JP2023033300A - Virtual image display program, virtual image display system and virtual image display method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide information while controlling the loss of a feeling of devotion to a virtual space.

SOLUTION: By executing a virtual image display program, a control unit 21 of a game processing device 20 is functioned as: a gaze position specification unit that specifies a gaze position specified from a position and orientation of a predetermined portion of a player's body based on a detection result of a sensor 12; a spatial image output unit that displays, on a display 14, an image of a virtual space according to the gaze position of the player; and an information providing unit that outputs, to the display 14, provision information which is information to be provided to the player in association with a moving body which is an object located in a second area and moves in the virtual space when the gaze position moves from the first area to the second area in the virtual space.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

COPYRIGHT: (C)2023,JPO&INPIT

Description

Patent Act Article 30, Paragraph 2 application filed September 9, 2015 https://www. youtube. com/watch? Published at v=E9hgxgk3Gn0

Patent Act Article 30, Paragraph 2 application filed September 9, 2015 http://tgs. gree. Published on net/exhibitions/vr

Patent Law Article 30, Paragraph 2 application filed September 10, 2015 https://www. youtube. com/watch? Published at t=107&v=WFZwNc1Fc1M

The present invention relates to a virtual image display program, a virtual image display system, and a virtual image display method for displaying an image of virtual space on a display.

2. Description of the Related Art A virtual reality game is known in which an image of a virtual space is displayed on a head-mounted display (HMD) worn on the head of a player (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The HMD has, for example, a gyro sensor or the like, and can detect the movement of the player's head. When the player moves his/her head, the HMD changes the image displayed on the display following the movement of the head. In this way, the game image follows the movement of the head, so that the player can concentrate more on the game. That is, it is possible to enhance the sense of immersion in the game.

JP-A-7-200162

In a virtual reality game, as in other games, there are cases where information is provided such as display of hints for the progress of the game, display of menu items, and the like. However, if the information provision execution button is displayed together with the image of the virtual space, the sense of immersion in the virtual space is greatly impaired. It should be noted that such problems are not limited to virtual reality games, but are generally common to techniques for displaying images of virtual space on a display.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide information while suppressing loss of a sense of immersion in a virtual space.

A virtual image display program for solving the above-described problem is a virtual image display program for displaying an image on the display using a control unit, a detection device for specifying the position and orientation of a predetermined part of a player's body, and a display. an image display program, wherein the control unit is a gaze position specifying unit that specifies a gaze position specified from the position and orientation of a predetermined part of the body of the player based on the detection result of the detection device; A spatial image output unit that displays an image on the display in accordance with the gaze position of the player; It functions as an information providing unit that outputs provided information, which is information provided to the player in association with the player.

With respect to the virtual image display program, the information providing unit, when satisfying the information providing condition that the gaze position moves from the first area to the second area in the virtual space, the Preferably, the provided information is output in association with the mobile object.

In the virtual image display program, it is preferable that the information providing unit displays the provided information in a moving direction of the moving body.
In the virtual image display program, it is preferable that the information providing unit displays the provided information on the moving body.

In the virtual image display program, it is preferable that the control unit further functions as an application progress unit that progresses a game in which the player accomplishes a mission.

In the virtual image display program, it is preferable that the first area is an area where the player can play the game, and the second area is an area outside the first area.

In the above virtual image display program, the control unit may be an object specifying unit that specifies an object corresponding to the gaze position among the objects located in the first area, and a gaze time in which the gaze position is associated with the object. preferably further functions as a selection unit that selects the object when reaches a predetermined time.
With respect to the virtual image display program, the information provision unit further provides information provision conditions when it is determined that the motion of the player's head is one of a plurality of predetermined motions. , preferably displaying the menu items of said application.

A virtual image display system for solving the above problems is a virtual image display system for displaying an image on the display using a detection device for specifying the position and orientation of a predetermined part of the player's body and a display. a gaze position specifying unit that specifies a gaze position specified from the position and orientation of a predetermined part of the player's body based on the detection result of the detection device; and information provided to the player in association with a moving body, which is an object moving in the virtual space, when the gaze position satisfies an information provision condition. and an information providing unit that outputs the provided information.
A virtual image display method for solving the above problems uses a control unit, a detection device for specifying the position and orientation of a predetermined part of the player's body, and a display to display an image on the display. An image display method, wherein the control unit specifies a gaze position specified from the position and orientation of a predetermined part of the player's body based on the detection result of the detection device; a spatial image output step of displaying an image on the display according to the gaze position of the player; and an information provision step of outputting provision information, which is information provided to the player in association.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide information while suppressing loss of immersive feeling.

Schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of the system of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a gameable area in the virtual space of the first embodiment; 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of game progress processing according to the first embodiment; 4 is a flow chart showing the procedure of information providing processing according to the first to fourth embodiments; 4 is a schematic diagram showing an image displayed on the display of the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is an image displayed on the display of the first embodiment, and is a schematic diagram showing a state where a hint is displayed. 8A and 8B are images displayed on the display of the second embodiment, in which (a) shows a state in which a target object is being gazed at, and (b) shows a state in which a hint is displayed;

(First embodiment)
A first embodiment of a virtual image display program, a virtual image display device, and a virtual image display method will be described below. In this embodiment, the virtual image display device is embodied as a game processing device that progresses the game while displaying the image of the virtual space. In this game, it is assumed that the player wears a head mounted display (HMD) on the head.

A configuration of a system having an HMD 10 and a game processing device 20 will be described with reference to FIG. First, the configuration of the HMD 10 connected to the game processing device 20 will be described. The HMD 10 includes an HMD control section 11 , a sensor 12 as a detection device, and an input/output interface section (I/F section) 13 . The HMD control unit 11 outputs various information to the game processing device 20 via the input/output I/F unit 13 and inputs various information from the game processing device 20 . The sensor 12 corresponds to a detection device for identifying the position and orientation of the player's head. The sensor 12 includes at least one of, for example, a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, etc., and detects movement of the player's head. As another embodiment, the sensor 12 may be a sensor that directly detects the movement of the player's eyeball, for example, a line-of-sight sensor that detects near-infrared rays entering the iris and detecting the reflected light. . Here, in this embodiment, the player's head corresponds to the predetermined part of the player's body of the present invention.

The HMD 10 also includes a display 14 for displaying images and a speaker 15 for outputting audio. For example, the display 14 displays an image viewed by the left eye and an image viewed by the right eye with parallax. This allows the player to visually recognize a stereoscopic image with a sense of depth. HMD control unit 11 displays on display 14 an image corresponding to an image signal received from game processing device 20 via input/output I/F unit 13 . The speaker 15 is a headphone or the like, and outputs sound effects, sound explaining the progress of the game, and the like.

Next, the configuration of the game processing device 20 will be described. The game processing device 20 includes a control section 21 , a storage section 22 and an input/output section 23 . The control unit 21 is composed of hardware elements such as a CPU, RAM, and ROM. The control unit 21 also includes a gaze position specifying unit 24 , a game management unit 25 , a spatial image output unit 26 and an information providing unit 27 . In this embodiment, the control unit 21 functions as a gaze position specifying unit 24, a game management unit 25, a spatial image output unit 26, and an information providing unit 27 by causing hardware elements to execute a virtual image display program.

The storage unit 22 stores virtual space image information 30 , object information 31 , provision condition information 32 , gaze position information 33 , gaze time information 34 , and provision information 35 .
The virtual space image information 30 is data for drawing the background of the virtual space and the image of the object. Objects include target objects, which are selectable objects, and non-selectable objects. A target object can be selected by the player's continuous gaze for a predetermined period of time.

The object information 31 is information indicating attributes of an object. Specifically, the object information 31 includes the identifier of the object, the coordinates of the object in the virtual space, the type of object, and the selection state of the object. The object type is information indicating whether the object is the target object or other objects. The selection state of an object is information indicating whether or not the object is selected when the object is the target object.

The provision condition information 32 is information that defines information provision conditions, which are conditions for providing information to the player. In this embodiment, the provision condition information 32 is information defining that the gaze position of the player is outside the gameable area set in the virtual space when the elapsed time from the start of the game is longer than a certain period of time. An example will be given. The gameable area is an area in which the player can select target objects by gaze, and includes all target objects. For example, the provision condition information 32 includes coordinate information of the gameable area. Also, when the information providing condition is satisfied, the player is provided with a hint regarding the progress of the game.

The gaze position information 33 is information indicating the specified gaze position of the player in the coordinates of the virtual space. The gaze time information 34 is information indicating how long the player continues to gaze at the target object. The provided information 35 includes information indicating the contents of hints for clearing the mission of the game.

The gaze position specifying unit 24 inputs the detection signal of the sensor 12 from the HMD control unit 11 of the HMD 10 worn by the player via the input/output unit 23 . Further, the gaze position specifying unit 24 specifies the gaze position corresponding to the input detection signal by the coordinates of the virtual space, and updates the gaze position information 33 based on the specified gaze position.

The game management unit 25 compares the gaze position information 33 and the object information 31 to determine whether or not the gaze position is on the target object. When determining that the gaze position is on the target object, the game management unit 25 measures the time (gazing time) during which the player continues to gaze at the target object, and generates gaze time information 34 based on the gaze time. Update. In addition, the game management unit 25 determines whether or not the gaze time indicated by the gaze time information 34 has reached a predetermined time (for example, 3 seconds). is determined to be complete.

The game management unit 25 also determines whether or not the mission of the game has been completed. For example, the game management unit 25 determines that the mission has been completed on the condition that a predetermined number of objects whose selection has been completed exist within the time limit of the game. The game management unit 25 determines that the game is over when the elapsed time from the start of the game reaches the time limit without a predetermined number of target objects for which selection has been completed.

Furthermore, the game management unit 25 determines whether or not the information provision condition is satisfied based on the provision condition information 32 . In this embodiment, as the information provision condition, the elapsed time from the start of the game exceeds a certain period of time, and the gaze position of the player is outside the gameable area. The certain period of time is set, for example, by a predetermined period of time such that there is only a short amount of time left before the time limit, or by an average amount of time required for the player to complete the mission. When the game management section 25 determines that the information provision condition is satisfied, the game management section 25 outputs an output request for the provision information 35 to the information provision section 27 .

The game management unit 25 also extracts sound information such as sound effects and sounds explaining the progress of the game from a sound information storage unit (not shown), and transmits the extracted sound information to the HMD 10 via the input/output unit 23 .

The spatial image output unit 26 extracts the virtual space image information 30 of the visual field range centered on the coordinates indicated by the gaze position information 33 and transmits it to the HMD 10 as an image signal. Also, the spatial image output unit 26 displays a character corresponding to the player in the virtual space. Furthermore, when the game management unit 25 determines that the target object has been selected, the spatial image output unit 26 changes the display mode of the selected target object.

The information providing unit 27 reads the provided information 35 when the hint display request output from the game management unit 25 is input. Then, a display corresponding to the provided information 35 is output to the display 14 and displayed superimposed on the virtual space image.

Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the object selection function of the game processing device 20 will be described.
The gaze position specifying unit 24 inputs the detection signal of the sensor 12 from the HMD 10 and specifies the position and orientation of the player's 101 head according to the detection signal. Specifically, the gaze position specifying unit 24 determines the position and orientation of the head by adjusting the X-axis along the horizontal direction, the pitch θp indicating the rotation direction about the X-axis, the Y-axis and Y-axis along the vertical direction. Yaw θy indicating the direction of rotation about the axis, Z-axis along the depth direction, and roll θr indicating the direction of rotation about the Z-axis are calculated in three axial directions and angles around each axis.

The gaze position specifying unit 24 specifies the gaze position P1 of the player 101 in the virtual space based on the calculated position and orientation of the head. A known method can be used to specify the gaze position. For example, the gaze position specifying unit 24 virtually sets a straight line connecting the left eye position and the right eye position, and extends in a direction orthogonal to the straight line and passes through the middle point of the left eye position and the right eye position. and Further, the gaze position specifying unit 24 specifies the intersection of the line-of-sight direction D1 and the object 102 (or the background) as the gaze position P1. If the sensor 12 detects movement of the eyeball or detects reflected light from within the iris, the line-of-sight direction is specified based on the movement of the eyeball or the reflected light.

Also, a gameable area 105 is provided in the virtual space. A gameable area 105 is set around the character corresponding to the player. Since all the target objects 103 are included in this gameable area 105, the gaze position P1 is located in the gameable area 105 when the target object 103 is selected by gaze.

The spatial image output unit 26 extracts the virtual space image information 30 of the visual field range centered on the gaze position, and transmits the virtual space image information 30 to the HMD control unit 11 as an image signal. The HMD control unit 11 outputs an image corresponding to the received virtual space image information 30 to the display 14 .

(Game progress processing)
Next, referring to FIG. 3, the game progress processing will be described. The termination condition of this process is that either the mission clear condition is met or the elapsed time from the start of the game reaches the time limit. This process is repeated until the termination condition is met. Note that the elapsed time is measured by the game management unit 25 based on the system time and the like using the clock signal of the CPU and the like until the game ends.

When the game is started, the control unit 21 identifies the gaze position of the player (step S1). Specifically, the gaze position specifying unit 24 of the control unit 21 specifies the gaze position of the player by the method described above, and updates the gaze position information 33 with the specified gaze position.

The control unit 21 uses the gaze position information 33 to determine whether or not the selection of the target object has been completed (step S2). Specifically, the game management unit 25 of the control unit 21 reads out the object information 31 and gaze position information 33 of the target object from the storage unit 22, compares the coordinates of the target object and the gaze position, and determines whether the gaze position is the target object. Determine if it exists on the object.

When the gaze position exists on the target object, the game management unit 25 measures the gaze time using the system time or the like, and updates the gaze time information 34 with the measured gaze time. The game management unit 25 determines that the selection has been completed when the gaze time reaches the predetermined time.

When the gaze position is out of the target object before the gaze time reaches the predetermined time, the game management unit 25 determines that the selection of the target object is not completed ("NO" in step S2). , the gaze time is reset, and the process returns to step S1.

When the game management unit 25 determines that the selection of the target object is completed ("YES" in step S2), it updates the selection status of the object information 31 to "selection completed", and proceeds to step S3. At this time, the spatial image output unit 26 changes the display mode of the selected target object.

When the selection of the target object is completed, the control unit 21 determines whether or not the mission clear condition is satisfied (step S3). Specifically, the game management unit 25 of the control unit 21 refers to the selection status of the object information 31 and determines whether or not there are a predetermined number of objects whose selection has been completed within the time limit of the game. .

When the number of target objects for which selection has been completed is equal to or greater than the predetermined number, the control unit 21 determines that the mission clear condition is met ("YES" in step S3). In this case, the end condition of the game progress processing is satisfied, so the game ends.

When the number of selected target objects is less than the predetermined number, the control unit 21 determines that the mission clear condition is not satisfied ("NO" in step S3), and returns to step S1. Specifically, when the game management unit 25 of the control unit 21 determines that the mission clear condition is not satisfied, the gaze position is specified in step S1.

(Information provision processing)
Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the processing procedure of the information provision processing will be described. In this embodiment, this process is a process that is executed in parallel independently of the game progress process.

The termination condition of this process is that either the mission clear condition is met or the elapsed time counted from the start of the game before the mission is cleared reaches the time limit. This process is repeated until the termination condition is met.

The control unit 21 of the game processing device 20 determines whether or not the information providing condition is satisfied (step S10). Specifically, the game management unit 25 of the control unit 21 determines whether or not the elapsed time has reached a predetermined time and the gaze position is outside the gameable area.

For this reason, the game management unit 25 acquires the elapsed time and determines whether or not the elapsed time has reached a predetermined time. When determining that the elapsed time has reached the predetermined time, the game management unit 25 reads the gaze position information 33 and the provision condition information 32 from the storage unit 22, and determines whether or not the gaze position is outside the game available area. . When determining that the gaze position is outside the gameable area, the game management unit 25 assumes that the information providing condition is satisfied.

If it is determined that the information provision condition is met ("YES" in step S10), the control unit 21 executes information provision (step S11). Specifically, the game management section 25 of the control section 21 outputs an information provision request to the information provision section 27 . The information provision unit 27 receives the information provision request, reads the provision information 35 from the storage unit 22 , and outputs the provided information 35 to the HMD 10 .

On the other hand, if the information provision condition is not satisfied ("NO" in step S10), the control unit 21 repeats the determination of whether or not the information provision condition is satisfied (step S10).
This information providing process may be linked with the game progress process. For example, when the selection of the target object is completed in the game progress process ("YES" in step S2), or when it is determined that the mission clear condition is met ("YES" in step S3), the information You may reset the elapsed time measured to perform an offering. Alternatively, based on the determination of the completion of selection of the target object in the information providing process (step S2), instead of the elapsed time from the start of the game, the time during which no target object is selected from the start of the game is used, and the time is fixed. The information providing condition may be that the time has passed and the gaze position is outside the gameable area.

(display image)
Next, images displayed on the display 14 of the HMD 10 during the progress of the game will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. The virtual space images shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 are schematically shown regardless of the visual field range of the HMD 10. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, the display 14 of the HMD 10 displays a virtual space image 110 based on the virtual space image information 30 and centered on the gaze position. A target object 103 is displayed in the gameable area 105 of the virtual space image 110 . Note that an object 106 other than the target object 103 may be displayed in this gameable area 105 .

As shown in FIG. 6 , when the gaze position is outside the gameable area 105 , an information providing display 111 is output superimposed on the virtual space image 110 outside the gameable area 105 . The information provision display 111 displays the content of hints based on the provision information 35 . Since the information providing display 111 is superimposed on the virtual space image 110 outside the gameable area, the information providing display 111 does not overlap the target object. Therefore, information can be provided without interfering with the selection of the target object. In addition, since the information provision display 111 is not displayed until the elapsed time exceeds a predetermined time, it is possible to prevent the player from being annoyed by frequent information provision.

In FIG. 6, a moving object 112, which is a bird moving outside the gameable area 105, is displayed holding an information providing display 111 with hints written thereon. That is, the information providing display 111 moves according to the moving speed and moving direction of the moving body 112 . The moving object 112 and the information providing display 111 are drawn as objects existing in the virtual space with image attributes such as brightness and color tone matched to the virtual space image. By causing the object in the virtual space to hold the information providing display 111 in this manner, information can be provided without impairing the sense of immersion in the virtual space.

In this way, when the gaze position is out of the gameable area, it is determined that the selection of the target object is not performed smoothly, and the information providing display 111 is displayed. Therefore, information can be provided to the player at an appropriate timing. In addition, by providing information based on the movement of the gaze position in this way, it is possible to omit an information provision execution button and the like. Therefore, loss of the sense of immersion in the virtual space can be suppressed.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) In the first embodiment, information is provided on the condition that the movement of the player's gaze position matches the information provision condition, so there is no need to display an information provision execution button on the image of the virtual space. do not have. Therefore, it is possible to provide information while suppressing the loss of the sense of immersion in the virtual space.

(2) In the first embodiment, information is provided when the player's gaze position is out of the gameable area including all the target objects. That is, the information can be provided when the selection of the target object is interrupted, for example, when the player is uncertain about the progress of the game, etc. Therefore, the information can be provided at an appropriate timing.

(3) In the first embodiment, hints are displayed on objects (moving objects) that move in the virtual space. Since the player focuses on the moving object, it is possible to make the player focus on the hint in a natural manner.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the virtual image display program, the virtual image display device, and the virtual image display method will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 7. FIG. Since the second embodiment has a configuration in which a part of the information provision processing of the first embodiment is changed, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the information providing condition is that the player stops gazing at the target object without completing the selection of the target object, and that the gazing position is out of the game possible area after stopping the player's gazing. Different from the embodiment.

The information providing process will be described with reference to FIG. The termination condition of this process is that either the mission clear condition is met or the elapsed time counted from the start of the game before the mission is cleared reaches the time limit. This process is repeated until the termination condition is met.

The control unit 21 of the game processing device 20 determines whether or not the information providing condition is satisfied (step S10). Specifically, the game management unit 25 of the control unit 21 reads the gaze position information 33 and the object information 31 from the storage unit 22 and determines whether or not the gaze position is on the target object. If the gaze position is outside the target object, the game management unit 25 determines that the information providing condition is not satisfied ("NO" in step S10), and repeats the determination in step S10.

When it is determined that the player has gazed at the target object, the game management unit 25 acquires the gaze time, and determines whether the gaze position has moved out of the game possible area before the gaze time reaches a predetermined time for selecting the target object. to judge whether If the gaze position is on the target object, the game management unit 25 determines that the information provision condition is not satisfied ("NO" in step S10), and repeats the determination in step S10.

On the other hand, the game management unit 25 provides information when the gaze position is out of the gameable area before the gaze time of the target object reaches the predetermined time (step S11).
An image displayed on the display 14 of the HMD 10 while the game is in progress will be described with reference to FIG. Note that the virtual space image shown in FIG. 7 is schematically shown regardless of the visual field range of the HMD 10 .

As shown in FIG. 7( a ), when the player gazes at the target object 103 displayed in the virtual space image 110 , the space image output unit 26 displays the gauge 120 superimposed on the target object 103 . The gauge 120 displays the passage of time from the start of gaze until a predetermined time.

As shown in FIG. 7B, when the gaze position of the target object 103 is out of the gameable area 105, the information providing display 111 is output.
In FIG. 7B, the information providing display 111 is displayed in the moving direction of the bird, which is the moving object 112 . It is easier for the player to focus on the moving object 112 than on a stationary object. Therefore, by displaying the information provision display 111 ahead of the movement direction of the moving object 112, the player can easily notice the information provision display 111. FIG. In addition, since the information provision display 111 is displayed in a static state, the player can easily confirm the contents of the information provision display 111 .

As described above, in the present embodiment, as the information providing condition, the player stopped gazing without completing the selection of the target object, and after stopping gazing, the gaze position became outside the game possible area. behavior is specified. Therefore, it is possible to more accurately determine the player's situation by considering a plurality of actions.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, in addition to the effects described in the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(4) In the second embodiment, the information providing condition is that the player's gaze position has moved outside the target object and out of the gameable area before the selection of the target object is completed. Accordingly, information can be provided when the target object cannot be selected, so information can be provided at an appropriate timing.

(5) In the second embodiment, the information providing display 111 is output in the moving direction of the moving body 112, such as a bird, which is an object in the virtual space and moves in the virtual space. As a result, it is possible to output information provision without impairing the feeling of being immersed in the virtual space.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the virtual image display program, the virtual image display device, and the virtual image display method will be described with reference to FIG. Since the third embodiment has a configuration in which a part of the information provision processing of the first embodiment is changed, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the information provision condition is that before the mission is cleared, the range of motion of the player's body is out of the standard range of motion of the predetermined body when selecting the target object. This is different from the first embodiment in that. The predetermined part of the player's body is the head. A standard head movement range for selecting a target object is defined in advance. Note that in the present embodiment, the gameable area may not be set.

The player's head movement range indicates the range of head movement since the game was started. Also, the movement range of the player's head is defined as the range of pitch θp, yaw θy, and roll θr, which indicate angular coordinates, for example. The predetermined head movement range is recorded in the storage unit 22 while being included in the provision condition information 32, for example.

If the player's head movement range is narrower than the defined reference range, the player's gaze range may be too narrow. On the other hand, if the range of movement of the player's head is wider than the defined reference range, the player cannot complete the mission even though the player's gaze range is sufficiently wide. or the player may not be able to find the target object. In this way, when the player's head movement range is too narrow or too wide, a hint about the progress of the game is provided to prompt the player to clear the mission.

The information providing process will be described with reference to FIG. The termination condition of this process is that either the mission clear condition is met or the elapsed time counted from the start of the game before the mission is cleared reaches the time limit. This process is repeated until the termination condition is met.

The control unit 21 of the game processing device 20 determines whether or not the information providing condition is satisfied (step S10). Specifically, the game management unit 25 of the control unit 21 calculates the movement range of the player's head. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the player's head movement history has been accumulated since the start of the game. Also, the game management unit 25 reads the provision condition information 32 and determines whether or not the player's head movement range is outside the reference range included in the provision condition information 32 . For example, it is assumed that the reference range included in the provision condition information 32 is a range defined for each of the three rotation directions described above.

When the player's head movement range is outside the reference range in at least one direction of rotation, the game management unit 25 determines that the player's head movement range is outside the reference range. .

When determining that the information provision condition is not satisfied ("NO" in step S10), the control unit 21 repeats the determination of the information provision condition (step S10). Specifically, the game management unit 25 of the control unit 21 determines that the information provision condition is not satisfied when the range of movement of the player's head is outside the reference range in at least one direction of rotation. The determination of step S10 is repeated.

On the other hand, when the control unit 21 determines that the information provision condition is satisfied ("YES" in step S10), information provision is executed (step S11). Specifically, when the movement range of the player's head is within the reference range in all rotation directions, the game management unit 25 determines that the information provision condition is satisfied, and executes information provision. .

As described above, according to the third embodiment, in addition to the effects described in the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(6) In the third embodiment, the information providing condition is that the range of movement of the player's head deviates from the defined reference range. As a result, the information providing condition is met when the player's gaze position is too narrow or too wide, so information can be provided at an appropriate timing.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment of the virtual image display program, the virtual image display device, and the virtual image display method will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, since 4th Embodiment is the structure which changed a part of information provision process of 1st Embodiment, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected about the same part and the detailed description is abbreviate|omitted.

This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the information providing condition is that the movement of a predetermined part of the player's body corresponds to a prescribed predetermined action. The predetermined part of the player's body is the head. In this embodiment, the predetermined motion is an unstable and peculiar motion that is different from the normal head motion of the player when selecting a target object, such as a restless look or a rushed look.

Here, the movement of the player's head is represented by the average movement speed of the player's head, the maximum or minimum value of the movement speed of the player's head, the number of times the movement direction changes per unit time, and the like. The movement speed of the player's head is calculated from the position and orientation of the head specified by the control unit 21 of the game processing device 20 . The provision condition information 32 defines a predetermined motion of the player's head. Specifically, the provision condition information 32 defines a peculiar movement of the head that is different from when the target object is selected.

The information providing process will be described with reference to FIG. The end condition of this process is that either the mission clear condition is met or the elapsed time counted from the start of the game before the mission is cleared reaches the time limit. This process is repeated until the termination condition is satisfied.

The control unit 21 of the game processing device 20 determines whether or not the information provision condition is satisfied (step S10). Specifically, the game management unit 25 of the control unit 21 uses the position and orientation of the player's head calculated according to the detection signal input from the sensor 12 to determine, for example, the average moving speed of the player's head. The motion of the player's head is calculated. Then, the game management unit 25 reads out the provision condition information 32 and determines whether or not the calculated movement of the player's head corresponds to the predetermined movement of the player's head included in the provision condition information 32. .

When determining that the information providing condition is not satisfied ("NO" in step S10), the control unit 21 repeats the determination of the information providing condition (step S10). Specifically, the game management unit 25 of the control unit 21 determines that the information provision condition is not satisfied when the calculated movement of the player's head does not correspond to the predetermined motion included in the provision condition information 32. , the determination of step S10 is repeated.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the information provision condition is satisfied ("YES" in step S10), the control section 21 executes information provision (step S11). Specifically, the game management unit 25 of the control unit 21 determines that the information provision condition is established when the calculated movement of the player's head corresponds to a predetermined action included in the provision condition information 32. , to provide information.

As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, in addition to the effects described in the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(7) In the fourth embodiment, the information providing condition is that the movement of the player's head corresponds to the predetermined motion recorded in the storage unit 22 . As a result, the information providing condition is met when the player is hesitant, and information can be provided at an appropriate timing.

It should be noted that each of the above-described embodiments can be modified as appropriate and implemented as follows.
- In each of the above embodiments, the gameable area is an area that includes all the target objects, but it may be an area that includes at least a predetermined number of target objects for clearing the mission.

- In each of the above embodiments, objects include selectable target objects and non-selectable objects, but all objects displayed in the virtual space may be selectable objects.

- In each of the above-described embodiments, the mission clear condition of the game is that there are a predetermined number of target objects whose selection has been completed within the time limit of the game, but other conditions may be used. For example, the timing of selecting the target object may match preset timing, or the same target object may be selected a predetermined number of times.

- In the first embodiment, the information providing display 111 is displayed as a piece of paper held by a bird, which is a moving object, and this piece of paper is also moved along with the moving object. In addition to this, the information providing display 111 may be, for example, a moving body other than a bird, such as a vehicle such as an airplane, a creature such as a butterfly, or a moving body that moves in a virtual space such as fallen leaves. In addition, hints regarding the progress of the game may be written on the moving bodies themselves, or the information providing display 111 may be held by the moving bodies. Also, a piece of paper falling in the virtual space may be used as a moving object, and hints may be displayed on the piece of paper.

- In the first embodiment, the information provision display 111 is not displayed until the elapsed time exceeds a certain period of time. Alternatively, the information providing display 111 may simply be displayed when the gaze position is out of the gameable area.

- In the above-described second embodiment, the information providing display 111 is displayed on condition that the player's gaze position is out of the gameable area without completing the selection of the target object. In addition to this, the information providing display 111 may be displayed when the player's gaze position is outside the target object even if it is within the gameable area while the selection of the target object is not completed.

- In the above-described third embodiment, the range of motion of the head is represented by three rotation directions, but may be represented by variables other than these. For example, the range of movement of the head is based on the position and orientation of the head when the player is facing the horizontal direction, and is "90 degrees to the left, 90 degrees to the right," "30 degrees to the top, and 30 degrees to the bottom." 30°”.

- In the above-described third embodiment, when the player's head movement range is outside the reference range in at least one direction of rotation, it is determined that the head movement range is outside the reference range. Alternatively, if the player's head movement range is outside the reference range in all rotation directions, it may be determined that the head movement range is outside the reference range.

- In the third embodiment, the information provision condition is that the range of movement of the player's head is outside the standard range of movement of the head when selecting a target object. In the fourth embodiment, the information providing condition is that the movement of the player's head corresponds to a specified prescribed action. The "movement of the head" in these information providing conditions may be replaced with the "gazing position". That is, the information provision condition of the third embodiment may be such that the range of motion of the gaze position is outside the standard range of motion of the gaze position when selecting the target object. The information provision condition of the fourth embodiment may be such that the movement of the gaze position corresponds to a specified predetermined action.

- In each of the above-described embodiments, hints related to the game are displayed as information provision, but information other than this may be provided. For example, information such as menu items, scores, character status, remaining game play time, and game progress stages may be provided.

・In the information provision condition of the first embodiment or the information provision condition of the second embodiment, the information provision condition of the third embodiment "Before clearing the mission, the range including the movement of the head is , out of the reference range” may be added. Alternatively, the information provision condition of the first embodiment or the information provision condition of the second embodiment may be replaced with the information provision condition of the fourth embodiment, that is, "movement of the head corresponds to a predetermined action." may be added. Alternatively, both the information provision condition of the third embodiment and the information provision condition of the fourth embodiment may be added to the information provision condition of the first embodiment or the information provision condition of the second embodiment. Even in this way, it is possible to provide information while suppressing the loss of the feeling of being immersed in the virtual space.

- In each of the above-described embodiments, information is provided by outputting an information provision display on the display 14 . In addition to this, when the information provision condition is satisfied, the information may be provided by a voice, a warning sound, or the like, regarding the content of the hint.

- The HMD control unit 11 may calculate the position and orientation of the head based on the detection signal from the sensor 12 . In this way, it is possible to provide the HMD 10 with some of the functions of the game processing device 20 described in each of the above embodiments.

・In each of the above embodiments, the gaze position of the player is calculated based on the position and orientation of the player's head. You may do so. Also, for example, the line-of-sight direction may be calculated based on the position and orientation of the nose or the position and orientation of the mouth, and the gaze position may be specified from the line-of-sight direction. The direction of the nose and mouth may be defined as the direction from the back of the head to the nose or mouth, for example.

- In each of the above embodiments, the virtual image display device is embodied as a game processing device, but the virtual image display device may be applied to a virtual reality system for other purposes. For example, it may be applied to various simulations such as driving and vocational training, medical training, product monitoring, movie and music appreciation, and the like. Even if the virtual image display device is applied to a virtual reality system for purposes other than games, it is possible to provide information while suppressing loss of the player's (user's) sense of immersion in the virtual space.
Next, technical ideas that can be grasped from the above embodiment and another example will be added below.
[1]
A virtual image display program for displaying an image on the display using a control unit, a detection device for identifying the orientation of the player's head, and a display,
the control unit,
a spatial image output unit that displays an image of a virtual space on the display according to the orientation of the player's head;
a determination unit that determines whether or not the motion of the player's head is a predetermined motion different from a normal motion when viewing the image of the virtual space, based on the detection result of the detection device;
A virtual image display program that functions as an information providing unit that outputs provided information that is information provided to the player when it is determined that the motion of the head of the player is the predetermined motion.
[2]
The detection device detects the moving speed of the head,
The determination unit determines whether the motion of the player's head is the predetermined motion based on whether or not the detected moving speed of the head satisfies a moving speed condition defined as a condition for providing the provided information. The virtual image display program according to [1], which determines whether or not.
[3]
The detection device detects the number of times the movement direction of the head changes,
The determination unit determines whether the movement of the player's head is the predetermined movement based on whether or not the number of times the movement direction of the head is changed satisfies a condition of the number of times of change defined as the condition for providing the provided information. The virtual image display program according to [1] or [2], which determines whether or not there is a virtual image display program.
[4]
the control unit,
a specifying unit that specifies an object corresponding to a gaze position based on the orientation of the head among the objects in the virtual space;
The virtual object according to any one of [1] to [3], further functioning as a selection unit that selects the object when the gaze time associated with the object at the gaze position reaches a predetermined time. Image viewing program.
[5]
the virtual space includes a target object selectable by the player's gaze;
The virtual image display program according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the information providing unit outputs the provided information to a position other than a target object selectable by the player's gaze.
[6]
The information providing unit according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the information providing unit displays the provided information in a direction of movement of a moving body that is an object in the virtual space and moves in the virtual space. A virtual image display program.
[7]
the control unit,
further functioning as an application progressing unit that progresses a game that displays an image of the virtual space on the display;
The virtual image display program according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the information providing unit displays a hint for clearing the game as the provided information.
[8]
the control unit,
further functioning as an application progressing unit that progresses an application that displays an image of the virtual space on the display;
The virtual image display program according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the information providing unit displays menu items of the application.
[9]
A virtual image display system for displaying an image on the display using a detection device for identifying the orientation of a player's head and a display,
a spatial image output unit that displays an image of a virtual space on the display in accordance with the orientation of the player's head;
a determination unit that determines whether or not the motion of the player's head is a predetermined motion different from a normal motion when viewing the image of the virtual space, based on the detection result of the detection device;
A virtual image display system, comprising: an information providing unit that outputs provided information, which is information provided to the player, when it is determined that the motion of the head of the player is the predetermined motion.
[10]
A virtual image display method for displaying an image on the display using a control unit, a detection device for identifying the direction of a player's head, and a display,
The control unit
a spatial image output step of displaying an image of a virtual space on the display according to the orientation of the player's head;
a determination step of determining whether or not the motion of the player's head is a predetermined motion different from a normal motion when viewing the image of the virtual space, based on the detection result of the detection device;
and an information provision step of outputting provision information, which is information provided to the player, when it is determined that the motion of the player's head is the predetermined motion.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... HMD, 11... HMD control part, 12... Tracking sensor, 13... Input-output I/F part, 14... Display, 15... Speaker, 20... Game processing apparatus, 21... Control part, 22... Storage part, 23... Input/output unit 24 Gaze position specifying unit 25 Game management unit 26 Spatial image output unit 27 Information providing unit 30 Virtual space image information 31 Object information 32 Provision condition information 33 Gaze position information, 34 Gaze time information, 35 Provided information.

Claims (10)

A virtual image display program for displaying an image on the display using a control unit, a detection device for specifying the position and orientation of a predetermined part of a player's body, and a display,
the control unit,
a gaze position specifying unit that specifies a gaze position specified from the position and orientation of a predetermined part of the player's body based on the detection result of the detection device;
a spatial image output unit that displays an image of a virtual space on the display according to the gaze position of the player;
functioning as an information provision unit that outputs provision information, which is information provided to the player in association with a moving body that is an object that moves in the virtual space, when the gaze position satisfies an information provision condition; Image viewing program. 2. The virtual image display program according to claim 1, wherein said information providing unit displays said provided information in a moving direction of said moving object. 2. The virtual image display program according to claim 1, wherein said information providing unit displays said provided information to said moving body. further functioning as an application progressing unit that progresses an application that displays an image of the virtual space on the display;
The information providing unit
When it is determined that the movement of the gaze position of the player or the movement of the head of the player satisfies an information provision condition that the movement is one of a plurality of predetermined movements, the application further comprises: 4. The virtual image display program according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the menu items of are displayed. 5. The virtual image display program according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further functioning said control unit as an application progressing unit that progresses a game in which said player accomplishes a mission. The information providing unit provides the information in association with the moving object located in the second area when the gaze position satisfies the information providing condition that the gaze position moves from the first area to the second area in the virtual space. 6. The virtual image display program according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which outputs information. 7. The virtual image display program according to claim 6, wherein said first area is an area in which said player can play a game, and said second area is an area outside said first area. the control unit,
an object identifying unit that identifies an object corresponding to the gaze position among the objects positioned in the first area;
8. The virtual image display program according to claim 6 or 7, further functioning as a selection unit that selects the object when the gaze time associated with the object at the gaze position reaches a predetermined time. A virtual image display system for displaying an image on the display using a detection device for identifying the position and orientation of a predetermined part of a player's body and a display,
a gaze position specifying unit that specifies a gaze position specified from the position and orientation of a predetermined part of the player's body based on the detection result of the detection device;
a spatial image output unit that displays an image of a virtual space on the display according to the gaze position of the player;
an information providing unit that outputs provided information, which is information provided to the player in association with a moving body, which is an object moving in the virtual space, when the gaze position satisfies an information providing condition; Virtual image display system. A virtual image display method for displaying an image on the display using a control unit, a detection device for specifying the position and orientation of a predetermined part of a player's body, and a display,
The control unit
a gaze position specifying step of specifying a gaze position specified from the position and orientation of a predetermined part of the player's body based on the detection result of the detection device;
a spatial image output step of displaying an image of a virtual space on the display according to the gaze position of the player;
an information provision step of outputting provision information, which is information provided to the player in association with a moving body, which is an object moving in the virtual space, when the gaze position satisfies an information provision condition; Virtual image display method.

Images