JP2020161168A - Program, information processing method, and information processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a program capable of improving virtual experience of a user, an information processing method, and an information processing device.SOLUTION: A program causes a computer 200 to perform the steps of: defining a virtual space 11 including a virtual viewpoint, an object to be shielded, and a first object; defining a visual field from the virtual viewpoint; controlling arrangement of the first object so that the object to be shielded is shielded by the first object when the object to be shielded is included in the visual field; and generating a visual field image 17 corresponding to the visual field.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

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

Patent Document 1 discloses a game program or the like that can work on a player so that the physical movement of the player wearing a head-mounted display does not exceed a certain speed, and can further improve the safety of the player. ing.

Patent No. 5996138

Depending on the virtual object displayed in the VR space, it may be necessary to conceal a specific part of the virtual object. However, the prior art as described in Patent Document 1 cannot sufficiently respond to such a request, and there is room for improvement in improving the virtual experience of the user.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a program, an information processing method, and an information processing device for improving a user's virtual experience.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the computer has a step of defining a virtual space including a virtual viewpoint, a shield target, and a first object, a step of defining a view from the virtual viewpoint, and a shield target in the view. Is included, a program is provided to execute a step of controlling the placement of the first object and a step of generating a view image corresponding to the view so that the shielded object is shielded by the first object. To.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a program, an information processing method, and an information processing device for improving a user's virtual experience.

It is a figure which shows the outline of the structure of the HMD system according to a certain embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the hardware composition of the computer according to a certain embodiment. It is a figure that conceptually represents the uvw field coordinate system set in the HMD according to a certain embodiment. It is a figure which conceptually represents one aspect which expresses a virtual space according to a certain embodiment. It is a figure which showed the head of the user who wears an HMD according to a certain embodiment from the top. It is a figure which shows the YZ cross section which looked at the visual field area from the X direction in the virtual space. It is a figure which shows the XZ cross section which looked at the visual field area from the Y direction in the virtual space. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the controller according to a certain embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of each direction of yaw, roll, and pitch defined for the right hand of the user according to a certain embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the hardware configuration of the server according to a certain embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the computer according to a certain embodiment as a module structure. FIG. 5 is a sequence chart representing a portion of the processing performed in an HMD set according to an embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the situation that each HMD provides a virtual space to a user in a network. It is a figure which shows the field of view image of the user 5A in FIG. 12A. It is a sequence diagram which shows the process to perform in the HMD system according to a certain embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the detailed structure of the module of the computer according to a certain embodiment. FIG. 5 is a sequence chart representing a portion of the processing performed in an HMD set according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an XZ cross section of a visual field region viewed from the Y direction in a virtual space including a shielded object according to a certain embodiment, and a diagram showing a visual field image seen from a virtual camera. In a virtual space including a shielded object and a shielded object according to a certain embodiment, a diagram showing an XZ cross section of the view area viewed from the Y direction and a shielded object portion of the shielded object as seen from a virtual camera are shielded by the shielded object. It is a figure which shows the field view image. In a virtual space including a shielded object and a shielded object according to a certain embodiment, a diagram showing an XZ cross section of the view area viewed from the Y direction and a shielded object portion of the shielded object as seen from a virtual camera are shielded by the shielded object. It is a figure which shows the field view image. In a virtual space including a shielded object and a shielded object according to a certain embodiment, a diagram showing an XZ cross section of the view area viewed from the Y direction and a shielded object portion of the shielded object as seen from a virtual camera are shielded by the shielded object. It is a figure which shows the field view image. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an XZ cross section of a field of view region viewed from the Y direction in a virtual space including a shielded object and a shielded object according to a certain embodiment. A diagram showing an XZ cross section of a view area viewed from the Y direction in a virtual space including a shielded object and a shielded object when the distance between the virtual camera and the shielded object is longer than that in the example of FIG. 18A. Is. It is a figure which shows the field-of-view image which the part to be shielded of the shielded object according to a certain embodiment is shielded by a shielded object. In one HMD set according to one embodiment, a field image in which the part to be shielded by the shielded object is not shielded by the shielded object is displayed, and in another HMD set, the shielded part of the shielded object is the shielded object. It is a figure which shows the example which displays the view image which is occluded by.

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

[HMD system configuration]
The configuration of the HMD (Head-Mounted Device) system 100 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of the HMD system 100 according to the present embodiment. The HMD system 100 is provided as a home system or a business system.

The HMD system 100 includes a server 600, HMD sets 110A, 110B, 110C, 110D, an external device 700, and a network 2. Each of the HMD sets 110A, 110B, 110C, and 110D is configured to be able to communicate with the server 600 and the external device 700 via the network 2. Hereinafter, the HMD sets 110A, 110B, 110C, and 110D are collectively referred to as the HMD set 110. The number of HMD sets 110 constituting the HMD system 100 is not limited to four, and may be three or less or five or more. The HMD set 110 includes an HMD 120, a computer 200, an HMD sensor 410, a display 430, and a controller 300. The HMD 120 includes a monitor 130, a gaze sensor 140, a first camera 150, a second camera 160, a microphone 170, and a speaker 180. The controller 300 may include a motion sensor 420.

In some aspects, the computer 200 can connect to the Internet or other network 2 and communicate with the server 600 or other computer connected to the network 2. Examples of other computers include computers of other HMD sets 110 and external devices 700. In another aspect, the HMD 120 may include a sensor 190 instead of the HMD sensor 410.

The HMD 120 may be worn on the user 5's head and provide virtual space to the user 5 during operation. More specifically, the HMD 120 displays an image for the right eye and an image for the left eye on the monitor 130, respectively. When each eye of the user 5 visually recognizes the respective image, the user 5 can recognize the image as a three-dimensional image based on the parallax of both eyes. The HMD 120 may include either a so-called head-mounted display including a monitor and a head-mounted device capable of mounting a smartphone or other terminal having a monitor.

The monitor 130 is realized as, for example, a non-transparent display device. In one aspect, the monitor 130 is arranged in the body of the HMD 120 so as to be located in front of both eyes of the user 5. Therefore, the user 5 can immerse himself in the virtual space when he / she visually recognizes the three-dimensional image displayed on the monitor 130. In one aspect, the virtual space includes, for example, a background, an object that the user 5 can manipulate, and an image of a menu that the user 5 can select. In a certain aspect, the monitor 130 can be realized as a liquid crystal monitor or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) monitor included in a so-called smartphone or other information display terminal.

In another aspect, the monitor 130 can be realized as a transmissive display device. In this case, the HMD 120 may be an open type such as a glasses type instead of a closed type that covers the eyes of the user 5 as shown in FIG. The transmissive monitor 130 may be temporarily configured as a non-transmissive display device by adjusting its transmittance. The monitor 130 may include a configuration that simultaneously displays a part of the image constituting the virtual space and the real space. For example, the monitor 130 may display an image of the real space taken by the camera mounted on the HMD 120, or may make the real space visible by setting a part of the transmittance to be high.

In some aspects, the monitor 130 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 130 may be configured to display the image for the right eye and the image for the left eye as a unit. In this case, the monitor 130 includes a high speed shutter. The high-speed shutter operates so that the image for the right eye and the image for the left eye can be displayed alternately so that the image is recognized by only one of the eyes.

In one aspect, the HMD 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 410 has a position tracking function for detecting the movement of the HMD 120. More specifically, the HMD sensor 410 reads a plurality of infrared rays emitted by the HMD 120 and detects the position and inclination of the HMD 120 in the real space.

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

In another aspect, the HMD 120 may include a sensor 190 as a position detector in place of the HMD sensor 410 or in addition to the HMD sensor 410. The HMD 120 can use the sensor 190 to detect the position and tilt of the HMD 120 itself. For example, if the sensor 190 is an angular velocity sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, or an acceleration sensor, the HMD 120 may use any of these sensors instead of the HMD sensor 410 to detect its position and tilt. As an example, when the sensor 190 is an angular velocity sensor, the angular velocity sensor detects the angular velocity around the three axes of the HMD 120 in real space over time. The HMD 120 calculates the temporal change of the angle around the three axes of the HMD 120 based on each angular velocity, and further calculates the inclination of the HMD 120 based on the temporal change of the angle.

The gaze sensor 140 detects the directions in which the eyes of the user 5's right eye and left eye are directed. That is, the gaze sensor 140 detects the line of sight of the user 5. The detection of the direction of the line of sight 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 certain aspects, the gaze sensor 140 preferably includes a sensor for the right eye and a sensor for the left eye. The gaze sensor 140 may be, for example, a sensor that irradiates the right eye and the left eye of the user 5 with infrared light and detects the rotation angle of each eyeball by receiving the reflected light from the cornea and the iris with respect to the irradiation light. .. The gaze sensor 140 can detect the line of sight of the user 5 based on each of the detected rotation angles.

The first camera 150 captures the lower part of the user 5's face. More specifically, the first camera 150 captures the nose and mouth of the user 5. The second camera 160 captures the eyes, eyebrows, and the like of the user 5. The housing on the user 5 side of the HMD 120 is defined as the inside of the HMD 120, and the housing on the side opposite to the user 5 of the HMD 120 is defined as the outside of the HMD 120. In some aspects, the first camera 150 may be located outside the HMD 120 and the second camera 160 may be located inside the HMD 120. The images generated by the first camera 150 and the second camera 160 are input to the computer 200. In another aspect, the first camera 150 and the second camera 160 may be realized as one camera, and the face of the user 5 may be photographed by the one camera.

The microphone 170 converts the utterance of the user 5 into an audio signal (electric signal) and outputs it to the computer 200. The speaker 180 converts the voice signal into voice and outputs it to the user 5. In another aspect, the HMD 120 may include earphones instead of the speaker 180.

The controller 300 is connected to the computer 200 by wire or wirelessly. The controller 300 receives input of an instruction from the user 5 to the computer 200. In one aspect, the controller 300 is configured to be grippable by the user 5. In another aspect, the controller 300 is configured to be wearable on a body or part of clothing of the user 5. In yet another aspect, the controller 300 may be configured to output at least one of vibration, sound, and light based on a signal transmitted from the computer 200. In yet another aspect, the controller 300 receives from the user 5 an operation for controlling the position and movement of the object arranged in the virtual space.

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

In a certain aspect, the motion sensor 420 is attached to the user 5's hand and detects the movement of the user 5's hand. For example, the motion sensor 420 detects the rotation speed, rotation speed, and the like of the hand. The detected signal is sent to the computer 200. The motion sensor 420 is provided in the controller 300, for example. In one aspect, the motion sensor 420 is provided, for example, in a controller 300 configured to be grippable by the user 5. In another aspect, for safety in real space, the controller 300 is attached to something that does not easily fly by being attached to the user 5's hand, such as a glove type. In yet another aspect, a sensor not attached to the user 5 may detect the movement of the user 5's hand. For example, the signal of the camera that shoots the user 5 may be input to the computer 200 as a signal indicating the operation of the user 5. As an example, the motion sensor 420 and the computer 200 are wirelessly connected to each other. In the case of wireless communication, the communication mode is not particularly limited, and for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) or other known communication method is used.

The display 430 displays an image similar to the image displayed on the monitor 130. As a result, users other than the user 5 who wears the HMD 120 can also view the same image as the user 5. The image displayed on the display 430 does not have to be a three-dimensional image, and may be an image for the right eye or an image for the left eye. Examples of the display 430 include a liquid crystal display and an organic EL monitor.

The server 600 may send the program to the computer 200. In another aspect, the server 600 may communicate with another computer 200 to provide virtual reality to the HMD 120 used by another user. For example, when a plurality of users play a participatory game in an amusement facility, each computer 200 communicates a signal based on the operation of each user with another computer 200 via a server 600, and a plurality of users are used in the same virtual space. Allows users to enjoy a common game. Each computer 200 may communicate a signal based on the operation of each user with another computer 200 without going through the server 600.

The external device 700 may be any device as long as it can communicate with the computer 200. The external device 700 may be, for example, a device capable of communicating with the computer 200 via the network 2, or a device capable of directly communicating with the computer 200 by short-range wireless communication or a wired connection. Examples of the external device 700 include, but are not limited to, smart devices, PCs (Personal Computers), and peripheral devices of the computer 200.

[Computer hardware configuration]
The computer 200 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the computer 200 according to the present embodiment. The computer 200 includes a processor 210, a memory 220, a storage 230, an input / output interface 240, and a communication interface 250 as main components. Each component is connected to bus 260, respectively.

The processor 210 executes a series of instructions included in the program stored in the memory 220 or the storage 230 based on the signal given to the computer 200 or the condition that a predetermined condition is satisfied. In a certain aspect, the processor 210 is realized as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processor Unit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or other devices.

The memory 220 temporarily stores programs and data. The program is loaded from storage 230, for example. The data includes data input to the computer 200 and data generated by the processor 210. In a certain aspect, the memory 220 is realized as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or other volatile memory.

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

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

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

In some aspects, the input / output interface 240 may further communicate with the controller 300. For example, the input / output interface 240 receives input of signals output from the controller 300 and the motion sensor 420. In another aspect, the input / output interface 240 sends an instruction output from the processor 210 to the controller 300. The command instructs the controller 300 to vibrate, output voice, emit light, and the like. Upon receiving the command, the controller 300 executes either vibration, voice output, or light emission in response to the command.

The communication interface 250 is connected to the network 2 and communicates with another computer (for example, the server 600) connected to the network 2. In a certain aspect, the communication interface 250 is realized as, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) or other wired communication interface, or a WiFi (Wireless Fidelity), Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC (Near Field Communication) or other wireless communication interface. Will be done. The communication interface 250 is not limited to the above.

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

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

The computer 200 may have a configuration commonly used for a plurality of HMD 120s. 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 a certain embodiment, in the HMD system 100, a real coordinate system, which is a coordinate system in the real space, is preset. The real coordinate system has three reference directions (axes) that are parallel to the vertical direction in the real space, the horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction, and the front-back direction orthogonal to both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. The horizontal direction, vertical direction (vertical direction), and front-back direction in the real coordinate system are defined as x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis, respectively. More specifically, in the real coordinate system, the x-axis is parallel to the horizontal direction in real space. The y-axis is parallel to the vertical direction in real space. The z-axis is parallel to the front-back direction of the real space.

In some aspects, the HMD sensor 410 includes an infrared sensor. When the infrared sensor detects infrared rays emitted from each light source of the HMD 120, the presence of the HMD 120 is detected. The HMD sensor 410 further detects the position and inclination (orientation) of the HMD 120 in the real space according to the movement of the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 based on the value of each point (each coordinate value in the real coordinate system). To do. More specifically, the HMD sensor 410 can detect a temporal change in the position and inclination of the HMD 120 by using each value detected over time.

Each inclination of the HMD 120 detected by the HMD sensor 410 corresponds to each inclination of the HMD 120 around three axes in the real coordinate system. The HMD sensor 410 sets the uvw field coordinate system to the HMD 120 based on the inclination of the H MD 120 in the real coordinate system. The uvw field-of-view coordinate system set in the HMD 120 corresponds to the viewpoint coordinate system when the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 sees an object in the virtual space.

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

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

In a certain aspect, when the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 is upright and visually recognizing the front surface, the processor 210 sets the uvw field coordinate system parallel to the real coordinate system to the HMD 120. In this case, the horizontal direction (x axis), the vertical direction (y axis), and the anteroposterior direction (z axis) in the real coordinate system are the pitch axis (u axis) and the yaw axis (v axis) of the uvw field coordinate system in the HMD 120. , And the roll axis (w axis).

After the uvw field coordinate system is set to the HMD 120, the HMD sensor 410 can detect the tilt of the HMD 120 in the set uvw field coordinate system based on the movement of the HMD 120. In this case, the HMD sensor 410 detects the pitch angle (θu), yaw angle (θv), and roll angle (θw) of the HMD 120 in the uvw visual field coordinate system as the inclination of the HMD 120, respectively. The pitch angle (θu) represents the tilt angle of the HMD 120 around the pitch axis in the uvw field coordinate system. The yaw angle (θv) represents the tilt angle of the HMD 120 around the yaw axis in the uvw visual field coordinate system. The roll angle (θw) represents the tilt angle of the HMD 120 around the roll axis in the uvw field coordinate system.

The HMD sensor 410 sets the uvw field coordinate system in the HMD 120 after the HMD 120 has moved to the HMD 120 based on the detected inclination of the HMD 120. The relationship between the HMD 120 and the uvw field coordinate system of the HMD 120 is always constant regardless of the position and tilt of the HMD 120. When the position and inclination of the HMD 120 change, the position and inclination of the uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD 120 in the real coordinate system change in conjunction with the change of the position and inclination.

In one aspect, the HMD sensor 410 determines the HMD 120 based on the infrared light intensity acquired based on the output from the infrared sensor and the relative positional relationship between the points (eg, the distance between the points). The position of the above in the real space may be specified as a relative position with respect to the HMD sensor 410. The processor 210 may determine the origin of the uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD 120 in real space (real coordinate system) based on the identified relative position.

[Virtual space]
The virtual space will be further described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram conceptually representing one aspect of expressing the virtual space 11 according to a certain embodiment. The virtual space 11 has an all-sky spherical structure that covers the entire center 12 in the 360-degree direction. In FIG. 4, the celestial sphere in the upper half of the virtual space 11 is illustrated so as not to complicate the explanation. Each mesh is defined in the virtual space 11. The position of each mesh is predetermined as a coordinate value in the XYZ coordinate system, which is a global coordinate system defined in the virtual space 11. The computer 200 associates each partial image constituting the panoramic image 13 (still image, moving image, etc.) expandable in the virtual space 11 with each corresponding mesh in the virtual space 11.

In a certain aspect, the virtual space 11 defines an XYZ coordinate system with the center 12 as the origin. The XYZ coordinate system is, for example, parallel to the real coordinate system. The horizontal direction, vertical direction (vertical direction), and front-back direction in the XYZ coordinate system are defined as the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis, respectively. Therefore, the X-axis (horizontal direction) of the XYZ coordinate system is parallel to the x-axis of the real coordinate system, the Y-axis (vertical direction) of the XYZ coordinate system is parallel to the y-axis of the real coordinate system, and the XYZ coordinate system The Z-axis (front-back direction) is parallel to the z-axis of the real coordinate system.

At the time of starting the HMD 120, that is, in the initial state of the HMD 120, the virtual camera 14 is arranged at the center 12 of the virtual space 11. In one aspect, the processor 210 displays an image captured by the virtual camera 14 on the monitor 130 of the HMD 120. The virtual camera 14 moves in the virtual space 11 in the same manner in conjunction with the movement of the HMD 120 in the real space. As a result, changes in the position and inclination of the HMD 120 in the real space can be similarly reproduced in the virtual space 11.

As in the case of the HMD 120, the virtual camera 14 is defined with an uvw field-of-view coordinate system. The uvw field-of-view coordinate system of the virtual camera 14 in the virtual space 11 is defined to be linked to the uvw field-of-view coordinate system of the HMD 120 in the real space (real coordinate system). Therefore, when the inclination of the HMD 120 changes, the inclination of the virtual camera 14 also changes accordingly. The virtual camera 14 can also move in the virtual space 11 in conjunction with the movement of the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 in the real space.

The processor 210 of the computer 200 defines the field of view 15 in the virtual space 11 based on the position and tilt (reference line of sight 16) of the virtual camera 14. The visual field area 15 corresponds to an area in the virtual space 11 that is visually recognized by the user 5 wearing the HMD 120. That is, the position of the virtual camera 14 can be said to be the viewpoint of the user 5 in the virtual space 11.

The line of sight of the user 5 detected by the gaze sensor 140 is a direction in the viewpoint coordinate system when the user 5 visually recognizes an object. The uvw field-of-view coordinate system of the HMD 120 is equal to the viewpoint coordinate system when the user 5 visually recognizes the monitor 130. The uvw field-of-view coordinate system of the virtual camera 14 is linked to the uvw field-of-view coordinate system of the HMD 120. Therefore, the HMD system 100 according to a certain aspect can regard the line of sight of the user 5 detected by the gaze sensor 140 as the line of sight of the user 5 in the uvw field of view coordinate system of the virtual camera 14.

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

In one aspect, the gaze sensor 140 detects each line of sight of the user 5's right and left eyes. In a certain aspect, when the user 5 is looking near, the gaze sensor 140 detects the lines of sight R1 and L1. In another aspect, when the user 5 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 axis w is smaller than the angle formed by the lines of sight R1 and L1 with respect to the roll axis 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 detection result of the line of sight, the computer 200 identifies the gaze point N1 which is the intersection of the lines of sight R1 and L1 based on the detected values. On the other hand, when the computer 200 receives the detected values of the lines of sight R2 and L2 from the gaze sensor 140, the computer 200 identifies the intersection of the lines of sight R2 and L2 as the gaze point. The computer 200 identifies the line of sight N0 of the user 5 based on the position of the specified gazing point N1. The computer 200 detects, for example, the extending direction of the straight line passing through the midpoint of the straight line connecting the right eye R and the left eye L of the user 5 and the gazing point N1 as the line of sight N0. The line of sight N0 is the direction in which the user 5 actually directs the line of sight with both eyes. The line of sight N0 corresponds to the direction in which the user 5 actually directs the line of sight with respect to the field of view area 15.

In another aspect, the 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 11.

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

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

As shown in FIG. 6, the field of view region 15 in the YZ cross section includes the region 18. The region 18 is defined by the position of the virtual camera 14, the reference line of sight 16, and the YZ cross section of the virtual space 11. The processor 210 defines a range including the polar angle α centered on the reference line of sight 16 in the virtual space as a region 18.

As shown in FIG. 7, the field of view region 15 in the XZ cross section includes the region 19. The region 19 is defined by the position of the virtual camera 14, the reference line of sight 16, and the XZ cross section of the virtual space 11. The processor 210 defines a range including the azimuth β centered on the reference line of sight 16 in the virtual space 11 as a region 19. The polar angles α and β are determined according to the position of the virtual camera 14 and the inclination (orientation) of the virtual camera 14.

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

As described above, the inclination of the virtual camera 14 corresponds to the line of sight (reference line of sight 16) of the user 5 in the virtual space 11, and the position where the virtual camera 14 is arranged corresponds to the viewpoint of the user 5 in the virtual space 11. Therefore, by changing the position or tilt of the virtual camera 14, the image displayed on the monitor 130 is updated and the field of view of the user 5 is moved.

While wearing the HMD 120, the user 5 can visually recognize only the panoramic image 13 developed in the virtual space 11 without visually recognizing the real world. Therefore, the HMD system 100 can give the user 5 a high sense of immersion in the virtual space 11.

In a certain aspect, the processor 210 may move the virtual camera 14 in the virtual space 11 in conjunction with the movement of the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 in the real space. In this case, the processor 210 identifies an image region (field of view region 15) projected onto the monitor 130 of the HMD 120 based on the position and tilt of the virtual camera 14 in the virtual space 11.

In some aspects, the virtual camera 14 may include two virtual cameras, a virtual camera for providing an image for the right eye and a virtual camera for providing an image for the left eye. Appropriate parallax is set for the two virtual cameras so that the user 5 can recognize the three-dimensional virtual space 11. In another aspect, the virtual camera 14 may be realized by one virtual camera. In this case, an image for the right eye and an image for the left eye may be generated from the image obtained by one virtual camera. In the present embodiment, the virtual camera 14 includes two virtual cameras, and the roll axis (w) generated by synthesizing the roll axes of the two virtual cameras is adapted to the roll axis (w) of the HMD 120. The technical idea of the present disclosure is illustrated as being configured as such.

[controller]
An example of the controller 300 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a controller 300 according to an embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 8, in some aspects, the controller 300 may include a right controller 300R and a left controller (not shown). The right controller 300R is operated by the right hand of the user 5. The left controller is operated by the left hand of the user 5. In a certain aspect, the right controller 300R and the left controller are symmetrically configured as separate devices. Therefore, the user 5 can freely move the right hand holding the right controller 300R and the left hand holding the left controller. In another aspect, the controller 300 may be an integrated controller that accepts operations of both hands. Hereinafter, the right controller 300R will be described.

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

The grip 310 includes buttons 340, 350 and a motion sensor 420. The button 340 is arranged on the side surface of the grip 310 and accepts an operation by the middle finger of the right hand. The button 350 is arranged in front of the grip 310 and accepts an operation by the index finger of the right hand. In one aspect, the buttons 340,350 are configured as trigger-type buttons. The motion sensor 420 is built in the housing of the grip 310. If the movement of the user 5 can be detected from around the user 5 by a camera or other device, the grip 310 may not include the motion sensor 420.

The frame 320 includes a plurality of infrared LEDs 360 arranged along its circumferential direction. The infrared LED 360 emits infrared rays as the program progresses during the execution of the program using the controller 300. The infrared rays emitted from the infrared LED 360 can be used to detect each position and orientation (tilt, orientation) of the right controller 300R and the left controller. In the example shown in FIG. 8, infrared LEDs 360 arranged in two rows are shown, but the number of arrays is not limited to that shown in FIG. An array with one or more columns may be used.

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

In one aspect, the right controller 300R and the left controller include batteries for driving the infrared LED 360 and other components. Batteries include, but are not limited to, rechargeable, button type, dry cell type and the like. In another aspect, the right controller 300R and the left controller may be connected to, for example, the USB interface of computer 200. In this case, the right controller 300R and the left controller do not require batteries.

As shown in the states (A) and (B) of FIG. 8, for example, the yaw, roll, and pitch directions are defined with respect to the right hand of the user 5. When the user 5 extends the thumb and the 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.

[Server hardware configuration]
The server 600 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server 600 according to a certain embodiment. The server 600 includes a processor 610, a memory 620, a storage 630, an input / output interface 640, and a communication interface 650 as main components. Each component is connected to bus 660, respectively.

The processor 610 executes a series of instructions contained in the program stored in the memory 620 or the storage 630 based on the signal given to the server 600 or the condition that a predetermined condition is satisfied. In some aspects, the processor 610 is implemented as a CPU, GPU, MPU, FPGA or other device.

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

Storage 630 permanently holds programs and data. The storage 630 is realized as, for example, a ROM, a hard disk device, a flash memory, or other non-volatile storage device. The program stored in the storage 630 may include a program for providing a virtual space in the HMD system 100, a simulation program, a game program, a user authentication program, and a program for realizing communication with the computer 200. The data stored in the storage 630 may include data, objects, and the like for defining the virtual space.

In another aspect, the storage 630 may be realized as a removable storage device such as a memory card. In yet another aspect, a configuration using programs and data stored in an external storage device may be used instead of the storage 630 built into the server 600. According to such a configuration, for example, in a scene where a plurality of HMD systems 100 are used such as an amusement facility, it is possible to update programs and data at once.

The input / output interface 640 communicates a signal with the input / output device. In some aspects, the input / output interface 640 is implemented using USB, DVI, HDMI® and other terminals. The input / output interface 640 is not limited to the above.

The communication interface 650 is connected to the network 2 and communicates with the computer 200 connected to the network 2. In some aspects, the communication interface 650 is implemented as, for example, a LAN or other wired communication interface, or a WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC or other wireless communication interface. The communication interface 650 is not limited to the above.

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

[HMD control device]
The control device of the HMD 120 will be described with reference to FIG. In certain embodiments, the control device is implemented by a computer 200 having a well-known configuration. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a computer 200 according to an embodiment as a module configuration.

As shown in FIG. 10, the computer 200 includes a control module 510, a rendering module 520, a memory module 530, and a communication control module 540. In some aspects, the control module 510 and the rendering module 520 are implemented by the processor 210. In another aspect, the plurality of processors 210 may operate as the control module 510 and the rendering module 520. The memory module 530 is realized by the memory 220 or the storage 230. The communication control module 540 is realized by the communication interface 250.

The control module 510 controls the virtual space 11 provided to the user 5. The control module 510 defines the virtual space 11 in the HMD system 100 by using the virtual space data representing the virtual space 11. The virtual space data is stored in, for example, the memory module 530. The control module 510 may generate virtual space data or acquire virtual space data from a server 600 or the like.

The control module 510 arranges an object in the virtual space 11 by using the object data representing the object. The object data is stored in, for example, the memory module 530. The control module 510 may generate object data or acquire object data from a server 600 or the like. The objects are, for example, an avatar object that is the alter ego of the user 5, a character object, an operation object such as a virtual hand operated by the controller 300, a landscape including forests, mountains, etc. arranged as the story of the game progresses, a cityscape, and animals. Etc. may be included.

The control module 510 arranges the avatar object of the user 5 of another computer 200 connected via the network 2 in the virtual space 11. In one aspect, the control module 510 places the user 5's avatar object in the virtual space 11. In a certain aspect, the control module 510 arranges an avatar object imitating the user 5 in the virtual space 11 based on the image including the user 5. In another aspect, the control module 510 arranges in the virtual space 11 an avatar object that has been selected by the user 5 from among a plurality of types of avatar objects (for example, an animal-like object or a deformed human object). To do.

The control module 510 identifies the inclination of the HMD 120 based on the output of the HMD sensor 410. In another aspect, the control module 510 identifies the tilt of the HMD 120 based on the output of the sensor 190, which functions as a motion sensor. The control module 510 detects organs (for example, mouth, eyes, eyebrows) constituting the face of the user 5 from the images of the face of the user 5 generated by the first camera 150 and the second camera 160. The control module 510 detects the movement (shape) of each detected organ.

The control module 510 detects the line of sight of the user 5 in the virtual space 11 based on the signal from the gaze sensor 140. The control module 510 detects the viewpoint position (coordinate value in the XYZ coordinate system) at which the detected line of sight of the user 5 and the celestial sphere in the virtual space 11 intersect. More specifically, the control module 510 detects the viewpoint position based on the line of sight of the user 5 defined by the uvw coordinate system and the position and inclination of the virtual camera 14. The control module 510 transmits the detected viewpoint position to the server 600. In another aspect, the control module 510 may be configured to transmit gaze information representing the gaze of the user 5 to the server 600. In such a case, the viewpoint position can be calculated based on the line-of-sight information received by the server 600.

The control module 510 reflects the movement of the HMD 120 detected by the HMD sensor 410 on the avatar object. For example, the control module 510 detects that the HMD 120 is tilted and tilts and arranges the avatar object. The control module 510 reflects the detected movement of the facial organ on the face of the avatar object arranged in the virtual space 11. The control module 510 receives the line-of-sight information of the other user 5 from the server 600 and reflects it in the line-of-sight of the avatar object of the other user 5. In a certain aspect, the control module 510 reflects the movement of the controller 300 on the avatar object and the operation object. In this case, the controller 300 includes a motion sensor, an acceleration sensor, a plurality of light emitting elements (for example, infrared LEDs), and the like for detecting the movement of the controller 300.

The control module 510 arranges an operation object for receiving the operation of the user 5 in the virtual space 11 in the virtual space 11. By operating the operation object, the user 5 operates, for example, an object arranged in the virtual space 11. In a certain aspect, the operation object may include, for example, a hand object which is a virtual hand corresponding to the hand of the user 5. In a certain aspect, the control module 510 moves the hand object in the virtual space 11 so as to be linked to the movement of the user 5's hand in the real space based on the output of the motion sensor 420. In some aspects, the manipulation object can correspond to the hand portion of the avatar object.

When each of the objects arranged in the virtual space 11 collides with another object, the control module 510 detects the collision. The control module 510 can detect, for example, the timing at which the collision area of one object and the collision area of another object touch each other, and when the detection is made, a predetermined process is performed. The control module 510 can detect the timing when the object and the object are separated from the touching state, and when the detection is made, a predetermined process is performed. The control module 510 can detect that the object is in contact with the object. For example, when the operation object touches another object, the control module 510 detects that the operation object touches the other object, and performs a predetermined process.

In one aspect, the control module 510 controls the image display on the monitor 130 of the HMD 120. For example, the control module 510 arranges the virtual camera 14 in the virtual space 11. The control module 510 controls the position of the virtual camera 14 in the virtual space 11 and the inclination (orientation) of the virtual camera 14. The control module 510 defines the field of view 15 according to the inclination of the head of the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 and the position of the virtual camera 14. The rendering module 520 generates a field of view image 17 to be displayed on the monitor 130 based on the determined field of view area 15. The field of view image 17 generated by the rendering module 520 is output to the HMD 120 by the communication control module 540.

When the control module 510 detects an utterance using the microphone 170 of the user 5 from the HMD 120, the control module 510 identifies the computer 200 to which the voice data to be transmitted corresponding to the utterance is transmitted. The voice data is transmitted to the computer 200 identified by the control module 510. When the control module 510 receives voice data from another user's computer 200 via the network 2, the control module 510 outputs the voice (utterance) corresponding to the voice data from the speaker 180.

The memory module 530 holds data used by the computer 200 to provide the virtual space 11 to the user 5. In a certain aspect, the memory module 530 holds spatial information, object information, and user information.

Spatial information holds one or more templates defined to provide the virtual space 11.

The object information includes a plurality of panoramic images 13 constituting the virtual space 11 and object data for arranging the objects in the virtual space 11. The panoramic image 13 may include a still image and a moving image. The panoramic image 13 may include an image in the unreal space and an image in the real space. Examples of images in unreal space include images generated by computer graphics.

The user information holds a user ID that identifies the user 5. The user ID may be, for example, an IP (Internet Protocol) address or a MAC (Media Access Control) address set in the computer 200 used by the user. In another aspect, the user ID may be set by the user. The user information includes a program for operating the computer 200 as a control device of the HMD system 100 and the like.

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

The communication control module 540 may communicate with the server 600 and other information communication devices via the network 2.

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

The processing in the computer 200 is realized by the hardware and the software executed by the processor 210. Such software may be pre-stored in a hard disk or other memory module 530. The software may be stored on a CD-ROM or other computer-readable non-volatile data recording medium and distributed as a program product. Alternatively, the software may be provided as a downloadable program product by an information provider connected to the Internet or other networks. Such software is read from a data recording medium by an optical disk drive or other data reader, or downloaded from a server 600 or other computer via a communication control module 540, and then temporarily stored in a storage module. .. The software is read from the storage module by the processor 210 and stored in RAM in the form of an executable program. The processor 210 executes the program.

[Control structure of HMD system]
The control structure of the HMD set 110 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a sequence chart showing a part of the processing performed in the HMD set 110 according to an embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 11, in step S1110, the processor 210 of the computer 200 specifies the virtual space data as the control module 510 and defines the virtual space 1.

In step S1120, the processor 210 initializes the virtual camera 14. For example, the processor 210 arranges the virtual camera 14 in a predetermined center 12 in the virtual space 11 in the work area of the memory, and directs the line of sight of the virtual camera 14 in the direction in which the user 5 is facing.

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

In step S1132, the monitor 130 of the HMD 120 displays the field of view image based on the field of view image data received from the computer 200. The user 5 wearing the HMD 120 can recognize the virtual space 11 when he / she visually recognizes the field of view image.

In step S1134, the HMD sensor 410 detects the position and tilt of the HMD 120 based on the plurality of infrared rays emitted from the HMD 120. The detection result is output to the computer 200 as motion detection data.

In step S1140, the processor 210 identifies the visual field direction of the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 based on the position and the inclination included in the motion detection data of the HMD 120.

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

In step S1160, the controller 300 detects the operation of the user 5 based on the signal output from the motion sensor 420, and outputs the detection data representing the detected operation to the computer 200. In another aspect, the operation of the controller 300 by the user 5 may be detected based on an image from a camera arranged around the user 5.

In step S1170, the processor 210 detects the operation of the controller 300 by the user 5 based on the detection data acquired from the controller 300.

In step S1180, the processor 210 generates the field of view image data based on the operation of the controller 300 by the user 5. The generated field of view image data is output to the HMD 120 by the communication control module 540.

In step S1190, the HMD 120 updates the field of view image based on the received field of view image data, and displays the updated field of view image on the monitor 130.

[Avatar Object]
An avatar object according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 12A and 12B. Hereinafter, it is a figure explaining the avatar object of each user 5 of the HMD set 110A, 110B. Hereinafter, the user of the HMD set 110A is referred to as a user 5A, the user of the HMD set 110B is referred to as a user 5B, the user of the HMD set 110C is referred to as a user 5C, and the user of the HMD set 110D is referred to as a user 5D. A is added to the reference code of each component related to the HMD set 110A, B is added to the reference code of each component related to the HMD set 110B, and C is added to the reference code of each component related to the HMD set 110C. A D is added to the reference code of each component with respect to 110D. For example, the HMD 120A is included in the HMD set 110A.

FIG. 12A is a schematic diagram showing a situation in which each HMD 120 provides the virtual space 11 to the user 5 in the network 2. The computers 200A to 200D provide the virtual spaces 11A to 11D to the users 5A to 5D via the HMD 120A to 120D, respectively. In the example shown in FIG. 12A, the virtual space 11A and the virtual space 11B are composed of the same data. In other words, the computer 200A and the computer 200B share the same virtual space. In the virtual space 11A and the virtual space 11B, the avatar object 6A of the user 5A and the avatar object 6B of the user 5B exist. The avatar object 6A in the virtual space 11A and the avatar object 6B in the virtual space 11B are each equipped with the HMD 120, but this is for the sake of clarity, and in reality, these objects are equipped with the HMD 120. Not.

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

FIG. 12B is a diagram showing a field of view image 17A of the user 5A in FIG. 12A. The field of view image 17A is an image displayed on the monitor 130A of the HMD 120A. The field of view image 17A is an image generated by the virtual camera 14A. The avatar object 6B of the user 5B is displayed in the field of view image 17A. Although not particularly shown, the avatar object 6A of the user 5A is also displayed in the field of view image of the user 5B.

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

The operation of the user 5B (the operation of the HMD 120B and the operation of the controller 300B) is reflected in the avatar object 6B arranged in the virtual space 11A by the processor 210A. As a result, the user 5A can recognize the operation of the user 5B through the avatar object 6B.

FIG. 13 is a sequence chart showing a part of the processing executed in the HMD system 100 according to the present embodiment. Although the HMD set 110D is not shown in FIG. 13, the HMD set 110D operates in the same manner as the HMD sets 110A, 110B, and 110C. Also in the following description, A is added to the reference code of each component related to the HMD set 110A, B is added to the reference code of each component related to the HMD set 110B, and C is added to the reference code of each component related to the HMD set 110C. It shall be attached and D shall be attached to the reference code of each component relating to the HMD set 110D.

In step S1310A, the processor 210A in the HMD set 110A acquires the avatar information for determining the operation of the avatar object 6A in the virtual space 11A. This avatar information includes information about the avatar such as motion information, face tracking data, and voice data. The motion information includes information indicating a temporal change in the position and inclination of the HMD 120A, information indicating the hand motion of the user 5A detected by the motion sensor 420A or the like, and the like. The face tracking data includes data for specifying the position and size of each part of the face of the user 5A. Examples of the face tracking data include data indicating the movement of each organ constituting the face of the user 5A and line-of-sight data. Examples of the voice data include data indicating the voice of the user 5A acquired by the microphone 170A of the HMD 120A. The avatar information may include information that identifies the avatar object 6A or the user 5A associated with the avatar object 6A, information that identifies the virtual space 11A in which the avatar object 6A exists, and the like. Examples of the information that identifies the avatar object 6A and the user 5A include a user ID. Information that identifies the virtual space 11A in which the avatar object 6A exists includes a room ID. The processor 210A transmits the avatar information acquired as described above to the server 600 via the network 2.

In step S1310B, the processor 210B in the HMD set 110B acquires the avatar information for determining the operation of the avatar object 6B in the virtual space 11B and transmits it to the server 600, as in the process in step S1310A. Similarly, in step S1310C, the processor 210C in the HMD set 110C acquires the avatar information for determining the operation of the avatar object 6C in the virtual space 11C and transmits it to the server 600.

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

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

In step S1330A, the processor 210A in the HMD set 110A updates the information of the avatar object 6B and the avatar object 6C of the other users 5B and 5C in the virtual space 11A. Specifically, the processor 210A updates the position and orientation of the avatar object 6B in the virtual space 11 based on the motion information included in the avatar information transmitted from the HMD set 110B. For example, the processor 210A updates the information (position, orientation, etc.) of the avatar object 6B included in the object information stored in the memory module 530. Similarly, the processor 210A updates the information (position, orientation, etc.) of the avatar object 6C in the virtual space 11 based on the motion information included in the avatar information transmitted from the HMD set 110C.

In step S1330B, the processor 210B in the HMD set 110B updates the information of the avatar objects 6A, 6C of the users 5A, 5C in the virtual space 11B, as in the process in step S1330A. Similarly, in step S1330C, the processor 210C in the HMD set 110C updates the information of the avatar objects 6A, 6B of the users 5A, 5B in the virtual space 11C.

[Detailed configuration of module]
The details of the module configuration of the computer 200 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of a module of the computer 200 according to an embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 14, the control module 510 includes a virtual camera control module 1421, a view area determination module 1422, a reference line-of-sight identification module 1423, a facial organ detection module 1424, a motion detection module 1424, and a virtual space definition. It includes a module 1425, a virtual object generation module 1426, a shield target identification module 1427, a virtual object control module 1428, and an operation object control module 1429. The rendering module 520 includes a field of view image generation module 1438. The memory module 530 holds spatial information 1431, object information 1432, and user information 1433.

The virtual camera control module 1421 arranges the virtual camera 14 (virtual viewpoint) in the virtual space 11. The virtual camera control module 1421 controls the arrangement position of the virtual camera 14 in the virtual space 11 and the orientation (tilt) of the virtual camera 14. The field of view area determination module 1422 defines the field of view area 15 (field of view) according to the orientation of the head of the user wearing the HMD 120 and the arrangement position of the virtual camera 14. The field of view image generation module 1438 generates a field of view image 17 to be displayed on the monitor 130 based on the determined field of view area 15 and the virtual space data described later.

The reference line-of-sight identification module 1423 identifies the line-of-sight of the user 5 based on the signal from the gaze sensor 140. The motion detection module 1424 detects the organs (for example, mouth, eyes, eyebrows) constituting the face of the user 5 from the images of the face of the user 5 generated by the first camera 150 and the second camera 160, and each of them Detects the movement (shape) of an organ.

The virtual space definition module 1425 defines the virtual space 11 in the HMD system 100 by generating virtual space data representing the virtual space 11.

The virtual object generation module 1426 generates one or more virtual objects arranged in the virtual space 11. Virtual objects can include, for example, members, structures and people, but are not limited to these, including forests, mountains and other landscapes, animals and the like that are arranged as the story of the game progresses. Further, the virtual object includes an avatar object described later.

The shield target identification module 1427 identifies a target to be shielded by a shield object described later. The shielding target may be at least a part (shielding target portion) of the above-mentioned virtual object such as a person, or may be the entire virtual object. Further, the shielding target may be an object that appears on the 360-degree image. Objects displayed on a 360-degree image may include, for example, members, structures, and people, but are not limited to these, and may include landscapes including forests, mountains, and animals, animals, and the like. The shielding target identification module 1427 may specify the shielding target portion of the virtual object when the virtual object generation module 1426 generates the virtual object or after the virtual object is generated.

The virtual object control module 1428 arranges the shielding target and the shielding object (first object) for shielding the shielding target in the virtual space 11. The virtual object control module 1428 controls the placement of the first object (eg, including at least one of its position and tilt) so that the shielded object is shielded by the first object when the field of view includes a shielded object. .. Here, the shielding object (first object) is an object that can shield the shielding target, and for example, a so-called mosaic image or an image colored such as black so that the shielding target can be shielded. Including. Further, the shielding object may be an object imitating a member having a flat or three-dimensional shape, and the member may include frosted glass or another translucent member having a high refractive index.

The virtual object control module 1428 generates data for arranging the avatar objects of the users of other computers 200 connected via the network 2 in the virtual space 11. In one aspect, the virtual object control module 1428 generates data for arranging the user 5's avatar object in the virtual space 11. In one aspect, the virtual object control module 1428 creates an avatar object that mimics the user 5 based on an image that includes the user 5. In another aspect, the virtual object control module 1428 selects an avatar object that has been selected by the user 5 from a plurality of types of avatar objects (for example, an object imitating an animal or a deformed human object) in the virtual space 11 Generate data to place in.

The virtual object control module 1428 reflects the movement of the HMD 120 detected by the HMD sensor 410 on the avatar object. For example, the virtual object control module 1428 detects that the HMD 120 is tilted and generates data for tilting and arranging the avatar object. In one aspect, the virtual object control module 1428 reflects the movement of the controller 300 on the avatar object. In this case, the controller 300 includes a motion sensor, an acceleration sensor, a plurality of light emitting elements (for example, infrared LEDs), and the like for detecting the movement of the controller 300. The virtual object control module 1428 reflects the movement of the facial organ detected by the motion detection module 1424 on the face of the avatar object arranged in the virtual space 11. That is, the virtual object control module 1428 reflects the facial movement of the user 5A on the avatar object.

The operation object control module 1429 arranges an operation object for receiving a user's operation in the virtual space 11 in the virtual space 11. By manipulating the operation object, the user can move, for example, the shielding target arranged in the virtual space 11. The operation object control module 1429 associates the operation object with the shielded object (second object) having the shielded target portion arranged in the virtual space 11. The virtual object control module 1428 controls the arrangement of the occluded object associated with the operation object according to the movement of the operation object by the operation object control module 1429. The virtual object control module 1428 arranges the shielding object so that the shielding target portion is shielded by the shielding object (first object) in response to the change in the arrangement of the shielding target portion due to the movement of the shielded object. You may control it.

In some aspects, the operating object may include, for example, a hand object corresponding to the hand of the user wearing the HMD 120. In some aspects, the manipulation object may correspond to the hand portion of the avatar object described above. For example, the operation object control module 1429 moves a hand object corresponding to the hand of a user wearing the HMD 120 in response to the movement of the control roller 300 shown in FIG. Collision areas are set for each of the hand object and the occluded object in the virtual space, and when both collision areas come into contact with each other, it is determined that the hand object and the occluded object are in contact with each other. Further, when the bending of the finger of the user's hand is detected by pressing the various buttons 340, 350, 370, 380, etc. of the controller 300 shown in FIG. 8, the finger of the hand object also bends. For example, when the hand object and the occluded object are in contact with each other, the occluded object can be grasped by the hand object by bending the finger of the user's hand. Then, when the arrangement of the hand object is controlled while the shielded object is grasped by the hand object, the arrangement of the shielded object also changes in accordance with the change in the arrangement of the hand object. As a result, the user can operate the controller 300 to grasp or move the shielded object by the hand object in the virtual space.

When each of the objects arranged in the virtual space 11 collides with another object, the control module 510 detects the collision. The control module 510 can detect, for example, the timing at which a certain object and another object touch each other, and when the detection is made, a predetermined process is performed. The control module 510 can detect the timing when the object and the object are separated from the touching state, and when the detection is made, a predetermined process is performed. The control module 510 can detect that the object is in contact with the object. Specifically, the operation object control module 1428 detects that the operation object touches the other object when the operation object touches the other object, and performs a predetermined process. ..

The memory module 530 holds data used by the computer 200 to provide the virtual space 11 to the user 5. In a certain aspect, the memory module 530 holds spatial information 1431, object information 1432, and user information 1433.

Spatial information 1431 holds one or more templates defined to provide the virtual space 11.

The object information 1432 holds the content to be reproduced in the virtual space 11, the object used in the content, and the information (for example, position information) for arranging the object in the virtual space 11. The content may include, for example, a game, content representing a landscape similar to that of the real world, and the like.

The user information 1433 holds a program for operating the computer 200 as a control device of the HMD system 100, an application program for using each content held in the object information 1432.

[Control structure of HMD system]
The control structure of the HMD set 110 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 15 is a sequence chart showing a part of the processing performed in the HMD set 110 according to an embodiment. Since steps S110 to S1140 and steps S1160 to S1190 in FIG. 15 are the same processes as steps S110 to S1140 and steps S1160 to S1190 in FIG. 11, description thereof will be omitted.

In step S1550, the processor 210 executes the application program and specifies a shield target among one or a plurality of virtual objects arranged in the virtual space 11 based on the instructions included in the application program. Further, the processor 210 may specify at least a part of the shielded object as a shielded target portion.

In step S1560, the processor 210 executes the application program and controls the arrangement of the shield object so that the shield object is shielded by the shield object in the virtual space 11 based on the instruction included in the application program.

FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining the control of shielding the shielded object 8A (shielding target) by the shielding object 8C. FIG. 16A is a view showing the field of view region 15 seen from the Y direction in the virtual space including the shielded object 8A, and a view showing the field of view image 17B seen from the virtual camera 14. FIG. 16B is a view showing the field of view region 15 seen from the Y direction in the virtual space including the shielded object 8A and the shielded object 8C, and a view image 17B seen from the virtual camera 14. In the example of FIG. 16B, as compared with the example of FIG. 16A, the virtual camera 14 and the cover are covered in the Z-axis direction so that the shielded object 8A is shielded by the shield object 8C when viewed from the virtual camera 14. A shield object 8C is newly placed between the shield object 8A and the shield object 8A. The shielding object 8C has a shape having a plane S. The placement of the shield object is performed according to the control of the virtual object control module 1428 shown in FIG.

The virtual object control module 1428 also controls the orientation of the shielding object (first object), for example, controlling the plane S of the shielding object 8C to be perpendicular to the Z-axis direction of the virtual camera 14. In this case, a wide range of shielding can be realized as compared with the case where the plane S is not perpendicular to the Z-axis direction of the virtual camera 14.

FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining control for the shielded object 8C to follow the movement of the shielded object 8A (shielded object) and always shield the shielded object 8A. FIG. 17A is a view of the virtual space including the shielded object 8A and the shielded object 8C from the Y direction, and a view image of the shielded object 8A seen from the virtual camera 14 being shielded by the shielded object 8C. It is a figure which shows.

FIG. 17B shows a state after the shielded object 8A has moved from the example shown in FIG. 17A, and the field of view region is in the Y direction in the virtual space including the shielded object 8A and the shielded object 8C. It is a figure which shows the view | view | view | view | view | view | view | view | view | view | view | view | view | view | view | and the view image seen from the virtual camera 14. The shielded object 8A has moved from the position shown in FIG. 17 (A) to the position shown in FIG. 17 (B). Following this movement, the shielded object 8C also moves under the control of the virtual object control module 1428 so that the shielded object 8A is shielded by the shielded object 8C. At this time, the shielding object 8C may be moved while always maintaining the positional relationship in which the plane S of the shielding object 8C is perpendicular to the Z-axis direction of the virtual camera 14. In this example, an example in which the shielded object 8C follows the moved shielded object 8A has been described, but the shielded object 8A does not move, but as a result of the virtual camera 14 moving, it is covered from the shielded range by the shielded object 8C. When the shield object 8A is about to come off, the shield object 8C may be moved to maintain the shield state.

Various methods can be adopted for controlling the arrangement of the shielding object 8C. For example, the virtual object control module 1428 may employ billboard control. The virtual object control module 1428 controls, for example, the shield object 8C so that the plane of the shield object 8C having a plane is always perpendicular to the line-of-sight direction of the virtual camera 14. That is, the virtual object control module 1428 controls the shield object 8C so that the plane of the shield object 8C having a plane always faces the front when viewed from the user 5 shown in FIG.

According to this configuration, the shielded object 8A is appropriately shielded by the shielded object 8C even when the arrangement of at least one of the virtual camera 14 and the shielded object 8A is changed.

FIG. 18A is a view of the field of view region viewed from the Y direction in the virtual space including the shielded object and the shielded object. FIG. 18B shows a state in which the distance between the virtual camera and the shielded object is larger than that in the example of FIG. 18A. As shown in each figure, in the virtual object control module 1428 shown in FIG. 14, the distance of the shield object (first object) to the shield object 8A (shield target) in the Z direction (depth direction) is set between the virtual camera 14 and the cover. The arrangement of the shielding object is controlled so that the distance from the shielding object 8A corresponds to the distance in the Z direction. For example, the virtual object control module 1428 is shielded when the distance between the virtual camera 14 and the shielded object 8A is long (from L3 in FIG. 18 (A) to L4 in FIG. 18 (B)). The distance between the object 8A and the shielding object 8C is controlled from L1 to L2, which is longer than L1. More specifically, when determining the distance L2, the virtual object control module 1428 refers to the following equation indicating the ratio of the distance between the virtual camera 14 and the occluded object 8A. The method of calculating the distance L2 of the virtual object control module 1428 is not limited to the method of referring to the following equation.
[formula]
L2 = (distance L4 between the virtual camera 14 and the occluded object 8A / distance L3 between the virtual camera 14 and the occluded object 8A) × L1

According to this configuration, the distance between the shielded object 8A and the shielded object 8C is dynamically controlled according to the distance between the virtual camera 14 and the shielded object 8A, so that the virtual camera 14 and the shielded object 8C are shielded. The occluded object 8A is appropriately shielded by the occluded object 8C regardless of the change in the distance from the object 8A.

The virtual object control module 1428 controls the distance between the shielded object 8A and the shielded object 8C according to the distance between the virtual camera 14 and the shielded object 8A, and instead of controlling the distance between the shielded object 8A and the shielded object 8C, the shape of the shielded object 8C. May be controlled. Further, the virtual object control module 1428 controls the distance between the shielded object 8A and the shielded object 8C according to the distance between the virtual camera 14 and the shielded object 8A, and in addition, the shielded object 8C You may control the shape of. The virtual object control module 1428 may not only control the position of the shielding object 8C, but may further control the inclination of the shielding object 8C.

According to this configuration, the shape of the occluded object 8C is controlled according to the distance between the virtual camera 14 and the occluded object 8A. Therefore, the change in the distance between the virtual camera 14 and the occluded object 8A is required. Instead, the shielded object 8A is appropriately shielded by the shielded object 8C.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a field view image 17D in which the face (shielded target portion) of the shielded object 8A is shielded by the shielded object 8C. As shown in FIG. 19, the shielding object 8C may employ a circular member in which a “?” Is arranged at the center of the circle in order to shield the face of the shielded object 8A. The shielding object 8C is not limited to this, and may be a virtual object that imitates a member having a plane or a three-dimensional shape. The member may include frosted glass or another translucent member having a high refractive index, which can shield at least a part of the object to be shielded 8A. Further, the shielding object 8C may include a mosaic image showing a picture or an iconography in which small pieces are gathered together, or an image colored such as black so that at least a part of the shielded object 8A can be shielded.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the view image, the shielded object is controlled to be arranged between the virtual camera and the shielded object so that the shielded object portion of the shielded object is shielded by the shielded object. .. Therefore, for example, depending on the attributes such as the age of the player, it is possible to sufficiently respond to the request that a specific part of the virtual object displayed in the VR space constituting the game needs to be concealed. As described above, according to the present embodiment, the virtual experience of the user can be improved.

Each of the above embodiments is for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and does not limit the interpretation of the present invention. The present invention can be modified / improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and the present invention also includes equivalents thereof.

In the virtual object control module 1428 shown in FIG. 14, for example, the avatar object 6B associated with the user 5B wearing the HMD 120B shown in FIG. 12 may be a shielded object. In this case, the virtual object control module 1428 acquires motion data for operating the avatar object 6B from the computer 200B, and operates the avatar object 6B according to the acquired motion data. Then, the virtual object control module 1428 increases the shielding target portion to be shielded by the shielding object in response to the change in the arrangement of the shielding target portion which is at least a part of the avatar object 6B with the movement of the avatar object 6B. You may control the placement of the occluded objects. Here, the case where the shielded object is the avatar object 6B that operates in conjunction with the movement of the user B has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the shielded object is an avatar object controlled by NPC (Non Player Character). There may be.

The virtual object control module 1428 may control the display form of the shield object at an arbitrary timing. Further, the virtual object control module 1428 displays the shielding object (first object) before the predetermined condition is satisfied in the first aspect, and the shielding object after the predetermined condition is satisfied is a shielding target than in the first aspect. It is displayed in the second aspect in which the degree of shielding is low. Here, the mode in which the degree of shielding is low includes a mode in which the shielding range is narrow, a mode in which the transmittance of the shielding portion is high, and the like. Predetermined conditions include, for example, conditions relating to at least one of the progress of the game configured by the virtual space, billing in the game, and use of items in the game. Specifically, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, an event in the game is cleared, billing (for example, cash or electronic money is paid, money is thrown, etc.) is executed in the game, or , Including the consumption of items in the game (including billing items obtained by paying cash, electronic money, etc.).

This embodiment can also be applied to the following games. For example, in the sample version and beta version, the predetermined shielded part is shielded, but when the regular version is obtained, the shield of the part is released, the game that hits the shielded part by the mosaic, and it is charged. A game in which the mosaic is gradually released according to the progress of another game or event, or a game in which the mosaic is released as a reward for clearing the game or event. Can be mentioned.

The above-mentioned field-of-view image is a 360-degree moving image, and the virtual object included in the field-of-view image may correspond to a person or the like included in the 360-degree moving image. For example, the computer 200 executes an image recognition process on the 360-degree moving image, and includes it in the 360-degree moving image based on predetermined setting information, for example, setting information indicating that the head of a person is shielded in advance. At least a part of the part to be shielded may be specified, such as a person to be shielded. Further, the 360-degree moving image may be photographed with a marker or the like attached to a position to be shielded in advance based on predetermined setting information, and may be acquired and recorded as image data by being photographed.

On the other hand, the computer 200 may specify at least a part of the shielding target portion such as a person included in the 360-degree moving image based on the instruction from the user. For example, the user may confirm at least a part of the part to be shielded such as a person included in the 360-degree moving image while checking the 360-degree moving image on a monitor or another display device, and give an instruction to the computer 200. The user may notify the computer of the shielded portion by designating the shielded portion on the display device. Further, the computer 200 may specify the shielding target portion by detecting the user's line of sight using a line-of-sight sensor such as a gaze sensor mounted on the HMD.

FIG. 20 displays a field of view image (first field of view image) in which the shielded object portion of the shielded object is not shielded by the shielded object in the HMD set, and the shielded object portion of the shielded object is displayed in another HMD set. Is a diagram showing an example of displaying a field of view image (second field of view image) shielded by a shielding object. The HMD set 110A associated with the user 5 shown in FIG. 1 generates a field image in which the shield object 8C is arranged between the virtual camera (not shown) and the shielded object 8A, and the shield object 8C in the view image is generated. Identify the location information PI of. The position information PI is information indicating the position of the shielding object 8C, and in the example of FIG. 20, the outer circumference of the shielding object 8C is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this, and coordinate information such as the center point of the shielding object 8C is used. It may be.

Then, as shown in FIG. 20, the HMD set 110A displays, for example, the display form of the shielding object 8C in a transparent state, that is, the field of view image 17E in which the shielding object 8C is hidden in the HMD 120A. Regarding the display form of the shield object 8C, since it is sufficient that the shielded object 8A can be visually recognized, not only the display form of the shield object 8C is made transparent, but also the display form of the shield object 8C is made semitransparent, and other display forms. A display form can be adopted.

Further, the HMD set 110A transmits a field of view image and a position information PI in which the shielding object 8C is arranged between the virtual camera and the shielded object 8A to the HMD set associated with another user. Therefore, in the HMD 120B of the HMD set associated with another user, the field of view image 17F in which the shielding object 8C is arranged between the virtual camera and the shielded object 8A is displayed. The field of view image 17F may be displayed not on the HMD120B but on another display device that can be visually recognized by one or a plurality of users other than the user 5.

According to this configuration, when displaying a field of view image on its own HMD or display device, even if it is not necessary to conceal a specific part of a virtual object, it is properly concealed from other users. It is possible to do.

In the above embodiment, the virtual space (VR space) in which the user is immersed by the HMD has been illustrated and described, but a transparent HMD may be adopted as the HMD. In this case, augmented reality (AR) space or mixed reality (AR) space or mixed reality (AR) space or mixed reality (AR) space or mixed reality (AR) space or mixed reality (AR) space or mixed reality (AR) MR: Mixed Reality) A virtual experience in space may be provided to the user. In this case, instead of the operation object, an action on the target object in the virtual space may be generated based on the movement of the user's hand. Specifically, the processor may specify the coordinate information of the position of the user's hand in the real space, and may define the position of the target object in the virtual space in relation to the coordinate information in the real space. As a result, the processor can grasp the positional relationship between the user's hand in the real space and the target object in the virtual space, and can execute the process corresponding to the collision control described above between the user's hand and the target object. .. As a result, it becomes possible to give an action to the target object based on the movement of the user's hand.

2 ... network, 5 ... user, 6A, 6B ... avatar object, 8A ... shielded object, 8C ... shielded object, 11, 11A, 11B, 11C, 11D ... virtual space, 12 ... center, 13 ... panoramic image, 14 ... Virtual camera, 15 ... view area, 16 ... reference line of sight, 17, 17A, 17B, 17C, 17D, 17E, 17F ... view image, 18 ... area, 19 ... area, 100 ... HMD system, 110, 110A, 110B, 110C , 110 D ... HMD set, 120 ... HMD, 130 ... monitor, 140 ... gaze sensor, 150 ... first camera, 160 ... second camera, 170 ... microphone, 180 ... speaker, 190 ... sensor, 200, 200A, 200B, 200C, 200D ... Computer, 210 ... Processor, 220 ... Memory, 230 ... Storage, 240 ... Input / Output Interface, 250 ... Communication Interface, 260 ... Bus, 300 ... Controller, 300R ... Right Controller, 310 ... Grip, 320 ... Frame, 330 ... top surface, 340 ... button, 350 ... button, 360 ... infrared LED, 370 ... button, 380 ... button, 390 ... analog stick, 410 ... HMD sensor, 420 ... motion sensor, 430 ... display, 510 ... control module, 520 ... Rendering module, 530 ... Memory module, 540 ... Communication control module, 600 ... Server, 610 ... Processor, 620 ... Memory, 630 ... Storage, 640 ... Input / output interface, 650 ... Communication interface, 660 ... Bus, 700 ... External Equipment, 1421 ... Virtual camera control module, 1422 ... View area determination module, 1423 ... Reference line-of-sight identification module, 1424 ... Motion detection module, 1425 ... Virtual space definition module, 1426 ... Virtual object generation module, 1427 ... Shielding target identification module, 1428 ... Virtual object control module, 1429 ... Operation object control module, 1431 ... Spatial information, 1432 ... Object information, 1433 ... User information, 1438 ... Visibility image generation module, 1620 ... Visual axis

Claims (11)

On the computer
A step of defining a virtual space including a virtual viewpoint, a shield target, and a first object, and a step of defining a field of view from the virtual viewpoint.
When the field of view includes the shielded object, a step of controlling the arrangement of the first object so that the shielded object is shielded by the first object.
A program for executing a step of generating a field of view image corresponding to the field of view. Further, the computer is made to perform the step of controlling the arrangement of the shielded object.
In the step of controlling the arrangement of the first object, the arrangement of the first object is controlled so that the shielding target is shielded by the first object in response to the change in the arrangement of the shielding target. including,
The program according to claim 1. The virtual viewpoint is associated with the first user and
The first user has a head mount device associated with it.
The computer is further made to perform a step of controlling the field of view from the virtual viewpoint according to the movement of the head of the first user.
The step of controlling the arrangement of the first object includes controlling the arrangement of the first object so that the shielding target is shielded by the first object in response to the change in the field of view.
Further causing the computer to perform the step of displaying the field of view image on the head-mounted device.
The program according to claim 2. The virtual space contains a second object.
The shielding target is a shielding target portion that constitutes at least a part of the second object.
Further, the computer is made to perform a step of acquiring motion data for operating the second object.
The step of controlling the arrangement of the shielding target includes operating the second object according to the motion data.
In the step of controlling the arrangement of the first object, the shielding target portion is shielded by the first object in response to the change in the arrangement of the shielding target portion with the movement of the second object. The program according to claim 2 or 3, which comprises controlling the arrangement of the first object. The virtual space includes an operation object and a second object.
The shielding target is a shielding target portion that constitutes at least a part of the second object.
A step of controlling the movement of the operation object according to the movement of a part of the body of the first user,
Further causing the computer to perform the step of associating the operation object with the second object.
The step of controlling the arrangement of the shielded object includes moving the associated second object in response to the movement of the operating object.
In the step of controlling the arrangement of the first object, the shielding target portion is shielded by the first object in response to the change in the arrangement of the shielding target portion with the movement of the second object. The program according to any one of claims 2 to 4, which comprises controlling the arrangement of the first object. The first object has a plane and
In the step of controlling the arrangement of the first object, the first object is arranged between the virtual viewpoint and the shielding target in the depth direction of the virtual viewpoint, and the plane is in the depth direction of the virtual viewpoint. The program according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which controls the arrangement of the first object so that the objects are arranged in the vertical direction. In the step of controlling the arrangement of the first object, the distance in the depth direction of the first object with respect to the shielding target is set to be a distance corresponding to the distance in the depth direction between the virtual viewpoint and the shielding target. Control the placement of the first object,
The program according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The first object before the predetermined condition is satisfied is displayed in the first aspect, and the first object after the predetermined condition is satisfied is displayed in the second aspect in which the degree of shielding of the shielding target is lower than that in the first aspect. Have the computer perform further steps to display.
The program according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The step of generating the field of view image generates a first field of view image corresponding to the field of view and not including the first object, and a second field of view image corresponding to the field of view and including the first object. Including doing
The step of displaying on the head-mounted device includes displaying the first field of view image on the head-mounted device.
The program according to claim 3, wherein the computer further performs a step of displaying the second field of view image on a display device different from the head-mounted device. The computer
A step of defining a virtual space including a virtual viewpoint, a shield target, and a first object, and a step of defining a field of view from the virtual viewpoint.
When the field of view includes the shielded object, a step of controlling the arrangement of the first object so that the shielded object is shielded by the first object.
An information processing method for executing a step of generating a field of view image corresponding to the field of view. A virtual space definition unit that defines a virtual space including a virtual viewpoint, a shield target, and a first object,
The field of view definition unit that defines the field of view from the virtual viewpoint,
When the shielding target is included in the field of view, an arrangement control unit that controls the arrangement of the first object so that the shielding object is shielded by the first object.
An information processing device including a field of view image generation unit that generates a field of view image corresponding to the field of view.

Images