JP2023131309A - Information processing system, information processing method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an information processing system, etc., with which it is easy for a user to overview the communication being conducted on-line.SOLUTION: According to one embodiment of the present invention, an information processing system is provided. This information processing system comprises a control unit. The control unit is constituted so as to execute each of the steps below. In a first acceptance step, a log-in request for logging-in to a space where on-line conversation is possible is accepted from a first user. In a display control step, when the log-in request is accepted, a first region where the first user exists and a second region differentiated from the first region are respectively displayed as at least a partial region in the space, in such a manner as to be visually recognizable by the first user. Here, in the second region, the atmosphere of conversation in the second region is displayed so as to be visually recognizable by the first user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Application for application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act has been filed.On October 1, 2021, the company's website https://ebitendons. tento-net. Announced at com/

The present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program.

In recent years, opportunities to communicate over the Internet have increased, and various technologies have been developed accordingly. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a web conference system in which a communication method can be easily selected depending on the noise volume when conducting a web conference.

JP 2019-117998 Publication

By the way, when holding a web conference or the like, if there are a large number of participants, the members may be divided into small groups to encourage discussion. However, there are many cases where it is effective to keep track of discussions in groups other than the one you are participating in.

In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, the present invention provides an information processing system and the like that allows users to easily view communications taking place online.

According to one aspect of the present invention, an information processing system is provided. This information processing system includes a control section. The control unit is configured to perform the following steps. In the first reception step, a login request for logging into a space where online conversation is possible is received from the first user. In the display control step, when the login request is received, a first area in which the first user exists and a second area that is distinct from the first area are each configured to control at least a portion of the space. The area is displayed so as to be visible to the first user. Here, in the second area, the state of the conversation within the second area is displayed so that the first user can view it.

According to the above aspect, an information processing system or the like is provided that allows a user to easily view communications taking place online.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a first user terminal 2. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a server 3. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing functions realized by a control unit 33 and the like in the server 3. FIG. This is an example of a login screen displayed on the first user terminal 2. This is an example of a display screen displayed on the first user terminal 2. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a function for managing a second user. It is a figure for explaining the modification regarding space.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Various features shown in the embodiments described below can be combined with each other.

By the way, the program for implementing the software appearing in this embodiment may be provided as a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, or may be downloaded from an external server. The program may be provided in a manner that allows the program to be started on an external computer and the function thereof is realized on the client terminal (so-called cloud computing).

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the term "unit" may include, for example, a combination of hardware resources implemented by circuits in a broad sense and software information processing that can be concretely implemented by these hardware resources. . In addition, various types of information are handled in this embodiment, and these information include, for example, the physical value of a signal value representing voltage and current, and the signal value as a binary bit collection consisting of 0 or 1. It is expressed by high and low levels or quantum superposition (so-called quantum bits), and communication and calculations can be performed on circuits in a broad sense.

Further, a circuit in a broad sense is a circuit realized by at least appropriately combining a circuit, a circuit, a processor, a memory, and the like. That is, application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), programmable logic devices (for example, simple programmable logic devices (SPLD), complex programmable logic devices (COMPLEX), etc. Programmable Logic Device (CPLD), and field This includes a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and the like.

1. Hardware Configuration This section describes the hardware configuration of this embodiment.

1.1 Information processing system 1
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment. In one embodiment, the information processing system 1 includes a first user terminal 2, a server 3, and a second user terminal 4, which are connected through a network 11. These components will be further explained. Note that a system exemplified by the information processing system 1 is composed of one or more devices or components. Therefore, even the server 3 alone is an example of a system. Further, the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment accepts a login request for logging into a space by a first user, and performs control to display predetermined visual information so that the first user can view it. However, this login request and the display of visual information do not necessarily have to be performed by one first user terminal 2. For example, it is also possible to configure the system so that only a login request is accepted from the first user terminal 2 and predetermined visual information is displayed on another image display device (not shown) or the like.

1.2 First user terminal 2
The first user terminal 2 is typically a terminal owned by a first user who wishes to log into a space where online conversations are possible. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the first user terminal 2. As shown in FIG.
The first user terminal 2 has a communication section 21, a storage section 22, a control section 23, a display section 24, an input section 25, and an audio output section 26, and these components are connected to the first user terminal 2. It is electrically connected within the user terminal 2 via a communication bus 20 . Descriptions of the communication unit 21, storage unit 22, and control unit 23 will be omitted because they are substantially the same as the communication unit 31, storage unit 32, and control unit 33 in the server 3, which will be described later.

The display unit 24 may be included in the casing of the first user terminal 2, or may be externally attached, for example. The display unit 24 displays a graphical user interface (GUI) screen that can be operated by the user. This is preferably implemented by using display devices such as a CRT display, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, and a plasma display depending on the type of the first user terminal 2, for example.

The input unit 25 may be included in the housing of the first user terminal 2 or may be externally attached. For example, the input unit 25 may be integrated with the display unit 24 and implemented as a touch panel. With a touch panel, the user can input tap operations, swipe operations, and the like. Of course, a switch button, a mouse, a QWERTY keyboard, etc. may be used instead of the touch panel. That is, the input unit 25 receives operation inputs made by the user. The input is transferred as a command signal to the control unit 23 via the communication bus 20, and the control unit 23 can perform predetermined control or calculation as necessary.

The audio output unit 26 may be included in the housing of the first user terminal 2, or may be externally attached, for example. The audio output unit 26 outputs audio that can be recognized by the user. The audio output unit 26 may be an omnidirectional speaker, a directional speaker, or both.

1.3 Server 3
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the server 3. As shown in FIG. The server 3 includes a communication section 31, a storage section 32, and a control section 33, and these components are electrically connected via a communication bus 30 inside the server 3. Each component will be further explained.

Although the communication unit 31 is preferably a wired communication means such as USB, IEEE1394, Thunderbolt (registered trademark), wired LAN network communication, etc., it is also suitable for wireless LAN network communication, mobile communication such as 3G/LTE/5G, or BLUETOOTH (registered trademark). Communication etc. may be included as necessary. That is, it is more preferable to implement it as a set of these plurality of communication means. That is, the server 3 communicates various information with the first user terminal 2 and the second user terminal 4 via the network 11 via the communication unit 31 .

The storage unit 32 stores various information defined by the above description. This may be used, for example, as a storage device such as a solid state drive (SSD) that stores various programs related to the server 3 executed by the control unit 33, or as a temporary storage device related to program calculations. It can be implemented as a memory such as a random access memory (RAM) that stores information (arguments, arrays, etc.). Alternatively, a combination of these may be used. In particular, the storage unit 32 stores various programs related to the server 3 that are executed by the control unit 33.

The control unit 33 processes and controls the overall operation related to the server 3. The control unit 33 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) not shown. The control unit 33 implements various functions related to the server 3 by reading predetermined programs stored in the storage unit 32. That is, information processing by software stored in the storage unit 32 is specifically implemented by the control unit 33, which is an example of hardware, and can be executed as each functional unit included in the control unit 33. Regarding these, 2. Further details are provided in Sec. Note that the control section 33 is not limited to a single control section, and may be implemented so as to have a plurality of control sections 33 for each function. It may also be a combination thereof.

1.4 Second user terminal 4
The second user terminal 4 is a terminal owned by a second user who wants to log into a space where online calls are possible. The hardware configuration of this second user terminal 4 is typically the same as the hardware configuration of the first user terminal 2 described above, and a description thereof will be omitted here.

2. Functional Configuration This section describes the functional configuration of this embodiment. As described above, the information processing by the software stored in the storage unit 32 is specifically implemented by the control unit 33, which is an example of hardware, and can be executed as each functional unit included in the control unit 33.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing functions realized by the control unit 33 and the like in the server 3. Specifically, the server 3, which is an example of the information processing system 1, includes a reception section 331 and a display control section 332. Note that FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which the server 3 includes an audio control section 333 and a storage management section 334 as functions provided therein.

The reception unit 331 receives various requests and operations from the first user. Details of the accepted requests and operations will be described in more detail later.

The display control unit 332 is configured to generate various display information and control display content that can be viewed by the user. Note that the display information may be visual information itself such as a screen, image, icon, text, etc. that is generated in a form that is visible to the user, or, for example, visual information such as a screen, image, icon, text, etc. on various terminals. It may also be rendering information for display.

The audio control unit 333 controls a configuration (hardware, device, etc.) capable of outputting audio to generate various types of audio.

The storage management unit 334 is configured to manage various information to be stored in the space related to the information processing system 1 of this embodiment. Typically, the storage management unit 334 is configured to store user attributes, personal information, and input/output items within the space in a storage area. This storage area is exemplified by the storage unit 32 of the server 3, but may also be the storage unit 22 provided in the first user terminal 2 or the storage unit provided in the second user terminal 4. Further, this storage area does not necessarily need to be within the information processing system 1, and the storage management unit 334 can also manage to store various information in an external storage device or the like.

3. Information Processing Method In this section, each step of the information processing method executed by the information processing system 1 described above will be explained.

That is, the information processing system 1 of this embodiment executes the following steps.
(Step 1) The reception unit 331 receives a login request from a first user to log into a space where online conversation is possible.
(Step 2) When the display control unit 332 receives the login request, the display control unit 332 separates the first area where the first user is present and the second area that is distinct from the first area into the respective spaces. is displayed so that the first user can visually recognize it as at least a part of the area. Here, in the second area, the state of the conversation within the second area is displayed so that the first user can view it.
Each of these steps will be described below with reference to the screen displayed on the first user terminal 2.
Note that the information processing system 1 of this embodiment may be applied to various situations such as business, private life, local community, and others, but below, an example in which the information processing system 1 is applied to an educational field will be described.

First, (Step 1) will be explained. In this step, the reception unit 331 of the server 3 accepts a login request from the first user, and this acceptance is typically performed through an operation on the login screen displayed on the first user terminal 2. FIG. 5 is an example of a login screen displayed on the first user terminal 2.

On the display screen D shown in FIG. 5, various input forms and buttons for performing room entry operations are displayed. First, in the input form F11, it is possible to input the login name used when attempting to log into the space. Furthermore, in the input form F12, the input form F13, and the input form F14, it is possible to set the camera, microphone, and speaker used when logging into the space.
Note that an object OBJ11 is provided on the display screen D so that it is possible to test whether the microphone operates normally when logging into the space. In other words, when the user who is in contact with the display screen D speaks into the microphone, the seek bar shown as this object OBJ11 is activated, and when the user logs into the space, the degree of output of the voice transmitted to the other party is shown to the logged-in user. I can do it.
Note that when the user presses the button BT11 shown on the display screen D, the user's own voice is muted.

In addition, a button BT13 is provided so that the user can test whether the speaker used is working properly. In other words, when the user who comes into contact with the display screen D presses this button BT13 by clicking, etc., a predetermined sound etc. is generated, so that when the user is logged in to the space, , you can check in advance whether you can recognize what the other person is saying.

Furthermore, the display screen D is configured to display an area R100 in which the user attempting to log in is displayed in order to test whether the camera is operating normally. This area R100 is for displaying visual information captured by the camera set in the input form F12, and is used by a user attempting to log in to check whether he or she is displayed. Note that if the button BT12 shown on the display screen D is pressed, the display of the content captured by the camera can be turned off.

The user who has input various information can request login to the space by pressing button BT15 shown on display screen D. Furthermore, when pressing the button BT14 that is displayed as "viewing mode", in addition to the above-mentioned login request, the user can also make a confidentiality request to prevent his/her presence from being recognized by other users in the space. . Note that the effect of making this confidentiality request will be explained later.
As described above, the first user can make a login request to log into the space, and the reception unit 331 of the server 3 accepts the request, thereby achieving (Step 1).

Next, (Step 2) will be explained. In this step, predetermined visual information is displayed so that the first user can view it. This visual information will be explained using FIG. 6.

FIG. 6 is an example of a display screen displayed on the first user terminal 2. This display screen D shows a space SP1 in which online conversation is possible, and a control area CT1 in which objects that can be controlled in various ways are displayed side by side.
In this embodiment, the first user who has logged in is displayed in area R1 within space SP1 (in FIG. 6, "ABC" is the login name of the first user. The area R1 where the user exists may be referred to as a "first table," a "first room," or a "first area.")
In this space SP1, in addition to the above-mentioned area R1, areas R2 to R6 are displayed. 2). In each of the first area and the second area, it is displayed that a user other than the first user has logged in and is present in a predetermined area. In addition to this, in these areas R2 to R6, the state of the conversation that is typically taking place in that area is displayed, and the first user existing in space SP1 is in other areas (areas R2 to R6) You can visually check the conversation inside. Here, being able to visually confirm the state of the conversation refers to, specifically, a mode in which the face of the user who is present in the second area is displayed and it is possible to visually confirm that the user is speaking, or This includes a mode in which the first user can visually see how the screen shared in the area is displayed in a recognizable manner. Here, the display of the conversation may be displayed as a video, or still images may be captured at regular time intervals and the captured still images may be displayed at regular time intervals. Good too.
Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is preferable to display the first area and the second area so that they can be distinguished from each other, thereby making it easier for the first user to recognize the area in which he/she is present. Specifically, this includes displaying different colors in the first area and the second area, and adding different patterns to each area. Further, when there are a plurality of second regions, as in the relationship between region R2 and region R3, it is preferable that these regions also be distinguishable. Note that in FIG. 6, names such as "ROOM1" and "ROOM2" are given as names for each area, but the names of these areas can be arbitrarily set by a person with predetermined authority. Furthermore, each area displayed in space SP1 may have an explanation about the area (contents of classes and conversations held in the area) displayed in an easy-to-understand manner, and materials (electronic files) handled in the area can be downloaded. icon may be displayed. Here, an icon is something that symbolizes and expresses something with a simple picture. For example, an icon may represent the contents of a corresponding file or program in the form of a diagram or a picture. Furthermore, if there is a group of related areas, they can be saved all at once, and the saved contents can be read out as needed. Examples of a group of related areas include a group of areas that have a commonality regarding time, such as being used for Tuesday classes, and a group of areas that have a commonality regarding a purpose, such as being used for a specific lesson. Can be mentioned. Settings related to such areas can also be made by a person with predetermined authority.
Note that it is preferable that conversations in other areas (areas R2 to R6) be displayed in real time, for example, for 5 minutes, 4 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute, 30 seconds, 20 seconds. , 10 seconds, 5 seconds, 3 seconds, or about 1 second (delay in display time) may occur.

In this way, the first user existing in area R1 can recognize the presence of other users in other areas, but conversely, the other users also recognize the presence of the first user in area R1. It is also possible to recognize that However, if the above-mentioned anonymity request is accepted (when logged in in "viewing mode"), the presence of the first user will not be visible to other users even if the first user is logged in to the space. be able to.
In other words, if a confidentiality request is accepted as described above, even if the first user is logged in, the icon representing the first user will not be displayed, and even if the first user has uttered the utterance, the icon representing the first user will not be displayed. Also, voice control is performed so that the first user's utterances are not output to other users.
When this information processing system 1 is applied to an educational setting, it is preferable that parents of children who are students can use such a function in order to view their child's educational proficiency level.

Furthermore, in the information processing system 1 of the present embodiment, the voice control unit 333 controls the first voice generated in the conversation in the first area and the second voice generated in the conversation in the second area. The voice may be generated so that the first user can recognize it.
In other words, the first user existing in region R1 recognizes both the voice generated in the conversation within this region R1 and the voice generated in the conversation in other regions (for example, region R2 and region R3). It may be possible. That is, the audio control unit 333 can output audio so that the first user can recognize the conversation in both areas.

Here, the audio control unit 333 can control the output of the second audio to be relatively attenuated than the output of the first audio.
In other words, a first user existing in a first region makes sounds generated in the region where he/she exists (region R1) relatively loud, and sounds generated in other regions (regions R2 to R6) relatively loud. The audio control unit 333 can control the output of the audio so that it is recognized as being small. This makes it easier to distinguish between the voice in the area where the user is present and the voice in other areas.

Here, the second audio output can also be controlled to attenuate the audio output in a specific frequency range and/or the audio output of a specific user.
Although not shown, the first user can also control to limit the audio output for a predetermined frequency range (typically, a treble range and a bass range) or for a specific user. This also makes it easier to distinguish between voices in the area where the user exists and voices in other areas. Note that this control may be a control for each specific area (that is, a collection of users existing in a specific area) as well as a control for each specific user, and the presence of the first user It is possible to set the area R1 so that audio from other areas cannot be heard. Further, in order to make other users aware that the sound from other regions cannot be heard in the region R1, a mark or the like may be added to and displayed on the region R1 on the display screen D.
Note that the control regarding the attenuation of the audio output may be performed by combining a plurality of techniques, and the manner thereof is not limited. Specifically, it is sufficient that the first user recognizes that the degree of audio output is attenuated for a certain portion of the second audio, and the phase control is performed on the audio information input to the audio control unit 333. , expansion/compression control on the time axis, gain (amplification factor) control, etc. may be performed.

Furthermore, when the information processing system 1 includes an audio output device having a plurality of audio output units, the audio control unit 333 controls the , each of a plurality of audio output units can be controlled.
To give a specific example, the "audio output device having a plurality of audio output units" is a stereo speaker having left and right audio output units provided in the first user terminal 2, and the audio control unit 333 is The audio output of the stereo speakers can be controlled based on the relative positional relationship between regions within the space SP1.
That is, in FIG. 6, region R2 and region R3 are located on the left side with respect to region R1, but in this case, the sound generated in region R2 and region R3 is output from the left audio output section of the stereo speaker. It can be controlled to output from. Note that even in this case, it is also possible to attenuate the output from the right audio output section of the stereo speaker.

The above explanation is based on an example in which the first user who has logged in to space SP1 exists in area R1, but the first user who has logged in to space SP1 moves his/her presence to another area. You can also do that. For example, if you want to move to area R2, you can move the area you are in by clicking on area R2 on display screen D. In this case, typically the display is controlled so that the area R2 in which it exists is positioned approximately at the center of the display screen D. Note that whether or not the first user can move his/her presence to another area may be controlled, for example, depending on whether or not the first user has a predetermined authority. That is, in the information processing system 1 of the present embodiment, a lock function may be provided for preventing a predetermined user from entering any of the areas in the space SP1. In addition, if you wish to enter the area that has become inaccessible, you may apply to a person with the specified authority, and if this is granted, you may be able to enter the area. . Note that this application may be made by making a sound (specifically, a knocking sound like knocking on a door) to a user existing in a certain area, or by making a predetermined user operation (specifically, a knocking sound like knocking on a door) in a certain area. This may also be done by knocking on the door.

Furthermore, a user who has logged in to space SP1 can also open a new area according to a predetermined purpose.
That is, the reception unit 331 can receive an integration request from the first user to integrate the second area and the third area that is distinct from the second area, and the display control unit 332 can When the request is received, an area in which the second area and the third area are integrated can be displayed so that the first user can visually recognize the area.

That is, the first user who is logged in to space SP1 can integrate a certain area (for example, area R6) existing in space SP1 with another area (third area). This other area (third area) may be the area R1 where the first user exists, or any one of the second areas existing within the space SP1 (for example, area R2, R3, R4, R5, etc.), or may be an area of a different space outside the space SP1.
This integration request can be made, for example, by inputting the unique address of the area to be integrated into a predetermined form.
Such integration makes it possible to expand the scope of online communication.

Furthermore, since various buttons are displayed in the control area CT1 on the display screen D of FIG. 6, the functions of these buttons will be explained.

The button BT21 is a button for switching the camera on/off, and the button BT22 is a button for switching the microphone on/off (muting a microphone that can output, or conversely canceling muting).

Note that this mute function may be used to vocally distinguish the region R1 where the first user is present from other regions. That is, when the reception unit 331 receives a mute request from the first user that makes the first voice generated within the region R1 unrecognizable in another region different from the region R1, the voice control unit 333 The first voice may be made unrecognizable from the other area.
In this case, even if the first user makes a speech, voice control is performed so that the first user's speech is not output to other users (provided that the first user is currently logged in). An icon representing the first user may be displayed to indicate this.)

The button BT23 is a share button, and allows a specific screen, material (file), etc. to be shared within the area where the button BT23 is located. For example, in the area R3 in FIG. 6, a specific video is shared, and when the first user uses this button BT23 to share materials, the area R1 in which the first user is located, Sharing similar to what is done in R3 can be done.

The button BT24 is a button that performs a megaphone function, and according to this function, the volume output can be adjusted to such a level that the user's own voice can be recognized by all users inside and outside the user's area.

The button BT25 is a button that allows you to move to a screen where you can make various settings, and allows you to change the settings of your own camera, microphone, speaker, etc. The items that can be set are generally the same as those shown in FIG.

The button BT26 is a button used to set and manage information regarding each area (each table). For example, by pressing this button BT26, it is possible to switch from a screen in which regions R1 to R6 are displayed in space SP1 as shown in FIG. 6 to a screen in which only region R1 is displayed in space SP1. In addition, if a user who has the authority to manage space SP1 is logged in, by pressing this button BT26, the user name (login name and real name, or both) participating in each area can be displayed. (good) and the operating status of devices such as cameras and microphones. Typically, the names of users participating in each area and the operating status of the devices are displayed in a tabular manner.

The button BT27 is a chat function, and allows chatting between users existing in the same area. This chat may be a text-only chat or a chat that includes display of objects such as stamps or images.

The button BT28 is a recording function, and is a function that allows the user to record what is done while logged in to the space SP1. This recorded content is stored in the storage section 22.
Note that this recording function records the screen displayed on the display screen D shown on the first user terminal 2 logged into the space SP1 as it is. In addition, this recording function automatically records each of the facial expressions and display screens of each user who is logged in to the space SP1 in a specific storage area by the storage management unit 334, regardless of the user's operation. , it may be configured such that all streams, such as the actions and reactions of each user in a certain time area, can be checked at a later date. That is, in the latter case, the configuration may be such that the saved data can be reorganized. In addition, the recording function is not limited to users who are logged in to Space SP1, but also images of faces of users who are logged in to other spaces, and images of materials that are screen shared, in a predetermined storage area according to the time axis. It may also be configured to store and manage the information separately.

The button BT29 is a button for logging out, and by pressing this button, the user can log out from the space.

Further, the information processing system 1 of this embodiment may have the following management function. This function is particularly effective when this information processing system 1 is incorporated into an educational setting.

That is, the display control unit 332 can display the login name of the second user existing in the space as the first name so that the first user can see it. Further, the display control unit 332 changes the name of the second user to the first name on the condition that the first user has a predetermined authority and/or the first user performs a predetermined operation. The second name (typically, the real name of the second user) different from the first user can be visually recognized by the first user.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining functions for managing the second user. That is, FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b) show the situation in area R2 of FIG. 6, and here, there are two users "XYZ" and "OPQ" in this area R2. It is assumed that
The login status of these users can be recognized by the presence of object OBJ21 and object OBJ22. That is, these objects represent users existing in a specific area, and the initials of the user's name and images that give an impression of the user are displayed on these objects.
Here, for example, when the first user points the object OBJ23 (which may also be called a "cursor") to this object OBJ21, the login name of the second user "XYZ" is displayed as the object OBJ24 (Fig. 7(a)).

Furthermore, when the first user operates (cursor operation) to align object OBJ23 with object OBJ24, object OBJ24 changes to object OBJ25 representing the real name of "XYZ" and is displayed (see FIG. 7(b)). .
Whether or not the user is allowed to have his or her real name displayed in this way may be controlled depending on whether or not the first user who performs the operation has a predetermined authority. For example, if the information processing system 1 is installed in an educational setting, such a display may be enabled when logged in using a teacher account.
Further, the name displayed as the second name may be different from the real name, for example, it may be a name used by the second user in a space other than space SP1 or a name used by the user on other SNS.

As described above, according to the information processing system of this embodiment, a space is achieved in which the user can easily view the communication taking place online.

4. Others Regarding the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment, the following aspects may be adopted.

Although the above embodiment has been described as the configuration of the information processing system 1, a program that causes a computer to execute each step of the information processing system 1 may be provided.

In the above embodiment, each of the regions R1 to R6 on the display screen D shown in FIG. 6 is displayed as a rectangle, but each region may have a shape different from a rectangle. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a modification regarding the space. As shown in FIG. 8, each region (regions R1 to R4) in space SP2 may be displayed to have a hexagonal shape. At this time, the sides of the hexagonal shape of the region R1 where the first user exists may be displayed so as to be opposite to the sides of the hexagonal shape forming the other regions.
With such display content, for example, the audio output device controlled by the audio control unit 333 can be a device that can output audio from multiple directions, such as a surround speaker, so that the conversational audio generated in each area can be adjusted. can be output with a more realistic feeling.

In the above embodiment, a mode has been shown in which the confidentiality request is accepted on the login screen shown in FIG. 5, but the timing at which the confidentiality request is accepted is not limited to this login, but may be after the login. For example, an object capable of accepting a concealment request may be provided in the control area CT1 in FIG. 6, and the server 3 may accept the concealment request according to the user's needs.

In the above embodiment, a mode has been shown in which the user's own voice is made inaudible to the outside by pressing the button BT22 in the control area CT1 in FIG. 6, but this mute function may be performed automatically. For example, if the logged-in first user is not displayed on the camera, the reception unit 331 of the server 3 accepts that the first user does not exist, and transmits the sound collected by the first user terminal 2 to another user. The voice control unit 333 may control the voice so that it is unrecognizable to the user.

In the above embodiment, various functions are expressed by pressing various buttons in the control area CT1 in FIG. It may be configured to exhibit various functions. Typically, this predetermined command is a combination of "/ (slash)" and a command associated with a specific function.

In the above embodiment, a mode was shown in which a user's login request is accepted via the login screen shown in FIG. 5, but the mode does not necessarily have to be such a mode in which login to a space is performed via such a login screen. For example, it is also possible to set a password in an area within a space, and enter this password to enter a predetermined area (that is, log into the space).

In the above embodiment, the server 3 performs various storage and control operations, but instead of the server 3, a plurality of external devices may be used. That is, various types of information may be distributed and stored in a plurality of external devices using blockchain technology or the like.

Furthermore, each aspect described below may be provided.
In the information processing system, in the voice control step, a first voice generated in a conversation in the first area and a second voice generated in a conversation in the second area are controlled in the first voice. Something that can be recognized by a user.
In the information processing system, in the audio control step, the output of the second audio is controlled to be relatively attenuated than the output of the first audio.
In the information processing system, in the audio control step, the output of the second audio is controlled to attenuate the audio output of a specific frequency region and/or the audio output of a specific user.
In the information processing system, in the audio control step, when the information processing system includes an audio output device having a plurality of audio output units, the relative relationship between the first area and the second area in the space is determined. The device controls each of the plurality of audio output units based on the positional relationship of the plurality of audio output units.
In the information processing system, in the second reception step, a mute request to make the first voice unrecognizable in an area different from the first area is received from the first user, and in the audio control step, the mute request is received from the first user. Then, when the mute request is received, the first voice is made unrecognizable from the other area.
In the information processing system, in the third receiving step, an integration request for integrating the second area and a third area that is distinguished from the second area is received from the first user, and In the display control step, when the integration request is received, an area in which the second area and the third area are integrated is displayed so that the first user can visually recognize the area.
In the information processing system, the fourth reception step accepts a confidentiality request to prevent the presence of the first user from being recognized by other users in the space, and the display control step accepts the confidentiality request. When the first user is logged into the space, the presence of the first user is made invisible to the other users.
In the information processing system, in the display control step, a name at the time of login of a second user existing in the space is displayed as a first name so as to be visible to the first user; the second user's name as a second name different from the first name, provided that the user has a predetermined authority and/or the first user has performed a predetermined operation; , something that is visibly displayed to the first user.
In the information processing system, the second name is a real name of the second user.
In the information processing system, in the display control step, the first area and the second area are displayed so as to be distinguishable from each other.
An information processing method, comprising each step of the information processing system.
A program that causes a computer to execute each step of the information processing system.
Of course, this is not the case.

Finally, although various embodiments according to the present invention have been described, these are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The new embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. The embodiment and its modifications are included within the scope and gist of the invention, and are included within the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

1: Information processing system 2: First user terminal 3: Server 4: Second user terminal 11: Network 20: Communication bus 21: Communication section 22: Storage section 23: Control section 24: Display section 25: Input section 26 :Audio output section 30:Communication bus 31:Communication section 32:Storage section 33:Control section 331:Reception section 332:Display control section 333:Audio control section 334:Storage management section BT11 to BT15, BT21 to BT29:Button CR1: Control area D: Display screen F11-F14: Input form OBJ11, OBJ21-OBJ25: Objects R1-R6, R100: Area SP1, SP2: Space

Claims (13)

An information processing system,
Equipped with a control unit,
The control unit is configured to execute the following steps,
In the first reception step, a login request to log into a space where online conversation is possible is received from the first user,
In the display control step, when the login request is received, a first area in which the first user exists and a second area that is distinct from the first area are respectively set in the space. displaying at least a portion of the area so that the first user can see it;
Here, in the second area, the state of the conversation in the second area is displayed so that the first user can view it. The information processing system according to claim 1,
In the voice control step, the first user can recognize a first voice generated in a conversation in the first area and a second voice generated in a conversation in the second area. Something that generates something. The information processing system according to claim 2,
In the audio control step, the output of the second audio is controlled to be relatively attenuated than the output of the first audio. The information processing system according to claim 3,
In the audio control step, the output of the second audio is controlled to attenuate the audio output in a specific frequency range and/or the audio output of a specific user. The information processing system according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
In the audio control step, when the information processing system includes an audio output device having a plurality of audio output units, the audio control step is based on the relative positional relationship between the first area and the second area within the space. and controlling each of the plurality of audio output units. The information processing system according to any one of claims 2 to 5,
In the second reception step, a mute request is received from the first user to make the first voice unrecognizable in another area different from the first area,
In the audio control step, when the mute request is received, the first audio is made unrecognizable from the other area. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
In the third reception step, an integration request is received from the first user to integrate the second area and a third area that is distinct from the second area,
In the display control step, when the integration request is received, an area where the second area and the third area are integrated is displayed so that the first user can visually recognize it. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
In the fourth reception step, a confidentiality request is received to prevent the presence of the first user from being recognized by other users in the space,
In the display control step, when the anonymity request is received, the presence of the first user is made invisible to the other users even if the first user is logged into the space. . The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
In the display control step, a name at the time of login of a second user existing in the space is displayed as a first name so as to be visible to the first user;
Provided that the first user has a predetermined authority and/or that the first user has performed a predetermined operation, the second user's name may be changed to a name different from the first name. 2, which is visibly displayed to the first user. The information processing system according to claim 9,
The second name is a real name of the second user. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
In the display control step, the first area and the second area are displayed so as to be distinguishable from each other. An information processing method,
A method comprising each step of the information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 11. A program,
A computer that causes a computer to execute each step of the information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 11.