JP2019192250A - Information processing method, apparatus, and program causing computer to execute the method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an information processing method capable of supporting movement of a user in a virtual space without spoiling a sense of immersion in the virtual space, and an information processing apparatus, and a program causing a computer to execute the information processing method.SOLUTION: An information processing method by a computer providing a user 190 with a virtual space 2 comprises steps of: generating virtual space data for defining a virtual space 2 including a virtual camera 1 defining a visual field image to be provided to a user; detecting a direction (for example, a visual line direction) of a part of a body of the user and specifying a movement target position of the virtual camera 1 in the virtual space on the basis of the direction; moving the virtual camera 1 on the basis of the movement target position; and generating a visual field image accompanied with the movement of the virtual camera 1 and presenting the generated image to a HMD device 110.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a technique for supporting user movement in a virtual space.

  Patent Document 1 describes that a virtual camera in a virtual space is moved based on an input from a controller.

Japanese Patent No. 5869177

  However, when the virtual camera is moved using the controller, there arises a problem that the immersive feeling of the user in the virtual space is impaired.

  The present invention provides an information processing method and apparatus for supporting movement of a user in a virtual space without impairing the sense of immersion in the virtual space, and a program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method. For the purpose.

  According to an aspect of the present disclosure, in an information processing method for an information processing apparatus that provides a virtual space to a user via a head-mounted display, a virtual space including a virtual camera that defines a view image to be provided to the user is defined. Generating virtual space data; detecting a direction of a part of the user's body; designating a movement target position of the virtual camera in the virtual space based on the direction; and based on the movement target position Moving the virtual camera, and generating a field-of-view image accompanying the movement of the virtual camera and presenting it on the head-mounted display.

  According to the present disclosure, it is possible to make an intuitive movement and to improve the user's immersive feeling in the virtual space.

It is a figure showing the outline of a structure of the HMD system 100 according to a certain embodiment. It is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware constitutions of the computer 200 according to one situation. It is a figure which represents notionally the uvw visual field coordinate system set to the HMD apparatus 110 according to an embodiment. It is a figure which represents notionally the one aspect | mode which represents the virtual space 2 according to a certain embodiment. It is the figure showing the head of user 190 wearing HMD device 110 according to a certain embodiment from the top. 3 is a diagram illustrating a YZ cross section of a visual field region 23 viewed from the X direction in a virtual space 2. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an XZ cross section of a visual field region 23 viewed from a Y direction in a virtual space 2. FIG. It is a figure showing schematic structure of the controller 160 according to a certain embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a computer 200 according to an embodiment as a module configuration. 3 is a flowchart showing processing executed by the HMD system 100. 4 is a flowchart showing virtual camera movement processing in the processor 10 of the HMD device 110. It is a figure for demonstrating each state before the movement process of the virtual camera. The state (A) is a schematic diagram of the user wearing the HMD system 100, the state (B) is a schematic diagram of the virtual camera 1, and the state (C) is a diagram showing a specific example of the field-of-view image M. Yes, state (D) is a diagram showing the positional relationship of the virtual cameras. It is a figure for demonstrating each state when performing the movement process of the virtual camera. The state (A) is a schematic diagram of a user wearing the HMD system 100, the state (B) is a schematic diagram of the virtual camera 1, and the states (C) and (E) are specific examples of the view image M. And states (D) and (F) are diagrams showing the positional relationship of the virtual camera. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation | movement in a modification. The state (A) is a schematic diagram of the user wearing the HMD system 100, the state (B) is a schematic diagram of the virtual camera 1, and the state (C) is a diagram showing a specific example of the field-of-view image M. Yes, state (D) is a diagram showing the positional relationship of the virtual cameras.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.
[Configuration of HMD system]

  A configuration of an HMD (Head Mount Display) system 100 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram representing an outline of a configuration of an HMD system 100 according to an embodiment. In one aspect, the HMD system 100 is provided as a home system or a business system.

  The HMD system 100 includes an HMD device 110, an HMD sensor 120, a controller 160, and a computer 200. The HMD device 110 includes a monitor 112 and a gaze sensor 140. The controller 160 can include a motion sensor 130.

  In one aspect, the computer 200 can be connected to the Internet and other networks 19, and can communicate with the server 150 and other computers connected to the network 19. In another aspect, the HMD device 110 may include a sensor 114 instead of the HMD sensor 120.

  The HMD device 110 may be worn on the user's head and provide a virtual space to the user during operation. More specifically, the HMD device 110 displays a right-eye image and a left-eye image on the monitor 112, respectively. When each eye of the user visually recognizes each image, the user can recognize the image as a three-dimensional image based on the parallax of both eyes.

  The monitor 112 is realized as, for example, a non-transmissive display device. In one aspect, the monitor 112 is disposed on the main body of the HMD device 110 so as to be positioned in front of both eyes of the user. Therefore, when the user visually recognizes the three-dimensional image displayed on the monitor 112, the user can be immersed in the virtual space. In one embodiment, the virtual space includes, for example, a background, an object that can be operated by the user, an image of a menu that can be selected by the user, and the like. In an embodiment, the monitor 112 may be realized as a liquid crystal monitor or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) monitor provided in a so-called smartphone or other information display terminal.

  In one aspect, the monitor 112 may include a sub-monitor for displaying an image for the right eye and a sub-monitor for displaying an image for the left eye. In another aspect, the monitor 112 may be configured to display a right-eye image and a left-eye image together. In this case, the monitor 112 includes a high-speed shutter. The high-speed shutter operates so that an image for the right eye and an image for the left eye can be displayed alternately so that the image is recognized only by one of the eyes.

  The HMD sensor 120 includes a plurality of light sources (not shown). Each light source is realized by, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) that emits infrared rays. The HMD sensor 120 has a position tracking function for detecting the movement of the HMD device 110. The HMD sensor 120 detects the position and inclination of the HMD device 110 in the real space using this function.

  In another aspect, HMD sensor 120 may be realized by a camera. In this case, the HMD sensor 120 can detect the position and inclination of the HMD device 110 by executing image analysis processing using image information of the HMD device 110 output from the camera.

  In another aspect, the HMD device 110 may include a sensor 114 instead of the HMD sensor 120 as a position detector. The HMD device 110 can detect the position and inclination of the HMD device 110 itself using the sensor 114. For example, when the sensor 114 is an angular velocity sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, or the like, the HMD device 110 uses any one of these sensors instead of the HMD sensor 120 to detect its position and inclination. Can be detected. As an example, when the sensor 114 is an angular velocity sensor, the angular velocity sensor detects angular velocities around the three axes of the HMD device 110 in real space over time. The HMD device 110 calculates the temporal change of the angle around the three axes of the HMD device 110 based on each angular velocity, and further calculates the inclination of the HMD device 110 based on the temporal change of the angle. The HMD device 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. Further, the view field image may include a configuration for presenting the real space in a part of the image configuring the virtual space. For example, an image captured by a camera mounted on the HMD device 110 may be displayed so as to be superimposed on a part of the field-of-view image, or a part of the transmission-type display device may be set to have a high transmittance. The real space may be visible from a part of the image.

  The gaze sensor 140 detects a direction (gaze direction) in which the gaze of the right eye and the left eye of the user 190 is directed. The detection of the direction is realized by, for example, a known eye tracking function. The gaze sensor 140 is realized by a sensor having the eye tracking function. In one aspect, the gaze sensor 140 preferably includes a right eye sensor and a left eye sensor. The gaze sensor 140 may be, for example, a sensor that irradiates the right eye and the left eye of the user 190 with infrared light and detects the rotation angle of each eyeball by receiving reflected light from the cornea and iris with respect to the irradiated light. . The gaze sensor 140 can detect the line-of-sight direction of the user 190 based on each detected rotation angle.

  Server 150 may send a program to computer 200. In another aspect, the server 150 may communicate with other computers 200 for providing virtual reality to HMD devices used by other users. For example, when a plurality of users play a participatory game in an amusement facility, each computer 200 communicates a signal based on each user's operation with another computer 200, and a plurality of users are common in the same virtual space. Allows you to enjoy the game.

  The controller 160 receives input of commands from the user 190 to the computer 200. In one aspect, the controller 160 is configured to be gripped by the user 190. In another aspect, the controller 160 is configured to be attachable to the body of the user 190 or a part of clothing. In another aspect, the controller 160 may be configured to output at least one of vibration, sound, and light based on a signal sent from the computer 200. In another aspect, the controller 160 receives an operation given by the user 190 to control the position and movement of an object arranged in a space that provides virtual reality.

  In one aspect, the motion sensor 130 is attached to the user's hand and detects the movement of the user's hand. For example, the motion sensor 130 detects the rotation speed, rotation speed, etc. of the hand. The detected signal is sent to the computer 200. The motion sensor 130 is provided in a glove-type controller 160, for example. In some embodiments, for safety in real space, it is desirable that the controller 160 be mounted on something that does not fly easily by being mounted on the hand of the user 190, such as a glove shape. In another aspect, a sensor that is not worn by the user 190 may detect the hand movement of the user 190. For example, a signal from a camera that captures the user 190 may be input to the computer 200 as a signal representing the operation of the user 190. The motion sensor 130 and the computer 200 are connected to each other by wire or wirelessly. In the case of wireless communication, the communication form is not particularly limited, and for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) or other known communication methods are used.

[Hardware configuration]
A computer 200 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of computer 200 according to one aspect. The computer 200 includes a processor 10, a memory 11, a storage 12, an input / output interface 13, and a communication interface 14 as main components. Each component is connected to the bus 15.

  The processor 10 executes a series of instructions included in the program stored in the memory 11 or the storage 12 based on a signal given to the computer 200 or based on the establishment of a predetermined condition. In one aspect, the processor 10 is realized as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processor Unit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or other device.

  The memory 11 temporarily stores programs and data. The program is loaded from the storage 12, for example. Data stored in the memory 11 includes data input to the computer 200 and data generated by the processor 10. In one aspect, the memory 11 is realized as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or other volatile memory.

  The storage 12 holds programs and data permanently. The storage 12 is realized as, for example, a ROM (Read-Only Memory), a hard disk device, a flash memory, and other nonvolatile storage devices. The programs stored in the storage 12 include a program for providing a virtual space in the HMD system 100, a simulation program, a game program, a user authentication program, a program for realizing communication with another computer 200, and the like. The data stored in the storage 12 includes data and objects for defining the virtual space.

  In another aspect, the storage 12 may be realized as a removable storage device such as a memory card. In still another aspect, a configuration using a program and data stored in an external storage device may be used instead of the storage 12 built in the computer 200. According to such a configuration, for example, in a scene where a plurality of HMD systems 100 are used like an amusement facility, it is possible to update programs and data in a batch.

  In some embodiments, the input / output interface 13 communicates signals with the HMD device 110, the HMD sensor 120, or the motion sensor 130. In one aspect, the input / output interface 13 is realized using a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface, a DVI (Digital Visual Interface), an HDMI (registered trademark) (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), or other terminals. The input / output interface 13 is not limited to the above.

  In certain embodiments, the input / output interface 13 may further communicate with the controller 160. For example, the input / output interface 13 receives an input of a signal output from the motion sensor 130. In another aspect, the input / output interface 13 sends an instruction output from the processor 10 to the controller 160. The command instructs the controller 160 to vibrate, output sound, emit light, and the like. When the controller 160 receives the command, the controller 160 executes vibration, sound output, or light emission according to the command.

  The communication interface 14 is connected to the network 19 and communicates with other computers (for example, the server 150) connected to the network 19. In one aspect, the communication interface 14 is realized as, for example, a local area network (LAN) or other wired communication interface, or a wireless communication interface such as WiFi (Wireless Fidelity), Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC (Near Field Communication), or the like. Is done. The communication interface 14 is not limited to the above.

  In one aspect, the processor 10 accesses the storage 12, loads one or more programs stored in the storage 12 into the memory 11, and executes a series of instructions included in the program. The one or more programs may include an operating system of the computer 200, an application program for providing a virtual space, game software that can be executed in the virtual space using the controller 160, and the like. The processor 10 sends a signal for providing a virtual space to the HMD device 110 via the input / output interface 13. The HMD device 110 displays an image on the monitor 112 based on the signal.

  In the example illustrated in FIG. 2, the configuration in which the computer 200 is provided outside the HMD device 110 is illustrated. However, in another aspect, the computer 200 may be incorporated in the HMD device 110. As an example, a portable information communication terminal (for example, a smartphone) including the monitor 112 may function as the computer 200.

  Further, the computer 200 may be configured to be used in common for the plurality of HMD devices 110. According to such a configuration, for example, the same virtual space can be provided to a plurality of users, so that each user can enjoy the same application as other users in the same virtual space.

  In an embodiment, in the HMD system 100, a global coordinate system is set in advance. The global coordinate system has three reference directions (axes) parallel to the vertical direction in the real space, the horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction, and the front-rear direction orthogonal to both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. In the present embodiment, the global coordinate system is one of the viewpoint coordinate systems. Therefore, the horizontal direction, the vertical direction (up-down direction), and the front-rear direction in the global coordinate system are defined as an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis, respectively. More specifically, in the global coordinate system, the x axis is parallel to the horizontal direction of the real space. The y axis is parallel to the vertical direction of the real space. The z axis is parallel to the front-rear direction of the real space.

  In one aspect, HMD sensor 120 includes an infrared sensor. When the infrared sensor detects each infrared ray emitted from each light source of the HMD device 110, the presence of the HMD device 110 is detected. The HMD sensor 120 further determines the position and inclination of the HMD device 110 in the real space according to the movement of the user 190 wearing the HMD device 110 based on the value of each point (each coordinate value in the global coordinate system). To detect. More specifically, the HMD sensor 120 can detect temporal changes in the position and tilt of the HMD device 110 using each value detected over time.

The global coordinate system is parallel to the real space coordinate system. Therefore, each inclination of the HMD device 110 detected by the HMD sensor 120 corresponds to each inclination around the three axes of the HMD device 110 in the global coordinate system. The HMD sensor 120 sets the uvw visual field coordinate system to the HMD device 110 based on the inclination of the HMD device 110 in the global coordinate system. The uvw visual field coordinate system set in the HMD device 110 corresponds to a viewpoint coordinate system when the user 190 wearing the HMD device 110 views an object in the virtual space.
[Uvw visual field coordinate system]

  The uvw visual field coordinate system will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram conceptually showing a uvw visual field coordinate system set in HMD device 110 according to an embodiment. The HMD sensor 120 detects the position and inclination of the HMD device 110 in the global coordinate system when the HMD device 110 is activated. The processor 10 sets the uvw visual field coordinate system in the HMD device 110 based on the detected value.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the HMD device 110 sets a three-dimensional uvw visual field coordinate system with the head (origin) of the user wearing the HMD device 110 as the center (origin). More specifically, the HMD device 110 uses the horizontal direction, the vertical direction, and the front-rear direction (x axis, y axis, z axis) that define the global coordinate system around each axis of the HMD device 110 in the global coordinate system. The three new directions obtained by inclining around the respective axes by the inclination of the pitch are the pitch direction (u-axis), yaw direction (v-axis), and roll direction (w-axis) of the uvw visual field coordinate system in the HMD device 110. Set as.

  In one aspect, when the user 190 wearing the HMD device 110 stands upright and is viewing the front, the processor 10 sets the uvw visual field coordinate system parallel to the global coordinate system in the HMD device 110. In this case, the horizontal direction (x-axis), vertical direction (y-axis), and front-rear direction (z-axis) in the global coordinate system are the pitch direction (u-axis) and yaw direction (v Axis) and the roll direction (w-axis).

  After the uvw visual field coordinate system is set in the HMD device 110, the HMD sensor 120 can detect the inclination of the HMD device 110 in the set uvw visual field coordinate system based on the movement of the HMD device 110. . In this case, the HMD sensor 120 detects the pitch angle (θu), yaw angle (θv), and roll angle (θw) of the HMD device 110 in the uvw visual field coordinate system as the inclination of the HMD device 110. The pitch angle (θu) represents the tilt angle of the HMD device 110 around the pitch direction in the uvw visual field coordinate system. The yaw angle (θv) represents the tilt angle of the HMD device 110 around the yaw direction in the uvw visual field coordinate system. The roll angle (θw) represents the tilt angle of the HMD device 110 around the roll direction in the uvw visual field coordinate system.

  Based on the detected tilt angle of the HMD device 110, the HMD sensor 120 sets the uvw visual field coordinate system in the HMD device 110 after the HMD device 110 has moved to the HMD device 110. The relationship between the HMD device 110 and the uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD device 110 is always constant regardless of the position and inclination of the HMD device 110. When the position and inclination of the HMD device 110 change, the position and inclination of the uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD device 110 in the global coordinate system change in conjunction with the change of the position and inclination.

  In one aspect, the HMD sensor 120 is based on the infrared light intensity acquired based on the output from the infrared sensor and the relative positional relationship between a plurality of points (for example, the distance between the points). The position of the device 110 in the real space may be specified as a relative position with respect to the HMD sensor 120. Further, the processor 10 may determine the origin of the uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD device 110 in the real space (global coordinate system) based on the specified relative position.

[Virtual space]
The virtual space will be further described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram conceptually showing one aspect of expressing virtual space 2 according to an embodiment. The virtual space 2 has a spherical structure that covers the entire 360 ° direction of the center 21. In FIG. 4, the upper half of the celestial sphere in the virtual space 2 is illustrated in order not to complicate the description. In the virtual space 2, each mesh is defined. The position of each mesh is defined in advance as coordinate values in the XYZ coordinate system defined in the virtual space 2. The computer 200 associates each partial image constituting content (still image, moving image, etc.) that can be developed in the virtual space 2 with each corresponding mesh in the virtual space 2, and the virtual space image 22 that can be visually recognized by the user. Is provided to the user.

  In one aspect, the virtual space 2 defines an XYZ coordinate system with the center 21 as the origin. The XYZ coordinate system is, for example, parallel to the global coordinate system. Since the XYZ coordinate system is a kind of viewpoint coordinate system, the horizontal direction, vertical direction (vertical direction), and front-rear direction in the XYZ coordinate system are defined as an X axis, a Y axis, and a Z axis, respectively. Therefore, the X axis (horizontal direction) of the XYZ coordinate system is parallel to the x axis of the global coordinate system, the Y axis (vertical direction) of the XYZ coordinate system is parallel to the y axis of the global coordinate system, and The Z axis (front-rear direction) is parallel to the z axis of the global coordinate system.

  When the HMD device 110 is activated, that is, in the initial state of the HMD device 110, the virtual camera 1 is disposed at the center 21 of the virtual space 2. The virtual camera 1 similarly moves in the virtual space 2 in conjunction with the movement of the HMD device 110 in the real space. Thereby, changes in the position and orientation of the HMD device 110 in the real space are similarly reproduced in the virtual space 2.

  As in the case of the HMD device 110, the uvw visual field coordinate system is defined for the virtual camera 1. The uvw visual field coordinate system of the virtual camera 1 in the virtual space 2 is defined so as to be linked to the uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD device 110 in the real space (global coordinate system). Therefore, when the inclination of the HMD device 110 changes, the inclination of the virtual camera 1 also changes accordingly. The virtual camera 1 can also move in the virtual space 2 in conjunction with the movement of the user wearing the HMD device 110 in the real space.

  Since the orientation of the virtual camera 1 is determined according to the position and inclination of the virtual camera 1, the reference line of sight (reference line of sight 5) when the user visually recognizes the virtual space image 22 depends on the orientation of the virtual camera 1. Determined. The processor 10 of the computer 200 defines the visual field region 23 in the virtual space 2 based on the reference line of sight 5. The view area 23 corresponds to the view of the user wearing the HMD device 110 in the virtual space 2.

  The gaze direction of the user 190 detected by the gaze sensor 140 is a direction in the viewpoint coordinate system when the user 190 visually recognizes the object. The uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD device 110 is equal to the viewpoint coordinate system when the user 190 visually recognizes the monitor 112. The uvw visual field coordinate system of the virtual camera 1 is linked to the uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD device 110. Therefore, the HMD system 100 according to a certain aspect can regard the line-of-sight direction of the user 190 detected by the gaze sensor 140 as the line-of-sight direction of the user in the uvw visual field coordinate system of the virtual camera 1.

[User's line of sight]
With reference to FIG. 5, determination of the user's line-of-sight direction will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the head of user 190 wearing HMD device 110 according to an embodiment from above.

  In one aspect, gaze sensor 140 detects each line of sight of user 190's right eye and left eye. In a certain aspect, when the user 190 is looking near, the gaze sensor 140 detects the lines of sight R1 and L1. In another aspect, when the user 190 is looking far away, the gaze sensor 140 detects the lines of sight R2 and L2. In this case, the angle formed by the lines of sight R2 and L2 with respect to the roll direction w is smaller than the angle formed by the lines of sight R1 and L1 with respect to the roll direction w. The gaze sensor 140 transmits the detection result to the computer 200.

  When the computer 200 receives the detection values of the lines of sight R1 and L1 from the gaze sensor 140 as the line-of-sight detection result, the computer 200 identifies the point of sight N1 that is the intersection of the lines of sight R1 and L1 based on the detection value. On the other hand, when the detected values of the lines of sight R2 and L2 are received from the gaze sensor 140, the computer 200 specifies the intersection of the lines of sight R2 and L2 as the point of sight. The computer 200 specifies the line-of-sight direction N0 of the user 190 based on the specified position of the gazing point N1. For example, the computer 200 detects the direction in which the straight line passing through the midpoint of the straight line connecting the right eye R and the left eye L of the user 190 and the gazing point N1 extends as the line-of-sight direction N0. The line-of-sight direction N0 is a direction in which the user 190 is actually pointing the line of sight with both eyes. The line-of-sight direction N0 corresponds to the direction in which the user 190 actually directs his / her line of sight with respect to the view field area 23.

  In another aspect, the HMD system 100 may include a microphone and a speaker in any part constituting the HMD system 100. The user can give a voice instruction to the virtual space 2 by speaking to the microphone.

  In another aspect, HMD system 100 may include a television broadcast receiving tuner. According to such a configuration, the HMD system 100 can display a television program in the virtual space 2.

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

[Visibility area]
With reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, the visual field region 23 will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a YZ cross section of the visual field region 23 viewed from the X direction in the virtual space 2. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an XZ cross section of the visual field region 23 viewed from the Y direction in the virtual space 2.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the visual field region 23 in the YZ cross section includes a region 24. The region 24 is defined by the reference line of sight 5 of the virtual camera 1 and the YZ cross section of the virtual space 2. The processor 10 defines a range including the polar angle α around the reference line of sight 5 in the virtual space as the region 24.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the visual field region 23 in the XZ cross section includes a region 25. The region 25 is defined by the reference line of sight 5 and the XZ cross section of the virtual space 2. The processor 10 defines a range including the azimuth angle β around the reference line of sight 5 in the virtual space 2 as a region 25.

  In one aspect, the HMD system 100 provides a virtual space to the user 190 by displaying a view field image on the monitor 112 based on a signal from the computer 200. The visual field image corresponds to a portion of the virtual space image 22 that is superimposed on the visual field region 23. When the user 190 moves the HMD device 110 worn on the head, the virtual camera 1 also moves in conjunction with the movement. As a result, the position of the visual field area 23 in the virtual space 2 changes. As a result, the view image displayed on the monitor 112 is updated to an image that is superimposed on the view region 23 in the direction in which the user faces in the virtual space 2 in the virtual space image 22. The user can visually recognize a desired direction in the virtual space 2.

  The user 190 can visually recognize only the virtual space image 22 developed in the virtual space 2 without visually recognizing the real world while wearing the HMD device 110. Therefore, the HMD system 100 can give the user a high sense of immersion in the virtual space 2.

  In one aspect, the processor 10 can move the virtual camera 1 in the virtual space 2 in conjunction with movement of the user 190 wearing the HMD device 110 in real space. In this case, the processor 10 specifies an image region (that is, the visual field region 23 in the virtual space 2) projected on the monitor 112 of the HMD device 110 based on the position and orientation of the virtual camera 1 in the virtual space 2. That is, the visual field of the user 190 in the virtual space 2 is defined by the virtual camera 1.

  According to an embodiment, the virtual camera 1 preferably includes two virtual cameras, that is, a virtual camera for providing an image for the right eye and a virtual camera for providing an image for the left eye. Moreover, it is preferable that appropriate parallax is set in the two virtual cameras so that the user 190 can recognize the three-dimensional virtual space 2. In the present embodiment, the virtual camera 1 includes two virtual cameras, and the roll direction (w) generated by combining the roll directions of the two virtual cameras is the roll direction (w) of the HMD device 110. The technical idea concerning this indication is illustrated as what is constituted so that it may be adapted.

[controller]
An example of the controller 160 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of controller 160 according to an embodiment.

  As shown in the state (A) of FIG. 8, in one aspect, the controller 160 may include a right controller 160R and a left controller. The right controller 160R is operated with the right hand of the user 190. The left controller is operated with the left hand of the user 190. In one aspect, the right controller 160R and the left controller are configured symmetrically as separate devices. Therefore, the user 190 can freely move the right hand holding the right controller 160R and the left hand holding the left controller. In another aspect, the controller 160 may be an integrated controller that receives operations of both hands. Hereinafter, the right controller 160R will be described.

  The right controller 160R includes a grip 30, a frame 31, and a top surface 32. The grip 30 is configured to be held by the right hand of the user 190. For example, the grip 30 can be held by the palm of the right hand of the user 190 and three fingers (middle finger, ring finger, little finger).

  The grip 30 includes buttons 33 and 34 and a motion sensor 130. The button 33 is disposed on the side surface of the grip 30 and receives an operation with the middle finger of the right hand. The button 34 is disposed in front of the grip 30 and accepts an operation with the index finger of the right hand. In one aspect, the buttons 33 and 34 are configured as trigger buttons. The motion sensor 130 is built in the housing of the grip 30. Note that when the operation of the user 190 can be detected from around the user 190 by a camera or other device, the grip 30 may not include the motion sensor 130.

  The frame 31 includes a plurality of infrared LEDs 35 arranged along the circumferential direction. The infrared LED 35 emits infrared light in accordance with the progress of the program during the execution of the program using the controller 160. The infrared rays emitted from the infrared LED 35 can be used to detect the positions and postures (tilt, orientation), etc., of the right controller 160R and the left controller. In the example shown in FIG. 8, infrared LEDs 35 arranged in two rows are shown, but the number of arrays is not limited to that shown in FIG. An array of one or more columns may be used.

  The top surface 32 includes buttons 36 and 37 and an analog stick 38. The buttons 36 and 37 are configured as push buttons. The buttons 36 and 37 receive an operation with the thumb of the right hand of the user 190. In one aspect, the analog stick 38 accepts an operation in an arbitrary direction of 360 degrees from the initial position (neutral position). The operation includes, for example, an operation for moving an object arranged in the virtual space 2.

In one aspect, the right controller 160R and the left controller include a battery for driving the infrared LED 35 and other members. The battery includes, but is not limited to, a rechargeable type, a button type, a dry battery type, and the like. In another aspect, the right controller 160R and the left controller may be connected to a USB interface of the computer 200, for example.
In this case, the right controller 160R and the left controller do not require batteries.

  As shown in the state (A) and the state (B) of FIG. 8, for example, the yaw, roll, and pitch directions are defined for the right hand 810 of the user 190. When the user 190 extends the thumb and index finger, the direction in which the thumb extends is the yaw direction, the direction in which the index finger extends is the roll direction, and the direction perpendicular to the plane defined by the yaw direction axis and the roll direction axis is the pitch direction. Is defined as

[Control device for HMD device]
The control device of the HMD device 110 will be described with reference to FIG. In one embodiment, the control device is realized by a computer 200 having a known configuration. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a computer 200 according to an embodiment as a module configuration.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the computer 200 includes a display control module 220, a virtual space control module 230, a memory module 240, and a communication control module 250. The display control module 220 includes a virtual camera control module 221, a visual field region determination module 222, a visual field image generation module 223, and a reference visual line identification module 224 as submodules. The virtual space control module 230 includes a virtual space definition module 231, a virtual object control module 232, and an operation object control module 233 as submodules.

  In an embodiment, the display control module 220 and the virtual space control module 230 are realized by the processor 10. In another embodiment, multiple processors 10 may operate as the display control module 220 and the virtual space control module 230. The memory module 240 is realized by the memory 11 or the storage 12. The communication control module 250 is realized by the communication interface 14.

  In one aspect, the display control module 220 controls image display on the monitor 112 of the HMD device 110. The virtual camera control module 221 arranges the virtual camera 1 in the virtual space 2 and controls the behavior, inclination, and the like of the virtual camera 1. The view area determination module 222 defines the view area 23 according to the inclination of the head of the user wearing the HMD device 110. The view image generation module 223 generates a view image to be displayed on the monitor 112 based on the determined view area 23. Note that the view image generation module 223 reduces the amount of information that can be viewed as it goes outside the field of view by brightening the central portion of the view image and darkening the peripheral portion thereof (or lowering the resolution). To be. The reference line-of-sight identifying module 224 identifies the line of sight of the user 190 based on the signal from the gaze sensor 140.

  The virtual space control module 230 controls the virtual space 2 provided to the user 190. The virtual space definition module 231 defines the virtual space 2 in the HMD system 100 by generating virtual space data representing the virtual space 2.

  The virtual object control module 232 generates a target object placed in the virtual space 2. In addition, the virtual object control module 232 controls the movement (movement, state change, etc.) of the target object and the character object in the virtual space 2. The target object may include, for example, a forest, a landscape including mountains, animals, and the like arranged according to the progress of the game story. The character object is, for example, a person or an object that moves with the virtual camera 1.

  The operation object control module 233 arranges an operation object for manipulating an object arranged in the virtual space 2 in the virtual space 2. In one aspect, the operation objects may include, for example, a hand object corresponding to the user's hand wearing the HMD device 110, a finger object corresponding to the user's finger, a stick object corresponding to the stick used by the user, and the like. When the operation object is a finger object, in particular, the operation object corresponds to the axis portion in the direction (axial direction) indicated by the finger. In addition, when the operation object is an object that indicates the movement direction by lighting in the lighting direction like a flashlight, the operation object control module 233 displays an object that forms an irradiation portion by lighting together with the flashlight object in the virtual space. Place in 2.

  The virtual space control module 230 detects the collision when each of the objects arranged in the virtual space 2 collides with another object. For example, the virtual space control module 230 can detect a timing at which a certain object and another object touch each other, and performs a predetermined process when the detection is performed. The virtual space control module 230 can detect the timing at which the object is away from the touched state, and performs a predetermined process when the detection is made. The virtual space control module 230 can detect that the object is in a touched state. Specifically, the operation object control module 233 touches the operation object and another object when the operation object touches another object (for example, a target object arranged by the virtual object control module 232). Is detected, and a predetermined process is performed.

  The memory module 240 holds data used for the computer 200 to provide the virtual space 2 to the user 190. In one aspect, the memory module 240 holds space information 241, object information 242, and user information 243. The space information 241 includes, for example, one or more templates defined for providing the virtual space 2. The object information 242 includes, for example, content reproduced in the virtual space 2, information for arranging objects used in the content, and the like. The content can include, for example, content representing a scene similar to a game or a real society. The user information 243 includes, for example, a program for causing the computer 200 to function as a control device of the HMD system 100, an application program that uses each content held in the object information 242, and the like.

  Data and programs stored in the memory module 240 are input by the user of the HMD device 110. Alternatively, the processor 10 downloads a program or data from a computer (for example, the server 150) operated by a provider providing the content, and stores the downloaded program or data in the memory module 240.

  The communication control module 250 can communicate with the server 150 and other information communication devices via the network 19.

  In an aspect, the display control module 220 and the virtual space control module 230 may be realized using, for example, Unity (registered trademark) provided by Unity Technologies. In another aspect, the display control module 220 and the virtual space control module 230 can also be realized as a combination of circuit elements that realize each process.

  Processing in the computer 200 is realized by hardware and software executed by the processor 10. Such software may be stored in advance in a memory module 240 such as a hard disk. The software may be stored in a CD-ROM or other non-volatile computer-readable data recording medium and distributed as a program product. Alternatively, the software may be provided as a program product that can be downloaded by an information provider connected to the Internet or other networks. Such software is read from a data recording medium by an optical disk drive or other data reader, or downloaded from the server 150 or other computer via the communication control module 250 and then temporarily stored in the memory module 240. The The software is read from the memory module 240 by the processor 10 and stored in the RAM in the form of an executable program. The processor 10 executes the program.

  The hardware configuring the computer 200 shown in FIG. 9 is general. Therefore, it can be said that the most essential part according to the present embodiment is a program stored in the computer 200. Since the hardware operation of computer 200 is well known, detailed description will not be repeated.

  The data recording medium is not limited to a CD-ROM, FD (Flexible Disk), and hard disk, but is a magnetic tape, cassette tape, optical disk (MO (Magnetic Optical Disc) / MD (Mini Disc) / DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)). ), IC (Integrated Circuit) card (including memory card), optical card, mask ROM, EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), flash ROM, etc. It may be a non-volatile data recording medium that carries a fixed program.

  The program here may include not only a program directly executable by the processor 10, but also a program in a source program format, a compressed program, an encrypted program, and the like.

[Control structure]
With reference to FIG. 10, a control structure of computer 200 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing processing of a program executed by the HMD system 100.

  In step S <b> 1, the processor 10 of the computer 200 specifies the virtual space image data as the virtual space definition module 231 and defines the virtual space.

  In step S <b> 2, the processor 10 initializes the virtual camera 1 as the virtual camera control module 221. For example, the processor 10 places the virtual camera 1 at a predetermined center point in the virtual space 2 in the work area of the memory, and directs the line of sight of the virtual camera 1 in the direction in which the user 190 is facing.

  In step S <b> 3, the processor 10 generates view image data for displaying an initial view image as the view image generation module 223. The generated view image data is sent to the HMD device 110 by the communication control module 250 via the view image generation module 223.

  In step S <b> 4, the monitor 112 of the HMD device 110 displays a view field image based on the signal received from the computer 200. The user 190 wearing the HMD device 110 can recognize the virtual space 2 when viewing the visual field image.

  In step S <b> 5, the HMD sensor 120 detects the inclination of the HMD device 110. The detection result is sent to the computer 200 as detection data.

  In step S <b> 6, when the processor 10 receives detection data including an inclination from the HMD sensor 120, the processor 10 determines whether the inclination is below a predetermined angle. The processor 10 determines, as the virtual camera control module 221, whether or not to shift the virtual camera 1 to the movement mode based on the determination.

  In step S7, when the processor 10 determines to move to the movement mode as the view area determination module 222 and the view image generation module 223, the processor 10 performs a movement process of the virtual camera 1 and generates a view image corresponding to the movement process. Output.

  In step S8, the monitor 112 of the HMD device 110 updates the view image based on the received view image data, and displays the updated view image.

  Next, detailed program processing in steps S6 and S7 in FIG. 10 will be described. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the movement process of the virtual camera 1 in the processor 10.

  In step S101, the processor 10 determines whether or not the HMD device 110 is tilted below a predetermined angle based on the detection data transmitted from the HMD sensor 120.

  If it is not determined that the HMD device 110 is tilted below a predetermined angle, the processor 10 generates and outputs a field-of-view image corresponding to the orientation of the HMD device 110 in step 102. When it is determined that the HMD device 110 is tilted below a predetermined angle (step S101: YES), the processor 10 shifts to the movement mode of the virtual camera 1 in step S103. Note that, as a premise of the initial state, the virtual camera 1 is in a still mode and is in a state in which a movement process described later is not performed.

  In step S104, the processor 10 moves the character object at the intersection of the direction in which the line of sight detected by the gaze sensor 140 is directed and the reference plane (for example, the XZ cross section where the Y-axis coordinate is 0) constituting the virtual space 2. Calculate as the target position. Note that when the user 190 gazes for a predetermined time after the virtual camera 1 shifts to the movement mode, the intersection point is set as the movement target position.

  In step S105, the processor 10 determines whether or not a character object is displayed in the view field image. The determination process in this display is performed based on whether or not the position of the character object is included in the view field area determined based on the position of the virtual camera 1. If it is determined that the character object is displayed (step S105: YES), in step S106, the processor 10 moves the character object toward the intersection.

  In step S107, the processor 10 determines whether or not the character object and the virtual camera have a predetermined positional relationship. The determination processing in this positional relationship is performed based on whether the virtual camera 1 and the character object are within a predetermined distance based on the position (coordinates) of the virtual camera 1 and the position (coordinates) of the character object. Note that it may be determined that the character object is at a predetermined position with reference to the orientation of the virtual camera 1. In step S107, the character object moving process in step S106 is performed until a predetermined positional relationship is reached.

  If it is determined that the predetermined positional relationship has been reached (step S107: YES), in step S108, the processor 10 performs the moving process of the character object while maintaining the predetermined positional relationship between the character object and the virtual camera 1. Thus, the virtual camera 1 is moved. The virtual camera 1 is set to a predetermined height from the reference plane, and it is desirable to move the virtual camera 1 without changing the predetermined height.

  In step S109, the processor 10 determines whether or not the character object has arrived at the intersection. This determination process is performed based on whether the position (coordinates) of the character object is coincident with the intersection (coordinate), or whether the character object is located within a predetermined range with reference to the intersection. The processor 10 performs the movement process of the virtual camera 1 until the character object arrives at the intersection.

  When the character object arrives at the intersection, in step S110, the processor 10 moves the virtual camera 1 until the positional relationship between the character object and the virtual camera 1 becomes the standby positional relationship. Then, the processor 10 stops the movement process of the virtual camera 1 when the virtual camera 1 is in the standby positional relationship.

  On the other hand, if the processor 10 determines in step S105 that no character object is displayed in the view field image, the processor 10 moves the character object in step S111. In step S112, the processor 10 moves the character object until the character object is displayed in the view field image.

  When the character object is displayed in the view field image, in step S113, the processor 10 determines whether or not the character object and the virtual camera 1 have a predetermined positional relationship. When the predetermined positional relationship is reached (step S113), the processor 10 moves the virtual camera 1 so as to follow the character object.

  Next, a specific operation example of the processing of the processor 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 12-14 is a figure which shows the state which the virtual camera 1 is moving. In each of FIGS. 12 to 14, the state (A) schematically represents the user 190, and the state (B) schematically represents the virtual camera 1. Further, the state (C) and the state (E) represent the field-of-view image M obtained by the virtual camera 1. The state (D) and the state (F) represent the positional relationship among the virtual camera 1, the character object 400, and the virtual object 500 in the virtual space image 22.

  First, FIG. 12 will be described. FIG. 12 shows the state of the user, the state of the virtual camera, the state of the view image M, and the state of the virtual space image 22 before the transition to the movement mode, and the state when processed by steps S3 to S4 in FIG. Indicates. As shown in the state (A), in the still mode, the user 190 is oriented in the horizontal direction, and the processor 10 determines the inclination of the HMD device 110 according to the inclination detected by the HMD sensor 120. Thereby, the processor 10 controls the inclination of the virtual camera 1 as shown in the state (B). As shown in the state (B), when the virtual camera 1 is oriented substantially in the horizontal direction and at least not tilted downward, the virtual camera 1 operates in the still mode. The processor 10 generates a visual field image M corresponding to the direction in which the virtual camera 1 is facing. Here, as shown in the state (D), the visual field area 23 includes a character object 400 and a virtual object 500. Therefore, as indicated by the state (C), the processor 10 generates a view image M including the character object 400 and the virtual object 500 and displays it on the HMD device 110. The field-of-view image M is darkened so that the amount of information that can be viewed is reduced as it goes outside the field of view. Thereby, visual information becomes limited, it is possible to suppress hypersensitive reactions of the brain and prevent VR sickness.

  Next, FIG. 13 will be described. FIG. 13 shows the state of the user, the state of the virtual camera 1, the state of the view image M, and the state of the virtual space image 22 when shifting from the still mode to the moving mode, and is processed by steps S101 to S113 in FIG. The state when As shown in the state (A), when the user 190 tilts below a predetermined angle, the HMD sensor 120 detects that it has tilted. As shown in the state (B), the processor 10 controls the virtual camera 1 according to the inclination. When the processor 10 determines that the user 190 is tilted below a predetermined angle based on the tilt detected by the HMD sensor 120, the processor 10 shifts the virtual camera 1 to the movement mode.

  When the virtual camera 1 shifts to the movement mode, the processor 10 detects the gaze direction that the user 190 gazes detected by the gaze sensor 140 and the reference plane that defines the virtual space (for example, the XZ cross section in which the Y axis is 0). Is calculated as a movement target position. Here, the intersection I is a point watched for a predetermined time.

  When the processor 10 calculates the intersection point I, this is set as the movement target position, and the character object 400 is moved toward the intersection point I. The state (E) shows the view image M in which the character object 400 is moving toward the intersection point I. The state (F) indicates that the virtual camera 1 also moves in parallel as indicated by the movement direction Y following the movement of the character object 400. The virtual object control module 232 determines that the virtual camera 1 and the character object 400 have a predetermined positional relationship (for example, the character object is positioned on the left side of the visual field image of the virtual camera 1). The virtual camera 1 is moved following the movement of the character object 400. In the state (F), the character object 400 moves in parallel as indicated by the movement direction Y with respect to the movement of the character object 400, but the present invention is not limited to this. The virtual camera 1 may move directly toward the intersection point I so as to have a predetermined positional relationship with the character object 400.

  Next, a modification of the HMD system 100 of the present embodiment will be described. In the above embodiment, the movement target position is determined based on the viewing direction of the user 190. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an operation object may be used. An example of the operation object is a flashlight. FIG. 14 is a diagram schematically illustrating processing when a movement target position is determined using a flashlight as an operation object. In FIG. 14, the state (A) schematically represents the user 190, and the state (B) schematically represents the virtual camera 1 and the operation object 450. The state (C) represents the field-of-view image M from the virtual camera 1. The state (D) represents the positional relationship among the virtual camera 1, the character object 400, and the virtual object 500 in the virtual space image 22.

  As shown in the state (A), the user 190 holds the controller 160. The user 190 can operate the flashlight that is the operation object 450 by operating the controller 160. In this embodiment, when the operation object 450 is tilted downward by a predetermined angle, the virtual camera 1 shifts to the movement mode. The state (B) shows the operation object 450 tilted downward by a predetermined angle. As shown in the state (B), the virtual camera 1 is not tilted downward, but the operation object 450 is tilted downward, indicating that the movement mode is entered. As shown in the state (D), the processor 10 calculates the intersection I between the direction of the operation object 450 (lighting direction of the flashlight) and the reference plane as a movement target position. Then, the processor 10 moves the character object 400 and the operation object 450 toward the intersection I, and moves the virtual camera 1 following the character object 400. Note that the processor 10 may control the virtual camera 1 so as to move directly toward the intersection I without following the character object 400. As shown in the state (C), the processor 10 moves the character object 400 and the operation object 450 toward the intersection point I, and generates a visual field image M in which the operation object 450 is moved. As shown in the state (C), the flashlight that is the operation object 450 is turned on, thereby enabling a horror-like effect such as searching for a dark place.

  In the above-described embodiment, the movement process of the character object 400 and the virtual camera 1 has been described with the XZ cross section with the Y axis set to 0 as the reference plane of the virtual space, but the virtual space 2 is three-dimensional. Therefore, it is desirable that the virtual camera 1 can be moved up or down. When the virtual camera 1 moves downward, for example, a downward staircase (for example, a staircase object) is represented in the view image M, and when the user wants to go down the staircase, first, the user 190 tilts down to a predetermined angle. The virtual camera 1 is set to the movement mode. In the case of a downward movement, it is preferable that the threshold of the predetermined angle is made larger than that of a plane movement. Then, the processor may calculate the movement target position by obtaining the intersection of the line of sight detected by the gaze sensor 140 and the staircase (target object) represented on the virtual space image 22. Not only the intersection with the stairs but also, for example, the floor below the floor may be used as a reference plane, and the intersection may be set as the movement target position.

  On the other hand, when the user wants to move up, for example, when the ascending stairs are represented in the field-of-view image M, and the user wants to go up the stairs, first, the user 190 tilts upward by a predetermined angle to put the virtual camera 1 in the movement mode. Let In general, when the user 190 looks up at the top of the stairs while going up the stairs, the ceiling on the floor may be calculated as an intersection with the user's 190 line of sight. Therefore, in that case, a virtual floor set at the same height as the floor above the floor may be defined as the reference plane, and the intersection with the reference plane may be obtained as the movement target position.

  In the above-described embodiment, the XZ cross section having an arbitrary Y-axis coordinate is exemplified as the reference plane. However, the reference plane is not limited thereto. The reference plane may be a YZ cross section having an arbitrary X-axis coordinate value or an XY cross section having an arbitrary Z-axis coordinate value. As an example in this case, an object such as a wall can be considered as the reference plane.

  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.

The subject matter disclosed in the present invention is shown as the following items, for example.
(Item 1)
In the information processing method of the computer 200 that provides the virtual space 2 to the user 190 via the HMD device 110,
Generating virtual space data defining the virtual space 2 including the virtual camera 1 defining the view image M provided to the user 190 (for example, step S4 in FIG. 10);
A step of detecting the orientation of a part of the body of the user 190 and designating a movement target position of the virtual camera 1 in the virtual space 2 based on the orientation (step S5 to step S7 in FIG. 10, step S104 in FIG. 11). ,
A step of moving the virtual camera 1 based on the movement target position (step S7 in FIG. 10, step S108 in FIG. 11);
Generating a visual field image M accompanying the movement of the virtual camera 1 and presenting it to the HMD device 110 (step S7 in FIG. 10);
An information processing method comprising:
According to this disclosure, the movement target position of the virtual camera 1 can be designated and moved based on the orientation of a part of the body of the user 190. Therefore, it is possible to move intuitively and improve the immersive feeling of the user in the virtual space. For example, the gaze sensor 140 can detect the gaze direction as a part of the body of the user 190. Further, the controller 160 can detect the direction of the user's finger / hand as the operation of the user 190 via the operation object.
(Item 2)
Detecting the inclination of the HMD device 110 (step S101 in FIG. 11);
When the inclination of the HMD device 110 satisfies a predetermined condition, a step of setting the movement mode in which the virtual camera 1 can be moved;
An information processing method according to item 1.
According to this disclosure, when the inclination of the HMD device 110 satisfies a predetermined condition, the virtual camera 1 can be shifted to the movement mode, thereby enabling an intuitive movement operation.
(Item 3)
The information processing method according to item 1, further comprising a step of displaying a predetermined character object 400 at a predetermined position of the view field image M when the virtual camera 1 is moved.
According to this disclosure, the character object 400 can be moved together with the movement of the virtual camera 1 by displaying the character object 400 in the view field image M. In general, it is said that the movement of the virtual camera 1 in the virtual space 2 is easy for the user to get drunk, but the VR sickness can be reduced by displaying the character object 400 at a predetermined position in the view field image M. Can do. In addition, a visual effect such as walking with a character object can be obtained.
(Item 4)
In the step of moving the virtual camera 1, when moving the character object 400 toward the movement target position, the virtual camera 1 is moved so that the virtual camera 1 and the character object 400 maintain a predetermined positional relationship. Item 2. Information processing method.
According to this disclosure, the character object 400 is displayed on the view image M, and the virtual camera 1 can move with the character object 400. In general, it is said that the movement of the virtual camera 1 in the virtual space 2 is likely to cause drunkness for the user. However, by displaying the character object 400 so as to have a predetermined positional relationship and moving it together with the virtual camera 1, VR sickness can be achieved. Can be reduced. In addition, it is possible to produce an effect such that the user 190 is taken or pulled by the character object 400, and the user 190 can be more immersed in the virtual space. In addition, it is possible to obtain a visual effect such that the character object is drawn.
(Item 5)
When moving the virtual camera 1 in the step of moving the virtual camera 1, if the character object 400 is not displayed in the view image M, the virtual camera 1 is moved until the character object 400 is moved in the view image M. , The character object 400 is moved in the view image M, and when the character object 400 is displayed in the view image M, the virtual camera 1 is moved together with the character object 400.
According to this disclosure, when the character object 400 is not in the view field image M, it is possible to wait for the movement of the virtual camera 1 until the character object 400 is displayed. When the character object 400 is displayed, the VR sickness can be reduced by moving the virtual camera 1 together with the movement of the character object 400.
(Item 6)
The method further includes a step of detecting the orientation of a part of the user's body (step 104 in FIG. 1), and the movement target position includes the orientation of the part of the user's 190 body (the direction of the line of sight or the finger) and the virtual space. 6. The information processing method according to any one of items 1 to 5, wherein the information processing method is an intersection with a predetermined reference plane (for example, an XZ cross section having a predetermined height) that constitutes 2.
According to this disclosure, the virtual camera 1 is moved with respect to the movement target position, with the intersection of the orientation of a part of the body of the user 190 and a predetermined plane constituting the virtual space 2 as the movement target position. By doing so, it is possible to enable intuitive movement, and to improve the user's immersive feeling in the virtual space.
(Item 7)
The virtual camera 1 is positioned at a predetermined height from the plane constituting the virtual space 2, and the step of moving the virtual camera 1 moves the virtual camera 1 without changing the height. Either information processing method.
According to this disclosure, the virtual camera 1 is positioned at a predetermined height from the plane constituting the virtual space 2 and moved without changing the height, thereby enabling more realistic movement. Therefore, it is possible to improve the immersive feeling of the user 190 in the virtual space 2.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Virtual camera, 2 ... Virtual space, 5 ... Base line of sight, 10 ... Processor, 11 ... Memory, 12 ... Storage, 13 ... Input / output interface, 14 ... Communication interface, 15 ... Bus, 22 ... Virtual space image, 23 ... Field of view 24 ... area 25 ... area 100 ... HMD system 110 ... HMD device 112 ... monitor 120 ... HMD sensor 130 ... motion sensor 140 ... gaze sensor 150 ... server 160 ... controller 200 ... Computer, 220 ... Display control module, 230 ... Virtual space control module, 240 ... Memory module, 250 ... Communication control module, 221 ... Virtual camera control module, 222 ... View field determination module, 223 ... View field image generation module, 224 ... Reference Line-of-sight identification module, 231 ... provisional Space definition module, 232 ... virtual object control module, 233 ... operation object control module, 241 ... spatial information, 242 ... object information, 243 ... user information.

Claims (9)

In an information processing method of an information processing apparatus that provides a virtual space to a user via a head mounted display,
Generating virtual space data defining a virtual space including a virtual camera defining a view image provided to a user;
Detecting a direction of a part of the user's body and designating a movement target position of the virtual camera in the virtual space based on the direction;
Moving the virtual camera based on the movement target position;
Generating a visual field image accompanying the movement of the virtual camera and presenting it on the head mounted display;
An information processing method comprising: Detecting the tilt of the head mounted display;
When the tilt of the head-mounted display satisfies a predetermined condition, the step of entering a movement mode that allows the virtual camera to move; and
An information processing method according to claim 1.   The information processing method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of displaying a predetermined character object at a predetermined position of the view field image when the virtual camera is moved. In the step of moving the virtual camera,
The information processing according to claim 3, wherein when moving the character object toward the movement target position, the virtual camera is moved so that the virtual camera and the character object maintain a predetermined positional relationship. Method. In the step of moving the virtual camera,
When moving the virtual camera, if a character object is not displayed in the view image, the virtual camera is waited until the character object is moved in the view image,
The information processing method according to claim 4, wherein when the character object is displayed in the view image, the virtual camera is moved together with the character object. Detecting the orientation of a part of the user's body,
The information processing according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the movement target position is an intersection of a direction of a part of the user's body and a predetermined reference plane constituting the virtual space. Method. The virtual camera is located at a predetermined height from a reference plane constituting the virtual space;
The step of moving the virtual camera comprises:
Move without changing the height of the virtual camera,
The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.   The program which makes a computer perform the method as described in any one of Claims 1-7. A memory storing the program according to claim 8;
And a processor coupled to the memory for executing the program.