JP7138483B2 - Computer program, information processing device and information processing method - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to computer programs, information processing apparatuses, and information processing methods.

2. Description of the Related Art There is a technology that allows a user to experience content in a virtual space using a head-mounted device (HMD) worn by the user. When the user moves his/her head (HMD), the user's field of view in the virtual space can be changed, so that the user's sense of immersion in the virtual space can be enhanced.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-38010

With the above-described conventional technology, the user cannot recognize an event that occurs outside the user's field of view. Therefore, when the user changes the field of view, the event that occurs outside the user's field of view may be suddenly recognized. In this case, the user feels rushed or unreasonable to deal with the event. This leads to a degraded quality of the user's virtual experience.

The present disclosure provides a computer program, an information processing device, and an information processing method that can improve the quality of a user's virtual experience.

A computer program according to an embodiment of the present invention provides a step of defining a virtual space including a first virtual viewpoint of a first user, generating a first object in the virtual space, controlling a first field of view from the first virtual viewpoint according to movement; and determining a moving speed of the first object according to whether the first object exists within the first field of view. and moving the first object toward the first virtual viewpoint at the determined moving speed.

1 is a schematic representation of the configuration of an HMD system according to an embodiment; FIG. It is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware constitutions of the computer according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram conceptually representing a uvw viewing coordinate system set in an HMD according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram conceptually representing one aspect of representing a virtual space according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a top view of a user's head wearing an HMD according to an embodiment; It is a figure showing the YZ cross section which looked at the field-of-view area from the X direction in virtual space. It is a figure showing the XZ cross section which looked at the field-of-view area from the Y direction in virtual space. FIG. 2 is a diagram representing a schematic configuration of a controller according to an embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 illustrates 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 a hardware configuration of a server according to an embodiment. 1 is a block diagram representing a computer as a module configuration according to an embodiment; FIG. 4 is a sequence chart representing part of the processing performed in the HMD set according to one embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a situation in which each HMD provides a virtual space to a user in a network; It is a figure which shows the user's 5A view image in FIG. 12(A). FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing processing performed in the HMD system according to one embodiment; 3 is a block diagram showing the detailed configuration of the modules of the computer according to one embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a user wearing an HMD and holding a controller; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of virtual space provided to a user; FIG. 15C is a diagram showing a field-of-view image from a user's virtual viewpoint in the virtual space of FIG. 15B; FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of virtual space provided to a user; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of virtual space provided to the user; FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an example of processing (processing of the first solving means) for controlling the spawn location of an enemy object; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of virtual space provided to a user; FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a view image seen from a user's avatar object in the virtual space of FIG. 19; FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an example of processing (processing of the second solving means) for controlling to slow down the movement speed of an enemy object existing outside the user's field of view; FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart of another example of processing for determining the moving speed; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of virtual space provided to a user; FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a view image seen from the user's avatar object in the virtual space of FIG. 23; FIG. 11 is a flowchart of another example of processing for determining the moving speed; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of correspondence information in which the distances of an enemy object and an avatar object are associated with their moving speeds; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of virtual space provided to a user; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a virtual space in multiplay according to Modification 1; 30A and 30B are diagrams showing examples of field-of-view images seen by two users in the virtual space of FIG. 28; FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an example of processing for determining a moving speed according to modification 1; FIG. 12 is a flowchart of an example of processing for determining a moving speed according to modification 2; FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of this technical idea will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are given the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated. In one or more of the embodiments presented in this disclosure, elements of each embodiment may be combined with each other and the combined result shall also form part of the embodiments presented in this disclosure.

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

HMD system 100 includes server 600 , HMD sets 110 A, 110 B, 110 C, and 110 D, external device 700 , and network 2 . Each of HMD sets 110A, 110B, 110C, and 110D is configured to communicate with server 600 and external device 700 via network 2 . Hereinafter, the HMD sets 110A, 110B, 110C, and 110D are collectively referred to as the HMD set 110 as well. 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. HMD set 110 includes HMD 120 , computer 200 , HMD sensor 410 , display 430 and controller 300 . HMD 120 includes monitor 130 , gaze sensor 140 , first camera 150 , second camera 160 , microphone 170 , and speaker 180 . Controller 300 may include motion sensor 420 .

In one aspect, computer 200 is connectable to network 2 such as the Internet, and is capable of communicating with server 600 and other computers connected to network 2 . Other computers include, for example, 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 can be worn on the head of the user 5 and provide the user 5 with a virtual space during operation. More specifically, HMD 120 displays a right-eye image and a left-eye image on monitor 130 . When each eye of the user 5 views the respective image, the user 5 can perceive the image as a three-dimensional image based on the parallax of both eyes. The HMD 120 may include both a so-called head-mounted display having a monitor and a head-mounted device on which a smartphone or other terminal having a monitor can be attached.

The monitor 130 is implemented 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 positioned in front of both eyes of the user 5 . Therefore, the user 5 can immerse himself in the virtual space by viewing the three-dimensional image displayed on the monitor 130 . In one aspect, the virtual space includes images of, for example, a background, objects that the user 5 can manipulate, and menus 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 provided in a so-called smart phone or other information display terminal.

In another aspect, monitor 130 may be implemented as a transmissive display. In this case, the HMD 120 may be an open type, such as a glasses type, instead of a closed type that covers the eyes of the user 5 as shown in FIG. Transmissive monitor 130 may be temporarily configurable as a non-transmissive display by adjusting its transmittance. The monitor 130 may include a configuration for simultaneously displaying a portion of the image forming the virtual space and the real space. For example, the monitor 130 may display an image of the real space captured by a camera mounted on the HMD 120, or may make the real space visible by setting a partial transmittance high.

In one aspect, monitor 130 may include a sub-monitor for displaying images for the right eye and a sub-monitor for displaying images for the left eye. In another aspect, the monitor 130 may be configured to display the image for the right eye and the image for the left eye as one. In this case, monitor 130 includes a high speed shutter. The high speed shutter operates to alternately display the right eye image and the left eye image so that the image is perceived by only one eye.

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

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

In another aspect, HMD 120 may include sensor 190 instead of HMD sensor 410 or in addition to HMD sensor 410 as a position detector. HMD 120 can detect the position and tilt of HMD 120 using sensor 190 . For example, if sensor 190 is an angular velocity sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, or an acceleration sensor, HMD 120 can detect its own position and tilt using any of these sensors instead of HMD sensor 410 . As an example, when the sensor 190 is an angular velocity sensor, the angular velocity sensor temporally detects angular velocities around three axes of the HMD 120 in real space. The HMD 120 calculates temporal changes in angles around the three axes of the HMD 120 based on the angular velocities, and further calculates the tilt of the HMD 120 based on the temporal changes in the angles.

Gaze sensor 140 detects the directions in which the user's 5 right and left eyes are directed. That is, the gaze sensor 140 detects the line of sight of the user 5 . Detection of the line-of-sight direction is achieved by, for example, a known eye-tracking function. Gaze sensor 140 is realized by a sensor having the eye tracking function. In one aspect, gaze sensor 140 preferably includes a right eye sensor and a left eye sensor. The gaze sensor 140 may be, for example, a sensor that irradiates the right and left eyes of the user 5 with infrared light and receives reflected light from the cornea and iris of the irradiated light, thereby detecting the rotation angle of each eyeball. . 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 user's 5 face. More specifically, first camera 150 captures the nose, mouth, and the like of user 5 . The second camera 160 photographs the eyes, eyebrows, etc. of the user 5 . The housing of the HMD 120 on the side of the user 5 is defined as the inside of the HMD 120 , and the housing of the HMD 120 on the side opposite to the user 5 is defined as the outside of the HMD 120 . In one aspect, first camera 150 may be positioned outside HMD 120 and second camera 160 may be positioned inside HMD 120 . Images generated by first camera 150 and second camera 160 are input to 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 photographed with this one camera.

The microphone 170 converts the speech of the user 5 into an audio signal (electrical signal) and outputs it to the computer 200 . The speaker 180 converts the audio signal into audio and outputs it 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 accepts command input from the user 5 to the computer 200 . In one aspect, controller 300 is configured to be grippable by user 5 . In another aspect, controller 300 is configured to be attachable to part of user's 5 body or clothing. In yet another aspect, controller 300 may be configured to output at least one of vibration, sound, and light based on signals transmitted from computer 200 . In yet another aspect, controller 300 receives an operation from user 5 for controlling the position and movement of an object placed in the virtual space.

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

Motion sensor 420 , in one aspect, is attached to the hand of user 5 to detect movement of the hand of user 5 . For example, the motion sensor 420 detects hand rotation speed, number of rotations, and the like. The detected signal is sent to computer 200 . Motion sensor 420 is provided in controller 300, for example. In one aspect, motion sensor 420 is provided, for example, in controller 300 configured to be grippable by user 5 . In another aspect, for safety in the real space, the controller 300 is attached to an object such as a glove that is attached to the hand of the user 5 so as not to fly off easily. In yet another aspect, sensors not worn by user 5 may detect movement of user's 5 hand. For example, a signal from a camera that takes an image of user 5 may be input to computer 200 as a signal representing the motion of user 5 . Motion sensor 420 and computer 200 are, for example, wirelessly connected to each other. In the case of wireless communication, the form of communication is not particularly limited, and for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) or other known communication methods are used.

Display 430 displays an image similar to the image displayed on monitor 130 . This allows users other than the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 to view the same image as that of the user 5 . The image displayed on 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.

Server 600 may transmit programs to computer 200 . In another aspect, server 600 may communicate with other computers 200 to provide virtual reality to HMDs 120 used by other users. For example, when a plurality of users play a participatory game in an amusement facility, each computer 200 communicates a signal based on each user's action with the other computers 200 via the server 600 so that a plurality of users can participate in the same virtual space. users to enjoy common games. Each computer 200 may communicate signals based on each user's actions with other computers 200 without going through the server 600 .

The external device 700 may be any device as long as it 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 may be a device capable of directly communicating with the computer 200 through short-range wireless communication or wired connection. Examples of the external device 700 include smart devices, PCs (Personal Computers), and peripheral devices of the computer 200, but are not limited to these.

[Computer hardware configuration]
A computer 200 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of computer 200 according to this 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 bus 260 respectively.

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

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

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

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

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

In some aspects, input/output interface 240 may also communicate with controller 300 . For example, input/output interface 240 receives signals output from controller 300 and motion sensor 420 . In another aspect, input/output interface 240 sends instructions output from processor 210 to controller 300 . The command instructs the controller 300 to vibrate, output sound, emit light, or the like. Upon receiving the command, the controller 300 performs any one of vibration, sound output, or light emission according to the command.

The communication interface 250 is connected to the network 2 and communicates with other computers connected to the network 2 (for example, the server 600). In one aspect, the communication interface 250 is implemented 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. be done. Communication interface 250 is not limited to the one described above.

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

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

The computer 200 may have a configuration that is commonly used by a plurality of HMDs 120 . According to such a configuration, for example, the same virtual space can be provided to a plurality of users, so 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, which is a coordinate system in real space, is set in advance. The real coordinate system has three reference directions (axes) parallel to the vertical direction in the real space, the horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, and the front-rear direction perpendicular to both the vertical and horizontal directions. The horizontal direction, vertical direction (vertical direction), and front-rear direction in the real coordinate system are defined as x-axis, y-axis, and 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 in real space. The z-axis is parallel to the front-back direction of the physical space.

In one aspect, HMD sensor 410 includes an infrared sensor. The presence of HMD 120 is detected when the infrared sensor detects infrared rays emitted from each light source of HMD 120 . The HMD sensor 410 further detects the position and inclination (orientation) of the HMD 120 in the physical 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). do. More specifically, the HMD sensor 410 can detect temporal changes in the position and tilt of the HMD 120 using each value detected over time.

Each tilt of HMD 120 detected by HMD sensor 410 corresponds to each tilt of HMD 120 around three axes in the real coordinate system. The HMD sensor 410 sets the uvw visual field coordinate system to the HMD 120 based on the tilt of the HMD 120 in the real 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 sees an object in virtual space.

[uvw visual field coordinate system]
The uvw visual field coordinate system will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram conceptually representing the uvw viewing coordinate system set in the HMD 120 according to one embodiment. HMD sensor 410 detects the position and tilt of HMD 120 in the real coordinate system when HMD 120 is activated. Processor 210 sets the uvw viewing coordinate system to HMD 120 based on the detected values.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the HMD 120 sets a three-dimensional uvw visual field coordinate system centered (origin) on the head of the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 . More specifically, the HMD 120 rotates the horizontal direction, the vertical direction, and the front-rear direction (x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis) defining the real coordinate system by tilts around each axis of the HMD 120 within the real coordinate system. The three directions newly obtained by tilting around the axes are set as the pitch axis (u-axis), yaw-axis (v-axis), and roll-axis (w-axis) of the uvw visual field coordinate system in the HMD 120 .

In one aspect, when user 5 wearing HMD 120 is standing upright and looking straight ahead, processor 210 sets HMD 120 to a uvw viewing coordinate system that is parallel to the real coordinate system. In this case, the horizontal direction (x-axis), vertical direction (y-axis), and 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 on 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), yaw angle (θv), and roll angle (θw) of the HMD 120 in the uvw visual field coordinate system as the tilt 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. A 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 moves based on the detected inclination of the HMD 120 to 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 tilt of the HMD 120 . When the position and tilt of the HMD 120 change, the position and tilt of the uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD 120 in the real coordinate system change in conjunction with the change in the position and tilt.

In one aspect, HMD sensor 410 detects HMD 120 based on the infrared light intensity and the relative positional relationship between a plurality of points (for example, the distance between points) obtained based on the output from the infrared sensor. position in the physical space may be specified as a relative position with respect to the HMD sensor 410 . Processor 210 may determine the origin of the uvw visual field coordinate system of HMD 120 in physical 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 covering the entire 360-degree direction of the center 12 . In FIG. 4, the celestial sphere in the upper half of the virtual space 11 is illustrated in order not to complicate the explanation. 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 that constitutes the panorama image 13 (still image, moving image, etc.) that can be developed in the virtual space 11 with each corresponding mesh in the virtual space 11 .

In one aspect, the virtual space 11 defines an XYZ coordinate system with the center 12 as the origin. The XYZ coordinate system is parallel to the real coordinate system, for example. The horizontal direction, vertical direction (vertical direction), and front-rear direction in the XYZ coordinate system are defined as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, respectively. Therefore, the X-axis (horizontal direction) of the XYZ coordinate system is parallel to the x-axis of the real coordinate system, the Y-axis (vertical direction) of the XYZ coordinate system is parallel to the y-axis of the real coordinate system, and the The Z-axis (front-rear 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 one aspect, processor 210 displays an image captured by virtual camera 14 on monitor 130 of HMD 120 . The virtual camera 14 similarly moves in the virtual space 11 in conjunction with the movement of the HMD 120 in the real space. Thereby, changes in the position and tilt of the HMD 120 in the real space can be similarly reproduced in the virtual space 11 .

A uvw field-of-view coordinate system is defined in 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 to interlock with the uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD 120 in the real space (real coordinate system). Therefore, when the tilt of HMD 120 changes, the tilt of 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 field of view area 15 in the virtual space 11 based on the position and tilt of the virtual camera 14 (reference line of sight 16). The field of view area 15 corresponds to an area of the virtual space 11 that is viewed 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 visual field coordinate system of the virtual camera 14 is interlocked with the uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD 120 . Therefore, the HMD system 100 according to one aspect can regard the line of sight of the user 5 detected by the gaze sensor 140 as the line of sight of the user 5 in the uvw field coordinate system of the virtual camera 14 .

[User's line of sight]
Determination of the line of sight of the user 5 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a top view of the head of user 5 wearing HMD 120 according to an embodiment.

In one aspect, gaze sensor 140 detects the line of sight of user 5's right and left eyes. In one aspect, when user 5 is looking near, gaze sensor 140 detects lines of sight R1 and L1. In another aspect, when user 5 is looking far away, gaze sensor 140 detects lines of sight R2 and L2. In this case, the angle between the lines of sight R2 and L2 with respect to the roll axis w is smaller than the angle between the lines of sight R1 and L1 with respect to the roll axis w. Gaze sensor 140 transmits the detection result to computer 200 .

When computer 200 receives detection values of lines of sight R1 and L1 from gaze sensor 140 as a detection result of lines of sight, computer 200 identifies point of gaze N1, which is the intersection of lines of sight R1 and L1, based on the detected values. On the other hand, when computer 200 receives detection values of lines of sight R2 and L2 from gaze sensor 140, computer 200 identifies the intersection of lines of sight R2 and L2 as the point of gaze. The computer 200 identifies the line of sight N0 of the user 5 based on the identified position of the gaze point N1. The computer 200 detects, for example, the extending direction of a straight line passing through the midpoint of the straight line connecting the right eye R and the left eye L of the user 5 and the gaze point N1 as the line of sight N0. The line of sight N0 is the direction in which the user 5 is actually looking with both eyes. The line of sight N<b>0 corresponds to the direction in which the user 5 actually looks toward the field of view area 15 .

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

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

[Vision area]
The field of view area 15 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a YZ cross section of the visual field area 15 viewed from the X direction in the virtual space 11. As shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an XZ cross section of the visual field area 15 viewed from the Y direction in the virtual space 11. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the field of view area 15 in the YZ cross section includes area 18 . A region 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 an area 18 centered on the reference line of sight 16 in the virtual space and including the polar angle α.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the viewing area 15 in the XZ cross section includes area 19 . A region 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 the region 19 . The polar angles α and β are determined according to the position of the virtual camera 14 and the tilt (orientation) of the virtual camera 14 .

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

Thus, the tilt 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 tilt 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 one aspect, processor 210 can move virtual camera 14 in virtual space 11 in conjunction with movement of user 5 wearing HMD 120 in the physical space. In this case, processor 210 identifies an image area (viewing area 15 ) projected on monitor 130 of HMD 120 based on the position and tilt of virtual camera 14 in virtual space 11 .

In one aspect, virtual camera 14 may include two virtual cameras, a virtual camera for providing images for the right eye and a virtual camera for providing images 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, virtual camera 14 may be realized by one virtual camera. In this case, an image for the right eye and an image for the left eye may be generated from an 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 synthesizing 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 is exemplified as configured as follows.

[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, controller 300 may include a right controller 300R and a left controller (not shown). Right controller 300R is operated by user 5's right hand. The left controller is operated with the user's 5 left hand. In one aspect, right controller 300R and 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, controller 300 may be an integrated controller that accepts two-handed operation. The right controller 300R will be described below.

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

Grip 310 includes buttons 340 and 350 and motion sensor 420 . Button 340 is arranged on the side surface of grip 310 and is operated by the middle finger of the right hand. Button 350 is arranged on the front surface of grip 310 and is operated by the index finger of the right hand. In one aspect, buttons 340, 350 are configured as trigger buttons. Motion sensor 420 is built into the housing of 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.

Frame 320 includes a plurality of infrared LEDs 360 arranged along its circumference. Infrared LED 360 emits infrared light in accordance with the progress of a program using controller 300 during execution of the program. Infrared rays emitted from infrared LED 360 can be used to detect the positions and orientations (inclination and orientation) of right controller 300R and left controller. Although the example shown in FIG. 8 shows infrared LEDs 360 arranged in two rows, the number of arrays is not limited to that shown in FIG. A single row or three or more row arrays may be used.

Top surface 330 includes buttons 370 and 380 and analog stick 390 . Buttons 370 and 380 are configured as push buttons. Buttons 370 and 380 accept operations by user 5's right thumb. In a certain aspect, the analog stick 390 accepts an operation in any direction of 360 degrees from the initial position (neutral position). The operation includes, for example, an operation for moving an object placed in the virtual space 11 .

In one aspect, right controller 300R and left controller include batteries for powering 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, right controller 300R and left controller may be connected to a USB interface of computer 200, for example. In this case, right controller 300R and 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 user's 5 right hand. When the user 5 extends the thumb and index finger, 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. defined as

[Server hardware configuration]
Server 600 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example 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 respectively connected to bus 660 .

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

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

Storage 630 permanently holds programs and data. The storage 630 is implemented as, for example, a ROM, hard disk device, flash memory, or other non-volatile memory 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, storage 630 may be implemented as a removable storage device such as a memory card. In still another aspect, instead of storage 630 built into server 600, a configuration using programs and data stored in an external storage device may be used. According to such a configuration, for example, in a scene where a plurality of HMD systems 100 are used, such as an amusement facility, it is possible to collectively update programs and data.

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

Communication interface 650 is connected to network 2 and communicates with computer 200 connected to network 2 . In one aspect, communication interface 650 is implemented as, for example, a LAN or other wired communication interface, or a WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC or other wireless communication interface. Communication interface 650 is not limited to those described above.

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

[HMD control device]
A control device for the HMD 120 will be described with reference to FIG. In one embodiment, the controller is implemented by computer 200 having a well-known configuration. FIG. 10 is a block diagram representing a modular configuration of computer 200 according to one embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 10, computer 200 comprises control module 510 , rendering module 520 , memory module 530 and 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 act as control module 510 and rendering module 520 . Memory module 530 is implemented by memory 220 or storage 230 . Communication control module 540 is implemented by communication interface 250 .

A control module 510 controls the virtual space 11 provided to the user 5 . The control module 510 defines the virtual space 11 in the HMD system 100 using virtual space data representing the virtual space 11 . Virtual space data is stored, for example, in 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 places objects in the virtual space 11 using object data representing the objects. Object data is stored, for example, in memory module 530 . The control module 510 may generate object data or acquire object data from the server 600 or the like. The objects include, for example, an avatar object that is the alter ego of the user 5, a character object, an operation object such as a virtual hand operated by the controller 300, landscapes including forests, mountains, etc. arranged according to the progress of the story of the game, townscapes, and animals. etc.

The control module 510 places 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, control module 510 places user 5's avatar object in virtual space 11 . In one aspect, the control module 510 places an avatar object that resembles the user 5 in the virtual space 11 based on the image containing the 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 multiple types of avatar objects (for example, an object imitating an animal or a deformed human object). do.

Control module 510 identifies the tilt of HMD 120 based on the output of HMD sensor 410 . In another aspect, control module 510 identifies the tilt of HMD 120 based on the output of sensor 190, which functions as a motion sensor. The control module 510 detects the facial organs of the user 5 (eg, mouth, eyes, eyebrows) from the facial images of the user 5 generated by the first camera 150 and the second camera 160 . The control module 510 detects the motion (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 the viewpoint position (coordinate values in the XYZ coordinate system) where 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 by the uvw coordinate system and the position and tilt of the virtual camera 14 . Control module 510 transmits the detected viewpoint position to server 600 . In another aspect, the control module 510 may be configured to transmit line-of-sight information representing the line-of-sight of the user 5 to the 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 and arranges the avatar object. The control module 510 reflects the motion of the detected facial features on the face of the avatar object placed in the virtual space 11 . The control module 510 receives line-of-sight information of the other user 5 from the server 600 and reflects the line-of-sight information of the avatar object of the other user 5 . In one aspect, control module 510 reflects movements of controller 300 on avatar objects and operation objects. In this case, controller 300 includes a motion sensor, an acceleration sensor, a plurality of light emitting elements (for example, infrared LEDs), or the like for detecting movement of controller 300 .

The control module 510 arranges in the virtual space 11 an operation object for receiving an operation by the user 5 in the virtual space 11 . The user 5 operates an object placed in the virtual space 11, for example, by operating the operation object. In one aspect, the manipulation object may include, for example, a hand object, which is a virtual hand corresponding to the user's 5 hand. 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 in conjunction with the hand movement of the user 5 in the real space. In one aspect, the manipulation object may correspond to a hand portion of the avatar object.

The control module 510 detects a collision when each of the objects placed in the virtual space 11 collides with another object. The control module 510 can detect, for example, the timing at which the collision area of a certain object touches the collision area of another object, and performs predetermined processing when the detection is made. The control module 510 can detect the timing when the objects are separated from the touching state, and performs predetermined processing when the detection is made. The control module 510 can detect that objects are touching. For example, when the operating object touches another object, the control module 510 detects that the operating object touches the other object, and performs predetermined processing.

In one aspect, control module 510 controls image display on monitor 130 of HMD 120 . For example, control module 510 places virtual camera 14 in virtual space 11 . The control module 510 controls the position of the virtual camera 14 in the virtual space 11 and the tilt (orientation) of the virtual camera 14 . The control module 510 defines the field of view area 15 according to the inclination of the head of the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 and the position of the virtual camera 14 . Rendering module 520 generates view image 17 displayed on monitor 130 based on determined view area 15 . The field-of-view 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 by the user 5 using the microphone 170 from the HMD 120, the control module 510 specifies the computer 200 to which the audio data corresponding to the utterance is to be transmitted. The audio data is sent to the computer 200 specified by 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 voice (utterance) corresponding to the voice data from the speaker 180 .

Memory module 530 holds data used by computer 200 to provide virtual space 11 to user 5 . In one aspect, 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. FIG.

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 . Panorama image 13 may include still images and moving images. The panorama image 13 may include an image of unreal space and an image of real space. Images of unreal space include, for example, images generated by computer graphics.

User information holds a user ID that identifies the user 5 . The user ID can 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 can be set by the user. The user information includes programs and the like for causing the computer 200 to function as a control device for the HMD system 100 .

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

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

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

Processing in computer 200 is realized by hardware and software executed by processor 210 . Such software may be pre-stored on a hard disk or other memory module 530 . The software may be distributed as a program product stored in a CD-ROM or other computer-readable non-volatile data recording medium. Alternatively, the software may be provided as a downloadable program product by an information provider connected to the Internet or other networks. Such software is read from a data recording medium by an optical disk drive or other data reading device, or is 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 processor 210 and stored in RAM in the form of executable programs. 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. FIG. 11 is a sequence chart representing part of the processing performed in HMD set 110 according to one embodiment.

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

At step S1120, processor 210 initializes virtual camera . For example, the processor 210 places the virtual camera 14 at the predefined 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 the user 5 is facing.

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

In step S<b>1132 , monitor 130 of HMD 120 displays a field-of-view image based on the field-of-view image data received from computer 200 . The user 5 wearing the HMD 120 can recognize the virtual space 11 by viewing the visual field image.

In step S<b>1134 , HMD sensor 410 detects the position and tilt of HMD 120 based on a plurality of infrared rays emitted from HMD 120 . The detection result is output to the computer 200 as motion detection data.

In step S<b>1140 , processor 210 identifies the viewing direction of user 5 wearing HMD 120 based on the position and tilt included in the motion detection data of HMD 120 .

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

In step S 1160 , controller 300 detects an operation by user 5 based on the signal output from motion sensor 420 and outputs detection data representing the detected operation to computer 200 . In another aspect, manipulation of controller 300 by user 5 may be detected based on images from cameras placed around user 5 .

In step S<b>1170 , processor 210 detects an operation of controller 300 by user 5 based on the detection data acquired from controller 300 .

At step S 1180 , processor 210 generates view image data based on the operation of controller 300 by user 5 . The generated visual field image data is output to HMD 120 by communication control module 540 .

In step S<b>1190 , HMD 120 updates the field-of-view image based on the received field-of-view image data, and displays the updated field-of-view image on monitor 130 .

[Avatar object]
An avatar object according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Hereafter, it is a figure explaining the avatar object of each user 5 of HMD set 110A, 110B. Hereinafter, the user of the HMD set 110A is referred to as the user 5A, the user of the HMD set 110B as the user 5B, the user of the HMD set 110C as the user 5C, and the user of the HMD set 110D as the user 5D. A is attached to the reference sign of each component relating to the HMD set 110A, B is attached to the reference sign of each component relating to the HMD set 110B, C is attached to the reference sign of each component relating to the HMD set 110C, and the HMD set A D is attached to the reference number of each component related to 110D. For example, HMD 120A is included in HMD set 110A.

FIG. 12A is a schematic diagram showing a situation in which each HMD 120 provides the virtual space 11 to the user 5 in the network 2. FIG. Computers 200A-200D provide users 5A-5D with virtual spaces 11A-11D via HMDs 120A-120D, respectively. In the example shown in FIG. 12A, virtual space 11A and virtual space 11B are configured with the same data. In other words, the computers 200A and 200B share the same virtual space. An avatar object 6A of the user 5A and an avatar object 6B of the user 5B exist in the virtual space 11A and the virtual space 11B. Although the avatar object 6A in the virtual space 11A and the avatar object 6B in the virtual space 11B are each wearing the HMD 120, this is for the sake of clarity of explanation, and in reality these objects are not wearing the HMDs 120. not

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

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

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

Actions of the user 5B (actions of the HMD 120B and actions of the controller 300B) are reflected in the avatar object 6B arranged in the virtual space 11A by the processor 210A. Thereby, the user 5A can recognize the action of the user 5B through the avatar object 6B.

FIG. 13 is a sequence chart showing 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. In the following description, A is attached to the reference sign of each component regarding the HMD set 110A, B is attached to the reference sign of each component regarding the HMD set 110B, and C is attached to the reference sign of each component regarding the HMD set 110C. , and D is added to the reference numeral of each component of the HMD set 110D.

In step S1310A, the processor 210A in the HMD set 110A acquires avatar information for determining the motion of the avatar object 6A in the virtual space 11A. This avatar information includes, for example, information about the avatar such as motion information, face tracking data, and voice data. The movement information includes information indicating temporal changes in the position and tilt of the HMD 120A, information indicating hand movements of the user 5A detected by the motion sensor 420A, and the like. The face tracking data includes data specifying the position and size of each part of the user 5A's face. The face tracking data includes data indicating the movement of each organ that constitutes the face of the user 5A and line-of-sight data. The audio data includes data indicating the audio of the user 5A acquired by the microphone 170A of the HMD 120A. The avatar information may include information specifying the avatar object 6A or 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. A user ID is mentioned as information which specifies the avatar object 6A and the user 5A. Room ID is mentioned as information which specifies virtual space 11A in which avatar object 6A exists. Processor 210A transmits the avatar information obtained as described above to server 600 via network 2 .

In step S1310B, processor 210B in HMD set 110B acquires avatar information for determining the motion of avatar object 6B in virtual space 11B and transmits it to 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 motion of avatar object 6C in virtual space 11C and transmits it to server 600. FIG.

In step S1320, server 600 temporarily stores the player information received from each of HMD set 110A, HMD set 110B, and HMD set 110C. Server 600 integrates avatar information of all users (users 5A to 5C in this example) associated with common virtual space 11 based on user IDs, room IDs, and the like included in each avatar information. Then, the server 600 transmits the integrated avatar information to all users associated with the virtual space 11 at a predetermined timing. Accordingly, synchronization processing is executed. Such synchronization processing allows the HMD set 110A, the HMD set 110B, and the HMD 110C to share each other's avatar information at substantially the same timing.

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

In step S1330A, the processor 210A in the HMD set 110A updates information on 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, orientation, etc. 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, processor 210A updates the information (such as position and orientation) of avatar object 6B contained in the object information stored in memory module 530. FIG. 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, processor 210B in HMD set 110B updates information on avatar objects 6A and 6C of users 5A and 5C in virtual space 11B, similar to the process in step S1330A. Similarly, in step S1330C, the processor 210C in the HMD set 110C updates information on the avatar objects 6A, 6B of the users 5A, 5B in the virtual space 11C.
[Detailed module configuration]
Details of the module configuration of the computer 200 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing the detailed configuration of the modules of the computer 200. As shown in FIG. Computer 200 includes control module 510 , rendering module 520 and memory module 530 .

The control module 510 includes a virtual camera control module 1421, a field of view determination module 1422, a virtual space definition module 1423, a virtual object generation module 1424, an operation object control module 1425, and a collision detection module 1426. . Rendering module 520 includes view image generation module 1438 . Control module 510 is connected to rendering module 520 and memory module 530 . Rendering module 520 is connected to memory module 530 .

The virtual camera control module 1421 arranges a virtual viewpoint 14 which is a virtual camera in the virtual space 11 . The virtual camera control module 1421 controls the arrangement position of the virtual viewpoint 14 in the virtual space 11 and the orientation (inclination) of the virtual viewpoint 14 according to the movement of the user's head (HMD). For example, the virtual camera control module 1421 controls the direction (field of view) of the virtual viewpoint 14 in the virtual space so as to be linked to the direction of the HMD 120 (orientation of the user's head) in the real space.

The visual field determination module 1422 defines a visual field (also referred to simply as visual field) 15 according to the orientation of the virtual viewpoint 14 and the arrangement position of the virtual viewpoint 14 .

A view image generation module 1438 of the rendering module 520 generates a view image 17 displayed on the monitor 130 based on the determined view area 15 .

The virtual space definition module 1423 defines the virtual space 11 in the HMD system 100 by generating virtual space data representing the virtual space 11 .

The virtual object generation module 1424 generates objects placed in the virtual space 11 . Objects may include, for example, landscapes including forests, mountains, etc., animals, enemies, people, etc. that are arranged as the story progresses in the game.

Objects may also include avatar objects of other users 5 (hereinafter, avatar objects are referred to as "avatars").

Objects can also include weapon objects used to attack enemy objects and armor objects that protect against attacks from enemy objects. An enemy object is an object that exerts influence on the user's 5 avatar (also called a player character). Enemy objects include, for example, objects that attack the avatar or are attacked by the avatar.

Objects may also include operation objects for accepting user operations. The operation object is, for example, a hand object (hand portion of the avatar) that is a virtual hand corresponding to the hand of the user 5, but is not limited to this. The operation object is operated by the user's 5 body other than the head (for example, the hand or the controller 300 held in the hand). The entire avatar of the user 5 may be the operation object, or an object that constitutes a part of the avatar's body other than the hands may be the operation object. Alternatively, the operation object may be a weapon object or armor object held by the hand object.

The operating object control module 1425 controls operating objects placed in the virtual space 11 for accepting user operations. The operable object can be operated by, for example, the hand of the user wearing the HMD 120, the controller 300, or both.

A collision detection module 1426 detects a collision when an object placed in the virtual space 11 collides with another object. For example, it is possible to detect the timing at which the collision area of one object touches the collision area of another object. The collision area is, for example, an area of arbitrary shape set in the outline area of the object. Also, the collision detection module 1426 can detect when the objects move away from touching. Collision detection module 1426 can also detect when objects are touching. For example, when an object touches another object, it is detected that the object touches the other object. The collision detection module performs predetermined processing when detecting the collision, separation, or contact described above. Alternatively, the collision detection module notifies the other modules of the detection of the collision, separation or contact, and the other modules perform predetermined processing. As an example, when the operating object control module 1425 detects contact between the operating object and another object, the collision detection module notifies the operating object control module 1425 of this detection. Perform specified processing.

Memory module 530 holds data used by computer 200 to provide virtual space 11 to user 5 . In one aspect, memory module 530 retains spatial information 1428 , object information 1429 , and user information 1430 .

Space information 1428 holds one or more templates defined for providing virtual space 11 .

The object information 1429 holds content to be reproduced in the virtual space 11 , objects used in the content, and information (for example, position information) for arranging the objects in the virtual space 11 . The content may include, for example, game content, content representing scenery similar to that in the real world, video content, or the like.

The user information 1430 holds programs for causing the computer 200 to function as a control device for the HMD system 100, application programs (for example, action game programs) that use each content held in the object information 1429, and the like.

A game program according to the present embodiment will be described below. In this game program, a fighting action game (first-person VR action game) in which an avatar object (avatar) of the user 5 defeats enemy characters (enemy objects) attacking one after another will be described as an example. The enemy character is an NPC (Non Player Character) and its action is controlled by this game program.

An overview of the game program according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 15A, 15B, and 15C.

FIG. 15A shows an example of user 5 wearing HMD 120 and holding controllers 300L and 300R. Controller 300L is a controller held in the left hand, and controller 300R is a controller held in the right hand. These controllers are collectively described as controller 300 .

FIG. 15B shows an example of virtual space 1511 provided to user 5 by HMD 120 . In the virtual space 1511 , an enemy object 1531 exists within the field of view 1515 from the virtual viewpoint 1514 of the user 5 . The enemy object 1531 is heading in the direction of the avatar object (avatar) 1506 (the direction of the arrow).

FIG. 15C shows a view image seen from the avatar 1506 of the user 5 in the virtual space 1511, that is, a view image within the view area 1515 from the virtual viewpoint (virtual camera) 1514 of the user 5. FIG. The hands of User 5's avatar are displayed as an operating object (left hand object) 1532L and an operating object (right hand object) 1532R. A gun object 1533 is equipped on the right hand object 1532R. Gun object 1533 is an example of a weapon object, and weapon objects may be of other types, such as bow and arrow objects or sword objects. The field-of-view image may include parts of the user's 5 avatar that are out of hand. Also, the entire body of the avatar may be included. Alternatively, conversely, the parts of the user's 5 avatar may not be included at all. The operation objects (hand objects) 1532L and 1532R are collectively referred to as an operation object (hand object) 1532. FIG. Although the hand object is used as the operation object here, the hand object and the item held by the hand object (for example, the weapon object) may be collectively used as the operation object.

The position and movement of the HMD 120 in the physical space are detected by position tracking and reflected in the position and movement of the virtual viewpoint 1514 in the virtual space 1511 . Similarly, the position and movement of the controller 300 in the physical space are detected by position tracking and reflected in the position and movement of the manipulation object 1532 in the virtual space 1511 . Controllers 300 are held in the left and right hands of user 5 in the physical space. Therefore, in this embodiment, the positional relationship of the left hand or right hand (controller 300L or 300R) with respect to the head (HMD 120) of user 5 is reflected in virtual space 2 as the positional relationship of operation objects 1532L and 1532R with respect to virtual camera 1514. FIG. That is, the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 can move the left hand object 1532L and the right hand object 1532R within the virtual space 1511 as if they were the user's own virtual hands. Since the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 can experience the virtual space 1511 from a subjective viewpoint (first-person viewpoint), the user 5 himself can enjoy a virtual experience as if he were a player character. In other words, the user 5 can enjoy a virtual experience as if he were playing a player character and facing the enemy object 1531 .

A method of attaching an item to the operation object (hand object) 1532 will be described. A first region is set to a specific part (for example, a shoulder or a waist) of parts forming the body of the avatar 1506 . The first area is, for example, an area configured by a collision area, and is an area that can be associated with an item to be used by the operation object (hand object) 1532 . Examples of items include weapon objects for attacking the enemy object 1531 and armor objects for preventing attacks from the enemy object 1531, but are not limited to these. User 5 moves his or her hand (controller 300) to cause the collision area set for hand object 1532 to collide with the first area set for the above-described specific part, and the collision area associated with the first area is moved. The hand object 1532 can be equipped with the item associated with the first area by performing a selection operation for selecting the item. For example, when the specific part is the shoulder, the right hand object 1532R is moved to the shoulder (at this time, the right hand object 1532R disappears from the visual field image), and the collision area of the right hand object 1532R collides with the first area set for the shoulder. Meanwhile, by performing a selection operation with the controller 300, the right hand object 1532R is equipped with a gun object. When the right hand object 1532R is returned to its original position, an image in which the right hand object 1532R is equipped with a gun object 1533 is displayed as shown in FIG. 15C. The selection operation includes, for example, continuing to press a trigger-type button such as the buttons 340 and 350, but is not limited to this. When the selection operation by the user 5 is released, the selection of the gun object 1533 by the right hand object 1532R is released. In this case, processor 210 causes right hand object 1532R to release gun object 1533, and updates the state of the gun object from the selected state to the non-selected state. The item mounting method described here is an example, and other methods are also possible. For example, an item placed in front of the avatar 1506 (for example, an item hanging on the wall, an item lying on the ground, etc.) is directly grasped by the hand object 1532, and the item is attached to the hand object 1532. may

When attacking the enemy object 1531 , the user 5 operates the selected weapon object with the hand object 1531 to attack the enemy object 1531 . Similarly, when the user 5 prevents an attack from the enemy object 1531 , the user 5 operates the selected armor object with the hand object 1532 to prevent the attack from the enemy object 1531 .

Although the left hand object 1532L in FIG. 15C is not equipped with any item, the left hand object 1532L may be equipped with an armor object or a weapon object.

User 5 operates operation object 1532 in order to defeat enemy object 1531 (only one is shown in the drawing, but multiple objects may exist) that appear one after another and attack avatar 1506 . Attacking the enemy object 1531 exerts a predetermined effect on the enemy object 1531 . For example, a predetermined effect can be exerted on the enemy object 1531 by operating a weapon (sword, gun, bow, etc.) object attached to the operation object 1532R to attack the enemy object 1531. FIG. Weapon objects capable of remote attack, such as guns and bows, attack by outputting (flying) attack objects (second objects) such as bullets. These weapon objects may have a range (range). In this case, it is possible to attack enemy objects existing within the range. The magnitude of the damage given by the attack may depend on the distance between the enemy object and the avatar 1506, or may be constant.

A collision area for determination is set in each of the outline area of the enemy object 1531 and the outline area of the weapon object or the attack object. When the collision area of the enemy object 1531 and the collision area of the weapon object or attack object come into contact with each other, it is determined that the enemy object 1531 has been attacked. In this case, a predetermined action, such as a decrease in the physical strength parameter of the enemy object 1531, is applied according to the details of the attack. As a result, the enemy object 1531 falls down, disappears, or stumbles.

The operation object (hand object) 1532 itself may function as a weapon object. In this case, an attack is performed by moving the operating object as an unarmed weapon object so as to hit the enemy object 1531 directly. As a result, a predetermined action can be exerted on the enemy object 1531 .

Here, in the virtual space 1511, the virtual viewpoint 1514 rotates according to the movement of the head (HMD) of the user 5, and the field of view of the user 5 (the field of view of the avatar 1506) is controlled. In the action game as described above, the enemy object 1531 is generated at random, for example, and attacks the avatar 1506, but the user 5 cannot recognize the event outside the field of vision, which causes the following problems. This will be described with reference to FIG. 16 .

FIG. 16 shows an example of virtual space provided to the user 5. As shown in FIG. In the virtual space 1511 shown in the upper left diagram of FIG. 16, an enemy object 1531A appears within a field of view 1515 from a virtual viewpoint (virtual camera) 1514 of the user 5 . For example, enemy object 1531A appears in front of avatar 1506 . The generated enemy object 1531 A attacks the avatar 1506 . That is, the enemy object 1531A moves toward the avatar 1506 (that is, toward the virtual viewpoint 1514). In the upper right diagram of FIG. 16, the user 5 is dealing with an attacking enemy object 1531A (for example, attacking the enemy object 1531A by shooting a bullet object from a gun object). During this time, an enemy object 1531B appears outside the field of view of the user 5 . An enemy object 1531B moves out of the field of view of the user 5 and attacks the user 5 (avatar 1506). In the lower right diagram of FIG. 16, the user 5 defeats the enemy object 1531A, and immediately after that, changes the field of view to the right in order to check the surrounding situation. At this time, the enemy object 1531B that has moved out of the field of view of the user 5 suddenly appears in front of the user 5 . The user 5 has to rush to deal with the enemy object 1531B, which may feel unreasonable.

The problem that the enemy object suddenly appears in front of the user 5 and makes the user 5 feel unreasonable may also occur when the user 5 knows that the enemy object exists outside the field of vision. This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 17 shows another example of the virtual space provided to user 5. In FIG.

In the upper left diagram of FIG. 17, enemy objects 1531A and 1531B are randomly generated in the field of view 1515 of user 5 and come toward avatar 1506 . User 5 decides to deal with enemy object 1531A first. Therefore, as shown in the upper right diagram of FIG. 17, the user 5 turns his/her head to face the front of the enemy object 1531A. That is, during battle, the avatar 1506 normally turns to face the enemy object. As a result, the field of view 1515 rotates to the right, and the enemy object 1531 A is positioned in front of the avatar 1506 , but the enemy object 1531 B is out of the field of view 1515 and invisible to the user 5 . While user 5 is dealing with enemy object 1531 A, enemy object 1531 B moves out of view area 1515 and approaches avatar 1506 . After the user 5 has dealt with the enemy object 1531A (for example, defeated the enemy object 1531A), he decides to deal with the enemy object 1531B next. As shown in the lower right diagram of FIG. 17, the user 5 turns his or her head to the left so as to face the front of the enemy object 1531B. Since the enemy object 1531B approaches the avatar of the user 5 while the user 5 is dealing with the enemy object 1531A, the enemy object 1531B suddenly appears in front of the user 5 when he changes his view. The user 5 becomes hasty in dealing with the enemy object 1531B and may feel unreasonable. Also, if the enemy object 1531B has a weapon object that can be attacked from a distance, the user 5 may be attacked by the enemy object 1531B out of sight. It is also unconvincing to be attacked by an out-of-sight enemy object 1531B during a battle with another enemy object 1531A.

This embodiment reduces situations in which an enemy object suddenly appears in front of the user 5 or is attacked from outside the user's field of view, as described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17 . As one solution for this embodiment, the enemy object may not be generated outside the field of view of the user 5, but only within the field of view. As a second solution of this embodiment, the movement speed of an enemy object coming toward the avatar of the user 5 outside the field of view of the user 5 may be made slower than when the enemy object exists within the field of view. Besides, there are other solutions based on the first solution or the second solution. The operation of these solutions will be described below.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart of an example of processing (processing of the first solving means) for controlling the generation location of the enemy object 1531 (first object). User 5 is playing an action game. A virtual viewpoint (virtual camera) 1514 and various objects are arranged in the virtual space, and an image (view image) of the field of view from the virtual viewpoint 1514 is displayed to the user 5 via the monitor 130 of the HMD 120. ing. The user 5 operates the operation object (hand object) 1532 and the like of the avatar 1506 using the controller 300 held by the left and right hands. During the progress of the game, enemy objects 1531 are generated to attack the user 5 at random timings and locations in the virtual space. In this process, the place where the enemy object 1531 is generated is limited to within the field of view 1515 of the user 5 . This prevents enemy objects from appearing outside the field of view 1515, and can reduce situations in which the enemy object 1531 suddenly appears in front of the user 5 or the avatar 1506 is attacked from outside the field of view of the user 5. .

In step S1811, the processor 210 identifies the visual field direction and visual field area 1515 of the user 5 based on the HMD sensor 410 or the like.

In step S<b>1812 , processor 210 generates a field-of-view image based on identified field-of-view area 1515 and outputs it to HMD 120 . The field-of-view image is displayed on the monitor 130 of the HMD 120 and viewed by the user 5 . Also, the processor 210 arranges various objects in the specified view area 1515 . Objects to be placed include landscape objects such as forests, mountains, and buildings, generated enemy objects, and operation objects for accepting user operations. An image of the placed object is output to the HMD 120 and displayed on the monitor 130 .

In step S1813, processor 210 determines whether the enemy object generation condition is satisfied. An example of an enemy object generation condition is that a certain period of time has passed since the most recent enemy object generation. Also, a certain amount of time has passed since the most recent enemy object was defeated. Also, a random number may be generated and the generated value may fall within a predetermined range. Also, the number of enemy objects existing within the field of view has fallen below a predetermined value. Also, certain events have occurred in the game. The conditions described here may be combined, and it is also possible to use conditions other than those described here.

In step S1813, if the enemy object generation condition is not satisfied (NO), the process proceeds to step S1817. If the enemy object generation condition is satisfied (YES), the process advances to step S1814.

At step S1814, the processor 210 determines the spawn point of the enemy object within the field of view 1515 of the user 5. FIG. In one aspect, a plurality of occurrence point candidates (coordinates) are predetermined in the virtual space 1511, and among these occurrence point candidates, all or a certain number or more of the occurrence point candidates included in the field of view area 15115 are specified. . One or more generation points are randomly selected from the identified generation point candidates. For example, if each of the specified occurrence point candidates is to be selected with a probability of 0.1, a random number is generated in the range of 0 to 9 for each occurrence point candidate, and the value of the generated random number is a predetermined value. (for example, 1 or more and less than 2), the generation point candidate is selected, and if it is outside the predetermined range, it is not selected. Multiple generation points may be selected. When the number of points to be selected is predetermined, the process may be terminated when the number of occurrence points is selected. As an example of the number to be selected, if there is an upper limit for the number of enemy objects that can exist simultaneously within the field of view 1515, the number of enemy objects existing within the current field of view is subtracted from the upper limit, and the subtracted number is The number may be an upper limit on the number of selected spawn points. The generation point may be determined by methods other than those described here.

In step S1815, processor 210 generates enemy object 1531 at the determined generation point. That is, the enemy object 1531 is placed at the point of occurrence. An image of the generated enemy object is output to the HMD 120 and displayed on the monitor 130 of the HMD 120 .

In step S1816, the moving speed of the generated enemy object 1531 is determined. The moving speed may be a predetermined value, or may be a value randomly determined from a plurality of moving speed candidates. Also, it may be determined according to the type or attribute of the generated enemy object 1531 .

In step S1817, the enemy object 1531 existing in the virtual space 1511 is moved toward the avatar 1506 of the user 5 at the moving speed determined in step S1816. That is, the object information (position information) of the enemy object 1531 is updated at regular time intervals. When there are a plurality of enemy objects 1531, this processing is performed for each enemy object 1531. FIG. The route along which the enemy object 1531 moves toward the avatar 1506 may be the shortest route (straight line route) to the avatar 1506, or a plurality of candidates are determined in advance. You may choose a movement route by a method.

In step S1818, the processor 210 detects the operation of the controller 300 by the user 5 based on the detection data acquired from the controller 300 or the like.

In step S<b>1819 , processor 210 generates a field-of-view image based on the operation of controller 300 by user 5 . For example, when the operation object 1532 is operated to operate (fire) the gun object 1533, a view image including an image corresponding to the operation is generated. The view image may include an image in which the fired bullet object hits the enemy object 1531 . The generated field-of-view image is output to HMD 120 and displayed on monitor 130 . If no operation by the user 5 is detected in step S1818, this step may be skipped.

At step S1820, processor 210 determines whether to end the process of this flowchart. If it is determined not to end (NO), the process returns to step S1811. If it is determined to end (YES), the processor 210 ends the processing of this flowchart. For example, the user 5 performs a game end operation with the controller 300, and the processor 210 determines the end of this process. Note that the series of processes in this flowchart may be repeated at regular time intervals. In this case, a step of determining whether or not a certain period of time has elapsed may be added.

A specific operation example of the flowchart of FIG. 18 will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 and 20. FIG. FIG. 19 shows an example of a virtual space provided to user 5. As shown in FIG. FIG. 20 shows a view image seen from the avatar 1506 of user 5 in the virtual space of FIG.

As shown in the upper left diagram of FIG. 19, one generation point is determined in the front direction of the avatar 1506 of user 5 within the field of view 1515 (step S1814), and one enemy object 1531A is generated at the determined generation point. (Step S1815). The view image of the user 5 at this time is shown in the upper left diagram of FIG. The enemy object 1531A moves toward the avatar 1506 (toward the virtual viewpoint 1514) at the moving speed determined in step S1816 (step S1817).

In the upper right diagram of FIG. 19, the user 5 operates the operation object 1532 using the controller 3 to deal with the enemy object 1531A that has moved close to the user 5 (S1818). Specifically, the gun object 1533 attacks the enemy object 1531A. The gun object 1533 shoots (moves) a bullet object (second object) toward the enemy object 1531A and exerts an action according to the positional relationship with the enemy object 1531A. For example, when a bullet object contacts the enemy object 1531A, it exerts a predetermined action on the enemy object 1531A. While the user 5 is dealing with (attacking) the enemy object 1531A, the processor 210 determines one generation point within the field of view 1515 (step S1814), and in the following step S1815, the enemy object 1531B is displayed at the determined generation point. to generate one. The view image of the user 5 at this time is shown in the upper right diagram of FIG. The sizes of the enemy objects 1531A and 1531B are generally the same, and the size of the enemy objects depicted in the figure depends on the distance from the user's 5 avatar. Enemy objects closer to user 5's avatar are drawn larger.

User 5 deals with enemy object 1531A, and enemy object 1531A disappears as shown in the lower right diagram of FIG. 19 (S1819). As a result, the field-of-view image of user 5 is updated as shown in the lower right diagram of FIG.

User 5 recognizes enemy object 1531B behind him within field of view 1515 immediately after he has finished dealing with enemy object 1531A. Therefore, as shown in the lower left diagram of FIG. 19, the user 5 faces the enemy object 1531B and prepares to attack the enemy object 1531B. At this time, the visual field image of the user is updated as shown in the lower left diagram of FIG. An enemy object 1531A is positioned in front of the user 5 .

In this way, by generating enemy objects only within the field of view 1515 of the user 5 and not generating them outside the field of view 1515, an enemy object may suddenly appear in front of the user 5 immediately after changing the field of view, or the field of view may change. You can reduce the phenomenon of being attacked from the outside. As a result, the user 5 can play with a sense of satisfaction, and the quality of the user's 5 virtual experience can be improved. In the case of multi-play in which a plurality of users 5 share a virtual space, which will be described later, even if it is outside the user 5's field of view 1515, if it is within the field of view of the other user 5, the enemy will be within the field of view of the other user 5. Objects can be generated.

FIG. 21 is a flowchart of an example of processing (processing of the second solution) for controlling to slow down the moving speed of an enemy object (first object) existing outside the field of view of the user 5 .

Steps S1811 and S1812 are the same as in FIG. If the condition for generating an enemy object is satisfied in step S1813, the process proceeds to step S2114; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S2116.

In step S2114, the processor 210 determines the generation point of the enemy object within the virtual space 1511 (inside and outside the viewing area). In the flowchart of FIG. 18, the occurrence point is limited to within the field of view, but in this step S2114, there is no such restriction. That is, the point of origin can be determined either within the viewing area, outside the viewing area, or both. An example of a specific technique for determining the generation point is the same as step S1814 in FIG.

In step S1815, an enemy object 1531 is generated at the determined generation point, as in the flowchart of FIG.

In step S2116, the movement speed of the enemy object 1531 is determined according to whether the enemy object 1531 exists within the visual field area or outside the visual field area. FIG. 22 shows a flowchart of the detailed operation of step S2116. In step S2221, the processor 210 determines whether the enemy object 1531 is inside the viewing area or outside the viewing area. When it is determined that the enemy object 1531 is within the field of view (NO in S2222), in step S2223, a first moving speed (for example, normal speed) is determined as the moving speed of the enemy object 1531. FIG. When it is determined that the enemy object 1531 is outside the field of view (YES in S2222), in step S2224 processor 210 determines a second movement speed that is slower than the first movement speed.

Here, the value of the first movement speed may differ depending on the type of enemy object, or may be common regardless of the type of enemy object. The value of the second movement speed may also differ depending on the type of enemy object, or may be common regardless of the type of enemy object.

In step S1817 of FIG. 21, the enemy object 1531 is moved toward the avatar of user 5 at the moving speed determined in step S2116. As a result, the enemy object 1531 outside the field of view moves slowly at the second moving speed, and the enemy object 1531 within the field of view moves at the normal speed. By rotating the head (HMD 120) of the user 5, the same enemy object enters or exits the field of view of the user 5. The region of existence is determined and the speed of movement is determined.

The processing in steps S2116 and S1817 described above is performed for each enemy object when there are a plurality of enemy objects.

Steps S1818 to S1820 are the same as in FIG.

A specific operation example of the flowcharts of FIGS. 21 and 22 will be described with reference to FIGS. 23 and 24. FIG. FIG. 23 shows an example of a virtual space provided to user 5. In FIG. FIG. 24 shows a view image seen from the avatar 1506 of user 5 in the virtual space of FIG.

As shown in the upper left diagram of FIG. 23, two generation points are determined within the field of view area 1515 (step S2114), and an enemy object 1531A and an enemy object 1531B are generated at each of the two generation points (step S1815). The field-of-view image of the user 5 at this time is shown in the upper left diagram of FIG. Since both enemy object 1531A and enemy object 1531B are present within view area 1515, the first movement speed (assumed to be V1) is determined for each (S2223). In the figure, the symbol indicating the movement speed is added in parentheses after the symbol indicating the enemy object. For example, 1531A (V1) means that the movement speed of the enemy object 1531A is V1. Enemy object 1531A and enemy object 1531B move toward avatar 1506 (toward virtual viewpoint 1514) at moving speed V1 (step S1817). User 5 decides to deal with enemy object 1531A first.

As shown in the upper right diagram of FIG. 23, the user 5 turns his/her head so as to face the front of the enemy object 1531A. Accordingly, the field of view area 1515 also rotates to the right, the field of view of the user 5 changes, and the enemy object 1531A is positioned in front of the avatar 1506 (S1811, S1812). Since the enemy object 1531B is out of the field of view 1515, the movement speed of the enemy object 1531B is changed from V1 to the second movement speed (V2) (S2224). The enemy object 1531A moves in the direction of the avatar of the user 5 while maintaining the movement speed V1 (S1817), and the user 5 uses the controller 3 to operate the operation object 1532 to deal with the enemy object 1531A that has moved close. (S1818). The view image of the user 5 at this time is shown in the upper right diagram of FIG. Even while the user 5 is dealing with the enemy object 1531A, the enemy object 1531B moves outside the field of view 1515 at the moving speed V2 (S1817) and approaches the avatar 1506. FIG.

As shown in the lower right diagram of FIG. 23, when the user 5 finishes dealing with the enemy object 1531A (for example, defeats the enemy object 1531A), the enemy object 1531A disappears (S1819). At this time, the visual field image of the user 5 is updated as shown in the lower right diagram of FIG. User 5 then decides to deal with enemy object 1531B that is outside viewing area 1515 .

As shown in the lower left diagram of FIG. 23, the user 5 turns his or her head to the left so as to face the front of the enemy object 1531B. Accordingly, the field of view area 1515 also rotates to the left, and the field of view of the user 5 changes (S1811, S1812). At this time, the visual field image of the user 5 is updated as shown in the lower left diagram of FIG. Although the enemy object 1531B moved toward the avatar 1506 of the user 5 while the user 5 was dealing with the enemy object 1531A, the enemy object 1531B is still far away from the avatar 1506 because the movement speed V2 was slow. . Since the enemy object 1531B has entered the field of view 1515 of the user 5 again, the moving speed is changed from V2 to V1, and the enemy object 1531B approaches the avatar of the user 5 at the moving speed V1 (S1817). User 5 can calmly deal with enemy object 1531B.

In this way, by slowing down the movement speed when the enemy object exists outside the field of view, the time required for the enemy object to approach the avatar of the user 5 is extended, and immediately after the user 5 changes the field of view, the user 5 suddenly changes his or her eyes. Reduces the appearance of enemy objects in front of you. As a result, the user 5 can play with a sense of satisfaction, and the quality of the user's 5 virtual experience can be improved. In addition, in the case of multi-play in which a plurality of users play (see Modification 1 described later, or the embodiments of FIGS. 12 and 13 described above, etc.), an enemy object 1531B is received from another user as an avatar of user 5. The avatar 1506 seems to approach slowly from the blind spot of the avatar 1506 so as not to be noticed by the avatar 1506, and it looks natural.

In the flowchart of FIG. 22, the movement speed of the enemy object is determined depending on whether the enemy object is within the field of view or outside the field of view. The movement speed may be varied according to the distance to the avatar 1506 .

FIG. 25 shows a flowchart of another example of processing for determining the moving speed.

Step S2221 is the same as the flowchart in FIG. That is, the processor 210 determines whether the enemy object 1531 is inside the viewing area or outside the viewing area. When it is determined that the enemy object 1531 is within the field of view (NO at S2222), the process proceeds to step S2223, and when it is determined that the enemy object 1531 is outside the field of view (YES at S2222), the process proceeds to step S2526.

In step S2223, the processor 210 determines the moving speed of the enemy object 1531 to be the first moving speed (eg normal speed).

At step S2526, the processor 210 calculates the distance between the enemy object 1531 and the avatar 1506 of User5. The distance to be calculated is, for example, the Euclidean distance between the coordinates where the user's 5 avatar exists and the coordinates where the enemy object 1531 exists.

In step S2527, the shorter (smaller) the calculated distance, that is, the closer the enemy object 1531 is to the user 5, the lower the moving speed is determined as the second moving speed. As an example, if the moving speed is v and the distance between the enemy object 1531 and the avatar 1506 is d, the moving speed is calculated by the function v=f(d). f is a monotonically increasing function in which v decreases as d decreases (ie, v increases as d increases).

Alternatively, correspondence information that associates the distances of the enemy object 1531 and the avatar 1506 with the movement speed may be defined in advance. FIG. 26 shows an example of a table as such correspondence information. The table holds distance ranges and movement speeds. v1 is greater than v2, and v2 is greater than v3 (v1>v2>v3). In the table, determine the moving speed corresponding to the range to which the calculated distance d belongs. For example, when the calculated distance d is less than or equal to d2 and greater than d3, the moving speed v2 is determined.

The functions, tables, etc. described above may be defined for each type of enemy object. Also, the functions, tables, and the like may be changeable in accordance with the difficulty level setting of the game.

It is assumed that the maximum value of the moving speed (second moving speed) outside the visual field region is equal to or less than the moving speed (first moving speed) within the visual field region. However, there may be no such restrictions.

A specific example of the operation when the moving speed is determined according to the flowchart of FIG. 25 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 27 shows an example of a virtual space provided to user 5. As shown in FIG.

The enemy object 1531A exists within the field of view 1515 of the user 5, and the enemy object 1531B exists outside the field of view 1515. In the figure, the moving path of the enemy object is indicated by a dashed arrow. Along the dashed arrows, the movement speed when moving the corresponding route is also written. Since enemy object 1531A exists within field of view 1515, v0, which is the first movement speed, is determined. Therefore, the enemy object 1531A approaches the avatar 1506 of the user 5 at the moving speed v0. On the other hand, the enemy object 1531B exists outside the field of view 1515, and since the distance to the avatar 1506 is longer than d2, the second moving speed v1 (below v0) is determined. When the enemy object 1531B moves toward the avatar 1506 at v1 and the distance d becomes d2 or less, the moving speed is changed to v2. When the enemy object 1531B moves further and the distance d becomes d3 or less, the moving speed is changed to v3. In this way, the enemy object 1531A within the field of view 1515 moves at the same moving speed v0, while the enemy object 1531B outside the field of view 1515 gradually changes to a slower moving speed as it approaches the avatar 1506. FIG. Therefore, even when the enemy object 1531A reaches the vicinity of the avatar 1506, the enemy object 1531B is still located away from the avatar 1506. FIG. As a result, even if the user 5 turns to the enemy object 1531B after dealing with the enemy object 1531A, the phenomenon that the enemy object 1531B suddenly appears in front of the user 5 can be reduced.

(Modification 1)
In the above-described embodiment, an example of single play in which one user plays the game was shown, but this modified example shows an example of multi-play in which a plurality of users play. An example of multi-play by two users will be shown below, but multi-play by three or more users is also possible.

FIG. 28 shows an example of the virtual space provided to the user 5 according to Modification 1. As shown in FIG. A virtual space 1511 is shared by two users (user 5A and user 5B). Within the virtual space 1511 are shown an avatar 1506A and a virtual viewpoint 1514A of the user 5A, and an avatar 1506B and a virtual viewpoint 1514B of the user 5B. Enemy object 1531A exists within field of view 1515A from virtual viewpoint 1514A of user 5A, but does not exist within field of view 1515B from virtual viewpoint 1514B of user 5B. Enemy object 1531B exists within field of view 1515B from virtual viewpoint 1514B of user 5B, but does not exist within field of view 1515A from virtual viewpoint 1514A of user 5A.

FIG. 29 shows an example of a field-of-view image seen from the avatar 1506A of the user 5A (right side) and an example of a field-of-view image seen from the avatar 1506B of the user 5B in the virtual space of FIG. 28 (left side). The field-of-view image of user 5B includes a left hand object, right hand objects 1532L_B and 1532R_B for user 5B, and a gun object 1533B equipped on right hand object 1532R_B. The user 5A is fighting an enemy object 1531A in front of him and cannot see the enemy object 1531B. On the other hand, the user 5B can see the enemy object 1531B moving toward the user 5A from its side. The user 5B's operation objects may be user 5B's left and right hand objects 1532L_B and 1532R_B, or user 5B's left and right hand objects 1532L_B and 1532R_B and a weapon object (gun object) 1533B may be combined to be operated by user 5B. be defined as an object. You may define the operation object of the user 5B by a method other than this.

21 and 22 described above, when the enemy object 1531 is out of the field of view 1515 of the user 5, the movement speed of the enemy object 1531 is slowed down (see step S2224 in FIG. 22). In this modification, even if the enemy object 1531 is outside the user 5's field of view 1515, if the enemy object 1531 is within the field of view 1515 of another user 5, the movement speed of the enemy object 1531 is not slowed down. In the example of FIGS. 28 and 29, enemy object 1531B is outside user 5A's field of view 1515A, but is within user 5B's field of view 1515B. Therefore, the moving speed of the enemy object 1531B moving toward the user 5A is not slowed down. That is, the moving speed of the enemy object 1531B is set to the first moving speed (for example, normal speed). This is based on the idea that the user 5B will deal with the enemy object 1531B instead of the user 5A (the user 5B will support the user 5A). In other words, since the user 5B can be expected to deal with the enemy object 1531B instead of the user 5A, there is little need for the user 5A to slow down the movement speed of the enemy object 1531B. On the other hand, for the user 5B, since the enemy object 1531B to be attacked is moving at the first moving speed (for example, normal speed), the user 5B can play the game comfortably.

FIG. 30 shows a flowchart of an example of processing for determining the moving speed according to Modification 1. As shown in FIG. As a premise, as shown in FIG. 13, the virtual space is synchronized via the server 300 between the HMD set 110A associated with the user 5A and the HMD set 110 associated with the user 5B. Specifically, the HMD set 110A and the HMD set 110B transmit to the server 600 the avatar information of the avatars associated with the users 5A and 5B, the enemy object information, and the like. Server 600 stores the received information. Then, the server 600 transmits the information received from the user 5A to the user 5B and transmits the information received from the user 5B to the user 5A at predetermined timings. Thereby, synchronization processing between the user 5A and the user 5B is executed. The avatar information includes information on the avatar object, information on the virtual viewpoint and field of view of the avatar object, information on the virtual space in which the avatar object exists, and the like.

In step S<b>3010 , processor 210 in HMD set 110</b>A for user 5</b>A receives user 5</b>B's avatar information, enemy object information, and the like via server 600 . Here, it is assumed that an enemy object for user 5B has not yet occurred, and that only user 5B's avatar information has been received.

At step S3030, the processor 210 updates the information of the avatar 1506B of the user 5B in the virtual space 1511 based on the received avatar information. As a result, the operation objects 1532L_B and 1532R_B of the user 5B, the weapon object 1533B, and the like are also arranged in the virtual space 1511, for example. If the information on the enemy object is also received from the user 5B, the information on the enemy object of the user 5B is also updated in the virtual space 1511 . The processor 201 may also perform an operation of controlling the field of view area 1515B from the virtual viewpoint 1514B according to the movement of the head of the user 5B. In this case, the information on the movement of the head of the user 5B may be obtained from the HMD set 110B of the user 5B via the server 600 . Alternatively, processor 201 may receive information of viewing area 1515B from virtual viewpoint 1514B from HMD set 110B of user 5B via server 600 .

At step S2221, processor 210 determines whether enemy object 1531 of user 5A exists within view area 1515A. When it is determined that the enemy object 1531 exists within the field of view area 1515A (NO in S2222), the process proceeds to step S2223. When it is determined that the enemy object 1531 is outside the field of view 1515A (YES in S2222), the process proceeds to step S3028. If there are multiple enemy objects, the determination in step S2221 is made for each enemy object. Here, as in the example of FIG. 28 described above, it is determined that the enemy object 1531A exists within the field of view 1515A of the user 5A, but the enemy object 1531B exists outside the field of view 1515A. Therefore, the process for the enemy object 1531A proceeds to step S2223, and the process for the enemy object 1531B proceeds to step S3028.

In step S2223, processor 210 determines the first moving speed as the moving speed of enemy object 1531A.

At step S3028, the processor 210 determines whether an enemy object 1531B exists within the field of view 1515B of the user 5B.

If the enemy object 1531B exists within the field of view 1515B of the user 5B (YES), the process proceeds to step S2223. In step S2223, the processor 210 determines a first moving speed (for example, normal speed) as the moving speed of the enemy object 1531B.

On the other hand, when the enemy object 1531B does not exist within the field of view 1515B of the user 5B (NO), the process proceeds to step S2224. In step S2224, processor 210 determines a second moving speed slower than the first moving speed as the moving speed of enemy object 1531B. That is, the moving speed of the enemy object 1531B is slowed down.

(Modification 2)
FIG. 31 shows a flowchart of an example of processing for determining the moving speed according to Modification 2. As shown in FIG. Step S3129 is added before step S2223 to the flowchart of FIG.

If it is determined in step S3028 that the enemy object 1531B exists within the field of view 1515B of the user 5B (YES in S3028), the enemy object 1531B exists within the attack range of the operation object of the avatar 1506B of the user 5B. ie, whether the operation object of avatar 1506B can affect enemy object 1531B (S3129). For example, when the avatar 1506B of the user 5B is equipped with a weapon object for remote attacks, the enemy object 1531B exists within the attack range of the user 5B. It is judged to be in a state in which an action can be produced.

Here, the weapon object for remote attack is an object that outputs (for example, throws) an attack object (second object) toward an enemy object, and an action according to the positional relationship between the output object and the enemy object. effect on objects. For example, if the weapon object is a gun object, the attack object to be output is a bullet object. If the weapon object is a bow object, the output attack object is an arrow object. If the avatar is a character that can emit energy waves, a weapon that can emit energy waves or a body part that emits energy waves (for example, both hands) corresponds to the weapon object, and the emitted energy waves are output. Corresponds to the attack object.

In addition, when the avatar 1506B of the user 5B holds a sword as a weapon object, if the enemy object 1531B exists within the attackable range of the sword, it is assumed that the enemy object 1531B exists within the attack range of the user 5B. to decide. That is, it is determined that the operation object of avatar 1506B is in a state where it can cause enemy object 1531B to act.

When it is determined that the enemy object 1531B is within the range of the avatar 1506B of the user 5B (YES), the moving speed of the enemy object 1531B is not slowed down. That is, the first moving speed (normal speed) is determined as the moving speed of the enemy object 1531B.

On the other hand, if there is no enemy object 1531B within the range of the user 5B's avatar 1506B (NO in S3129), the movement speed of the enemy object 1531B is slowed down. That is, the second moving speed, which is slower than the first moving speed, is determined as the moving speed of the enemy object 1531B (S2224). This is based on the idea that if there is no enemy object 1531B within the range of the avatar 1506B of the user 5B, the user 5B cannot support the user 5A (for example, cover fire).

(Modification 3)
In the above-described embodiment and each modified example, the enemy object is the enemy character. There may be. In this case, for example, by reading the enemy object 1531 as an attacking object, the above-described embodiment and other modifications can be implemented. Types of ranged attacks include bullets, arrows, energy waves, etc., as described above. By doing so, it is possible to reduce the phenomenon in which the user is attacked by the attacking object immediately after changing the field of view, or is attacked by the attacking object from a blind spot.

In the above embodiments, the virtual space (VR space) in which the user is immersed by the HMD has been exemplified and explained, but a transmissive HMD may be employed as the HMD. In this case, by outputting a visual field image obtained by synthesizing a part of an image constituting a virtual space with a real space visually recognized by a user through a transmissive HMD, an augmented reality (AR) space or mixed reality ( A virtual experience in MR (Mixed Reality) space may be provided to the user. In this case, an action may be generated on the target object in the virtual space based on the movement of the user's hand instead of the operation object. Specifically, the processor may specify the coordinate information of the position of the user's hand in the real space, and define the position of the target object in the virtual space in relation to the coordinate information in the real 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 processing corresponding to the above-described collision control or the like between the user's hand and the target object. . As a result, it is possible to give an effect to the target object based on the movement of the user's hand.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and the constituent elements of the present invention can be embodied in various ways. It is also possible to form the present invention by appropriately expanding, changing, deleting, or combining each component in the above embodiments. Additional components may also be added to form the present invention. For example, the embodiment of the first solution and the embodiment of the second solution may be combined. Modifications 1 to 3 may be combined arbitrarily. Combinations other than those mentioned here are also possible.

The subject matter disclosed in the specification of the present application is appended below.

[Item 1]
defining a virtual space including a first virtual viewpoint of a first user;
generating a first object in the virtual space;
controlling a first field of view from the first virtual viewpoint according to the movement of the head of the first user;
determining a moving speed of the first object according to whether or not the first object exists within the first field of view; moving the first object from the first virtual viewpoint at the determined moving speed; a step of moving toward
A computer program that causes a computer to execute
By varying the movement speed of the first object according to whether the first object (enemy object) exists inside or outside the field of view of the first user, the first user can have a convincing virtual experience. can.

[Item 2]
In the step of determining the moving speed, when the first object exists within the first visual field, the moving speed of the first object is set as the first moving speed, and the first object is within the first visual field. The computer program according to item 1, wherein the moving speed of the first object is set to a second moving speed that is lower than the first moving speed when the first object does not exist.
By slowing down the movement speed of the first object (enemy object) outside the first user's field of view, the enemy object suddenly appears in front of the user immediately after changing the field of view, or is attacked from outside the field of view. phenomenon can be reduced.

[Item 3]
In the step of determining the movement speed, when the first object does not exist within the first field of view, the movement speed of the first object is reduced as the distance between the first object and the first virtual viewpoint decreases. Computer program according to item 1 or 2 to slow down.
By slowing down the moving speed of the first object (enemy object) outside the field of view of the first user as it approaches the first virtual viewpoint, the enemy object suddenly appears in front of the user immediately after changing the field of view. , You can reduce the phenomenon of being attacked from outside the field of vision.

[Item 4]
the virtual space further includes a second virtual viewpoint of a second user;
causing the computer to further execute a step of controlling a second field of view from the second virtual viewpoint according to movement of the second user's head;
In the step of determining the movement speed, when the first object does not exist within the first field of view but exists within the second field of view, the first object and the first virtual viewpoint are 4. The computer program according to item 3, wherein the moving speed of the first object is not slowed down even if the distance becomes short.
Since the second user can be expected to deal with the first object on behalf of the first user, there is little need for the first user to slow down the moving speed of the first object. You can play more naturally.

[Item 5]
the virtual space further includes a second manipulation object;
controlling the movement of the second operable object according to the movement of the second user's body part other than the head;
determining whether or not the second operable object is in a state in which the first object can be affected;
In the step of determining the movement speed, when the second operable object is in a state in which the first object can be affected, even if the distance between the first object and the first virtual viewpoint becomes short, 5. The computer program according to item 4, wherein the moving speed of the first object is not slowed down.
Since the second user can be expected to deal with the first object on behalf of the first user, there is little need for the first user to slow down the moving speed of the first object. You can play a game without any sense of incongruity.

[Item 6]
6. The computer program according to any one of items 1 to 5, wherein, in generating the first object, the first object is generated within the first field of view.
By generating the first object (enemy object) only within the user's field of view, it is possible to reduce the phenomenon that an enemy object suddenly appears in front of the user immediately after changing the field of view, or that an enemy object is attacked from outside the field of view. .

[Item 7]
the virtual space further includes a first manipulation object;
controlling the movement of the first operable object according to the movement of the first user's body part other than the head;
acting on the first object based on the movement of the first operable object;
7. The computer program according to items 1 to 6, further causing the computer to execute:
The first user can move the manipulation object within the virtual space as if it were a part of the user's own body.

[Item 8]
An information processing device comprising a processor,
defining a virtual space including a first virtual viewpoint of a first user;
generating a first object in the virtual space;
controlling a first field of view from the first virtual viewpoint according to the movement of the head of the first user;
determining a moving speed of the first object according to whether or not the first object exists within the first field of view; moving the first object from the first virtual viewpoint at the determined moving speed; a step of moving toward
is executed under the control of the processor.

[Item 9]
defining a virtual space including a first virtual viewpoint of a first user;
generating a first object in the virtual space;
controlling a first field of view from the first virtual viewpoint according to the movement of the head of the first user;
determining a moving speed of the first object according to whether or not the first object exists within the first field of view; moving the first object from the first virtual viewpoint at the determined moving speed; a step of moving toward
An information processing method comprising

2: Network 11: Virtual space 13: Panorama image 14: Virtual camera 15: View area 17: View image 100: HMD system 110: HMD set 120: HMD
130: Monitor 140: Gaze sensor 150: First camera 160: Second camera 170: Microphone 180: Speaker 200: Computer 210: Processor 220: Memory 230: Storage 240: Input/output interface 250: Communication interface 300: Controller 310: Grip 320: Frame 330: Top surface 340, 350, 370, 380: Button 360: Infrared LED
390: Analog stick 410: HMD sensor 420: Motion sensor 430: Display 510: Control module 520: Rendering module 530: Memory module 540: Communication control module 600: Server 700: External device 1421: Virtual camera control module 1422: View area determination Module 1423: Virtual space definition module 1424: Virtual object generation module 1425: Operation object control module 1426: Collision detection module 1428: Spatial information 1429: Object information 1430: User information 1506: Avatar object (avatar)
1514: Virtual viewpoint (virtual camera)
1511: virtual space 1515: view area 1531: enemy object 1532: operation object 1533: weapon object

Claims (9)

defining a virtual space including a first virtual viewpoint of a first user;
generating a first object in the virtual space;
controlling a first field of view from the first virtual viewpoint according to processing of a device worn by the first user;
determining a movement speed of the first object according to whether the first object exists within the first viewing area ;
moving the first object toward the first virtual viewpoint at the determined moving speed;
A computer program that causes a computer to execute In the step of determining the moving speed, when the first object exists within the first visual field area , the moving speed of the first object is set as the first moving speed, and the first object is moved to the first visual field area . 2. The computer program according to claim 1, wherein the movement speed of the first object is set to a second movement speed slower than the first movement speed when the first object does not exist within the object. In the step of determining the movement speed, when the first object does not exist within the first visual field area , the movement speed of the first object decreases as the distance between the first object and the first virtual viewpoint decreases. 3. A computer program as claimed in claim 1 or 2, for slowing down. the virtual space further includes a second virtual viewpoint of a second user;
causing the computer to further execute a step of controlling a second field of view from the second virtual viewpoint according to processing of a device worn by the second user;
In the step of determining the movement speed, when the first object does not exist within the first visual field area but exists within the second visual field area , the first object and the first virtual viewpoint are 4. The computer program according to claim 3, wherein the moving speed of the first object is not slowed down even if the distance to the object becomes close. the virtual space further includes a second manipulation object;
controlling the movement of the second operable object according to the processing of the device worn by the second user;
determining whether or not the second operable object is in a state in which the first object can be affected;
In the step of determining the movement speed, when the second operable object is in a state in which the first object can be affected, even if the distance between the first object and the first virtual viewpoint becomes short, 5. The computer program according to claim 4, wherein the moving speed of said first object is not slowed down. 6. A computer program product as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the step of generating the first object comprises generating the first object within the first viewing area . the virtual space further includes a first manipulation object;
controlling the movement of the first operable object according to the movement of the first user's body part other than the head;
acting on the first object based on the movement of the first operable object;
further causing said computer to execute
7. A computer program according to any one of claims 1-6. An information processing device comprising a processor,
defining a virtual space including a first virtual viewpoint of a first user;
generating a first object in the virtual space;
controlling a first field of view from the first virtual viewpoint according to processing of a device worn by the first user;
determining a movement speed of the first object according to whether the first object exists within the first viewing area ;
moving the first object toward the first virtual viewpoint at the determined moving speed;
is executed under the control of the processor. defining a virtual space including a first virtual viewpoint of a first user;
generating a first object in the virtual space;
controlling a first field of view from the first virtual viewpoint according to processing of a device worn by the first user;
determining a moving speed of the first object according to whether or not the first object exists within the first viewing area ;
moving the first object toward the first virtual viewpoint at the determined moving speed;
An information processing method comprising

Images