of the HMD set 110 will be described with reference to FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a sequence chart showing a part of the processing executed in HMD set 110 according to an embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 11, in step S1110, the processor 210 of the computer 200, as the control module 510, specifies virtual space data and defines the virtual space 11.

In step S1120, the processor 210 initializes the virtual camera 14. For example, the processor 210 arranges the virtual camera 14 at a predetermined center 12 in the virtual space 11 in the work area of the memory, and directs the line of sight of the virtual camera 14 in the direction in which the user 5 is facing.

In step S1130, the processor 210, as the rendering module 520, generates view field image data for displaying an initial view field image. The generated visual field image data is output to the HMD 120 by the communication control module 540.

In step S1132, the monitor 130 of the HMD 120 displays the visual field image based on the visual field image data received from the computer 200. The user 5 wearing the HMD 120 can recognize the virtual space 11 when viewing the visual field image.

In step S1134, the HMD sensor 410 detects the position and inclination of the HMD 120 based on the plurality of infrared rays emitted from the HMD 120. The detection result is output to the computer 200 as motion detection data.

In step S1140, the processor 210 specifies the visual field direction of the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 based on the position and the inclination included in the motion detection data of the HMD 120.

In step S1150, the processor 210 executes the application program and arranges the object in the virtual space 11 based on the instruction included in the application program.

In step S1160, the controller 300 detects the operation of the user 5 based on the signal output from the motion sensor 420, and outputs the detection data representing the detected operation to the computer 200. In another aspect, the operation of the controller 300 by the user 5 may be detected based on an image from a camera arranged around the user 5.

In step S1170, the processor 210 detects the operation of the controller 300 by the user 5 based on the detection data acquired from the controller 300.

In step S1180, the processor 210 generates view image data based on the operation of the controller 300 by the user 5. The generated visual field image data is output to the HMD 120 by the communication control module 540.

In step S1190, HMD 120 updates the visual field image based on the received visual field image data, and displays the updated visual field image on monitor 130.

[Avatar object]
An avatar object according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 12(A) and 12(B). Hereinafter, it is a figure explaining the avatar object of each user 5 of HMD set 110A, 110B. Hereinafter, a user of the HMD set 110A will be referred to as a user 5A, a user of the HMD set 110B will be referred to as a user 5B, a user of the HMD set 110C will be referred to as a user 5C, and a user of the HMD set 110D will be referred to as a user 5D. The reference numeral of each component related to the HMD set 110A is attached with A, the reference numeral of each component related to the HMD set 110B is attached with B, the reference numeral of each component regarding the HMD set 110C is attached with C, and the HMD set D is attached to the reference numeral of each component related to 110D. For example, the HMD 120A is included in the HMD set 110A.

FIG. 12A is a schematic diagram showing a situation in which each HMD 120 provides the user 5 with the virtual space 11 in the network 2. The computers 200A to 200D provide the virtual spaces 11A to 11D to the users 5A to 5D via the HMDs 120A to 120D, respectively. In the example shown in FIG. 12A, the virtual space 11A and the virtual space 11B are composed of the same data. In other words, the computer 200A and the computer 200B share the same virtual space. The avatar object 6A of the user 5A and the avatar object 6B of the user 5B exist in the virtual space 11A and the virtual space 11B. The avatar object 6A in the virtual space 11A and the avatar object 6B in the virtual space 11B are each equipped with the HMD 120, but this is for the sake of easy understanding of the description. In reality, these objects are equipped with the HMD 120. Not not.

In an aspect, the processor 210A may arrange the virtual camera 14A that captures the view image 17A of the user 5A at the eye position of the avatar object 6A.

FIG. 12B is a diagram showing a visual field image 17A of the user 5A in FIG. 12A. The visual field image 17A is an image displayed on the monitor 130A of the HMD 120A. The view image 17A is an image generated by the virtual camera 14A. The avatar object 6B of the user 5B is displayed in the view image 17A. Although not particularly shown, the avatar object 6A of the user 5A is also displayed in the view image of the user 5B.

In the state of FIG. 12B, the user 5A can communicate with the user 5B through the virtual space 11A by dialogue. More specifically, the voice of the user 5A acquired by the microphone 170A is transmitted to the HMD 120B of the user 5B via the server 600 and output from the speaker 180B provided in the HMD 120B. The voice of the user 5B is transmitted to the HMD 120A of the user 5A via the server 600 and output from the speaker 180A provided in the HMD 120A.

The action of the user 5B (the action of the HMD 120B and the action of the controller 300B) is reflected on the avatar object 6B arranged in the virtual space 11A by the processor 210A. As a result, the user 5A can recognize the action of the user 5B through the avatar object 6B.

FIG. 13 is a sequence chart showing a part of the processing executed in HMD system 100 according to the present embodiment. Although the HMD set 110D is not shown in FIG. 13, the HMD set 110D operates similarly to the HMD sets 110A, 110B, and 110C. Also in the following description, the reference numeral of each component regarding the HMD set 110A is attached with A, the reference numeral of each component regarding the HMD set 110B is attached with B, and the reference numeral of each component regarding the HMD set 110C is attached with C. It is assumed that D is added to the reference symbols of the respective components related to the HMD set 110D.

In step S1310A, the processor 210A in the HMD set 110A acquires avatar information for determining the action of the avatar object 6A in the virtual space 11A. This avatar information includes information about the avatar, such as motion information, face tracking data, and voice data. The movement information includes information indicating a temporal change in the position and inclination of the HMD 120A, information indicating a movement of the hand of the user 5A detected by the motion sensor 420A, and the like. The face tracking data may be data that specifies the position and size of each part of the face of the user 5A. The face tracking data includes data indicating the movement of each organ forming the face of the user 5A and line-of-sight data. The voice data may be data indicating the voice of the user 5A acquired by the microphone 170A of the HMD 120A. The avatar information may include information specifying the avatar object 6A, the user 5A associated with the avatar object 6A, information specifying the virtual space 11A in which the avatar object 6A exists, and the like. User ID is mentioned as information which specifies avatar object 6A and user 5A. Room ID is mentioned as information which identifies 11 A of virtual spaces in which avatar object 6A exists. The processor 210A transmits the avatar information acquired as described above to the server 600 via the network 2.

In step S1310B, the processor 210B in the HMD set 110B acquires avatar information for determining the action of the avatar object 6B in the virtual space 11B, and transmits it to the server 600, as in the process in step S1310A. Similarly, in step S1310C, processor 210C in HMD set 110C acquires avatar information for determining the action of avatar object 6C in virtual space 11C, and transmits it to server 600.

In step S1320, server 600 temporarily stores the player information received from each of HMD set 110A, HMD set 110B, and HMD set 110C. The server 600 integrates the avatar information of all users (in this example, users 5A to 5C) associated with the common virtual space 11 based on the user ID, the room ID, and the like included in each avatar information. Then, the server 600 transmits the integrated avatar information to all the users associated with the virtual space 11 at a predetermined timing. As a result, the synchronization process is executed. Through such synchronization processing, the HMD set 110A, the HMD set 110B, and the HMD set 110C can share their avatar information at substantially the same timing.

Then, each HMD set 110A-110C performs the process of step S1330A-S1330C based on the avatar information transmitted from the server 600 to each HMD set 110A-110C. The process of step S1330A corresponds to the process of step S1180 in FIG.

In step S1330A, the processor 210A in the HMD set 110A updates the information of the avatar objects 6B and 6C of the other users 5B and 5C in the virtual space 11A. Specifically, the processor 210A updates the position and orientation of the avatar object 6B in the virtual space 11 based on the motion information included in the avatar information transmitted from the HMD set 110B. For example, the processor 210A updates the information (position, orientation, etc.) of the avatar object 6B included in the object information stored in the memory module 530. Similarly, the processor 210A updates the information (position, orientation, etc.) of the avatar object 6C in the virtual space 11 based on the motion information included in the avatar information transmitted from the HMD set 110C.

In step S1330B, the processor 210B in the HMD set 110B updates the information of the avatar objects 6A and 6C of the users 5A and 5C in the virtual space 11B, similarly to the processing in step S1330A. Similarly, in step S1330C, the processor 210C in the HMD set 110C updates the information of the avatar objects 6A and 6B of the users 5A and 5B in the virtual space 11C.

[Detailed Configuration of Modules of Computer 200]
The module configuration of the computer 200 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of modules of computer 200 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 14, the control module 510 includes a visibility control module 1421 and a motion detection module 1422.

The visibility control module 1421 controls the visibility region 15 of the user 5 in the virtual space 11. The motion detection module 1422 detects the motion of the user 5. The motion detection module 1422 detects the motion of the hand of the user 5 according to the output of the controller 300, for example. The motion detection module 1422 detects the motion of the body of the user 5, for example, according to the output of the motion sensor attached to the body of the user 5. The motion detection module 1422 may also detect the motion of the facial organs of the user 5.

[Structure of video distribution system]
FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a video distribution system 1500 according to an embodiment. The video distribution system 1500 distributes a video image of a subject to the computer 200 of the user 5 (viewer). As a result, the viewer can view the video. It should be noted that “delivery” here means that the video delivery system 1500 receives the first instruction based on the input of the user 5 to the computer 200 and sends the video to the computer 200, for example. The video distribution system 1500 distributes a captured image of a subject to the computer 200 in real time. In one aspect, the video distribution system 1500 distributes spherical images. The spherical image is an image in which each frame is a spherical image.

The subject according to this embodiment is a human. Therefore, the subject according to the present embodiment can also be expressed as a “video distributor” or a “performer”.

As an example, the video distribution system 1500 includes a computer 200, a server 600, a spherical camera 1531, a spherical image generating device 1534, and a display device 1535, as shown in FIG. The video delivery system 1500 may be configured to include a plurality of spherical cameras 1531.

[Spherical camera 1531]
The omnidirectional camera 1531 includes a plurality of image capturing units and captures a subject 1551. As an example, the spherical camera 1531 includes two image capturing units. Specifically, the omnidirectional camera 1531 includes a first imaging unit 1532 and a second imaging unit 1533. The spherical camera 1531 is, for example, a commercial spherical camera.

The first image capturing unit 1532 and the second image capturing unit 1533 are configured to capture a moving image, and include an image capturing element such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) or a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) and a lens. It is configured. Hereinafter, the moving image captured by the first image capturing unit 1532 and the second image capturing unit 1533 may be referred to as a “captured video”.

FIG. 16 is a diagram for describing the field of view of omnidirectional camera 1531 according to an embodiment. The first image capturing unit 1532 and the second image capturing unit 1533 are arranged in the omnidirectional camera 1531 so as to capture images in mutually opposite directions, as an example. The 1st imaging part 1532 has the visual field 1661A shown in FIG. 16 as an example. The second imaging unit 1533 has a field of view 1661B shown in FIG. 16 as an example. The visual field 1661A and the visual field 1661B can also be expressed as the imaging regions of the first imaging unit 1532 and the second imaging unit 1533, respectively.

Since FIG. 16 is a top view of the omnidirectional camera 1531, the field of view 1661A and the field of view 1661B are shown as a circle (fan shape) with a part missing. However, the first imaging unit 1532 and the second imaging unit 1533 also have a field of view in the vertical direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface). That is, the visual field 1661A and the visual field 1661B are actually spherical shapes with a part cut off. Therefore, the fields of view of the omnidirectional camera 1531 are two fields of view, which are in opposite directions to each other and are partially spherical. As a result, the omnidirectional camera 1531 can take an image of the entire circumference (360 degrees) of the omnidirectional camera 1531.

FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of omnidirectional camera 1531 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 17, the omnidirectional camera 1531 has a processor 1771, a memory 1772, a storage 1773, a first imaging unit 1532, a second imaging unit 1533, and an input/output interface 1774 as main components. , Communication interface 1775. Each component is connected to the bus 1776, respectively.

The processor 1771 executes a series of instructions contained in the program stored in the memory 1772 or the storage 1773 based on the signal given to the omnidirectional camera 1531 or based on the establishment of a predetermined condition. Execute. In one aspect, processor 1771 is implemented as a CPU, GPU, MPU, FPGA, or other device.

The memory 1772 temporarily stores programs and data. The program is loaded from the storage 1773, for example. The data includes data input to the spherical camera 1531 and data generated by the processor 1771. In one aspect, memory 1772 is implemented as RAM or other volatile memory.

The storage 1773 permanently holds programs and data. The storage 1773 is realized, for example, as a ROM, a hard disk device, a flash memory, or another non-volatile storage device. The programs stored in the storage 1773 may include a program for realizing imaging of a captured image, a program for realizing communication with other devices, and the like. The data stored in the storage 1773 may include captured video (captured video data).

In another aspect, the storage 1773 may be realized as a removable storage device such as a memory card. In yet another aspect, instead of the storage 1773 built in the spherical camera 1531, a configuration using programs and data stored in an external storage device may be used.

The 1st image pick-up part 1532 and the 2nd image pick-up part 1533 pick up a picked-up image as mentioned above.

The input/output interface 1774 communicates signals with input/output devices. In one aspect, the input/output interface 1774 is implemented using a USB, DVI, HDMI, or other terminal. The input/output interface 1774 is not limited to the above.

The communication interface 1775 is connected to the network 2 and communicates with a device connected to the network 2. In one aspect, the communication interface 1775 is realized as, for example, a LAN or other wired communication interface, or a wireless communication interface such as WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC or the like. The communication interface 1775 is not limited to the above.

The processor 1771 uses the communication interface 1775 to transmit the captured image to the omnidirectional image generation device 1534 in real time.

[Spherical image generation device 1534]
The spherical image generating device 1534 generates a spherical image using the captured image acquired from the spherical camera 1531. In one aspect, the omnidirectional image generation device 1534 acquires a photographed image from the omnidirectional camera 1531 via the network 2.

The celestial sphere image generation device 1534 acquires the photographic image captured by the first imaging unit 1532 of the celestial sphere camera 1531 and the captured image captured by the second imaging unit 1533. As shown in FIG. 16, the visual field 1661A of the first imaging unit 1532 and the visual field 1661B of the second imaging unit 1533 partially overlap with each other. Therefore, the captured video imaged by the first imaging unit 1532 of the omnidirectional camera 1531 and the captured video imaged by the second imaging unit 1533 partially overlap each other. The spherical image generating apparatus 1534 distorts two corresponding frames included in these two captured images and performs stitching processing on the distorted two frames. The “corresponding two frames” are two frames having the same shooting time. The celestial sphere image generation device 1534 generates a celestial sphere image by performing stitching processing on all corresponding two frames. The omnidirectional image generation device 1534 transmits the generated omnidirectional image to the server 600 via the network 2.

The spherical camera 1531 may have a function of generating a spherical image and transmitting it to the server 600. In the case of this example, the video distribution system 1500 does not need to include the spherical image generation device 1534.

[Display device 1535]
The display device 1535 displays at least the first message addressed to the performer. Details of the display device 1535 will be described later.

[Server 600]
The server 600 delivers the received spherical image to the computer 200. In an aspect, the server 600 transmits the spherical image to the computer 200 when receiving the first instruction based on the input of the user 5 to the computer 200. That is, the first instruction is an instruction to transmit a spherical image.

[Capture of the performer]
FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of photographing a subject 1551 using the video distribution system 1500. Here, an example will be described in which a celestial sphere camera 1531 is used to photograph a performer 1852, which is an example of a subject 1551, in the photographing space 1800. In the illustrated example, the performer 1852 is female, but the performer may be male.

The omnidirectional camera 1531 images the performer 1852 in the first direction with respect to the own device. In the example of FIG. 18, the first direction is the front direction of the first imaging unit 1532. It should be noted that in FIG. 18, the first imaging unit 1532 is hidden by the display device 1535 and therefore not shown.

The display device 1535 displays the first message addressed to the performer 1852 in the first direction. That is, the display area 1836 of the display device 1535 is on the performer 1852 side as shown in FIG. As a result, the performer 1852 can visually recognize the first message.

The spherical camera 1531 and the display device 1535 are, for example, arranged in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the display device 1535 is arranged on the omnidirectional camera 1531 as shown in FIG. Note that the positional relationship between the omnidirectional camera 1531 and the display device 1535 is not limited to the vertical direction.

The display area 1836 is rectangular as shown in FIG. 18, for example. That is, the display area 1836 has two sides facing each other in the vertical direction. Specifically, the display area 1836 has a first end portion 1837 and a second end portion 1838 that faces the first end portion 1837 in the vertical direction. Since the omnidirectional camera 1531 and the display device 1535 are vertically arranged, the first end portion 1837 and the second end 1838 are vertically arranged with respect to the omnidirectional camera 1531. In the example of FIG. 18, the first end portion 1837 and the second end portion 1838 are above the spherical camera 1531. The first end 1837 is an end closer to the spherical camera 1531 than the second end 1838.

[Detailed Configuration of Modules of Server 600]
The details of the module configuration of the server 600 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of modules of server 600 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 19, the server 600 includes a control module 1910, a memory module 1930, and a communication control module 1940. In one aspect, control module 1910 is implemented by processor 610. The memory module 1930 is realized by the memory 620 or the storage 630. The communication control module 1940 is realized by the communication interface 650.

The control module 1910 includes a spherical image control module 1923 and a display device control module 1924.

Upon receiving the first instruction from the computer 200, the spherical image control module 1923 transmits the spherical image to the computer 200. The celestial sphere image control module 1923, for example, performs streaming (live streaming) of the celestial sphere image by a live method. Live streaming is a type of streaming in which data is downloaded and played back at the same time. Video and audio are delivered in real time, data is converted (encoded) in real time, and streaming is played back as it is. That is, the spherical image control module 1923 performs streaming of the spherical image received from the spherical image generating device 1534 in real time. In other words, the spherical image can be expressed as a live streaming image.

As described above, in the video distribution system 1500, (1) transmission of the captured video from the omnidirectional camera 1531 to the omnidirectional image generation device 1534, (2) generation of the omnidirectional image by the omnidirectional image generation device 1534, And, the transmission of the spherical image to the server 600, and (3) the transmission of the spherical image from the server 600 to the computer 200 which transmitted the first instruction is performed in real time. As a result, the user 5 can view the video of the performer 1852 currently being shot.

The display device control module 1924 controls the display device 1535. Specifically, the display device control module 1924 sets a part of the display area 1836 as the first area for displaying the first message. In addition, the display device control module 1924 displays, in real time, a first image based on the omnidirectional image generated by the omnidirectional image generation device 1534 in a partial area of the display area 1836, which is different from the first area. Set as 2 areas.

Further, the display device control module 1924 controls the display device 1535 to display the first message in the first area and display the first video in the second area.

The communication control module 1940 can communicate with the computer 200 and other information communication devices via the network 2.

[Processing flow]
FIG. 20 is a sequence diagram showing a part of processing executed by server 600, HMD set 110, and display device 1535 according to an embodiment. In the present embodiment, a series of processes on the viewer side will be described as being executed by the HMD set 110A. However, the process may be executed by the other HMD sets 110B and 110C, or a part or all of the process may be executed by the server 600.

In step S2001, the processor 210A of the computer 200A defines the virtual space 11A. The process corresponds to the process of step S1110 of FIG. Specifically, the processor 210A specifies the virtual space data to define the virtual space 11A represented by the virtual space data.

In step S2011, the processor 610 of the server 600 sets, as the display device control module 1924, a first region in which the first message is displayed and a second region in which the first image is displayed for the display region 1836 of the display device 1535. To do. In the present embodiment, the first message will be described as being a comment addressed to the performer 1852, which is input by the user 5A while viewing the spherical image.

FIG. 21 shows an image displayed on display device 1535 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 21, the processor 610 sets an area 2172 closer to the first end 1837 side than the second end 1838 side in the display area 1836 as the first area. Note that, hereinafter, the area 2172 may be referred to as the first area 2172. The first region 2172 may be a region in contact with the first end portion 1837, as shown in FIG.

Further, the processor 610 sets, as the second area, the area 2173 in the display area 1836 that is farther from the first end portion 1837 side than the first area 2172. Note that, hereinafter, the area 2173 may be referred to as the second area 2173. The second region 2173 may be at least a part of the display region 1836 that is farther from the first end portion 1837 than the first region 2172. As an example, the second region 2173 may be the entire region of the display region 1836 farther from the first end portion 1837 side than the first region 2172, as shown in FIG. Accordingly, the display device 1535 can display the first video in a larger size, and the performer 1852 can easily view the first video.

As an example, processor 610 sets first region 2172 and second region 2173 based on the preset positional relationship between spherical camera 1531 and display device 1535. Specifically, in the case of the example of FIG. 21, information indicating that the display device 1535 is arranged on the omnidirectional camera 1531 is stored in the storage 630 in advance. The processor 610 sets the first area 2172 and the second area 2173 as shown in FIG. 21 based on the information. The storage 630 further stores information indicating the sizes (areas) of the first area 2172 and the second area 2173, and the processor 610 stores the information when setting the first area 2172 and the second area 2173. You may use.

In step S2012, the processor 610 receives the spherical image from the spherical image generating device 1534. The process of step S2012 is continuously executed until the photographing of the subject by the omnidirectional camera 1531 is completed.

In step S2002, the HMD set 110A receives a content reproduction operation. The controller 300 may accept the operation, or when an input device other than the controller 300 is included in the HMD set 110A, the input device may accept the operation. In step S2003, the processor 210A transmits a reproduction instruction to the server 600 based on the input of the reproduction operation.

In step S2013, the processor 610, as the spherical image control module 1923, transmits the received spherical image to the computer 200A. Specifically, processor 610 transmits the omnidirectional image received from omnidirectional image generating apparatus 1534 after receiving the reproduction instruction to computer 200A. That is, if a reproduction instruction is received after the start of shooting, the processor 610 will transmit to the computer 200A from the middle of the spherical image. The processor 610 may receive the reproduction instruction before the start of shooting, in other words, before receiving the spherical image from the spherical image generating device 1534. In this case, the processor 610 waits until it receives a spherical image from the spherical image generating device 1534. In this case, the processor 610 can transmit to the computer 200A from the beginning of the spherical image.

In step S2004, the processor 210A develops the received spherical image in the virtual space 11A. Specifically, the processor 210A associates each partial image forming the spherical image with each corresponding mesh in the virtual space 11A. In step S2005, the processor 210A starts the reproduction of the spherical image.

In step S2014, the processor 610, as the display device control module 1924, generates the first video from the spherical image and transmits it to the display device 1535. As an example, the processor 610 sets a partial region in which the performer 1852 is located at the center of the spherical image as the first image. The size of the first image is determined, for example, based on the size of the second area 2173. That is, the processor 610 identifies a partial region in which the performer 1852 is arranged at the center based on the size of the second region 2173. Then, the partial area is transmitted to the display device 1535 as a first image.

In step S2021, the display device 1535 displays the first video in the set second area 2173. As a result, the performer 1852 can visually recognize the captured image while capturing the image.

In step S2006, the processor 210A, as the view control module 1421 and the movement detection module 1422, determines the view of the user in the virtual space 11A according to the movement of the HMD 120A. As an example, the processor 210A sets a virtual viewpoint. The virtual viewpoint may be set at the center 12A of the virtual space 11A. The processor 210A may move the virtual viewpoint in the virtual space 11A in conjunction with the movement of the HMD 120A in the physical space.

The processor 210A defines the view area 15A in the virtual space 11A based on the position and inclination of the HMD 120A. The field-of-view area 15A corresponds to an area of the virtual space 11A that is visually recognized by the user 5A wearing the HMD 120A. That is, it can be said that the position of the virtual viewpoint is the viewpoint of the user 5A in the virtual space 11A.

In step 2007, the processor 210A displays the view image 17A on the monitor 130A. Specifically, the processor 210A defines the visual field image 17A corresponding to the visual field region 15A based on the movement of the HMD 120A, the virtual space data defining the virtual space 11A, and the spherical image. Defining the visual field image 17A is synonymous with generating the visual field image 17A. The processor 210A further displays the visual field image 17A on the HMD 120A by outputting the visual field image 17A to the monitor 130A of the HMD 120A. The user 5A can visually recognize the performer 1852 by visually recognizing the visual field image 17A.

In step S2008, the HMD set 110A accepts a comment input operation for inputting a comment addressed to the performer 1852. In other words, the user 5A inputs a comment addressed to the performer 1852 while viewing the spherical image. The comment input operation may be accepted by the controller 300, or may be accepted by the input device when an input device other than the controller 300 is included in the HMD set 110A. In step S2009, the processor 210A transmits the comment generated based on the comment input operation to the server 600. Step S2009 can also be expressed as the step in which the processor 610 receives a comment.

In step S2015, processor 610 transmits the received comment to computer 200A and display device 1535. Although not shown, the processor 610 also transmits the received comment to the computers 200 other than the computer 200A, such as the computers 200B and 200C. That is, in step S2015, the processor 610 performs a comment synchronization process of transmitting a comment input by a certain user 5 to the performer and all the users 5.

In step S2010, the processor 210A displays the received comment on the monitor 130A. As a result, the user 5A can visually recognize the comment input by the user. The process of step S2010 is also executed by the computer 200 other than the computer 200A. Thereby, the users 5 other than the user 5A can visually recognize the comment input by the user 5A.

In step S2022, the display device 1535 displays the comment in the set first area 2172. For example, as shown in FIG. 21, a comment 2181 (second comment) is displayed in the first area 2172. As a result, the performer 1852 can visually recognize the comment input by the user 5, and can take various actions for the comment. For example, performer 1852 may thank you for entering a comment. Since the display device 1535 displays the comment in the first area 2172 based on the synchronization processing of the processor 610, step S2015 can also be expressed as the step in which the processor 610 displays the comment in the first area.

The comment 2182 (first comment) is a comment input earlier than the comment 2181. Before displaying the comment 2181, the comment 2182 is displayed at the position where the comment 2181 shown in FIG. 21 is displayed. When the comment 2182 is received at the position of the first area 2172 and the comment 2181 is received, the processor 610 controls the display device 1535 to move the comment 2182 to the first end portion within the first area 2172. Move to the side. Then, the processor 610 controls the display device 1535 to display the comment 2181 at the position where the comment 2182 before the movement was displayed. In other words, the first area 2172 is a so-called timeline. With such a configuration, the line of sight of the performer 1852 can be naturally set to the camera line of sight.

The user 5 who inputs the comment 2181 and the comment 2182 may be the same or different as shown in FIG. For example, the user 5 who inputs the comment 2181 may be the user 5A and the user 5 who inputs the comment 2182 may be the user 5B.

That is, the server 600 delivers the spherical image to the user 5 (for example, the user 5B) different from the user 5A. The display device 1535 also displays a comment 2182 (second message) addressed to the performer 1852 from the user 5B. The first area 2172 is an area for displaying a comment 2181 from the user 5A and a comment 2182 from the user 5 (user 5B) different from the user 5A. In other words, when the server 2600 receives the comment 2182 from the user 5 (user 5B) different from the user 5A, the server 2600 displays the comment 2182 in the first area 2172.

As described above, the comment is displayed in the first area 2172 which is closer to the omnidirectional camera 1531, so that the performer 1852 can visually recognize the comment while keeping the camera line of sight. This allows the user 5A to view the spherical image as if the performer 1852 is always facing the user 5A. As a result, the immersive feeling of the user 5A with respect to the distributed video can be further enhanced.

Further, by setting the first region 2172 as a region in contact with the first end portion 1837 as shown in FIG. 21, the deviation of the line of sight from the omnidirectional camera 1531 is minimized when the performer 1852 views the comment. Can be converted.

[Modification]
The first message is not limited to a message (for example, a comment) sent from the user 5 to the performer 1852. For example, the first message may be an instruction addressed to the performer 1852, which is input by a staff member involved in the shooting of the spherical image using a computer (not shown).

Further, the first area 2172 is not limited to the area displaying the first message and the second message. For example, the first area 2172 may be an area for displaying effects instead of the first message and the second message (or in addition to the first message and the second message). The effect may be based on the input operation of the user 5. The effect may be, for example, an animation showing that an object (gift) is presented from the user 5 to the performer 1852 based on the input operation of the user 5.

The camera that captures the performer 1852 is not limited to the omnidirectional camera 1531 as long as it has a function of capturing an image and a function of transmitting the captured image in real time via the network 2. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an image displayed on the display device according to the embodiment. As an example, the camera that shoots the performer 1852 may be a camera 2231 installed in the smartphone 2235, as illustrated in FIG. In the case of the example in FIG. 22A, the smartphone 2235 corresponds to the display device and the display portion 2236 corresponds to the display area of the display device. That is, in the case of the example in FIG. 22A, a region 2272 of the display portion 2236 that is closer to the first end 2237 side than the second end 2238 side is a first region (hereinafter, first region 2272). The comment is set and the comments 2281 to 2283 are displayed. In other words, in the case of the example in FIG. 22A, the upper portion in the display unit 2236 is set as the first area. Further, in the case of the example of FIG. 22A, a region 2273 farther from the first end 2237 side than the first region 2272 is set as a second region (hereinafter, second region 2273), and the first image is displayed. To be done. Note that in the case of the example in FIG. 22A, the camera 2231 cannot capture the entire surrounding area of the camera 2231. Therefore, the image distributed to the computer 200 is an ordinary image that is not a spherical image. Become.

Further, as an example, the camera that captures the performer 1852 may be a spherical camera 2239 connected to a smartphone 2235, as illustrated in FIG. The omnidirectional camera 2239 can be used, for example, by inserting it into an earphone jack provided on the bottom of the smartphone 2235. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 22B, the smartphone 2235 is used as a display device in a state where the smartphone 2235 is vertically inverted from the example of FIG. 22A. That is, in the case of the example of FIG. 22B, the first end 2237 and the second end 2238 are opposite to the example of FIG. 22A. Specifically, in the example of FIG. 22A, the side close to the camera 2231 installed in the smartphone 2235 is the first end 2237, but in the example of FIG. The side on the far side is the first end 2237. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 22B, the first region 2272 is a region closer to the omnidirectional camera 2239, in other words, a region farther from the camera 2231. The second area 2273 is an area farther from the spherical camera 2239 than the first area 2272, in other words, an area closer to the camera 2231 than the first area 2272. ..

As shown in FIG. 22B, when there are a plurality of cameras (camera 2231, spherical camera 2239) capable of capturing the performer 1852, the processor 610 identifies the camera used for capturing the performer 1852, The first area 2272 and the second area 2273 may be set based on the above.

In the example of FIG. 22B, the two cameras and the display portion 2236 are arranged in the vertical direction with the two cameras sandwiching the display portion 2236. The processor 610 specifies, for example, the spherical camera 2239 of the two cameras as the camera used for photographing the subject. As an example, when the processor 610 receives, from the smartphone 2235, information indicating that the omnidirectional camera 2239 is connected, the processor 610 may specify that the omnidirectional camera 2239 is a camera used for capturing an object.

Then, the processor 610 identifies the first end 2237 and the second end 2238 based on the positional relationship between the identified camera, that is, the omnidirectional camera 2239 and the display unit 2236. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 22B, the processor 610 specifies the side closer to the omnidirectional camera 2239 than the camera 2231 as the first end 2237, and determines the omnidirectional sphere than the camera 2231. The side farther from the camera 2239 is identified as the second end 2238.

Then, the processor 610 sets the first area 2272 and the second area 2273 based on the identified first end 2237 and second end 2238. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 22B, the processor 610 sets an area closer to the first end 2237 side than the second end 2238 side, that is, an area closer to the omnidirectional camera 2239. The first area 2272 is set, and the area farther from the first end 2237 side than the first area 2272 is set as the second area 2273.

Note that when the processor 610 identifies the camera 2231 as a camera used for photographing an object, the first end portion and the second end portion are opposite to the example in FIG. 22B. Therefore, the positional relationship between the first area 2272 and the second area 2273 and the camera 2231 is also opposite to that in the example of FIG. In other words, the positional relationship is the relationship shown in FIG.

The server 600 may set the first area and the second area in the viewing terminal for the user 5 to view the distributed spherical image. Here, an example will be described in which the viewing terminal is a smartphone including a display unit and a camera (imaging unit). In the smartphone, the display unit has a rectangular shape, and the display unit and the camera are arranged vertically. Therefore, the display unit has two sides facing each other in the vertical direction. One of the two sides is called a third end, and the other is called a fourth end. The third end is an end closer to the camera than the fourth end.

The processor 610 sets a region closer to the fourth end side than the third end side in the display region of the display unit as the first region. Further, the processor 610 sets, as the second area, at least a part of the display area of the display unit, which is farther from the fourth end side than the first area. That is, when a smartphone as a viewing terminal is the same as the smartphone 2235 shown in FIG. 22A, the positional relationship between the first area and the second area and the camera (camera 2231) is as shown in FIG. This is the opposite of the positional relationship shown. In other words, in the smartphone as the viewing terminal, the first area is the area far from the camera and the second area is the area near the camera.

In the example described above, the server 600 sets the first area and the second area, but the first area and the second area are set by the display device 1535, the smartphone 2235, and the smartphone as the viewing terminal. May go. In the case of this example, the display device 1535, the smartphone 2235, and the viewing terminal perform display in the first area and the second area based on the setting made by the own device.

The video (spherical video) viewed by the user 5 is not limited to the video including the performer 1852 itself. For example, the video may be a video that includes an avatar object associated with performer 1852 that reflects the movement of performer 1852.

When the video viewed by the user 5 is a video including an avatar object associated with the performer 1852, the shooting space may be a virtual space. In the case of this example, the camera that captures the performer 1852 is, for example, a virtual camera arranged in a virtual space. The display device that displays the first message and the like to the performer 1852 is, for example, a timeline arranged in the virtual space. The virtual camera and the timeline are arranged vertically in the virtual space. For example, a timeline is placed above the virtual camera. The first area is set based on the positional relationship between the virtual camera and the timeline. In this example, setting the second area on the timeline is not essential.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention should not be limitedly interpreted by the description of the present embodiments. This embodiment is an example, and it is understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention described in the claims. The technical scope of the present invention should be determined based on the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalent scope.

[Appendix]
The contents according to one aspect of the present invention are listed below.

(Item 1) I explained the program. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a program distributes to a first viewer (user 5A) an image capturing device (a spherical camera 1531) that captures an image of a subject (actor 1852), and an image of the subject captured by the image capturing device. Executed by a first computer in a system (video distribution system 1500) including a first computer (server 600) for displaying and a display device (1535) for displaying a first message addressed to a subject from a first viewer. .. The image capturing device and the display device are arranged vertically. The display area (1536) of the display device has a first end portion (1537) and a second end portion (1538) facing the first end portion in the vertical direction. The first end is an end closer to the image capturing device than the second end. The program causes a processor (610) included in the first computer to display, in a display area, an area closer to the first end side than the second end side for displaying a first message (2172). The step of setting as (S2011) and the step of displaying the first message in the first area (S2015) are executed.

(Item 2) In (Item 1), the program causes the processor to further execute the step of receiving the first message. The first message is a comment addressed to the subject, which the first viewer inputs while viewing the video. In the step of displaying, when the first comment, which is a comment, is displayed in the first area and a second comment different from the first comment is received, the first comment is moved to the first end side in the first area. Then, the second comment is displayed at the position where the first comment was displayed before the movement.

(Item 3) In (Item 1) or (Item 2), the first computer further distributes the image of the subject to the second viewer. The display device further displays a second message addressed to the subject by the second viewer. The first area is an area for displaying the first message and the second message. The displaying step further displays the second message in the first area.

(Item 4) In any one of (item 1) to (item 3), the program causes the processor to display at least a part of the display region farther from the first end side than the first region in the image. Is set as the second area (2173) for displaying (S2011), and the step of displaying the captured video in the second area in real time (S2014) is further executed.

(Item 5) In (Item 4), in the step of setting the second area, all the areas farther from the first end side than the first area in the display area are set as the second areas.

(Item 6) In (Item 1) to (Item 5), in the step of setting as the first region, a part of the display region that is in contact with the first end is set as the first region.

(Item 7) In (Item 1) to (Item 6), the system includes two imaging devices (camera 2231 and spherical camera 2239) capable of imaging a subject. The two image capturing devices and the display device are arranged vertically with the display device sandwiching the two image capturing devices. The program causes the processor to specify, from the two image-capturing devices, a step of identifying the image-capturing device (the omnidirectional camera 2239) to be used for capturing an image of the subject, and a first relationship based on the positional relationship between the identified image-capturing device and the display device. The step of identifying the end portion and the second end portion is further executed. In the step of setting the first area, the first area is set based on the identified first end portion and second end portion.

(Item 8) In (Item 4) or (Item 5), the system further includes a viewing terminal for viewing the distributed video. The viewing terminal includes a display unit for displaying a video and a photographing unit. The display unit and the photographing unit are arranged vertically. The display area of the display unit has a third end and a fourth end facing the third end in the vertical direction. The third end is an end closer to the photographing unit than the fourth end. The program sets, in the processor, the area closer to the fourth end side than the third end side of the display area of the display unit as the first area, and the first of the display areas of the display unit. The step of setting at least a part of the area farther from the fourth end side than the area as the second area is further executed.

(Item 9) The information processing device has been described. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the information processing device (server 600) displays a photographing device (a spherical camera 1531) for photographing a subject (speaker 1852) and a first message addressed to the subject from the first viewer. And a display device (1535) that operates. (Video distribution system 1500). The information processing device causes the first viewer (user 5A) to view the image of the subject captured by the image capturing device. The information processing device includes a storage unit (memory 620) that stores a program executed by the information processing device, and a control unit (processor 610) that controls the operation of the information processing device by executing the program. The image capturing device and the display device are arranged vertically. The display area (1536) of the display device has a first end portion (1537) and a second end portion (1538) facing the first end portion in the vertical direction. The first end is an end closer to the image capturing device than the second end. The control unit sets an area closer to the first end side than the second end side in the display area as the first area (2172) for displaying the first message, and sets the first message as the first area. To display.

(Item 10) The method of executing the program has been described. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a program distributes to a first viewer (user 5A) an image capturing device (a spherical camera 1531) that captures an image of a subject (actor 1852), and an image of the subject captured by the image capturing device. Executed by a first computer in a system (video distribution system 1500) including a first computer (server 600) for displaying and a display device (1535) for displaying a first message addressed to a subject from a first viewer. .. The image capturing device and the display device are arranged vertically. The display area (1536) of the display device has a first end portion (1537) and a second end portion (1538) facing the first end portion in the vertical direction. The first end is an end closer to the image capturing device than the second end. In the method, the processor (610) included in the first computer displays a first message in a region closer to the first end side than the second end side in the display region, the first region (2172). (S2011) and the step of displaying the first message in the first area (S2015).

In the above-described embodiment, the virtual space (VR space) in which the user is immersed by the HMD has been described as an example, but a transparent HMD may be adopted as the HMD. In this case, by outputting a view image in which a part of the image forming the virtual space is combined with the real space visually recognized by the user through the transmissive HMD, the augmented reality (AR) space or the mixed reality (AR) is output. The user may be provided with a virtual experience in MR (Mixed Reality) space. In this case, instead of the operation object, the action on the target object in the virtual space may be generated based on the movement of the user's hand. Specifically, the processor may specify the coordinate information of the position of the user's hand in the physical space, and define the position of the target object in the virtual space in relation to the coordinate information in the physical space. As a result, the processor can grasp the positional relationship between the user's hand in the real space and the target object in the virtual space, and can execute the process corresponding to the above-described collision control or the like between the user's hand and the target object. .. As a result, it becomes possible to act on the target object based on the movement of the user's hand.

2 network, 5, 5A, 5B, 5C user, 6, 6A, 6B, 6C avatar object, 11, 11A, 11B, 11C, 11D virtual space, 12, 12A center, 13 panoramic image, 14, 14A, 14B virtual camera , 15, 15A, 15B, 15C view area, 16 reference line of sight, 17, 17A, 17B view image, 18, 19 area, 100 HMD system, 110, 110A, 110B, 110C, 110D HMD set, 120, 120A, 120B, 120C, HMD, 130, 130A, 130B, 130C monitor, 140 gaze sensor, 150 first camera, 160 second camera, 170, 170A, 170B microphone, 180, 180A, 180B speaker, 190 sensor, 200, 200A, 200B, 200C computer, 210, 210A, 210B, 210C, 210D, 610, 1771 processor, 220, 620, 1772 memory, 230, 230A, 230B, 630, 1773 storage, 240, 640, 1774 input/output interface, 250, 650, 1775 Communication interface, 260, 660, 1776 bus, 300, 300B controller, 300R right controller, 300L left controller, 310 grip, 320 frame, 330 top surface, 340, 340, 350, 370, 380 button, 360 infrared LED, 390 analog Stick, 410 HMD sensor, 420, 420A motion sensor, 430, 430A display, 510, 1910 control module, 520 rendering module, 530, 1930 memory module, 540, 1940 communication control module, 600 server, 700 external device, 1421 visibility control Module, 1422 motion detection module, 1500 video distribution system, 1531, 239 spherical camera, 1532 first image capturing unit, 1533 second image capturing unit, 1534 spherical image generating device, 1535 display device, 1551 subject, 1661A, 1661B Field of view, 1800 shooting space, 1836 display area, 1837 first end, 1838 second end, 1852 performer, 1923 Spherical image control module, 1924 Display device control module, 2172, 2272 First area, 2173, 2273 Second area, 2181, 2182, 2281, 2282, 2283 Comment, 2231 camera, 2235 smartphone, 2236 Display section

Claims (9)

A photographing device for photographing a subject, a first computer for delivering an image of the subject photographed by the photographing device to a first viewer, and a display for displaying a first message addressed from the first viewer to the subject. A program executed by the first computer in a system including an apparatus,
The photographing device and the display device are arranged in a vertical direction,
The display region of the display device has a first end and a second end facing the first end in the vertical direction,
The first end is an end closer to the photographing device than the second end,
The program is stored in a processor provided in the first computer,
A step of setting a region closer to the first end side than the second end side in the display region as a first region for displaying the first message;
A program for executing the step of displaying the first message in the first area, comprising:
The system includes two photographing devices capable of photographing a subject,
The two photographing devices and the display device are arranged such that the two photographing devices are vertically arranged with the display device interposed therebetween.
The program causes the processor to
The first end and the second end are identified based on a step of identifying a photographing device used for photographing a subject among the two photographing devices and a positional relationship between the specified photographing device and the display device. Perform the steps of specifying and
A program which sets the 1st field based on the specified 1st end and the 2nd end in the step of setting up as the 1st field. The program further causes the processor to perform the step of receiving the first message,
The first message is a comment addressed to the subject input by the first viewer while viewing the video,
In the step of displaying, when a second comment different from the first comment is received in a state where the first comment, which is the comment, is displayed in the first area, the first comment is displayed in the first area. The program according to claim 1, wherein the program is moved to the first end side, and the second comment is displayed at the position where the first comment was displayed before the movement. The first computer further distributes the image of the subject to a second viewer different from the first viewer,
The display device further displays a second message addressed to the subject from the second viewer,
The first area is an area for displaying the first message and the second message,
In the step of displaying further displays the second message to the first region, the program according to claim 1 or 2. The program causes the processor to
A step of setting at least a part of the display area farther from the first end side than the first area as a second area for displaying the image;
The program according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , further comprising: displaying the captured image in the second area in real time. The program according to claim 4 , wherein, in the step of setting as the second area, all areas of the display area farther from the first end side than the first area are set as the second area. Wherein in the step of setting a first region, of the display area, it sets a portion of the region in contact with the first end portion as said first region, according to any one of claims 1 5 program. The system further includes a viewing terminal for viewing the distributed video,
The viewing terminal includes a display unit for displaying the video and a photographing unit,
The display unit and the photographing unit are arranged in the vertical direction,
The display region of the display unit has a third end and a fourth end facing the third end in the vertical direction,
The third end is an end closer to the photographing unit than the fourth end,
The program causes the processor to
A step of setting a region closer to the fourth end side than the third end side in the display region of the display unit as the first region;
Among the display area of the display unit, at least a part of the region remote from the fourth end portion side than the first region, and setting as said second region further to execute, according to claim 4 Or the program described in 5 . An image capturing device for capturing a subject, an information processing device for delivering a video of the subject captured by the image capturing device to a first viewer, and a display for displaying a first message addressed from the first viewer to the subject. An information processing device in a system including a device,
The information processing device,
A storage unit that stores a program executed by the information processing device;
A control unit that controls the operation of the information processing device by executing the program;
The photographing device and the display device are arranged in a vertical direction,
The display region of the display device has a first end and a second end facing the first end in the vertical direction,
The first end is an end closer to the photographing device than the second end,
The control unit is
Of the display area, an area closer to the first end side than the second end side is set as a first area for displaying the first message,
Displaying the first message in the first area,
The system includes two photographing devices capable of photographing a subject,
The two photographing devices and the display device are arranged such that the two photographing devices are vertically arranged with the display device interposed therebetween.
The control unit is
Of the two photographing devices, a photographing device used for photographing a subject is specified, and the first end portion and the second end portion are specified based on the positional relationship between the specified photographing device and the display device. ,
An information processing apparatus which, when set as the first region, sets the first region based on the identified first end and second end. A photographing device for photographing a subject, a first computer for delivering an image of the subject photographed by the photographing device to a first viewer, and a display for displaying a first message addressed from the first viewer to the subject. An apparatus and a system, wherein the first computer executes a program,
The photographing device and the display device are arranged in a vertical direction,
The display region of the display device has a first end and a second end facing the first end in the vertical direction,
The first end is an end closer to the photographing device than the second end,
In the method, the processor included in the first computer may
Setting a region closer to the first end side than the second end side in the display region as a first region for displaying the first message;
Displaying the first message in the first area;
The system includes two photographing devices capable of photographing a subject,
The two photographing devices and the display device are arranged such that the two photographing devices are vertically arranged with the display device interposed therebetween.
In the method, the processor included in the first computer may
The first end and the second end are identified based on a step of identifying a photographing device used for photographing a subject among the two photographing devices and a positional relationship between the specified photographing device and the display device. Identifying, and
The method of setting as the said 1st area|region sets the said 1st area|region based on the said 1st edge part and the said 2nd edge part which were specified.

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