JP2006191676A - Receiving system and removable medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a means for allowing a televiewer to choose preferred character, and to view and to listen to the program being broadcasted, as a program on which this character performs. <P>SOLUTION: On the broadcasting station side, a background video image is inputted (202) and distributed (204), while the information about motions of a character is inputted (201) and distributed (203). On the receiver side, one of two or more character models, saved beforehand, is chosen (206), the character video image is formed (207) using this model and a received information of the motions, and the character video image and a received background video image are composited (208) and displayed (209). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

The present invention relates to a broadcast method for providing video and data through a broadcast network, and a broadcast receiving apparatus such as a PC, set-top box, intelligent television, and digital broadcast receiver capable of processing data broadcast and video.

In the conventional broadcasting system, the viewer can view only the video / audio information determined as a program.
On the other hand, in recent years, attempts have been made to measure human movements and facial expressions as data, and to generate and broadcast CG characters in real time based on the data (Non-Patent Document 1). However, in this system, since the video on which the CG character is generated is broadcast on the broadcasting station side, only the video / audio information determined as a program can be viewed as in the conventional broadcasting system.

Real-time animation of human upper body using facial expression tracking system and doll-type input device, IPSJ Graphics and CAD Study Group, 81-8, Dec. 19th, 1996

The present invention provides means for enabling a viewer to select a favorite character and view a broadcast program as a program in which the character appears.

In the present invention, the facial expression and motion data of a character are distributed together with video information as a data broadcast, and a CG character selected by the viewer is generated and displayed by the receiving device. Character expressions and motion data are distributed together with video information as a data broadcast, and a CG character selected by the viewer is generated and displayed by the receiving device, whereby the broadcasted program is selected by the viewer as a desired character. Can be viewed as a program that appears.

  According to the present invention, a facial expression and motion data of a character are distributed together with video information as a data broadcast, and a CG character selected by the viewer is generated and displayed by the receiving device, so that the broadcasted program can be viewed by the viewer. Can be viewed as a program in which the favorite character selected by appears.

Below, the example of the present invention is described in detail using a drawing.
First, the broadcasting method of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
First, character motion information is input using the motion information input device (101) (201), and the information is distributed as a data broadcast using the motion information broadcast device (102) (203). At the same time, the background video generated by the background video generation device (103) is distributed using a background video broadcast device (104) at a frequency different from that of the data broadcast (204). In this embodiment, the background video generation device is a television camera and inputs a city video (202), but the background video may be synthesized by CG. Further, the operation information may be inserted as a data broadcast in the vertical blanking section of the background video and distributed at one frequency.
A plurality of character models are stored in a removable medium (114) such as a CD-ROM and a DVD-ROM connected to the broadcast receiving / reproducing apparatus, and the user uses a processor (112) to store a memory ( 115) The existing character selection program (118) is executed, and a favorite character is selected in advance from the model (206). On the other hand, the video information and the operation information are received using the receiving device (111) (205). Next, using the processor (112), the character generation program (116) existing on the memory (115) is executed, and the selected character model and received character existing on the removable medium (114) are executed. A character video is generated from the motion information (207). Finally, using the processor (112), the video / character synthesis program (117) existing on the memory (115) is executed, and the received background video and the character video generated by the character generation (207) are used. The displayed video is synthesized (208) and displayed on a video display device (113) such as a television set (209).

  Next, a character motion input method (201) and data input by the method will be described with reference to FIG. The character movement in this embodiment is performed using a two-button mouse. The data is distributed when the mouse is clicked. When both the left and right buttons are pressed simultaneously, the mouse coordinates at the time of pressing indicate the body position, when only the left button is pressed, the left hand position and only the right button In the case of pressing, each represents the position of the right hand, and for example, data shown in FIG. 3 is generated by a series of click operations. In the figure, 310 to 314 represent time-series data, and the meaning of each column is a numerical value “1” (300) indicating operation data in order from the left, and a numerical value indicating what position is represented. (301), X coordinate (302), and Y coordinate (303). Reference numeral 301 denotes a left hand, 2 a right hand, and 3 a torso. Therefore, for example, 312 is motion data, and indicates that the coordinates of the right hand are (20, 80).

  Next, an example of a character model stored in the removable medium (114) will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 4, a bear (410) and a robot (411) are stored as characters. Each model includes a model name (400), a torso image (401), and a hand image (402). In addition, hand connection position information (420 × mark) is shown on the torso image, and hand position information (421 × mark) on the torso and information indicating the position reflecting the motion information coordinates (422 ○ mark) are shown on the hand image. Is included.

  Next, an example of the character model selection method (206) will be described with reference to FIG. When the character selection program (118) is activated, the names (400) of the character models stored in the removable medium (114) are listed in the video display device (500) (501, 502). One model is selected from these names using the remote control. In the case of FIG. 5, the robot (502) is selected.

  Next, the character generation method (207) will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 5, when a robot is selected as the character model, a character image is generated as shown in FIG. 6a. Here, the size of the image is (100, 100). First, when the information 310 is received, the body is drawn at (50, 50) (600). Next, when 311 is received, the left hand connection position (x mark) is the left hand connection position (x mark), and the coordinates (80, 80) at which the part (◯ mark) reflecting the motion information coordinates is received. ) Is drawn (601). Next, when 312 is received, the right hand is similarly drawn (602). Next, when 313 is received, the left hand moves so that the position of the circle is (80, 20). Next, when 314 is received, the right hand moves so that the position of the circle is (20, 20). Similarly, when a bear is selected, a character video is generated as in 610 to 614 in FIG. 6b.

Next, the background / character combination method (208) will be described with reference to FIG. First, the received background video is drawn (700), and then the character video (620) generated in the character generation (207) is drawn (701). At this time, if a bear is selected as the character, an image such as 702 is synthesized.
As described above, the same program can be viewed as different videos (701, 702) depending on the character selected by the user.

  In this embodiment, the character model is stored in advance on the removable medium (114). However, a method of distributing the information shown in FIG. 4 using data broadcasting at the beginning of the program or in advance may be considered. It is done. In this case, the received character model is stored in the memory (115).

  In addition, by including characters that are smaller or thinner than all selectable characters in the background video as a default character, even in a broadcast receiving and reproducing apparatus such as a normal television that does not have the configuration shown in FIG. It can be seen as a program. An example of such a background video is shown in FIG. The character is completely hidden by the character video in the background / character synthesis process as shown in FIG.

In addition, voice data of all 50 sounds (including muddy and semi-voiced sounds) is stored in each character model shown in FIG. 4, and dialogue information is distributed in addition to the information shown in FIG. 3 as data broadcasting. By doing so, it is possible to generate a program that can be spoken by the voice unique to the selected character. In this case, “2” representing voice data corresponding to 300 as information and one kana character representing a generated word are distributed in accordance with the utterance timing.
Similarly, sound effects such as footsteps and screams of characters are stored in the respective character models, and information indicating the type of sound effects in accordance with the sound generation timing is used as data broadcast in addition to the information shown in FIG. By distributing, a sound effect specific to the selected character can be generated. In this case, as information, a numerical value representing a sound effect pronounced as “3” representing voice data corresponding to 300 (for example, “1” for footsteps and “2” for crying) is distributed.

  Further, in the case of broadcasting using a system capable of content encoding such as MPEG-4, normal reception is performed by encoding the default character as shown in FIG. 8 as content different from the background video. The playback device can synthesize a default character, and the receiving and playback device having the configuration shown in FIG. 1 can synthesize the character generated by the character generation (207) with the background image. In this case, the size and thickness of the default character are arbitrary. On the contrary, a character model is distributed as a data broadcast, and motion information is input with a mouse or the like on the reception / playback apparatus side, and character generation (207) and background / character synthesis (208) are performed. A program in which the viewer can move the character can be configured.

It is a figure showing the system configuration | structure of this invention. FIG. 3 represents the method of the present invention. It is a figure showing the example of the motion information of a character. It is a figure showing the example of a character model. It is a figure showing the example of the user interface of character model selection. It is the figure which showed the example of the character image produced | generated by character production | generation in time series. It is a figure which shows the example with which a background image | video and a character image | video are synthesize | combined. It is a figure which shows the example of the default character image | video contained in a background image | video.

Explanation of symbols

101-105 ... Broadcast transmission device, 111-118 ... Broadcast reception / playback device, 300-314 ... Motion information data, 400-422 ... Character model, 500 ... Video display device, 600-614 ... Character video, 700 ... Background video , 701 to 702... Composite video.

Claims (11)

  A broadcast transmission apparatus comprising: means for inputting or generating and distributing a background video; and means for inputting and distributing motion information of an object such as a character operating on the video.   A background image; means for receiving motion information of an object such as a character operating on the video; and means for storing a model of the object. An object to be displayed on the video using the motion information and the model A broadcast receiving apparatus that generates and displays a background video together.   3. The broadcast receiving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of object models are stored, a video viewer selects one model from the models, and is displayed on the video using the broadcast operation information and the model. A broadcast receiving apparatus that generates an object to be displayed and displays the object together with a background image.   The broadcast station broadcasts the background image and the motion information of the object using the broadcast transmission device according to claim 1, and the receiver uses the broadcast reception device according to claim 2 or 3 to broadcast the stored object model. And an operation information to generate an object to be displayed on the video and display it together with the background video.   5. An information distribution service characterized in that a model of an object is stored in a removable medium such as a CD-ROM or DVD, and distributed or sold in advance before broadcasting by the broadcasting method according to claim 4.   5. The broadcast method according to claim 4, wherein the object model is also broadcast as a data broadcast.   5. The broadcasting method according to claim 4, wherein the background video to be transmitted includes a video of a small or thin object that is obscured by video generated by models of all selectable objects. .   5. The broadcasting method according to claim 4, wherein the dialogue information of the character is also broadcast as a data broadcast, and the broadcast receiving apparatus stores the speech element set of the character, synthesizes voice from the dialogue information and the element set, A broadcasting method characterized by outputting in addition to the acoustic information.   5. The broadcasting method according to claim 4, wherein information representing the sound generation timing of a sound effect such as a footstep of the character is also broadcast as a data broadcast, and the broadcast receiving device stores the corresponding sound effect of the character and performs the same sound effect at the same timing. Is broadcast and output in addition to the audio information of the video.   5. The broadcasting method according to claim 4, wherein in the broadcast video information, the background video and the video information of the object are included as different contents, and if the object cannot be generated from the motion information of the object and the model, the object video is A broadcasting method characterized by displaying together with a background video. The broadcast station broadcasts the background image and the model information of the object, and the receiver has the operation information input means, and generates the object to be displayed on the video using the operation information input by the user and the broadcast model information. And displaying with a background image.

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