JP2018116484A - Information processing method, and program for causing computer to execute the information processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To further improve user's virtual experience.SOLUTION: An information processing method includes the steps of: generating virtual space data defining a virtual space 200 including a virtual camera 300, a right hand object 400R, and a button object 600; specifying a visual field CV of the virtual camera 300 on the basis of a position and an inclination of an HMD 110; displaying a visual field image on the HMD 110 on the basis of the visual field CV of the virtual camera 300 and the virtual space data; and specifying a position of the right hand object 400R on the basis of a position of a controller 320R. When it is determined that a predetermined condition for determining whether a collision area CA of the right hand object 400R intentionally contacts a collision area of the button object 600 is not satisfied, the right hand object 400R does not give a predetermined influence on the button object 600.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

  The present disclosure relates to an information processing method and a program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method.

  Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a VR game that creates a virtual path for a character object (bear character) to run by grasping a block object with a hand object. In this VR game, after creating a virtual path on which the character object runs by operating the hand object, the character object starts running on the virtual path by pressing the button object (an example of a target object).

"VR" Fly to KUMA MARKER "Trailer", [online], August 10, 2016, COLOPL CHANNEL, [Searched on December 19, 2016], Internet <1484704159050_0>

  By the way, in the VR game disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1, when the hand object is inadvertently touching the button object during the operation of the hand object (more specifically, the collision area of the hand object is the button object). A situation in which the button object is unintentionally pressed by the hand object due to unintentional contact with the collision area is conceivable. In this case, the character object starts running before the virtual road is completed. Thus, when operating a hand object in the virtual space, there is a situation in which a collision effect between the hand object and the target object occurs unintentionally due to the hand object unintentionally contacting the target object. Conceivable. Here, the virtual space includes a VR (Virtual Reality) space, an AR (Augmented Reality) space, and an MR (Mixed Reality) space. Further, the collision effect between the hand object and the target object is an effect that regulates the influence of the hand object on the target object due to the collision (collision) between the hand object and the target object.

  The present disclosure provides an information processing method capable of further improving a user's experience with a virtual object (hereinafter referred to as “user's virtual experience”) and a program for causing a computer to realize the information processing method. With the goal.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, in a system comprising a head mounted device and a position sensor configured to detect a position of the head mounted device and a position of a body part other than a user's head An information processing method executed by a computer is provided.
The information processing method includes:
(A) generating virtual space data defining a virtual space including a virtual camera, an operation object, and a target object;
(B) identifying the field of view of the virtual camera based on the position and tilt of the head mounted device;
(C) displaying a visual field image on the head mounted device based on the visual field of the virtual camera and the virtual space data;
(D) identifying the position of the operation object based on the position of a part of the user's body;
Including
When it is determined that a predetermined condition for determining whether the collision area of the operation object has intentionally contacted the collision area of the target object is not satisfied, the operation object has a predetermined influence on the target object. Don't give.

  According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an information processing method that can further improve a user's virtual experience. In addition, it is possible to provide a program for causing a computer to realize the information processing method.

It is the schematic which shows a head mounted device (Head Mounted Device: HMD) system. It is a figure which shows the head of the user with which HMD was mounted | worn. It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of a control apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of a specific structure of an external controller. It is a flowchart which shows the process which displays a visual field image on HMD. It is xyz space figure which shows an example of virtual space. The state (a) is a yx plan view of the virtual space shown in FIG. The state (b) is a zx plan view of the virtual space shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the visual field image displayed on HMD. The state (a) is a diagram showing a real space where a user wearing the HMD and the external controller is present. The state (b) is a diagram illustrating a virtual space including a virtual camera, a right hand object, a left hand object, a block object, and a button object. It is a top view of virtual space which shows a mode that the collision area of a right hand object is contacting the operation part of a button object. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the information processing method which concerns on 1st Embodiment (henceforth 1st Embodiment only) of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the information processing method which concerns on the modification of 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the information processing method which concerns on 2nd Embodiment (henceforth 2nd Embodiment only) of this invention. It is a top view of virtual space which shows a mode that a right hand object and a button object exist outside the visual field of a virtual camera. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the information processing method which concerns on the modification of 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the information processing method which concerns on 3rd Embodiment (henceforth 3rd Embodiment) of this invention.

[Description of Embodiments Presented by the Present Disclosure]
An overview of an embodiment indicated by the present disclosure will be described.
(1) Information processing executed by a computer in a system including a head mounted device and a position sensor configured to detect the position of the head mounted device and the position of a part of the body other than the user's head A method,
(A) generating virtual space data defining a virtual space including a virtual camera, an operation object, and a target object;
(B) identifying the field of view of the virtual camera based on the position and tilt of the head mounted device;
(C) displaying a visual field image on the head mounted device based on the visual field of the virtual camera and the virtual space data;
(D) identifying the position of the operation object based on the position of a part of the user's body;
Including
When it is determined that a predetermined condition for determining whether the collision area of the operation object has intentionally contacted the collision area of the target object is not satisfied, the operation object has a predetermined influence on the target object. Information processing method that does not give.

  According to the above method, when it is determined that the predetermined condition for determining whether the collision area of the operation object has intentionally contacted the collision area of the target object is not satisfied, the operation object Does not affect. Thus, when it is determined that the operation object has unintentionally contacted the target object, the collision effect between the operation object and the target object does not occur. For example, when a hand object (an example of an operation object) unintentionally contacts a button object (an example of a target object), a situation in which the button object is unintentionally pressed by the hand object is avoided. Therefore, an information processing method that can further improve the virtual experience of the user can be provided.

(2) (e) further comprising specifying an absolute velocity of the head mounted device;
The information processing method according to item (1), wherein the predetermined condition is that an absolute speed of the head mounted device is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

  According to the above method, when it is determined that the absolute speed of the head mounted device (HMD) is not less than or equal to the predetermined value (that is, the absolute speed of the HMD is greater than the predetermined value), the operation object is determined as the target object. Does not affect. In this way, when the operation object comes into contact with the target object in a state where the absolute velocity of the HMD is larger than a predetermined value, it is determined that the operation object has unintentionally contacted the target object, and the operation object and the target object No collision effect occurs between the two.

(3) The predetermined condition includes a first condition and a second condition,
The first condition is a condition related to the head mounted device,
The second condition is a condition different from the first condition,
The information processing method according to item (1) or (2), wherein when it is determined that the first condition and the second condition are not satisfied, the operation object does not exert the predetermined influence on the target object.

  According to the above method, when it is determined that the first condition and the second condition for determining whether the collision area of the operation object has intentionally contacted the collision area of the target object are not satisfied, the operation object is the target. Does not affect the object. In this way, it is possible to more reliably determine whether or not the operation object has unintentionally contacted the target object by using two different determination conditions.

(4) (e) further comprising specifying an absolute velocity of the head mounted device;
The first condition is that an absolute speed of the head mounted device is a predetermined value or less,
The information processing method according to item (3), wherein the second condition is that the operation object exists in a field of view of the virtual camera.

  According to the above method, it is determined that the absolute speed of the head mounted device (HMD) is not less than or equal to a predetermined value (that is, the absolute speed of the HMD is larger than the predetermined value), and the operation object is within the field of view of the virtual camera. When the operation object is determined not to exist, the operation object does not have a predetermined influence on the target object. As described above, when the absolute speed of the HMD is larger than the predetermined value and the operation object comes into contact with the target object in a state where the operation object does not exist within the field of view of the virtual camera, the operation object is not intended. It is determined that the object has been touched, and no collision effect occurs between the operation object and the target object.

(5) (e) further comprising specifying an absolute velocity of the head mounted device;
The first condition is that an absolute speed of the head mounted device is a predetermined value or less,
The information processing method according to item (3), wherein the second condition is that at least one of the operation object and the target object exists in a visual field of the virtual camera.

  According to the above method, it is determined that the absolute speed of the head mounted device (HMD) is not less than or equal to the predetermined value (that is, the absolute speed of the HMD is greater than the predetermined value), and both the operation object and the target object are When it is determined that the object does not exist within the field of view of the virtual camera, the operation object does not have a predetermined influence on the target object. As described above, when the absolute speed of the HMD is larger than a predetermined value and the operation object comes into contact with the target object in a state where neither the operation object nor the target object exists in the field of view of the virtual camera, the operation object is It is determined that the target object has been touched unintentionally, and a collision effect between the operation object and the target object does not occur.

(6) (e) identifying an absolute velocity of the head mounted device;
(F) identifying a relative velocity of the body part of the user with respect to the head mounted device;
Further including
The first condition is that an absolute speed of the head mounted device is a predetermined value or less,
The information processing method according to item (3), wherein the second condition is that the relative speed is greater than a predetermined value.

  According to the above method, it is determined that the absolute velocity of the head mounted device (HMD) is not less than or equal to a predetermined value (that is, the absolute velocity of the HMD is larger than the predetermined value), and a part of the user's body with respect to the HMD The operation object has a predetermined influence on the target object when it is determined that the relative speed of the user is not larger than the predetermined value (that is, the relative speed of a part of the user's body with respect to the HMD is equal to or lower than the predetermined value) Don't give. As described above, when the operating object comes into contact with the target object in a state where the absolute speed of the HMD is larger than the predetermined value and the relative speed of a part of the user's body is equal to or lower than the predetermined value, the operating object is It is determined that the target object has been touched unintentionally, and a collision effect between the operation object and the target object does not occur.

  (7) A program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method according to any one of items (1) to (6).

  According to the program, the user's virtual experience can be further improved.

[Details of Embodiments Presented by the Present Disclosure]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, about the member which has the same reference number as the member already demonstrated in description of this embodiment, the description is not repeated for convenience of explanation.

  First, the configuration of the head mounted device (HMD) system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an HMD system 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the HMD system 1 includes an HMD 110 mounted on the head of the user U, a position sensor 130, an external controller 320, and a control device 120.

  The HMD 110 includes a display unit 112, an HMD sensor 114, and a gaze sensor 140. The display unit 112 includes a non-transmissive display device configured to completely cover the field of view (field of view) of the user U wearing the HMD 110. Thereby, the user U can immerse in the virtual space by viewing only the visual field image displayed on the display unit 112. The display unit 112 may include a left-eye display unit configured to provide an image for the left eye of the user U and a right-eye display unit configured to provide an image for the right eye of the user U. . Further, the HMD 110 may include a transmissive display device. In this case, the transmissive display device may be temporarily configured as a non-transmissive display device by adjusting the transmittance.

  The HMD sensor 114 is mounted in the vicinity of the display unit 112 of the HMD 110. The HMD sensor 114 includes at least one of a geomagnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a tilt sensor (such as an angular velocity sensor and a gyro sensor), and can detect various movements of the HMD 110 mounted on the head of the user U.

  The gaze sensor 140 has an eye tracking function that detects the line of sight of the user U. The gaze sensor 140 may include, for example, a right eye gaze sensor and a left eye gaze sensor. The right eye gaze sensor irradiates, for example, infrared light to the right eye of the user U, and detects reflected light reflected from the right eye (particularly the cornea and iris), thereby acquiring information related to the rotation angle of the right eye's eyeball. May be. On the other hand, the left eye gaze sensor irradiates the left eye of the user U with, for example, infrared light, and detects reflected light reflected from the left eye (particularly the cornea and iris), thereby providing information on the rotation angle of the left eye's eyeball. May be obtained.

  The position sensor 130 is configured by, for example, a position tracking camera, and is configured to detect the positions of the HMD 110 and the external controller 320. The position sensor 130 is communicably connected to the control device 120 by wireless or wired communication, and is configured to detect information on the position, inclination, or light emission intensity of a plurality of detection points (not shown) provided in the HMD 110. . Further, the position sensor 130 is configured to detect information on the position, inclination, and / or light emission intensity of a plurality of detection points 304 (see FIG. 4) (not shown) provided in the external controller 320. The detection point is, for example, a light emitting unit that emits infrared light or visible light. The position sensor 130 may include an infrared sensor and a plurality of optical cameras.

  The external controller 320 detects the movement of a part of the body of the user U (a part other than the head, which is the user U's hand in the present embodiment), thereby moving the hand object displayed in the virtual space. Used to control. The external controller 320 is an external controller 320R for right hand operated by the right hand of the user U (hereinafter simply referred to as controller 320R) and an external controller 320L for left hand operated by the left hand of the user U (hereinafter simply referred to as controller 320L). And). The controller 320R is a device that indicates the position of the right hand of the user U and the movement of the finger of the right hand. Further, the right hand object 400R (see FIG. 9) that exists in the virtual space moves according to the movement of the controller 320R. The controller 320L is a device that indicates the position of the left hand of the user U and the movement of the finger of the left hand. Further, the left hand object 400L (see FIG. 9) that exists in the virtual space moves according to the movement of the controller 320L.

  The control device 120 is a computer configured to control the HMD 110. The control device 120 identifies the position information of the HMD 110 based on the information acquired from the position sensor 130, and installs the position of the virtual camera in the virtual space and the HMD 110 in the real space based on the identified position information. Thus, the position of the user U can be accurately associated. Further, the control device 120 identifies the operation of the external controller 320 based on the information acquired from the position sensor 130, and the hand object displayed in the virtual space based on the identified operation of the external controller 320. And the operation of the external controller 320 in the real space can be accurately associated with each other. In particular, the control device 120 identifies the operation of the controller 320L (controller 320R) based on the information acquired from the position sensor 130, and in the virtual space based on the operation of the identified controller 320L (controller 320R). The motion of the left hand object 400L (right hand object 400R) displayed on the screen can be accurately associated with the motion of the controller 320L (controller 320R) in the real space.

  Further, the control device 120 specifies the gaze of the right eye and the gaze of the left eye of the user U based on the information transmitted from the gaze sensor 140 (the left eye gaze sensor and the right eye gaze sensor), and the right eye gaze. It is possible to specify the point of gaze that is the intersection of the left eye gaze. Furthermore, the control device 120 can specify the line of sight of both eyes of the user U (the line of sight of the user U) based on the specified gazing point. Here, the line of sight of the user U is the line of sight of both eyes of the user U, and coincides with the direction of a straight line passing through the middle point of the line connecting the right eye and the left eye of the user U and the gazing point.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 2, a method for acquiring information related to the position and inclination of the HMD 110 will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the head of the user U wearing the HMD 110. Information on the position and inclination of the HMD 110 that is linked to the movement of the head of the user U wearing the HMD 110 can be detected by the position sensor 130 and / or the HMD sensor 114 mounted on the HMD 110. As shown in FIG. 2, three-dimensional coordinates (uvw coordinates) are defined centering on the head of the user U wearing the HMD 110. The vertical direction in which the user U stands up is defined as the v-axis, the direction orthogonal to the v-axis and passing through the center of the HMD 110 is defined as the w-axis, and the direction orthogonal to the v-axis and the w-axis is defined as the u-axis. The position sensor 130 and / or the HMD sensor 114 is an angle around each uvw axis (that is, a yaw angle indicating rotation around the v axis, a pitch angle indicating rotation around the u axis, and a center around the w axis). The inclination determined by the roll angle indicating rotation) is detected. The control device 120 determines angle information for controlling the visual axis of the virtual camera based on the detected angle change around each uvw axis.

  Next, the hardware configuration of the control device 120 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the control device 120. As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 120 includes a control unit 121, a storage unit 123, an I / O (input / output) interface 124, a communication interface 125, and a bus 126. The control unit 121, the storage unit 123, the I / O interface 124, and the communication interface 125 are connected to each other via a bus 126 so as to communicate with each other.

  The control device 120 may be configured as a personal computer, a tablet, or a wearable device separately from the HMD 110, or may be built in the HMD 110. In addition, some functions of the control device 120 may be mounted on the HMD 110, and the remaining functions of the control device 120 may be mounted on another device separate from the HMD 110.

  The control unit 121 includes a memory and a processor. The memory includes, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which various programs are stored, a RAM (Random Access Memory) having a plurality of work areas in which various programs executed by the processor are stored, and the like. The processor is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and / or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and a program specified from various programs embedded in the ROM is expanded on the RAM. It is comprised so that various processes may be performed in cooperation with.

  In particular, the processor 121 develops a program (described later) for causing the computer to execute the information processing method according to the present embodiment on the RAM, and executes the program in cooperation with the RAM. Various operations of the control device 120 may be controlled. The control unit 121 displays a virtual space (view image) on the display unit 112 of the HMD 110 by executing a predetermined application program (game program) stored in the memory or the storage unit 123. Thereby, the user U can be immersed in the virtual space displayed on the display unit 112.

  The storage unit (storage) 123 is a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a USB flash memory, and is configured to store programs and various data. The storage unit 123 may store a program that causes a computer to execute the information processing method according to the present embodiment. In addition, a user U authentication program, a game program including data on various images and objects, and the like may be stored. Furthermore, a database including tables for managing various data may be constructed in the storage unit 123.

  The I / O interface 124 is configured to connect the position sensor 130, the HMD 110, and the external controller 320 to the control device 120 in a communicable manner. For example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal, a DVI (Digital) The terminal includes a Visual Interface (HDMI) terminal, a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) (registered trademark) terminal, and the like. The control device 120 may be wirelessly connected to each of the position sensor 130, the HMD 110, and the external controller 320.

  The communication interface 125 is configured to connect the control device 120 to a communication network 3 such as a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), or the Internet. The communication interface 125 includes various wired connection terminals for communicating with external devices on the network via the communication network 3 and various processing circuits for wireless connection, and for communicating via the communication network 3. It is configured to conform to the communication standard.

  Next, an example of a specific configuration of the external controller 320 will be described with reference to FIG. Since the controller 320R and the controller 320L have substantially the same configuration, only the specific configuration of the controller 320R will be described below with reference to FIG. In the following description, the controllers 320L and 320R may be simply referred to as the external controller 320 for convenience.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the controller 320R includes an operation button 302, a plurality of detection points 304, a sensor (not shown), and a transceiver (not shown). Only one of the detection point 304 and the sensor may be provided. The operation button 302 includes a plurality of button groups configured to accept an operation input from the user U. The operation button 302 includes a push button, a trigger button, and an analog stick. The push-type button is a button operated by an operation of pressing with a thumb. For example, two push buttons 302 a and 302 b are provided on the top surface 322. The trigger type button is a button operated by an operation of pulling a trigger with an index finger or a middle finger. For example, a trigger button 302 e is provided on the front surface portion of the grip 324, and a trigger button 302 f is provided on the side surface portion of the grip 324. The trigger type buttons 302e and 302f are operated by the index finger and the middle finger, respectively. The analog stick is a stick-type button that can be operated by being tilted 360 degrees from a predetermined neutral position in an arbitrary direction. For example, an analog stick 320i is provided on the top surface 322, and is operated using a thumb.

  The controller 320R includes a frame 326 that extends from both side surfaces of the grip 324 in a direction opposite to the top surface 322 to form a semicircular ring. A plurality of detection points 304 are embedded on the outer surface of the frame 326. The plurality of detection points 304 are, for example, a plurality of infrared LEDs arranged in a line along the circumferential direction of the frame 326. After the position sensor 130 detects information on the position, inclination, or light emission intensity of the plurality of detection points 304, the control device 120 detects the position or orientation (inclination / posture) of the controller 320R based on the information detected by the position sensor 130. Get information about (orientation).

  The sensor of the controller 320R may be, for example, a magnetic sensor, an angular velocity sensor, an acceleration sensor, or a combination thereof. When the user U moves the controller 320R, the sensor outputs a signal (for example, a signal indicating information related to magnetism, angular velocity, or acceleration) according to the orientation and position of the controller 320R. The control device 120 acquires information related to the position and orientation of the controller 320R based on the signal output from the sensor.

  The transceiver of the controller 320R is configured to transmit and receive data between the controller 320R and the control device 120. For example, the transceiver may transmit an operation signal corresponding to the operation input of the user U to the control device 120. The transceiver may receive an instruction signal for instructing the controller 320 </ b> R to emit light at the detection point 304 from the control device 120. Further, the transceiver may send a signal to the controller 120 indicating the value detected by the sensor.

  Next, processing for displaying a field-of-view image on the HMD 110 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a process for displaying the visual field image on the HMD 110. FIG. 6 is an xyz space diagram showing an example of the virtual space 200. The state (a) in FIG. 7 is a yx plan view of the virtual space 200 shown in FIG. The state (b) in FIG. 7 is a zx plan view of the virtual space 200 shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the visual field image M displayed on the HMD 110.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in step S1, the control unit 121 (see FIG. 3) generates virtual space data indicating the virtual space 200 including the virtual camera 300 and various objects. As shown in FIG. 6, the virtual space 200 is defined as an omnidirectional sphere with the center position 21 as the center (in FIG. 6, only the upper half celestial sphere is shown). In the virtual space 200, an xyz coordinate system with the center position 21 as the origin is set. The virtual camera 300 defines a visual axis L for specifying the visual field image V (see FIG. 8) displayed on the HMD 110. The uvw coordinate system that defines the visual field of the virtual camera 300 is determined so as to be linked to the uvw coordinate system that is defined around the head of the user U in the real space. Further, the control unit 121 may move the virtual camera 300 in the virtual space 200 according to the movement of the user U wearing the HMD 110 in the real space. The virtual space 200 includes, for example, a left hand object 400L, a right hand object 400R, a block object 500, and a button object 600 (see FIG. 9).

  Next, in step S <b> 2, the control unit 121 specifies the field of view CV (see FIG. 7) of the virtual camera 300. Specifically, the control unit 121 acquires data indicating the state of the HMD 110 transmitted from the position sensor 130 and / or the HMD sensor 114, and then relates to the position and inclination of the HMD 110 based on the acquired data. Get information. Next, the control unit 121 identifies the position and orientation of the virtual camera 300 in the virtual space 200 based on information regarding the position and tilt of the HMD 110. Next, the control unit 121 determines the visual axis L of the virtual camera 300 from the position and orientation of the virtual camera 300 and specifies the visual field CV of the virtual camera 300 from the determined visual axis L. Here, the visual field CV of the virtual camera 300 corresponds to a partial area of the virtual space 200 that can be viewed by the user U wearing the HMD 110. In other words, the visual field CV corresponds to a partial area of the virtual space 200 displayed on the HMD 110. Further, the visual field CV includes a first region CVa set as an angular range of the polar angle α around the visual axis L in the xy plane shown in the state (a) of FIG. 7, and the state (b) of FIG. 7. The xz plane shown has a second region CVb set as an angle range of the azimuth angle β with the visual axis L as the center. The control unit 121 identifies the line of sight of the user U based on the data indicating the line of sight of the user U transmitted from the gaze sensor 140, and determines the direction of the virtual camera 300 based on the line of sight of the user U. May be.

  As described above, the control unit 121 can specify the visual field CV of the virtual camera 300 based on the data from the position sensor 130 and / or the HMD sensor 114. Here, when the user U wearing the HMD 110 moves, the control unit 121 changes the visual field CV of the virtual camera 300 based on the data indicating the movement of the HMD 110 transmitted from the position sensor 130 and / or the HMD sensor 114. be able to. That is, the control unit 121 can change the visual field CV according to the movement of the HMD 110. Similarly, when the line-of-sight direction of the user U changes, the control unit 121 can move the visual field CV of the virtual camera 300 based on the data indicating the line-of-sight direction of the user U transmitted from the gaze sensor 140. That is, the control unit 121 can change the visual field CV according to the change in the user U's line-of-sight direction.

  Next, in step S <b> 3, the control unit 121 generates visual field image data indicating the visual field image V displayed on the display unit 112 of the HMD 110. Specifically, the control unit 121 generates visual field image data based on virtual space data defining the virtual space 200 and the visual field CV of the virtual camera 300.

  Next, in step S4, the control unit 121 displays the field image V on the display unit 112 of the HMD 110 based on the field image data (see FIG. 7). As described above, the visual field CV of the virtual camera 300 is updated according to the movement of the user U wearing the HMD 110, and the visual field image V displayed on the display unit 112 of the HMD 110 is updated. It is possible to immerse in the space 200.

  Note that the virtual camera 300 may include a left-eye virtual camera and a right-eye virtual camera. In this case, the control unit 121 generates left-eye view image data indicating the left-eye view image based on the virtual space data and the view of the left-eye virtual camera. Further, the control unit 121 generates right-eye view image data indicating a right-eye view image based on the virtual space data and the view of the right-eye virtual camera. Thereafter, the control unit 121 displays the left-eye field image on the left-eye display unit based on the left-eye field image data, and also displays the right-eye field image on the right-eye display unit based on the right-eye field image data. Is displayed. In this way, the user U can visually recognize the visual field image three-dimensionally due to the parallax between the left-eye visual field image and the right-eye visual field image.

  Further, the processes in steps S1 to S4 shown in FIG. 5 may be executed for each frame (a still image constituting a moving image). For example, when the frame rate of the moving image is 90 fps, the processes in steps S1 to S4 may be repeatedly executed at intervals of ΔT = 1/90 (seconds). As described above, since the processes in steps S1 to S4 are repeatedly performed at predetermined intervals, the visual field of the virtual camera 300 is updated according to the operation of the HMD 110, and the visual field image V displayed on the display unit 112 of the HMD 110. Is updated.

  Next, a left hand object 400L (an example of an operation object), a right hand object 400R (an example of an operation object), a block object 500 (a virtual object), and a button object 600 (an example of a target object that is a virtual object) included in the virtual space 200. Will be described with reference to FIG. The state (a) in FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the user U wearing the HMD 110 and the controllers 320L and 320R. The state (b) of FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the virtual space 200 including the virtual camera 300, the left hand object 400L, the right hand object 400R, the block object 500, and the button object 600.

  As described above, the virtual space 200 includes the virtual camera 300, the left hand object 400L, the right hand object 400R, the block object 500, and the button object 600. The control unit 121 generates virtual space data that defines the virtual space 200 including these objects. The control unit 121 may update the virtual space data for each frame. As described above, the virtual camera 300 is interlocked with the movement of the HMD 110 worn by the user U. That is, the visual field of the virtual camera 300 is updated according to the movement of the HMD 110.

  The left hand object 400L is interlocked with the movement of the controller 320L attached to the left hand of the user U. Similarly, the right hand object 400R is interlocked with the movement of the controller 320R attached to the right hand of the user U. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the left hand object 400L and the right hand object 400R may be simply referred to as the hand object 400 in some cases.

  Further, when the user U operates the operation button 302 of the external controller 320, each finger of the hand object 400 can be operated. That is, the control unit 121 acquires an operation signal corresponding to an input operation to the operation button 302 from the external controller 320, and then controls the movement of the finger of the hand object 400 based on the operation signal. For example, when the user U operates the operation button 302, the hand object 400 can grasp the block object 500. Furthermore, the hand object 400 and the block object 500 can be moved in accordance with the movement of the controller 320 with the hand object 400 holding the block object 500. As described above, the control unit 121 is configured to control the movement of the hand object 400 according to the movement of the finger of the user U.

  The left hand object 400L and the right hand object 400R each have a collision area CA. The collision area CA is used for collision determination (hit determination) between the hand object 400 and a virtual object (for example, the block object 500 or the button object 600). When the collision area CA of the hand object 400 comes into contact with the collision area of the block object 500 (button object 600), a predetermined influence (collision effect) is given to the block object 500 (button object 600).

  For example, when the collision area CA of the hand object 400 comes into contact with the collision area of the block object 500, predetermined damage can be given to the block object 500. Further, the hand object 400 and the block object 500 can be moved together with the hand object 400 holding the block object 500.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the collision area CA may be defined by, for example, a sphere having a diameter R with the center position of the hand object 400 as the center. In the following description, it is assumed that the collision area CA of the hand object 400 is formed in a spherical shape having a diameter R with the center position of the hand object 400 as the center.

  The block object 500 is a virtual object that is affected by the hand object 400. The block object 500 also has a collision area, and in the present embodiment, the collision area of the block object 500 is assumed to be coincident with the area constituting the block object 500 (the outline area of the block object 500).

  The button object 600 is a virtual object that is affected by the hand object 400 and includes an operation unit 620. The button object 600 also has a collision area. In the present embodiment, the collision area of the button object 600 is assumed to coincide with the area constituting the button object 600 (the outer area of the button object 600). In particular, it is assumed that the collision area of the operation unit 620 matches the outline area of the operation unit 620.

  When the operation unit 620 of the button object 600 is pressed by the hand object 400, a predetermined object (not shown) arranged in the virtual space 200 is given a predetermined influence. Specifically, when the collision area CA of the hand object 400 and the collision area of the operation unit 620 come into contact with each other, the operation unit 620 is pushed by the hand object 400 as a collision effect. Then, when the operation unit 620 is pressed, a predetermined influence is given to a predetermined object arranged in the virtual space 200. For example, an object (character object) existing in the virtual space 200 may start moving when the operation unit 620 is pressed by the hand object 400.

(First embodiment)
Next, the information processing method according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the virtual space 200 showing a state where the collision area CA of the right hand object 400R is in contact with the operation unit 620 of the button object 600. FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the information processing method according to the first embodiment. In the flowchart shown in FIG. 11, the process of determining whether the collision area CA of the right hand object 400R has intentionally contacted the collision area of the operation unit 620 (the determination process defined in step S13) is the right hand object 400R and the operation unit. This is executed before the hit determination with 620 (the process defined in step S14).

  In the description of the present embodiment, for convenience of explanation, whether the right hand object 400R has a predetermined influence on the operation unit 620 of the button object 600 is referred to, while the left hand object 400L is predetermined on the operation unit 620 of the button object 600. It does not mention whether it affects For this reason, the illustration of the left hand object 400L is omitted in FIG. Further, the control unit 121 may repeatedly execute the processes illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 12 for each frame. Note that the control unit 121 may repeatedly execute the processes illustrated in FIG. 10 at predetermined time intervals.

  As shown in FIG. 11, in step S <b> 10, the control unit 121 specifies the absolute speed V (see FIG. 9) of the HMD 110. Here, the absolute speed V refers to the speed of the HMD 110 with respect to the position sensor 130 fixedly installed at a predetermined location in the real space. Further, since the user U wears the HMD 110, the absolute speed of the HMD 110 corresponds to the absolute speed of the user U. That is, in this embodiment, the absolute speed of the user U U is specified by specifying the absolute speed of the HMD 110. As shown in FIG. 10, when the HMD 110 moves in the real space, the virtual camera 300 also moves in the virtual space 200.

Specifically, the control unit 121 acquires the position information of the HMD 110 based on the data acquired by the position sensor 130, and specifies the absolute speed V of the HMD 110 based on the acquired position information. Eg, n-th (n is an integer of 1 or more) the position of HMD110 when the frame of the _{P n,} the position of HMD110 when the (n + 1) th frame and _{P n + 1,} the time interval between each frame ΔT In this case, the absolute speed V _n of the HMD 110 at the n-th frame is V _n = | P _{n + 1} −P _n | / ΔT. Here, when the frame rate of the moving image is 90 fps, the time interval ΔT is 1/90. The position P of the HMD 110 is a position vector that can be displayed in the three-dimensional coordinate system. As described above, the control unit 121 obtains the position Pn of the HMD 110 for the n-th frame and the position Pn + 1 of the HMD 110 for the (n + 1) -th frame, and then sets the position vectors Pn and Pn + 1 and the time interval ΔT. Based on this, the absolute velocity Vn at the nth frame can be specified.

Note that the control unit 121 may specify the absolute speed V of the HMD 110 in the w-axis direction, or may specify the absolute speed V of the HMD 110 in a predetermined direction other than the w-axis direction. Eg, n-th (n is an integer of 1 or more) the position of the w-axis direction position _{P n} of HMD110 when the frame with _{w n,} (n + 1) th position _{P n + 1} of the w-axis of HMD110 when the frame When the position in the direction is w _{n + 1} and the time interval between the frames is ΔT, the absolute velocity V _n of the HMD 110 in the w-axis direction at the n-th frame is V _n = (w _{n + 1} −w _n ) / ΔT.

  Next, in step S <b> 11, the control unit 121 specifies the field of view CV of the virtual camera 300. Specifically, the control unit 121 specifies the position and inclination of the HMD 110 based on the data from the position sensor 130 and / or the HMD sensor 114 and then determines the position of the virtual camera 300 based on the position and inclination of the HMD 110. Specify the field of view CV. Thereafter, the control unit 121 specifies the position of the right hand object 400R (step S12). Specifically, the control unit 121 identifies the position of the controller 320R in the real space based on the data from the position sensor 130 and / or the sensor of the controller 320R, and then based on the position of the controller 320R in the real space. The position of the right hand object 400R is specified.

  Next, the control unit 121 determines whether or not the absolute speed V of the HMD 110 is equal to or lower than a predetermined value Vth (V ≦ Vth) (step S13). Here, the predetermined value Vth (Vth ≧ 0) may be set as appropriate according to the content of the game or the like. The determination condition (V ≦ Vth) defined in step S13 is whether the collision area CA of the right-hand object 400R (operation object) has intentionally contacted the collision area of the operation unit 620 of the button object 600 (target object). This corresponds to a determination condition (first condition) for determining whether or not.

  When it is determined that the determination condition defined in step S13 is not satisfied (that is, when it is determined that the absolute speed V is greater than the predetermined value Vth) (NO in step S13), the control unit 121 performs steps S14 and S15. Do not execute the process specified in. That is, since the control unit 121 does not perform the collision determination process defined in step S14 and the collision effect defined in step S15, the right hand object 400R has a predetermined influence on the operation unit 620 of the button object 600. Absent.

  On the other hand, when the control unit 121 determines that the determination condition defined in step S13 is satisfied (that is, when it is determined that the absolute speed V is equal to or less than the predetermined value Vth) (YES in step S13), the button object It is determined whether or not the collision area of the operation unit 620 of 600 is in contact with the collision area CA of the right-hand object 400R (step S14). In particular, the control unit 121 determines whether the collision area of the operation unit 620 is in contact with the collision area CA of the right hand object 400R based on the position of the right hand object 400R and the position of the operation unit 620 of the button object 600. When the determination result of step S14 is YES, the control unit 121 has a predetermined influence on the operation unit 620 in contact with the collision area CA of the right hand object 400R (step S14). For example, as a collision effect between the right hand object 400R and the operation unit 620, the control unit 121 may determine that the operation unit 620 is pressed by the right hand object 400R. As a result, a predetermined influence may be given to a predetermined object (not shown) arranged in the virtual space 200. Furthermore, as a collision effect between the right hand object 400R and the operation unit 620, the contact surface 620a of the operation unit 620 may move in the + X direction. On the other hand, when the determination result of step S14 is NO, the collision effect between the right hand object 400R and the operation unit 620 is not generated.

  According to the present embodiment, as a determination condition for determining whether the collision area CA of the right-hand object 400R intentionally contacts the collision area of the operation unit 620, the absolute speed V of the HMD 110 is equal to or less than a predetermined value Vth. It is determined whether it exists. When it is determined that the absolute speed V is greater than the predetermined value Vth (when it is determined that the determination condition in step S13 is not satisfied), the processing defined in steps S14 and S15 is not executed. As described above, when the right hand object 400R contacts the operation unit 620 in a state where the absolute velocity V of the HMD 110 is larger than the predetermined value Vth, it is determined that the right hand object 400R has unintentionally contacted the operation unit 620. Therefore, the collision determination between the right hand object 400R and the operation unit 620 is not executed, and the collision effect between the right hand object 400R and the operation unit 620 does not occur.

  Therefore, when the right hand object 400R contacts the operation unit 620 unintentionally, a situation where the operation unit 620 is unintentionally pushed by the right hand object 400R is avoided. In this way, the user's virtual experience can be further improved.

  Next, an information processing method according to a modification of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining an information processing method according to a modification of the first embodiment. In the flowchart shown in FIG. 12, the process for determining whether the collision area CA of the right-hand object 400R has intentionally contacted the collision area of the operation unit 620 (the determination process defined in step S24) is the right-hand object 400R and the operation unit. This is executed after the hit determination with 620 (the process defined in step S23). In this respect, the information processing method shown in FIG. 12 is different from the information processing method shown in FIG. Only the differences from the information processing method shown in FIG. 11 will be described below.

  As illustrated in FIG. 12, the control unit 121 determines whether or not the collision area of the operation unit 620 of the button object 600 is in contact with the collision area CA of the right-hand object 400R after executing the processing defined in steps S20 to S22. Is determined (step S23). Note that the processing of steps S20 to S22 corresponds to the processing of steps S10 to S12 shown in FIG.

  When the determination result of step S23 is NO, the collision area of the operation unit 620 is not in contact with the collision area CA of the right-hand object 400R, and thus this process ends. On the other hand, when the determination result of step S23 is YES (when it is determined that the collision area of the operation unit 620 is in contact with the collision area CA of the right-hand object 400R), the control unit 121 determines that the absolute speed V of the HMD 110 is It is determined whether or not it is equal to or less than a predetermined value Vth (step S24).

  When it is determined that the absolute speed V is larger than the predetermined value Vth (NO in step S24), the control unit 121 ends this process without executing the process defined in step S25. On the other hand, when the control unit 121 determines that the absolute speed V is equal to or less than the predetermined value Vth (YES in step S24), the control unit 121 has a predetermined influence (collision) on the operation unit 620 in contact with the collision area CA of the right-hand object 400R. Effect) (step S25).

  As described above, when it is determined that the absolute speed V is greater than the predetermined value Vth (when it is determined that the determination condition of step S24 is not satisfied), the process defined in step S25 is not executed. As described above, when the right hand object 400R contacts the operation unit 620 in a state where the absolute velocity V of the HMD 110 is larger than the predetermined value Vth, it is determined that the right hand object 400R has unintentionally contacted the operation unit 620. Therefore, the collision effect between the right hand object 400R and the operation unit 620 does not occur. In this regard, in the information processing method according to the present modification, the collision determination between the right hand object 400R and the operation unit 620 is executed, but when the determination result in step S24 is NO, the right hand object 400R and the operation unit No collision effect with 620 occurs.

  Therefore, when the right hand object 400R contacts the operation unit 620 unintentionally, a situation where the operation unit 620 is unintentionally pushed by the right hand object 400R is avoided. In this way, the user's virtual experience can be further improved.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, an information processing method according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining the information processing method according to the second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a plan view of the virtual space 200 showing that the right hand object 400R and the button object 600 exist outside the field of view CV of the virtual camera 300. As shown in FIG. 13, the information processing method according to the second embodiment is different from the information processing method according to the first embodiment (see FIG. 11) in that it further includes a step defined in step S <b> 34. In addition, below, the matter already demonstrated in 1st Embodiment is not demonstrated repeatedly.

  As illustrated in FIG. 13, the control unit 121 determines whether or not the absolute speed V of the HMD 110 is equal to or lower than a predetermined value Vth after executing the processing defined in steps S30 to S32 (step S33). Note that the processing of steps S30 to S32 corresponds to the processing of steps S10 to S12 shown in FIG.

  When the determination result in step S33 is YES, the control unit 121 determines whether or not the collision area of the operation unit 620 of the button object 600 is in contact with the collision area CA of the right-hand object 400R (step S35). On the other hand, when the determination result in step S33 is NO, the control unit 121 determines whether or not the right hand object 400R exists in the visual field CV of the virtual camera 300 based on the visual field CV of the virtual camera 300 and the position of the right hand object 400R. Determination is made (step S34). As shown in FIG. 14, when the right-hand object 400R exists outside the field of view CV of the virtual camera 300, the control unit 121 determines that the determination condition (second condition) defined in step S34 is not satisfied, and step S35. And this process is complete | finished, without performing the process of S36. That is, since the control unit 121 does not execute the collision determination process defined in step S35 and the process of generating the collision effect defined in step S36, the right hand object 400R has a predetermined influence on the operation unit 620 of the button object 600. Don't give. Here, the determination condition defined in step S34 corresponds to a determination condition (second condition) for determining whether or not the collision area CA of the right-hand object 400R has intentionally contacted the collision area of the operation unit 620. .

  On the other hand, when the control unit 121 determines that the determination condition defined in step S34 is satisfied (that is, when it is determined that the right hand object 400R exists in the visual field CV of the virtual camera 300) (YES in step S34), The determination process (collision determination process) in step S35 is executed. When the determination result of step S35 is YES, the control unit 121 has a predetermined influence on the operation unit 620 in contact with the collision area CA of the right hand object 400R (step S36). On the other hand, if the determination result of step S35 is NO, the process ends without executing the process of step S36.

  According to the present embodiment, as a determination condition for determining whether the collision area CA of the right-hand object 400R intentionally contacts the collision area of the operation unit 620, the absolute speed V of the HMD 110 is equal to or less than a predetermined value Vth. It is determined whether or not there is (step S33), and it is determined whether or not the right hand object 400R exists in the field of view CV of the virtual camera 300 (step S34). Further, when it is determined that both the determination condition of step S33 and the determination condition of step S34 are not satisfied, the right hand object 400R does not have a predetermined influence on the operation unit 620. In this way, by using two different determination conditions, it is possible to more reliably determine whether or not the right hand object 400R has touched the operation unit 620 unintentionally. In particular, when the absolute velocity V of the HMD 110 is larger than the predetermined value Vth and the right hand object 400R is in contact with the operation unit 620 in a state where the right hand object 400R does not exist in the field of view CV, the right hand object 400R is not intended. Therefore, it is determined that the operation unit 620 has been touched, and the collision effect between the right hand object 400R and the operation unit 620 does not occur. Therefore, when the right hand object 400R contacts the operation unit 620 unintentionally, a situation where the operation unit 620 is unintentionally pushed by the right hand object 400R is avoided. In this way, the user's virtual experience can be further improved.

  In the present embodiment, in step S34, the control unit 121 determines whether or not the right hand object 400R exists within the field of view CV. Instead, the control unit 121 may determine whether or not at least one of the right hand object 400R and the button object 600 exists in the visual field CV. In this case, when the absolute velocity V of the HMD 110 is larger than the predetermined value Vth and the right hand object 400R contacts the operation unit 620 in a state where neither the right hand object 400R nor the button object 600 exists in the field of view CV, It is determined that the right hand object 400R has unintentionally contacted the operation unit 620, and a collision effect between the right hand object 400R and the operation unit 620 does not occur.

  Next, an information processing method according to a modification of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 15 is a flowchart for explaining an information processing method according to a modification of the second embodiment. In the flowchart shown in FIG. 15, the process for determining whether the collision area CA of the right hand object 400R has intentionally contacted the collision area of the operation unit 620 (the determination process defined in steps S44 and S45) is the right hand object 400R. This is executed after the hit determination with the operation unit 620 (the process defined in step S43). In this respect, the information processing method shown in FIG. 15 is different from the information processing method shown in FIG. Only the differences from the information processing method shown in FIG. 13 will be described below.

  As illustrated in FIG. 15, the control unit 121 determines whether or not the collision area of the operation unit 620 of the button object 600 is in contact with the collision area CA of the right-hand object 400R after executing the processing defined in steps S40 to S42. Is determined (step S43).

  If the determination result of step S43 is NO, the collision area of the operation unit 620 is not in contact with the collision area CA of the right-hand object 400R, and thus this process ends. On the other hand, when the determination result of step S43 is YES (when it is determined that the collision area of the operation unit 620 is in contact with the collision area CA of the right-hand object 400R), the control unit 121 determines that the absolute speed V of the HMD 110 is It is determined whether or not it is equal to or less than a predetermined value Vth (step S44).

  When it is determined that the absolute speed V is greater than the predetermined value Vth (NO in step S44), the control unit 121 executes the determination process defined in step S45. On the other hand, if the control unit 121 determines that the absolute speed V is equal to or less than the predetermined value Vth (YES in step S44), the control unit 121 has a predetermined influence (collision) on the operation unit 620 in contact with the collision area CA of the right hand object 400R. Effect) (step S46).

  When the control unit 121 determines that the right hand object 400R exists in the field of view CV of the virtual camera 300 (YES in step S45), the control unit 121 has a predetermined influence (collision) on the operation unit 620 that is in contact with the collision area CA of the right hand object 400R. Effect) (step S46). On the other hand, if the determination result of step S45 is NO, the process ends without executing the process of step S46.

  In the information processing method according to the present modification, although the collision determination between the right hand object 400R and the operation unit 620 is executed, when it is determined that both the determination condition in step S44 and the determination condition in step S45 are not satisfied, A collision effect between the right hand object 400R and the operation unit 620 does not occur.

  Therefore, when the right hand object 400R contacts the operation unit 620 unintentionally, a situation where the operation unit 620 is unintentionally pushed by the right hand object 400R is avoided. In this way, the user's virtual experience can be further improved.

(Third embodiment)
Next, an information processing method according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 16 is a flowchart for explaining an information processing method according to the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 16, the information processing method according to the third embodiment is different from the information processing method according to the first embodiment (see FIG. 11) in that it further includes steps defined in steps S51 and S55. In addition, below, the matter already demonstrated in 1st Embodiment is not demonstrated repeatedly.

As illustrated in FIG. 16, after executing the processing defined in step S50, the control unit 121 specifies the relative speed v (see FIG. 9) of the controller 320R (user U's right hand) with respect to the HMD 110 (step S51). . For example, as described above, n-th (n is an integer of 1 or more) the position of HMD110 when the frame of the _{P n,} the position of HMD110 when the (n + 1) th frame and _{P n + 1,} between the frames When the time interval is ΔT, the absolute speed V _n of the HMD 110 at the n-th frame is V _n = | P _{n + 1} −P _n | / ΔT. Furthermore, if the position of the controller 320R when n-th frame 'and _n, (n + 1) -th position of the controller 320R when the frame P' P and _{n + 1,} the time interval between each frame and the [Delta] T, The absolute speed V ′ _n of the controller 320R at the n-th frame is V ′ _n = | P ′ _{n + 1} −P ′ _n | / ΔT. Thus, the relative speed vn of the controller 320R with respect to the HMD 110 at the n-th frame is vn = V′n−Vn. Thus, the control unit 121 can specify the relative speed vn at the n-th frame based on the absolute speed Vn of the HMD 110 at the n-th frame and the absolute speed V′n of the controller 320R. . Note that the control unit 121 may specify the relative speed v in the w-axis direction, or may specify the relative speed v in a predetermined direction other than the w-axis direction.

  Next, the control unit 121 determines whether or not the absolute speed V of the HMD 110 is equal to or less than a predetermined value Vth after executing the processing defined in steps S52 and S53 (step S54).

  When the determination result of step S54 is YES, the control unit 121 determines whether or not the collision area of the operation unit 620 of the button object 600 is in contact with the collision area CA of the right hand object 400R (step S56). On the other hand, when the determination result of step S54 is NO, the controller 121 determines whether or not the relative speed v of the controller 320R with respect to the HMD 110 is greater than a predetermined value vth (step S55). Here, the predetermined value vth (vth ≧ 0) can be appropriately set according to the content of the content such as a game. If the determination result of step S55 is NO, the process ends without executing the processes of steps S56 and S57. That is, since the control unit 121 does not execute the collision determination process defined in step S56 and the process for generating the collision effect defined in step S57, the right hand object 400R has a predetermined influence on the operation unit 620 of the button object 600. Don't give. Here, the determination condition defined in step S55 corresponds to a determination condition (second condition) for determining whether the collision area CA of the right-hand object 400R has intentionally contacted the collision area of the operation unit 620. .

  On the other hand, if control unit 121 determines that the determination condition defined in step S55 is satisfied (that is, if it is determined that relative speed v is greater than predetermined value vth) (YES in step S55), step S56. This determination process (collision determination process) is executed. When the determination result of step S56 is YES, the control unit 121 has a predetermined influence on the operation unit 620 in contact with the collision area CA of the right hand object 400R (step S57). On the other hand, if the determination result of step S56 is NO, the process ends without executing the process of step S57.

  According to the present embodiment, as a determination condition for determining whether the collision area CA of the right-hand object 400R intentionally contacts the collision area of the operation unit 620, the absolute speed V of the HMD 110 is equal to or less than a predetermined value Vth. It is determined whether or not there is (step S54) and whether or not the relative speed v of the controller 320R with respect to the HMD 110 is greater than vth (step S55). Furthermore, when it is determined that both the determination condition of step S54 and the determination condition of step S55 are not satisfied, the right hand object 400R does not have a predetermined influence on the operation unit 620. In this way, by using two different determination conditions, it is possible to more reliably determine whether or not the right hand object 400R has touched the operation unit 620 unintentionally. In particular, when the right hand object 400 contacts the operation unit 620 in a state where the absolute speed V of the HMD 110 is greater than the predetermined value Vth and the relative speed v of the controller 320R with respect to the HMD 110 is equal to or less than the predetermined value vth, It is determined that the right hand object 400R has unintentionally contacted the operation unit 620, and a collision effect between the right hand object 400R and the operation unit 620 does not occur. Therefore, when the right hand object 400R contacts the operation unit 620 unintentionally, a situation where the operation unit 620 is unintentionally pushed by the right hand object 400R is avoided. In this way, the user's virtual experience can be further improved.

  An information processing program for causing a computer (processor) to execute the information processing method according to the present embodiment is incorporated in advance in the storage unit 123 or the ROM in order to implement various processes executed by the control unit 121 by software. Also good. Alternatively, the information processing program includes a magnetic disk (HDD, floppy disk), an optical disk (CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Blu-ray disk, etc.), a magneto-optical disk (MO, etc.), flash memory (SD card, USB memory, It may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium such as SSD. In this case, the information processing program stored in the storage medium is incorporated into the storage unit 123 by connecting the storage medium to the control device 120 in a communicable manner. The control unit 121 executes the information processing method according to the present embodiment by loading the information processing program incorporated in the storage unit 123 onto the RAM and executing the program loaded by the processor.

  Further, the information processing program may be downloaded from a computer on the communication network 3 via the communication interface 125. Similarly in this case, the downloaded program is incorporated in the storage unit 123.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this indication was described, the technical scope of this invention should not be limitedly interpreted by description of this embodiment. This embodiment is an example, and it is understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention described in the claims. The technical scope of the present invention should be determined based on the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  In the present embodiment, the movement of the hand object is controlled according to the movement of the external controller 320 indicating the movement of the user U's hand, but the hand in the virtual space is controlled according to the movement amount of the user U's hand itself. The movement of the object 400 may be controlled. For example, instead of using an external controller, by using a glove-type device or a ring-type device worn on the user's finger, the position sensor 130 can detect the position and movement amount of the user U's hand, The movement and state of the user's U finger can be detected. Further, the position sensor 130 may be a camera configured to image the user U's hand (including fingers). In this case, by capturing the user's hand using a camera, the position and movement of the user's U hand can be determined based on the image data on which the user's hand is displayed without directly attaching any device to the user's finger. The amount can be detected, and the movement and state of the finger of the user U can be detected.

  In the present embodiment, a collision effect that defines the influence of the hand object on the operation unit of the button object is set according to the position and / or movement of the hand that is a part of the body other than the head of the user U. However, the present embodiment is not limited to this. For example, depending on the position and / or movement of a foot that is a part of the body other than the head of the user U, the influence of a foot object (an example of an operation object) linked to the movement of the user U's foot on the target object A prescribed collision effect may be set. Thus, in this embodiment, the collision effect which prescribes | regulates the influence which the operation object linked with the said user U's body part has on a target object may be set.

  In the present embodiment, the block object 500 and the button object 600 are described as examples of the virtual object that has a predetermined influence by the hand object, but the attributes of the virtual object are not particularly limited. For example, when the virtual object (target object) is an avatar operated by another user, the amount of damage given to the avatar as a collision effect may be set.

1: HMD system 3: Communication network 21: Center position 112: Display unit 114: Sensor 120: Control device 121: Control unit 123: Storage unit 124: I / O interface 125: Communication interface 126: Bus 130: Position sensor 140: Gaze sensor 200: Virtual space 300: Virtual camera 302: Operation button 302a: Push type button 302b: Push type button 302e: Trigger type button 302f: Trigger type button 304: Detection point 320: External controller (controller)
320i: Analog stick 320L: Left hand external controller (controller)
320R: External controller for right hand (controller)
322: Top surface 324: Grip 326: Frame 400: Hand object 400L: Left hand object 400R: Right hand object 500: Block object 600: Button object 620: Operation unit 620a: Contact surface

Claims (7)

An information processing method executed by a computer in a system comprising: a head mounted device; and a position sensor configured to detect a position of the head mounted device and a position of a body part other than a user's head. And
(A) generating virtual space data defining a virtual space including a virtual camera, an operation object, and a target object;
(B) identifying the field of view of the virtual camera based on the position and tilt of the head mounted device;
(C) displaying a visual field image on the head mounted device based on the visual field of the virtual camera and the virtual space data;
(D) identifying the position of the operation object based on the position of a part of the user's body;
Including
When it is determined that a predetermined condition for determining whether the collision area of the operation object has intentionally contacted the collision area of the target object is not satisfied, the operation object has a predetermined influence on the target object. Information processing method that does not give. (E) further comprising identifying an absolute velocity of the head mounted device;
The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is that an absolute velocity of the head mounted device is equal to or less than a predetermined value. The predetermined condition includes a first condition and a second condition,
The first condition is a condition related to the head mounted device,
The second condition is a condition different from the first condition,
The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the first condition and the second condition are not satisfied, the operation object does not exert the predetermined influence on the target object. (E) further comprising identifying an absolute velocity of the head mounted device;
The first condition is that an absolute speed of the head mounted device is a predetermined value or less,
The information processing method according to claim 3, wherein the second condition is that the operation object exists in a field of view of the virtual camera. (E) further comprising identifying an absolute velocity of the head mounted device;
The first condition is that an absolute speed of the head mounted device is a predetermined value or less,
The information processing method according to claim 3, wherein the second condition is that at least one of the operation object and the target object exists in a field of view of the virtual camera. (E) identifying an absolute velocity of the head mounted device;
(F) identifying a relative velocity of the body part of the user with respect to the head mounted device;
Further including
The first condition is that an absolute speed of the head mounted device is a predetermined value or less,
The information processing method according to claim 3, wherein the second condition is that the relative speed is greater than a predetermined value.   The program for making a computer perform the information processing method as described in any one of Claims 1-6.

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