JP2000268192A - Proximity deciding method, program supply medium and information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To decrease computational complexity and to reduce the load of an information processor by defining each of partial areas obtained by dividing a virtual space as the unit of an area of interest and deciding that a virtual object comes close to another optional virtual object when the former object enters the perceptive area of the latter object. SOLUTION: When a virtual object and its area of interest(AOI) are added to, deleted from and moved to a virtual space, a shared server detects the proximity between the virtual object and its peripheral group of virtual objects. In this example, a virtual object C moves and the AOIs of the object C are newly defined as (11, 10), (11, 11), (11, 12) and (12, 10) and, at the same time, the virtual objects D and E are defined as the proximity detection candidates. Thereby a space table is updated and an AOI related to a partial area of the updated table is decided. Then the virtual object included in the AOI is checked again and it is decided that another virtual object has come close if the proximity candidate is changed. Then a routing table is updated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a proximity determination method for detecting in and out of a perceived area between virtual objects moved by a plurality of information processing terminals in a distributed shared virtual space system. The present invention also relates to a program providing medium for providing a proximity determination program, and an information processing apparatus connected to a plurality of information processing terminals operated by a plurality of operators via a network to execute the above-described proximity determination method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A plurality of information processing terminals (clients) operated by a plurality of operators (users), and an information processing apparatus (server) connected to the plurality of clients via a network, are connected via a server. A distributed shared virtual space system in which clients communicate with each other in a shared virtual space distributed and deployed to a plurality of clients has become widely known.

In the distributed shared space communication performed on this system, users distributed on a network access a certain server through a client program and communicate with other users. The client program may be a program that operates autonomously without a user.

[0004] As a specific example of the distributed shared virtual space system, there is known a cyberspace service called Habitat (trademark). Habitat was developed by LucasFilm in the United States in 1985, and has been in operation for three years at QuantumLink, a commercial network in the United States.
The service was launched by NIFTY ~ Serve in February as Fujitsu Habitat (trademark). In this Habitat, in a virtual city called "Populopolis" drawn by two-dimensional graphics, an alter ego of a user called avatar (an incarnation of God appearing in Indian mythology) (an object representing the user himself) ) To allow users to chat with each other (Chat; text-based real-time dialogue by inputting and displaying characters). A more detailed description of this Habitat can be found in Cyberspace, Michael Benedict, 19
First edition issued on March 20, 1994, NTT Publishing ISBN4-87188-265
-9C0010 (Original; Cyberspace: First Steps, Michael B
enedikt, ed. 1991, MIT PressCambrige, MA ISBN0−262−
02327-X) pages 282 to 307.

In a conventional cyberspace system operated by a personal computer communication service of this type, a virtual cityscape or the interior of a room is drawn in two-dimensional graphics, and an avatar is moved in a depth or front direction. In the case of moving, the avatar is simply moved up and down on the background of the two-dimensional graphics. In order to simulate walking and moving in the virtual space, the expressive power on the display is poor. In addition, since the virtual space in which the avatar of one's alter ego and the avatar of another person are displayed is viewed from the viewpoint of a third party, the sense of the simulated experience is impaired also in this point.

Therefore, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-81781, a function of displaying a virtual space in three-dimensional graphics so that a user can freely walk around from the viewpoint of an avatar has been proposed.
This is realized by using a description language of three-dimensional graphics data called VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language). The details of this VRML are, for example,
"Knowing VRML: Building and Browsing 3D Cyberspace [by Mark Pessi, Koichi Matsuda, Teruhisa Kamachi, Shoichi Takeuchi,
Translated by Yasuaki Honda, Junichi Koimoto, Masayuki Ishikawa, Ken Miyashita, Kazuhiro Hara, 1
First edition published March 25, 996, Prentice Hall Publishing
ISBN4-931356-37-0] (Original; VRML: Browsing & Buildi
ng Cyberspace, Mark Pesce, 1995 New Readers Publish
ing ISBN 1-56205-498-8)) "or" The latest trends in VRML and CyberPassage [by Koichi Matsuda and Yasuaki Honda, bit (Kyoritsu Shuppan) / 1996 Vol.28 No.7 pp29-pp36, No.8 pp57 ~ Pp65, No.9 pp29 ~ pp36, No.10 pp49 ~ pp58) ''
And the like.

Also, "The Virtual Reality Modeling L
The official and complete specification of `` anguage Version 2.0, ISO / IEC CD14772 '' can be found at `` http://www.vrml.org/Specificatio
ns / VRML2.0 / FINAL / spec / index.html '' and its Japanese version is `` http://www.webcity.co.jp/inf
o / andoh / VRML / vrml2.0 / spec-jp / index.html ".

In VRML 2.0, the latest language of VRML, it is possible to describe and express an autonomous behavior (Behavior) of an object in a three-dimensional virtual space. Thus, for example, when the user walks around the virtual space displayed by the browser for VRML2.0 in three-dimensional graphics, that is, the three-dimensional virtual space from the viewpoint of the avatar, the user himself or herself is in the three-dimensional virtual space. You can enjoy the feeling as if you were actually there.

As the VRML 2.0 browser and the software for the shared server, for example, Sony Corporation, which is the applicant of the present invention, describes “Community Place (trademark) Browser / Bure”.
au ”has been developed and commercialized, and its beta version (trial version) is available on the Internet at“ http: // vs.
sony.co.jp ".

[0010] In the three-dimensional virtual space, avatars and objects corresponding to a plurality of users exist.
The three-dimensional virtual space that is actually distributed and displayed on the client PC is a part thereof, and position information of an object (including an avatar) far from the avatar of the user is not needed for the time being.

In view of the above, the number of objects for mutually communicating position information is limited in consideration of the processing capacity of a personal computer used as a client PC and the amount of communication of a network, so that a three-dimensional virtual space can be displayed quickly. I can do it. For this reason, the client can find out who needs to communicate without knowing the whole of the huge number of other clients connected to the system. This function must be provided by the server.

Therefore, the server used in such a distributed shared virtual space system has a function of detecting an event in which remote virtual objects such as avatars are close to each other without receiving an event. This function is called proximity detection.

The proximity detection is performed by setting a spherical area having a predetermined radius as a perceived area (Area of Interest: AOI) for each virtual object, and determining whether another virtual object enters or exits the AOI. Have been.

Further, every time the position of the virtual object is updated, the distance to all the AOIs in the virtual space is determined, and each time the position of the AOI is updated, the distance to all the virtual objects is determined.

[0015]

However, virtual objects,
If the AOI periodically updates the position, there arises a problem that the amount of calculation per unit time of the server increases in proportion to the product of the virtual object and the number of AOIs.

[0016] As a result, there arises a problem that the number of virtual objects and the number of clients that can share a certain virtual space at the same time are limited.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and a proximity determination method capable of reducing the amount of calculation for examining the proximity between a perceptual area and a virtual object and reducing the load on an information processing apparatus. The purpose is to provide a program providing medium.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus capable of reducing the amount of calculation for examining the proximity of a perceived area and a virtual object and allowing more users to connect simultaneously.

[0019]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a proximity determination method according to the present invention provides a method for perceiving a partial region obtained by dividing a virtual space so that an arbitrary virtual object perceives another virtual object. When another virtual object (or another perceptual region) enters the perceived region of any virtual object as a unit of region, it is determined that another virtual object has approached the arbitrary virtual object.

Further, in order to solve the above problem, the proximity determining method according to the present invention separates a partial region obtained by dividing a virtual space into a perceptual region for perceiving another virtual object having each virtual object. Is used to determine whether or not the virtual object is in proximity.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program providing medium for providing a proximity determining program for determining that another virtual object has approached an arbitrary virtual object in a virtual space. A providing medium, a step of obtaining a perception area for an arbitrary virtual object to perceive another virtual object, and updating a space table indicating a virtual object list belonging to a partial area obtained by dividing the virtual space; Determining a change in the ingress and egress of the virtual object with respect to the perceived area using a table.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program providing medium for providing a proximity determining program for determining that another virtual object has approached an arbitrary virtual object in a virtual space. In the providing medium, of the plurality of partial regions obtained by dividing the virtual space, the distance from the center of the perception area for any virtual object to perceive another virtual object to the center of another virtual object is A step of determining whether or not the radius is smaller than the radius of the perceptual area; and a step of determining that another virtual object determined to be at a distance smaller than the radius of the perceptual area in the above step is brought into close proximity. Provide a judgment program.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus connected to a plurality of information processing terminals operated by a plurality of operators via a network. A partial area obtained by dividing a common virtual space developed on an information processing terminal is used as a unit of a perception area for an arbitrary virtual object reflecting an arbitrary information processing terminal to perceive another virtual object. A control means for determining that another virtual object has approached an arbitrary virtual object when another virtual object (or another perceptual area) enters the perceived area of the object; A message is transmitted and received from the arbitrary information processing terminal to another information processing terminal reflected on another virtual object determined by the control unit to be close to the arbitrary virtual object reflecting the information.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus connected via a network to a plurality of information processing terminals operated by a plurality of operators. A partial area obtained by dividing a shared virtual space distributed and deployed on a plurality of information processing terminals,
A control means for determining whether or not another virtual object has approached a perception area for perceiving another virtual object possessed by each virtual object, and an arbitrary virtual object reflecting the arbitrary information processing terminal described above; In contrast, another information processing terminal reflected on another virtual object determined by the control means to have approached is a target for transmitting and receiving a message to and from the arbitrary information processing terminal.

[0025]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a configuration example of a distributed shared virtual space system to which the present invention is applied. In this specification, a system refers to a system in which a plurality of devices are logically aggregated, and it does not matter whether the devices of each configuration are in the same housing.

In FIG. 1, client PCs (personal computers) 1 to 3 are connected to the Internet (The Internet) 7 via IPs (Internet connection service providers) 4 to 6, and a VRML browser and a WWW browser are installed. These installed browsers have been made to work.

The client PCs 1 to 3 have two functions of a 3D client and a 2D client. The 3D client notifies the shared server 12 of information such as its own location information periodically or when necessary,
Further, it has a function of receiving shared information of another 3D object sent from the shared server 12 and displaying the same. The 2D client has a function of requesting information from the WWW server 10 based on HTTP, receiving a reply, and mainly displaying two-dimensional information. The 3D client includes the UR in the information received from the shared server 12.
If L is included, request access to the URL from the 2D client. The 2D client accesses the URL (WWW server 10) based on this request, downloads data (eg, object shape data) therefrom, and transfers it to the 3D client.

A WWW server 1 is connected to a LAN (Local Area Network) 9 connected to the Internet 7 via a router 8.
0, WLS (World Location Server) 11, Shared server 1
2. AO (Application Object) servers 13 and 14, a mail server 15, and a communication server 16 are connected. Each of these servers 10 to 16 has
Hard disks (HDD) 10a, 10b, 11a to 1
6a are provided respectively.

The AO server 13 is a shared server 12
And an application object (AO) such as a robot or an electronic pet that operates autonomously in a virtual space. The AO server 13 is, like the 3D client, the shared server 1
2 and communicates its own information and receives shared information of other 3D objects.

The communication server 16 is connected to a telephone 18 and a facsimile machine 19 via a public telephone line network 17, and has a PHS (registered trademark) (Persona).
l Handyphone System) is wirelessly connected to a PHS terminal 23 via a service provider 20 and further wirelessly connected to a pager terminal 24 via a pager (registered trademark) service provider 21.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the client PC 1. In this example, CP
The U30 is configured to execute various processes according to a program recorded in the ROM 34, and the HDD 31
RML 2.0 files, VRML contents including a predetermined script program described in Java (trademark of Sun Microsystems, USA) and the like are stored. CD-ROM
The drive 32 stores the VRM stored in the CD-ROM disc 33
It is designed to read information such as L content.

The sound processing circuit 35 is connected to a microphone 36 and left and right speakers 37 and 38, and inputs a sound from the microphone 36 or outputs music and sound effects from the speakers 37 and 38. Modem 3
Numeral 9 is connected to the Internet 7 to exchange data. I / O (input / output) interface 4
Numeral 0 accepts operation signals from the mouse 41 and the keyboard 42. Graphics circuit 43
Has a built-in VRAM 44, stores image data subjected to various processes in the VRAM 44, and causes the CRT monitor 45 to display the image data read from the VRAM 44.

At the time of execution, for example, Windows
Netscape Navigator, a WWW browser that runs on 95 (trademark of MicroSoft, USA), a Java interpreter, and a software developed by Sony Corporation, the present applicant.
Community Place Browser, which is a VRML 2.0 browser, is read and executed by the CPU 30.

The VRML 2.0 browser is a VRML browser developed by the United States Silicon Graphics and released for free.
QvLib, a parsing library (parser) for
riterion Software Ltd. is a software renderer
RenderWare, etc., or parsers and renderers having equivalent functions are implemented.

As shown in FIG. 1, the Community Place Browser is a Netscape Naviga as a WWW browser.
NCAPI (Netscape Client Applicat
Various types of data are exchanged based on the ion programming interface (trademark).

Netscape Navigator is the Internet 7
When the HTML file and the VRML content (including the VRML file and the script program in Java) are supplied from the WWW server 10 via the
31 is stored. Netscape Navigator processes the HTML files and converts text and images to CRT.
While displaying on monitor 45, Community Place Browser
Processes the VRML file to display the three-dimensional virtual space on the CRT monitor 45, and changes the behavior of the objects in the three-dimensional virtual space and other display states according to the processing result of the script program by the Java interpreter.

Although not shown, the other client PCs 2 and 3 are also connected to the client PC 1.
It is configured similarly to.

Next, the operation of the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 3, first, as shown by the number 1, the VRM is
View the homepage of the website that provides L content. In this example, "http://pc.sony.co.jp/sapa
ri / ". Next, as indicated by the numeral 2, the user of the client PC1 or the client PC2 includes a VRML2.0 file and a script program (a script program in Java) for realizing an autonomous movement in the VRML space. Download each VRML content.

Of course, V provided on the CD-ROM disk 33
The RML content may be read by the CD-ROM drive 32.

Next, as shown in FIG.
In the C1 or the client PC 2, the VRML downloaded to each and temporarily stored in the local HDD 31
Communicate 2.0 files with Community Plac, a VRML 2.0 browser
e Browser interprets and executes, and further, as shown by number 3, VSCP (Virtual Society Server Client Pro
tocol), the ULS of the shared server 12 is
Query RL. At this time, as shown by number 4, WLS
11 refers to the shared server URL management table stored in the HDD 11a, and notifies the client PC1 or the client PC2 of the URL of the shared server 12.

Using this URL, the client PC 1 and the client PC 2 connect to the shared server 12 as shown in FIG. As a result, as shown by the number 5, a shared message related to the position and movement of the shared 3D object is transmitted through the shared server 12, and the number 6 is transmitted.
As shown by, the transfer is performed, and a multi-user environment is realized.

For a detailed description of the above connection procedure, refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-81781.

Although the three-dimensional virtual space is used in a multi-user environment here, it is not used in a multi-user environment (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as a single-user environment), that is, other than the self. It is possible to prevent a user's avatar (drone avatar) from appearing and also prevent its own avatar (pilot avatar) from appearing in a three-dimensional virtual space of another user's client. This corresponds to the numbers 3 to 6 described above.
This can be realized by not performing the processing represented by.

Next, referring to FIG. 6, the perception area (AO
An aura, which is a specific example of I), will be described. As shown in the figure, around the pilot avatar 51, an aura 52 formed of a sphere having a predetermined radius centered on the pilot avatar 51 is formed. Pilot avatar 51
Can receive information from other objects located inside the aura 52. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the pilot avatar 51 includes a drone avatar 53-1 located in the aura 52 and an object (AO).
54-1 can be visually recognized (these images are displayed on the CRT monitor of the client PC of the pilot avatar 51), but the drone avatar 53-2 and the object 54-2 located outside the aura 52 are visually recognized. Cannot do (Drone avatar 53-2 or object (A
O) The image of 54-2 is not displayed on the CRT monitor of the client PC of the pilot avatar 51).

Other drone avatars 53-1, 53-2,
Auras are similarly set for the objects 54-1 and 54-2. In this system, the aura of the avatar corresponding to each client PC has the same size, but the aura of the AO is set to a range different from the aura of the avatar as needed.

As described above, by defining the aura 52, the pilot avatar 51 becomes the drone avatar 53-1.
Needs to receive information from the object 54-1 and the drone avatar 53 located outside the aura 52.
-2 or information from the object 54-2, it is not necessary to receive the information, so that the amount of information to be received can be limited.

That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, when the avatar 51 moves, the new position information is transferred to the shared server 12. The shared server 12 determines what object (including the avatar) is located inside the aura 52 corresponding to the new position of the avatar 51,
The information about the object is notified to the client PC of the avatar 51. In the example illustrated in FIG. 7, since the object 54-1 exists inside the aura 52 after the movement of the avatar 51, the shared server 12
Is notified to the client PC of the avatar 51. Thereby, the image of the object 54-1 is displayed on the client PC of the avatar 51, and the user of the avatar 51 can visually recognize the object 54-1.

That is, the shared server 12 detects an event in which remote virtual objects such as avatars have approached each other. This proximity detection has been performed by setting a spherical area having a predetermined radius as an AOI for each virtual object and determining whether another virtual object enters or exits the AOI.

Therefore, every time the position of the virtual object is updated, the distance to all the AOIs in the virtual space is determined, and the AOI
Every time the location is updated, the distances to all the virtual objects are determined.

However, when a virtual object or AOI periodically updates its position, the amount of computation per unit time of the server becomes
There is a problem that the number increases in proportion to the product of the number of virtual objects and the number of AOIs.

As a result, there is also a problem that the number of virtual objects and the number of clients that can share a certain virtual space at the same time are limited.

Therefore, shared server 12 determines the proximity of another virtual object using the proximity determination method of the present invention. That is, a partial area obtained by dividing the virtual space is used as a unit of a perception area for an arbitrary virtual object to perceive another virtual object,
When another virtual object (or another perception area) enters the perception area of an arbitrary virtual object, it is determined that another virtual object has approached.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the concept when the shared server 12 operates as a multi-user server. The shared server 12 has a routing table indicating to which user a message issued by each user is transferred, and transfers a message from each user to each other user according to the table. In the specific example shown in FIG. 8, a message (in chat text) issued by user D is transferred to users C, A, and B,
Nobody receives the message from.

In general, in the case of a virtual space application, the shared server constantly monitors the position of each user in the virtual space and updates the routing table so that close users in the virtual space can interact with each other.

Next, FIG. 9 shows a conceptual diagram of the proximity determination method of the present invention. A part of a three-dimensional virtual space is projected on a plane. In many cases, the horizontal plane X of the virtual space
The -Z plane is used. If a subspace (plane) where the variance of the virtual object is large is selected as the projection plane, the set of virtual objects can be efficiently separated. However, projection is not necessary for the present invention. Further, the present invention can be similarly applied to a multidimensional space other than the three-dimensional space.

Hereinafter, for the sake of simplicity, the projected two-dimensional space coordinate system is denoted by (x, z). The region where the center point (x, z) of a certain virtual object exists is determined by the following equation (1).
By realizing an index unique to a region using the mapping function shown in FIG. This mapping function sets the projection plane to a width u (= 1.0 m) from the origin.
To divide into grids. A unique index is assigned to each of the divided areas.

[0057]

(Equation 1)

Here, int (a) is a function that returns the largest integer not exceeding a.

The AOI of the virtual object is assumed to be the four regions closest to the virtual object. At this time, the four indices of the AOI area are offset (u / 2, u /
2), (u / 2, -u / 2), (-u / 2, -u /
2) and (−u / 2, u / 2) are added to the coordinates,
It is obtained by performing mapping using the mapping function of the above equation (1). In the example of FIG. 9, the center point (x, z) =
The AOI of the virtual object C of (11.4m, 11.3m) is (1
0,10), (10,11), (11,10), (1
1, 11).

Next, a data structure for designating a certain area and obtaining a list of virtual objects in the area will be described. FIG. 10 shows a hash table showing an image of storing the virtual object list in the memory in the state of FIG. The hash table is a technique for searching data on a memory at high speed. Unlike various tree structures, the hash table can be easily implemented only with a static array, and has extremely high efficiency. The index of the area is used as a key, and the container that stores the virtual object list is used as an element. In this example, virtual objects A and B exist in the area (10, 11). In addition, the area (11, 1)
The virtual object D exists in the area (0), the virtual object E exists in the area (12, 11), and the virtual object C exists in the area (11, 11). Hereinafter, the hash table shown in FIG. 10 is referred to as a space table in which an index of a partial area is used as a key and a virtual object list in the partial area is entered.

The use of the space table of this system has an advantage that the size of the space table, that is, the required amount of memory depends on the number of areas where the virtual objects exist, and does not depend on the size of the space. Only when the number of partial areas in which the object exists significantly increases, the table may be dynamically expanded. Also, by implementing this table using a hash table, the search for an entry from the index becomes faster, and the virtual objects in the surrounding partial area can be listed with a small amount of calculation.

In the above system, the virtual object (and its AO
When I) is added to or deleted from the virtual space or moves in the virtual space, the shared server 12 performs proximity detection between the virtual object and a group of surrounding virtual objects.

FIG. 11 shows an example in which the virtual object C shown in FIG. 9 has moved. In this example, the virtual object list is not updated on the space table shown in FIG. 10, but the AOI of the virtual object C is newly added to (11, 10), (11, 11),
(11, 12) and (12, 10). In this case, the candidates for proximity detection are virtual objects D and E.

Normally, a virtual object is added / deleted /
When the space table has been moved, first, the space table is updated. Subsequently, A related to the partial area indicated in the space table
Obtain OI. Then, the virtual object in the AOI is rechecked, and if necessary, that is, if the candidate for proximity detection has changed, the routing table is updated.

FIG. 12 shows a process of updating the space table by updating the virtual object. When a virtual object is added, deleted, or moved, in step S1, the index of the partial region to which the virtual object belongs is calculated using the mapping function of the above equation (1). In step S2, it is determined whether the index has changed from the previous index. If it has changed, the process proceeds to step S3.

In step S3, the reference of the virtual object is deleted from the entry of the previous index of the area table. In step S4, a reference to the virtual object is added to the entry of the new index.

In step S5, the update is notified to all the AOIs in the area where the update has occurred. Then, in step S6, an update is notified to the AOI of the virtual object. Thereby, the space table is updated.

If it is determined in step S2 that the index has not changed from the previous index, the flow advances to step S6 to perform the above-described processing.

FIG. 13 shows a process of updating the routing table by updating the AOI.

When an update such as addition, deletion, or movement occurs in the AOI, in step S11, the index of the partial area to which the AOI belongs is obtained. In step S12, a new virtual object list is obtained from the space table using the index.

In step S13, the previous close virtual object list is compared with the new close virtual object list to obtain an increase or decrease. In step S14, the AOI is deleted from the entry of the newly reduced object in the routing table. In step S15, an AOI is added to each entry of the newly added object in the routing table. As a result, the routing table is updated. FIG. 14 shows a specific example of the updated routing table. As the user C moves, the user C is deleted from the routing entries of the users A and B and added to the routing entry of the user E. Thereafter, a message such as a chat text issued by the user E is also routed to the user C.

In the above specific example, the AOI of the virtual object
Are four regions closest to the virtual object, but may be nine regions. In this case, the nine indexes of the AOI area are obtained by adding a combination of plus and minus u including 0 as an offset to the coordinates.

Further, the shared server 12 may apply another approach for judging proximity. The partial area obtained by dividing the virtual space is
Used to determine a perception area for perceiving another virtual object with each virtual object, and when another virtual object (or another perception area) falls within the perception area of any virtual object determined here This is a method of determining that another virtual object has approached.

The AOI is often implemented as a spherical area. Whether the representative point of the virtual object is in the AOI sphere is determined by the distance between the representative point of the object and the representative point of the AOI,
Compare the radius of the OI sphere, and if the distance is smaller than the radius, A
Routing is performed as if it were in the OI.

FIG. 15 shows a specific example when the AOI is a sphere. In this example, only D is close to the virtual object C. Conventionally, it was necessary to determine the distance to all the objects in the virtual space. However, in the present invention, the distance between the representative point of the virtual object and the representative point of the AOI within a limited partial area, A
What is necessary is just to compare the radius of the OI sphere, and the amount of calculation can be reduced.

This is performed by updating the space table by the processing shown in FIG. 12 and then performing the processing of updating the routing table shown in FIG.

In the flow of FIG. 16, step S12
After obtaining the virtual object list existing in the surrounding partial space by the above, threshold processing for excluding, from the new object list, objects whose distance from the representative point of the AOI to the representative point of the object is larger than the AOI radius d Is added in step S16, and a spherical AOI can be realized by shaving off candidates outside the AOI sphere.

For this reason, as shown in FIG. 15, it is sufficient to determine the distance only to the virtual objects in the limited area, and therefore, compared with the conventional distance determination to all the virtual objects in the space. The amount of calculation can be greatly reduced.

However, the surrounding partial areas that are candidates are A
Must include a circle that projects the OI sphere. That is, in the case of a large AOI, it must be implemented so that a virtual object list is obtained from many partial areas as candidates.

Further, the present invention may employ the following specific examples. This specific example assumes that the virtual object has a size.

In the above embodiments, the sizes of all virtual objects have been treated as points. However, the present invention can be applied to a case where a virtual object has a certain size. In this case, as shown in FIG. 17, a partial region may be selected so as to include a sphere representing the size of the virtual object, and the reference of the virtual object may be registered in all of them.

Then, an example of the space table is as shown in FIG. That is, 4 which is closest to the representative point of the virtual object B
B exists in one area. These four areas can be obtained simply as in the case of the AOI. Then, the routing table is updated using the space table.

In the above system, the supply server 12 can easily execute the proximity determination method of the present invention by reading the proximity determination program from the program providing medium of the present invention and sequentially executing the program.

[0084]

According to the proximity determining method and the program providing medium according to the present invention, the amount of calculation for examining the proximity between the perceived area and the virtual object can be reduced, and the load on the information processing apparatus can be reduced.

Further, according to the information processing apparatus of the present invention, the amount of calculation for checking the proximity of the perceived area and the virtual object can be reduced, and more users can be connected at the same time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a distributed shared virtual space system to which the present invention has been applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a client PC in the distributed shared virtual space system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an operation of the distributed shared virtual space system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is another diagram for explaining the operation of the distributed shared virtual space system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is yet another diagram for explaining the operation of the distributed shared virtual space system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of an AOI.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining perception of an object when a virtual object (avatar) moves.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a concept when a shared server in the distributed supply virtual space system operates as a multi-user server.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the concept of the proximity determination method of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing, as a hash table, a space table in which a virtual object list in a partial area is entered.

11 is a diagram showing a state where the virtual object C shown in FIG. 9 has moved.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a process of updating a space table by updating a virtual object.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a process of updating a routing table by updating an AOI.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of an updated routing table.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a case where the AOI is a sphere.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a process of updating a routing table when the AOI is a sphere.

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a case where a virtual object has a certain size.

FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of a space table when a virtual object has a certain size.

[Explanation of symbols]

1-3 client PC, 12 shared server, 51
Pilot avatar, 52 aura

Continued on front page F term (reference) 5B050 BA07 CA08 FA02 5B089 GA11 GA21 JA17 JA18 JB16 KA06 KC15 KC47 KC60 LB18 LB21 5E501 AA02 AB19 AC16 AC32 BA12 CA02 DA02 DA04 EB20 FA15 FA27 FA36 FA43 FB44

Claims (12)

[Claims] A partial area obtained by dividing a virtual space is used as a unit of a perception area for an arbitrary virtual object to perceive another virtual object, and another virtual object or another virtual object is included in the perception area of the arbitrary virtual object. A proximity determination method, wherein it is determined that another virtual object has approached when a perceptual area has entered. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of adjacent partial areas close to the center of the arbitrary virtual object are set as the perceived area, and it is determined that the approach is made when another virtual object enters the center. The method according to claim 1. 3. The proximity determination method according to claim 3, wherein four or nine adjacent partial areas near the center of the arbitrary virtual object are set as the perceptual area. 4. A step of obtaining the perceptual area, updating a space table indicating a list of virtual objects belonging to the partial area, and using the space table to determine a change in the ingress and egress of the virtual object with respect to the perceptual area. The proximity determination method according to claim 2, further comprising: 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the partial area obtained by dividing the virtual space is used to determine whether another virtual object has approached a perception area for perceiving another virtual object of each virtual object. Proximity determination method. 6. A sphere having a predetermined radius centered on the arbitrary virtual object is set as a perception area, and it is determined that the sphere approaches when the center of another virtual object enters the perception area. 5. The proximity determination method according to 5. 7. The virtual object according to claim 5, wherein the perceived area and the virtual object are spheres each having a predetermined radius centered on a point represented by each of the spheres.
The proximity determination method described in the above. 8. A distance between the center of the perceptual area and the center of another virtual object in the plurality of adjacent partial areas,
A step of determining whether or not the radius is smaller than the radius of the perception area; and a step of approaching another virtual object determined to be at a distance smaller than the radius of the perception area in the step. The proximity judging method according to claim 6, wherein 9. A program providing medium for providing a proximity determination program for determining that another virtual object has approached an arbitrary virtual object in a virtual space, wherein the arbitrary virtual object perceives another virtual object. Calculating a perceptual area for updating the virtual object list, and updating a spatial table indicating a virtual object list belonging to a partial area obtained by dividing the virtual space, and using the spatial table to determine a change in the input / output of the virtual object with respect to the perceptual area. A program providing medium, which provides a proximity determination program comprising the steps of: 10. A program providing medium for providing a proximity determination program for determining that another virtual object has approached an arbitrary virtual object in a virtual space, the program providing medium comprising: a plurality of partial areas obtained by dividing the virtual space; In, the step of determining whether the distance from the center of the perception area for any virtual object to perceive another virtual object to the center of another virtual object is smaller than the radius of the perception area, A step of assuming that another virtual object determined to be at a distance smaller than the radius of the perceptual area in the above step is brought into proximity. 11. An information processing apparatus connected via a network to a plurality of information processing terminals operated by a plurality of operators, wherein a common virtual space developed on the plurality of information processing terminals is divided. The partial area is a unit of a perception area for an arbitrary virtual object reflecting an arbitrary information processing terminal to perceive another virtual object, and another virtual object or another perception area within the perception area of any virtual object Control means for determining that another virtual object has approached when a virtual object has entered, wherein the control means determines that another virtual object has approached any virtual object reflecting the arbitrary information processing terminal. An information processing apparatus, wherein another reflected information processing terminal is a target for transmitting and receiving a message to and from the arbitrary information processing terminal. 12. An information processing apparatus connected via a network to a plurality of information processing terminals operated by a plurality of operators, the shared virtual space being distributed and deployed on the plurality of information processing terminals. Control means for determining whether or not another virtual object has approached a perceived area for perceiving another virtual object possessed by each virtual object with the divided partial area of the virtual object; Another information processing terminal reflected on another virtual object that the control means has determined to be close to any virtual object reflecting the message, and a target for transmitting and receiving a message to and from the arbitrary information processing terminal An information processing apparatus, comprising: