JP5460977B2 - Method, program, and system for configuring events during logoff in virtual space without contradiction - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method, a program, and a system for configuring an event during logoff in a virtual space without contradiction. In particular, the present invention relates to a method, a program, and a system for generating a scenario using a viewpoint of a virtual pet associated with a user.

In recent years, a virtual space has been constructed on the Internet, and various services that are similar to a real-world space or that make use of features unique to a virtual space have begun (see Non-Patent Document 1). Line-of-sight direction of the avatar in the virtual space can be set by the terminal user operation, the user parallel, Gyakutaira Komata may be set to any angle. The field of view to be displayed on the user's terminal device or the like can be set as appropriate. The center of the field of view may be the user's avatar, or coordinates outside the avatar may be the center of the field of view.
In addition, a technique for photographing and replaying an object in a virtual space from a camera viewpoint is known (see Patent Document 1).
In addition, it is known that in a virtual space, a user can communicate with other users using an avatar that is his or her own character (see Patent Document 2). In the virtual space, the user's own avatar is typically treated as the first person when viewed from the user. On the other hand, the terminal screen may be displayed from a third party viewpoint including the user's own avatar. The user can perform a chat or the like while viewing the terminal screen from a third-party viewpoint including the avatars of other users.
Further, it is known that in a virtual space, a user can manipulate a virtual pet object and have an affinity for the object through breeding or the like (see Patent Document 3). Virtual pets are typically treated as being separate from the first person avatar.
A technique for collecting user behavior histories in a virtual space and storing them in a database is known (see Patent Document 4).
Further, a technique is known in which the processing load on the user terminal is appropriately distributed by dynamically changing and managing the assignment of the master terminal that propagates the operation of the shared object in the three-dimensional shared virtual space (Patent Document 5). .
Michael Limasuiski et al., Translated by Ranmaru Nakagawa, Second Life Official Guide, Impress R & D Edition, May 2007 JP 2001-300131 A JP-A-9-244845 JP 10-328416 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-256608 JP 2000-172616 A

However, in the prior art or a combination thereof, during the period when the user is logged off, the avatar or virtual pet associated with the user disappears from the virtual space and is not recognized by other logged-on users. . Therefore, the avatar or virtual pet of the period when the user is logging off has the subject that it cannot have an activity history.
Furthermore, the user can use the image in the virtual space from the virtual pet viewpoint by setting the center of the viewpoint to the virtual pet or the like and appropriately storing the screenshot image in the virtual space in the user terminal device or the like. As described above, since the user avatar including the virtual pet does not have the action history during the user logoff period, there is a problem that the screen shot image in the virtual space cannot be used.
In order to solve these problems, avatars and virtual pets in the virtual space are allowed to act even while the user is logged off, and images such as conversations and event participation are actually configured in the virtual space. Although it is possible to generate a history, a new problem arises. One is that a lot of system resources are required to operate many avatars and virtual pets in the virtual space even when logged off, and the other is that a lot of system resources are prepared. Even if an avatar or virtual pet related to a logged-off user is automatically operated, it is difficult to automatically perform a conversation with an avatar or virtual pet related to the logged-on user during that period. Between the situation in the virtual space based on the execution script and the situation in the virtual space recognized by the logged-on user, for example, only one of the conversations in the virtual space is recorded and the situation is not shared, etc. It is possible that a contradiction will occur.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a scenario including a topic during a period in which a user is logged off, and a situation in a virtual space recognized by a logged-on user by using as few system resources as possible. The goal is to generate without contradiction.
Furthermore, the present invention aims to provide the generated scenario to the user and allow other users who can be included in the scenario to use the scenario.

  The present invention provides the following solutions.

(1) A virtual space scenario generation method for generating a scenario in a virtual space configured using a computer network, wherein a last logoff period of the user is set in response to the user logging on to the virtual space. Defining, extracting at least part of the defined last logoff period, other users who were logged on, and using time order to exclude information associated with the extracted other users Generating a scenario, and a virtual space scenario generation method.

In this way, since the scenario is not generated until the user logs on, it is possible to postpone the use of system resources until the timing at which it is necessary, resulting in fewer systems. Scenarios can be generated with resources. Furthermore, the scenario is generated by excluding information related to other users who have logged on during at least a part of the period from when the user last logged off until the next logon. In other words, information that the other user cannot know, that is, information related to the other user who has logged off over the entire period that the user has been logged off, or an event that the other user cannot know. The scenario is generated using the information related to. Therefore, it is possible to generate a scenario freely without causing any inconsistency between the information relating to the user who has logged off and the information in the virtual space relating to another user who has logged on. . In this way, it is possible to instantly generate a scenario that does not cause a contradiction in the virtual space using the smallest possible system resources in response to the user logging on.
Therefore, the user can obtain an event in the virtual space during his / her last logoff period as a scenario, and based on this scenario, he / she can enjoy how to know the event in the virtual space during his / her logoff period.

(When the scenario generation method operates)
The virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention can be used to generate a scenario by defining a period during which the user has logged off, that is, a final logoff period, in response to a logged-off user logging on. In one embodiment, when the user logs on to the virtual space, the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention may set the last logoff period from the time when the user last logged off to the time of the logon. These points in time may be the time of a clock or may be a time compatible with a time that can be managed by a server device or the like that provides a virtual space, and may be designed as appropriate.

(Extract other users who were logged on)
The virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention extracts other users who have logged on during at least a part of the defined last logoff period of the user.
Here, the period in the virtual space may be a time that can be expressed as a clock time, or may be a unit of time that is compatible with a server device or the like that provides the virtual space. For example, the unit of time in the virtual space managed by the server device that provides the virtual space is every 5 seconds of real time, and the defined last logoff period of the user is 10:12:45 am on a specific day. If it is 11:35:55 am from the second, other users who have logged on during at least a part of this period can be extracted.

(Information array for scenario generation)
The virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention can arrange information for scenario generation using a temporal order. Here, the information for generating the scenario may be anything as long as it is information with time information in the virtual space that can be associated with the defined last logoff period of the user.
In one embodiment, the information for scenario generation includes information regarding other users who have logged off from the virtual space and other users who have logged on to the virtual space during the defined final logoff period of the user. Information, names of events that can occur in the virtual space, information about the location, period of occurrence, participants, etc., attributes used for any event search in the virtual space (purposes such as genres such as music, sales transactions or entertainment) , Information for identifying individuals or groups), information on the behavior of any avatar, and the like.
In the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, information for scenario generation with time information in the virtual space can be arranged using a temporal order.

(Exclusion of information on other users who were logged on)
The virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention can exclude the extracted information relating to other logged-on users from the arranged information. Therefore, information on other users who have been logged off during the entire period in which the user has logged off, information in a virtual space that does not include information on users who have logged on, etc. are information arranged in time order. sell. Therefore, in the present invention, information such as an avatar, an object, and an event in the virtual space that does not include information related to the logged-on user is used for generating a scenario.

(Scenario generation)
The virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention can generate a scenario in the last logoff period of the user using the arranged information.
In one embodiment, the scenario aspect is character information.
In another embodiment, the generated scenario may further include an image related to the scenario, etc., and any part of the scenario may be converted into an image related to the scenario, or synthesized. You may convert into a sound etc. The aspect of a scenario can be designed suitably.

  In one embodiment, the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention may create a screenshot image in a virtual space and present a scenario including the image to the user. The viewpoint of this screenshot image may be the coordinates of an arbitrary avatar associated with the user, and can be appropriately set using a technique known in the art.

By performing these initial steps, in the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, the scenario is not generated until the user logs on. Therefore, the use of system resources is postponed until the timing at which it is necessary. As a result, a scenario can be generated with less system resources.
Further, since the scenario to be generated is generated by excluding information related to other users who have logged on during at least a part of the period from when the user last logged off to the next logon, the virtual space is generated. It is possible to generate a scenario freely without causing any contradiction in the information history.

(2) The virtual space scenario generation according to (1), further including a step of presenting the generated scenario to the user by operating a non-first person avatar associated with the user in the virtual space. Method.

(Non-first person avatar)
The non-first person avatar refers to an avatar associated with the user other than the first person avatar that the user can operate in the virtual space. Preferably, the non-first person avatar is a virtual pet. Not limited to this, the non-first-person avatar may be a third-person avatar or the like that can be used together with the first-person avatar by imitating a tourist guide in a real space.
In one embodiment, when a user logs on to the virtual space using an authenticated account, a first person avatar associated with the user appears in the virtual space, and the first person avatar is associated with the same user. A scenario including information on an event being logged off can be received in the form of characters, images, sounds, and the like by the action of a non-first person avatar including a virtual pet.
The appearance of the non-first person avatar may be human-like, animal-like, or fantasy creatures or non-living creatures. Two or more non-first person avatars may be present separately at the same time. That is, in the virtual space, each of the first person avatar, the non-first person avatar, and the virtual pet may be associated with the same user. In one embodiment, a user may utilize virtual pets that are first person avatars and non-first person avatars in virtual space.

(Subject of the scenario)
The subject that may be included in the scenario may be the non-first person avatar of the user, or an avatar of another user who has logged off during the final logoff period. That is, in the present invention, the non-first person avatar of the user can have an action history during the final logoff period.
In one embodiment, the scenario is generated as a sentence using the arranged event information with the non-first person avatar of the user as the main character.
In another embodiment, the scenario is generated as a sentence for reporting the arranged event or the like from a third party viewpoint. Not limited to these, the subject of the scenario can be set as appropriate.
In yet another embodiment, the scenario involves a screenshot image in the virtual space, which can be treated as created from the viewpoint of the non-first person avatar of the user, similar to the scenario.

  Accordingly, after the user logs on to the virtual space, the user has an opportunity to know the generated scenario by the action of the non-first person avatar including the virtual pet associated with the user. Since this non-first person avatar is the subject of an action of presenting a scenario, it can have an action history during the last logoff period of the user as a subject of scenario generation.

(Alternative method of scenario presentation)
In order to present a scenario to the user, a character display for displaying a notice from the virtual space to the user in addition to operating the non-first person avatar of the user according to the method of the present invention and presenting the user to the user. A known method such as presenting to the user using a region or the like as appropriate may be used. By presenting a scenario according to a known technique, the user has the opportunity to know or imagine that an event not specifically associated with the individuality of the avatar has occurred in the virtual space.
On the other hand, in the present invention, by operating the user's non-first person avatar and presenting a scenario, the user is involved in the event that occurred in the virtual space during his logoff period. You can also imagine the possibility of doing this, and you will have the opportunity to increase your familiarity with this non-first person avatar. That is, in the present invention, in addition to the opportunity that a known method can provide to the user, the user also has an opportunity to use a wide variety of interests in the virtual space related to the non-first person avatar according to the generated scenario. can get.

(Scenario mode through non-first person avatar movement)
The mode of the scenario through the operation of the non-first person avatar is preferably a character, for example, by using the form of the character such as chat in the virtual space of the non-first person avatar of the user, or as the character by the user It can be provided to the user using a recognizable image form. For example, a virtual panel for displaying characters may be provided in the virtual space, and the generated scenario may be displayed in a form that the user can recognize as characters. Not limited to these, an image or the like that suggests a psychological state of emotion that has relevance to the scenario may be visually presented to the user, and a synthesized speech or the like obtained by converting the scenario is presented to the user auditorily. Alternatively, the manner of presenting the scenario to the user can be designed as appropriate.

In one embodiment, the presented scenario is “Return, master, center while not present”, due to the action of a non-first person avatar with the appearance of a service representative in the food service industry associated with the user. The monster appeared on the west side of the square, so I went to see AAA. ”Events related to the absence period of the user, such as the location or name in the virtual space, objects in the virtual space, and other users' avatars Can be presented to the user as characters that appropriately include the name of the user. Here, AAA-chan may be an avatar or the like of another user who has logged off from the virtual space during the last logoff period of the user.
In another embodiment, the presented scenario is to operate a human-like non-first person avatar, etc., that can twist the elongated limbs to represent the shape of a kana character, and to the user in the form of a gesture in virtual space. Can be presented.
In yet another form, the presented scenario can be presented to the user by operating a virtual pet associated with the user and having the appearance of a small mammal, such as the tone of the cry. The user can imagine what the virtual pet is trying to convey.
In presenting these scenarios, the user does not necessarily need to be accurately communicated the contents of the scenario, and may or may not know who did what during the final logoff period. Providing the user with an opportunity to guess what happened during the last logoff period, estimating other users likely to be included in the content that their virtual pets are trying to communicate, Providing an opportunity to solve the mystery is also included in the scope of the present invention.

  In the scenario generation method according to the present invention, the presentation of the generated scenario to the user may be presented to the user by operating a non-first person avatar in a virtual space. The probability of transmission to the user, the types of actions that the user can take in the virtual space after presentation, possible action options, and the like can be designed in various ways. In this manner, in the scenario generation method according to the present invention, by presenting the generated scenario by operating the non-first person avatar, the non-first person avatar has an action history in the final logoff period as a main body of scenario generation. On the other hand, the user has an opportunity to increase interest in the non-first person avatar.

(3) The step of generating the scenario includes generating the scenario by adding information that cannot be recognized in the virtual space by other users logged on during at least a part of the defined final logoff period. The virtual space scenario generation method according to (1) or (2).

  By operating in this way, the virtual space scenario creation method according to the present invention also enables information such as avatars of other users who have logged on during at least a part of the last logoff period of the user to be used for the scenario. Can be used additionally.

For example, the unit of time in the virtual space managed by the server device that provides the virtual space is every 5 seconds of real time, and the defined last logoff period of the user is 10:12:45 am on a specific day. 2nd to 11:35:55, the other users who logged on from 0:00 am to 11:55 pm on the same day were logged on during the last logoff period of the user. Based on other users who have logged on for at least some period.
Further, for example, the unit of time in the virtual space managed by the server device that provides the virtual space is every 5 seconds of the actual time, and the defined last logoff period of the user is 10:12 am on a specific day. In the case of the minute 45 seconds to 11:35:55, the other users who logged off from 6:00:00 am to 10:13:10 on the same day are at least one of the last logoff period. Included in other users who were logged on in the department.

In the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, as described above, the relationship between users who do not meet in the virtual space is used so that other users can recognize the information related to the user in the virtual space. On the condition that there is not, information such as avatars of other users who have logged on during a part of the last logoff period of the user can be used for scenario generation. Thereby, a scenario with a high freedom degree can be produced | generated, without producing a contradiction in the action history between avatars.
That is, in the present invention, a scenario can be generated while avoiding the occurrence of contradictory information such as contact between a user who has logged off and another user who has logged on.
Therefore, in the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, in addition to being able to include in the scenario information on the user's avatar that was logged off over the entire last logoff period of the user, part or all of the period The avatar information of the user who has logged on to the scenario can be included in the generated scenario.

  In the last logoff period of the user, the non-first person avatar of the user does not exist in the virtual space, and the avatars of other users who have logged off do not exist in the virtual space during the logoff period of other users. Therefore, the avatars of other users who are logged on cannot recognize these avatars that the user has logged off in the virtual space. However, even in this situation, by allowing the non-first person avatar of the user to recognize the avatar of another user who has logged on during the period, the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention generates It is possible to include the avatars of other users who have logged on during the relevant period in the scenario to be executed.

In one embodiment, the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention may use the outside of the field of view of the avatar of another user who has logged on during the period for scenario generation. Here, the visual field refers to a visual field centered on an arbitrary avatar.
In other words, if the display of other avatars or objects that can be rendered on the terminal screen of an arbitrary user depends on the distance from the user's own avatar in the virtual space, the view of a certain avatar can be rendered It means the range of distance that can display other avatars or objects. For example, if the distance between other avatars and your avatar is within a predetermined distance in the virtual space, both are displayed on the terminal screen at the same time, and if your distance exceeds the predetermined distance, only your avatar is displayed on the terminal screen If no other avatar is displayed on the screen, the predetermined distance may be the field of view of the own avatar. The field of view may also depend on the direction of the avatar's face. That is, even if the distance between the other avatar and the own avatar is within a predetermined distance in the virtual space, the other avatars existing on the back side of the own avatar are within the range of the field of view of the own avatar. Does not exist. Since other avatars that do not exist within the field of view cannot be recognized by the own avatar, such other avatars may be out of view even within a predetermined distance as viewed from the own avatar. The same is true if you switch the positions of your avatar and other avatars.
Therefore, the non-first person avatar logs on in the virtual space by using a place in the virtual space included in the range outside the field of view of the other user's avatar logged on in the last logoff period of the user. Information of other users' avatars can be used for scenario generation. For example, the non-first person avatar may present a screen shot including the back side of the avatar of another user who is logged on in the virtual space as a photograph in the virtual space during the last logoff period of the user. In such a picture situation, other users cannot recognize the presence of the non-first person avatar, and do not have an opportunity to generate active contact of information with the user who has logged off. Therefore, inconsistent information such as contact with a logged-off user is not generated in the action history of another user in the virtual space.

In another embodiment, the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention may present a scenario including a screenshot image in the virtual space to the user. The coordinates in the virtual space for setting the viewpoint of the screenshot image may be the coordinates of the first person avatar or the non-first person avatar at the time of the final logoff of the user, and zoom in in the virtual space based on these coordinates. Coordinates or the like that can be moved in accordance with changes in the field of view, such as zoom-out and bird's-eye view, may be set as appropriate. If the setting of these viewpoints causes a contradiction in the action history of the avatars of other users who have logged on, such viewpoints may be excluded prior to scenario generation.
In the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, another user who is logged on during this period is selected from the screen shot images whose viewpoints are arbitrary coordinates in the virtual space in the last logoff period of the user. Images that satisfy the conditions for recognizing the non-first person avatar can be excluded and presented to the user. For example, a screenshot image with a viewpoint outside the field of view of another logged-on user can be presented to the user. Further, for example, a screen shot image can be created and presented to the user from the viewpoint of coordinates having a predetermined distance or more from another logged-on user.

In yet another embodiment, the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention logs on a viewpoint for creating a screenshot image on the information arranged by the step of arranging information for scenario generation. You may add the flag etc. which show whether it can be recognized from the avatar of the other user who is. In other words, if a non-first person avatar of the user appears at this viewpoint, a flag indicating whether or not the other user's avatar logged on can recognize the non-first person avatar of the user is added. May be.
For example, for a viewpoint for acquiring one screenshot image, a true / false flag that this viewpoint is included in the field of view of any other user's avatar logged on, this viewpoint logs on A true / false flag indicating that the avatar of any other user is within a predetermined distance may be added. In the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, when at least one of these flags is a logical value, the screenshot image can be excluded from the arranged information.

In yet another embodiment, in the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, in the step of arranging information in the scenario to be generated, the avatar coordinates are logged on to the information of other users' avatars logged off. You may add the flag etc. which show whether it can be recognized from the avatar of the other user who is doing.
For example, the truth flag that the coordinates of the other user's avatar who was logged off are included in the field of view of any other user's avatar logged on, the coordinates of the avatar of the other user who was logged off are A true / false flag indicating that the avatar of any other user who is logged on is approaching within a predetermined distance may be added. In the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, when at least one of these flags is a logical value, information on the avatars of other users who have logged off can be excluded from the arranged information. .

  In this way, by using outside of the field of view of other users' avatars and avoiding recognition from other users, the scenario generation method according to the present invention logs on the information of the logged-off user's avatar. A scenario can be generated without causing a contradiction that it is included in the action history of a user's avatar.

(4) The virtual space according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the scenario includes information on a user selected from other users whose association with the user is stored by a predetermined storage unit. Scenario generation method.

  Thereby, in the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, information for scenario generation can be quickly selected from limited conditions. The predetermined storage unit may be a storage unit that is appropriately provided in a server device that provides a virtual space, or may be a storage unit that is appropriately provided in the terminal device of the user.

  The association between the user and the other user is the association between the user and the other user included in the friend list stored in the virtual space server device or the like during the period when the user is logged on to the virtual space, This includes the association between the first person avatar of the user and the first person avatar of another user. The user may select from a plurality of avatars and operate one avatar in the virtual space, and the association may be stored for each selected avatar.

  In one embodiment, when a user logs on to a virtual space, a virtual space scenario according to the present invention is responsive to selecting one of a plurality of first person avatars each defined by a different friend list. The generation method may switch the selection range of other users' avatars included in the scenario to be generated based on the friend list of the selected first person avatar.

  In another embodiment, when a user logs on to a virtual space, one of a plurality of first-person avatars, each of which is defined as a condition for searching for other users who have similar preferences with the user, is selected. In response, the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention sets the selection range of other users' avatars included in the generated scenario to the search conditions stored for the selected first person avatar. Switch based on.

In virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, each other in the virtual space by the user and other users or with friendship through mutual registration, etc. friend list in the virtual space based on the user and any search criteria By including other users that can be searched for in the generated scenario, the user can be more interested in the generated scenario.
Furthermore, by using a pre-stored friend list or the like, compared with selecting from all other users in the virtual space for scenario generation, the operation load of the scenario generation device and the like is reduced, and quicker Scenario generation is possible.

(5) The step of generating the scenario further includes the step of storing the generated scenario so that other users included in the generated scenario can access the generated scenario. ) The virtual space scenario generation method according to any one of the above.

  Thereby, in the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, a scenario generated for one user is stored, and other users included in this scenario refer to the same scenario, and the scenario is It becomes possible for mutual users to share the contained information. Therefore, in the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, other users who have logged off at the same time zone as the user also refer to the same generated scenario and occur in the virtual space during their logoff. You can get an opportunity to know information on topics and events.

  That is, in the present invention, the non-first person avatar associated with self is determined by a scenario generated based on each of the user's last logoff period or the last logoff period of another user who was logged off during his / her last logoff period. You can have an action history during your log-off. In any case, in the present invention, since the viewpoint of the non-first person avatar of the user who has logged off as described above is used, the generated scenario is shared with the user and other users even when the scenario is generated. However, there is no contradiction in the user's mutual action history in the virtual space. Furthermore, an increase in the load on the system can be avoided by using the already generated scenario.

(6) The method further includes the step of presenting the generated scenario to another user included in the generated scenario by operating the non-first person avatar of the other user in the virtual space. The virtual space scenario generation method according to any one of (5) to (5).

  Thus, after logging on to the virtual space, another user can have an opportunity to know the generated scenario by operating a non-first person avatar including a virtual pet associated with the other user. Since the non-first person avatar of another user is the subject of the act of presenting the scenario, it can have an action history during the last logoff period of the other user as a subject of scenario generation.

  As described above for the user, the mode of the presented scenario, the certainty of transmission of the presented scenario to other users, the types of actions that other users can take in the virtual space after the presentation, and possible actions Various options can be designed. In this way, in the scenario generation method according to the present invention, the generated scenario is presented by operating the non-first person avatar of another user whose avatar is included in the scenario. It is also possible to have an action history during the final logoff period as the main subject of scenario generation, while other users have the opportunity to know topics in the virtual space during their logoff period, and There will also be an opportunity to increase interest in non-first person avatars.

(7) The virtual space scenario generation method according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the scenario is selected from predetermined scenarios.

  The standard form of this scenario is a form of text such as a template for creating a sentence, a form of an image including decorations such as a background when the scenario is presented to the user, and a sound reproduced based on the timing when the scenario is presented to the user. Appropriately includes audio forms such as signals. The template may be a sentence that can change a predetermined part or a sentence that can insert other words into a predetermined part, or it may be a collection of sentence fragments that can be connected by a conjunction, etc., based on the format of a specific dialect, etc. A processing procedure for changing the ending in the form of characters or the tone in the form of speech may be used. The template may be any template as long as it is presented to the user in the virtual space and is included in at least a part of the information that the user can recognize.

  In one embodiment, a virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention can use a template for a scenario prepared in advance. For example, text information of a kind of framework for playing a selectable play with a friend who can be specified can be used as a template. The friend who can be specified is another user who logs off from the virtual space during at least a part of the last logoff period of the user and whose association with the user is stored by a predetermined storage means such as a friend list. sell. The play that can be selected can be any play that can be performed in a virtual space. For example, a specific friend name or a specific play name is assigned to this template, and a scenario such as “the video game with the friend BBB” by the non-first person avatar can be generated within the user's final logoff period. . The configuration of the template, the set of phrases that can be selected for the template, and the like can be designed as appropriate. Alternatively, using a database device or the like, information on the behavior of the user or other users is cumulatively stored, and a word or phrase that has become a topic in the virtual space is extracted using statistical processing or the like, and selected as a template. Possible words and phrases may be prepared.

  In the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, a scenario is generated by selecting a template from a predetermined scenario using a template or the like, thereby reducing the operation load of the scenario generation device and the like, and generating a scenario quickly. Is possible.

(8) The virtual space scenario generation method according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the scenario describes an event in the virtual space viewed from a viewpoint of a non-first person avatar associated with the user.

  The event provided by the system may be various events provided to an arbitrary user from a server device that provides a virtual space, such as notification to an unspecified number of users. The virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention may be used for scenario generation by determining whether or not there is an association between an event provided by such a system and an arbitrary attribute of the user. For example, if the event provided by the system is a tutorial event for beginners who have used the virtual space for less than a week and the elapsed time since the user started using the virtual space is 3 days, The virtual space scenario generation method according to the invention can be used to generate a scenario by associating this user with a tutorial event.

The virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention can extract an event satisfying a predetermined condition from events generated in the virtual space within the range of the defined final logoff period. The event may be text information such as a message including an advertisement transmitted to an unspecified user using the virtual space, image information, or audio information.
The user may preset conditions for event extraction. For example, the user can set in advance whether or not to include a message including an advertisement transmitted to an unspecified user in a scenario generated by the scenario generation method according to the present invention. The condition for event extraction may be used together with the above friend list or the like. Based on these conditions, the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention can extract events to be included in a scenario provided to a user.
In one embodiment, the user of the virtual space scenario creation method according to the present invention may set filtering conditions for advertisement messages for unspecified users in advance for scenario generation. In response to the user logging on to the virtual space, the scenario generation method according to the present invention selects information such as an advertisement message notified during the last logoff period of the user based on the filtering condition and selects a scenario. Can be used for generation.

  The virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention can use an event in the virtual space having a valid association with the user for scenario generation during a period when the user is logged off.

(9) A computer program for generating a virtual space scenario, which causes a computer to execute the method according to any one of (1) to (8).

  This makes it possible for the computer to execute the steps of the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention.

(10) A virtual space scenario generation device that generates a scenario in a virtual space configured using a computer network, and defines a final logoff period of the user in response to a user logging on to the virtual space. And a logon user extraction unit that extracts other users who have logged on in at least a part of the defined final logoff period, and uses the temporal order to identify the extracted other users. A virtual space scenario generation device, comprising: a virtual space scenario generation unit that generates a scenario excluding associated information.

  The virtual space scenario generation device according to the present invention includes a component having functions of the steps of the above-described method, thereby including a scenario including information during the last logoff period in response to the user logging on to the virtual space. Can be automatically generated. Specifically, the virtual space scenario generation device according to the present invention can be realized by cooperating computer devices such as a network server device, a virtual space server device, and a three-dimensional image information generation device.

According to the present invention, since the scenario is not generated until the user logs on, the use of the system resource can be postponed until the timing when it is necessary, and as a result, the system resource can be reduced. Scenarios can be generated. Furthermore, since the scenario to be generated is generated by excluding information related to other users who have logged on at least partially during the period from the last logoff of the user to the next logon, the other user It is possible to generate a scenario freely without causing any inconsistency with the related information. In this way, it is possible to instantly generate a scenario that does not cause a contradiction in the virtual space using the smallest possible system resources in response to the user logging on.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, the generated scenario is provided to the user, the scenario is appropriately stored in the storage means, and other users who can be included in the scenario can also use the stored scenario. As a result, an increase in the load on the system can be avoided, and other users can also share the stored scenario and have an opportunity to know the topic and the like during their logoff.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. This is merely an example, and does not limit the scope of the present invention. In the following description of the embodiment, a virtual pet is exemplified as a non-first person avatar, but a human-like non-first person avatar may be configured in the same manner.

[Configuration of scenario generator]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a scenario generation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the scenario generation device 10 appropriately includes a user authentication unit 12, a scenario generation unit 14, a three-dimensional image configuration unit 18, and the like. The user authentication unit 12 includes a logon acceptance unit 13 and the like, the scenario generation unit 14 includes a generation scenario information selection unit 15 and a scenario synthesis unit 16 and the like, and the 3D image configuration unit 18 includes a scenario-based 3D image configuration unit 19 and the like. Can be included. Furthermore, the scenario generation device 100 is appropriately connected to a user terminal 60, a user management DB (database, the same applies hereinafter) 30, a logon scenario adjustment DB 35, a three-dimensional image DB 40, and the like.
Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which the user terminal 60 accesses the user authentication means 12 for the scenario generation device 10, the present invention is not limited to this, and the user terminal 60 accesses a server device or the like that provides a virtual space, and the user After the authentication, the scenario generation device 10 according to the present invention may authenticate the user using the authentication information.
In FIG. 1, the user management DB 30, the logon scenario adjustment DB 35, and the 3D image DB 40 are shown as separate database devices. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any database device may be built in the scenario generation device 10. . Alternatively, the scenario generation device 10 may be configured using a plurality of server devices and the like. For example, the user authentication unit 12, one of the scenario generation unit 1 4 or 3-dimensional image construction unit 18 may be implemented by an independent server apparatus or the like.

(User authentication means 12)
User authentication means 12 of the engaging Resid Nario generating apparatus 10 of the present invention is based on the user's account to log on to the virtual space using the user terminal 60 or the like, may authorize access to the virtual space to identify the user. In one embodiment, the user authentication means 12 uses the logon acceptance means 13 to accept access from the user terminal 60 and determine whether access from the user terminal 60 is possible. For example, an account set for each user is used as an identifier. This account only needs to be associated with an individual user, and may not be the same as the identifier or name of the avatar in the virtual space.

(User management DB 30)
The user management DB 30 can identify a user using an identifier, and can further identify an avatar associated with the user. For example, the user management DB 30 may identify each of the user and the avatar using the user ID and the avatar ID, and store the association with each other. Here, the avatar includes a first person avatar and a non-first person avatar including a virtual pet, and the avatar ID may be used for identification of each avatar.
In one embodiment, the user management DB 30 may identify individual users using an identifier such as a user ID. Further, the user management DB 30 may use an avatar ID for identifying a first person avatar associated with the user for each identified user. For one user, the number of first person avatars may be one, or two or more. For example, the user can log on to the virtual space using his / her account and use one first person avatar associated with the user using the ID of the avatar. Also, for example, the user is associated with the user, selects any one of two or more avatars each having an ID, and uses the selected one avatar's ID as the first person avatar. Can be used. In any case, the user's own avatar used by the user after logging on is treated as the first person in the virtual space.
In the virtual space scenario generation device and the like according to the present invention, a non-first person avatar may be included in addition to the first person avatar, and the non-first person avatar may be a virtual pet. For example, one user may use one user ID, one first person avatar ID, and one virtual pet ID. Also, for example, one user can use one user ID, two or more first person avatar IDs and at least one non-first person avatar ID. The user need only be able to use at least one first person avatar ID and at least one non-first person avatar ID. Any combination of first person avatar and non-first person avatar is acceptable.

(Logon scenario adjustment DB35)
The logon scenario adjustment DB 35 can store the time point when the user identified by the user authentication unit 12 logs on to the virtual space and the time point when the user logs off. In response to the authentication of the specific user by the user authentication means 12, the logon scenario adjustment DB 35 searches and extracts the time when the user last logged off, and calculates the period until the current logon time. As a result, the last logoff period of the user can be calculated. By this operation, the scenario generation device 10 according to the present invention can define the last logoff period of the user.
In one embodiment, the last logoff period for a particular user may be the period between the time when the user last logged off and the time when the user logged on. Here, the time point can be one of units of time managed by a server device or the like that provides a virtual space. For example, a virtual space server device or the like can use a unit of time measured by a general clock such as 1 second as a unit of time of the virtual space. In addition, for example, the virtual space server device or the like determines a subsequent one time range out of a plurality of time ranges such as every 5 seconds of a time taken by a general clock for a user logoff or logon. Can be related. Including these embodiments, the logon scenario adjustment DB 35 according to the present invention can calculate the final logoff period of a specific user that is compatible with the numerical value of the time used by the virtual space server device or the like.

  In addition, the logon scenario adjustment DB 35 according to the present invention can extract the avatar IDs of other users who have logged off over the calculated final logoff period of the specific user. By this operation, the scenario generation device 10 according to the present invention can extract other users who have logged off. Here, the avatar ID of the other user who has logged off is the ID of the first person avatar of the other user. The other users may be all other users in the virtual space, or may be other users stored by the virtual space server device or the like using a predetermined data structure such as the friend list of the specific user. The server device or the like may be another user extracted using a condition or the like corresponding to a beginner within one week after the start of access. The conditions for defining the range of other users are not limited and can be designed as appropriate.

  Further, the logon scenario adjustment DB 35 according to the present invention may extract the avatar IDs of other users who have logged off during at least a part of the calculated final logoff period of the specific user. In this case, the period during which both the user and other users are logged off can be used for the scenario as described above. The handling of the period during which other users are logged on will be described later with reference to FIGS. 5 and 7B.

  In one embodiment, the logon scenario adjustment DB 35 according to the present invention may generate a scenario based on the IDs of other users who have been logged off during the user's last logoff period. In another embodiment, the logon scenario adjustment DB 35 according to the present invention may generate a scenario based on the ID of the first person avatar of another user who was logged off during the user's last logoff period. In yet another embodiment, the logon scenario adjustment DB 35 according to the present invention may generate a scenario based on the ID of another user's non-first person avatar that was logged off during the user's last logoff period.

  When the logon scenario adjustment DB 35 according to the present invention extracts the first person avatars of two or more other users, the first person avatars are extracted in association with the period during which each user has logged off. In this way, the scenario generated by the present invention can include the names of the respective first person avatars according to the temporal order in which other users were logged off from the virtual space.

Further, the logon scenario adjustment DB 35 according to the present invention can store information such as a template for generating a scenario, a sentence example, a term, a wording method, and a tone, which can be included in the generated scenario content. These forms of information appropriately include characters, sounds, images as characters including decorations, and the like. Information for scenario generation may include other information, for example, other templates or wording, tone, etc. may be included in the template. The generated scenario content may be a hypertext markup language (HTML) including an image.
In one embodiment, the logon scenario adjustment DB 35 selects a feature of a word depending on an attribute of an avatar or a virtual pet and generates a scenario as a form of character information and / or a grammar such as ending use. Can be extracted.

Furthermore, the logon scenario adjustment DB 35 according to the present invention may store information included in services such as events that can be executed by the virtual space server device or the like in association with the passage of time in the virtual space. This information can be anything as long as it can be included in the contents of the generated scenario. For example, information included in a service as guidance for an introductory person to use the virtual space, or a service related to the virtual space for attracting customers Information such as events for a large number of unspecified users held by a provider of information is appropriately included. Accordingly, when there is no other user who has been logged off during the last logoff period of the specific user, or another user previously stored by the specific user using a friend list or the like is logged off during the last logoff period of the specific user. Even if not, the logon scenario adjustment DB 35 according to the present invention can generate a scenario related to the final logoff period using information such as events in the virtual space that have progressed over time. Therefore, in the engaged Resid Nario generating device 10 or the like to the present invention, according to the temporal order in the virtual space can generate a scenario that includes a name and the like of the event.

  By these operations, the logon scenario adjustment DB 35 according to the present invention is stored in a virtual space including other users stored in a predetermined list or the like by the specific user during at least a part of the final logoff period of the specific user. Generate scenario from first person avatar ID of other users who logged off, information such as events that were progressing in the virtual space during the period, templates that can be used for scenario generation, sentence examples, terms, wording, tone, etc. Information for can be extracted arbitrarily.

(Scenario generation means 14)
The scenario generation unit 14 can generate a scenario using information for scenario generation in the last logoff period of a specific user extracted by the logon scenario adjustment DB 35 described above. In one embodiment, the scenario generation unit 14 includes a generation scenario information selection unit 15 and a scenario synthesis unit 16.

  The generation scenario information selection unit 15 extracts information that can be used for scenario generation from the information extracted by the logon scenario adjustment DB 35 described above. For example, the generation scenario information selection unit 15 selects one of templates for scenario generation determined in advance based on the user's preference or by a random selection side, and adds it to the user's friend list. From the stored avatar names based on the avatar IDs of other users who have been logged off during at least a part of the last logoff period, those that can be applied to the template can be selected. Similarly, the generation scenario information selection unit 15 appropriately selects information such as events that have progressed in the virtual space during the user's last logoff period, sentence examples that can be applied to templates, information on terms, wording, tone, and the like. sell.

The scenario synthesizing unit 16 can synthesize a scenario using various information for scenario generation selected by the generation scenario information selecting unit 15 described above. That is, by this operation, information for scenario generation is arranged and a scenario is generated.
For example, the generation scenario information selection means 15 described above indicates that a non-first person avatar of a specific user is a human-like avatar using a dialect, “I do something with someone during the user's final logoff period. ”Template” content, “virtual Taro” which is the name of the avatar associated with the avatar ID of another user who was logged off from the virtual space during the user's last logoff period, and each information that can be included in the scenario When a term in the form of characters for the character is extracted to generate one scenario, the scenario synthesizing means 16 uses these pieces of information, “While the master is away, virtual Taro A scenario such as “Hana and Okonomiyaki” can be generated in the form of characters.
Further, for example, the generated scenario information selection unit 15 may log off information on events held by the virtual space server device, etc., and other users stored in the friend list in the virtual space during the last logoff period of the user. When selecting information or the like indicating that the game has not been performed, the scenario composition unit 16 can generate a scenario such as “I did a quiz tournament in the central square a while ago” using the information.

  The scenario synthesized by the scenario synthesis unit 16 may be stored in a storage unit (not shown) or the like appropriately provided in the scenario generation device 10 or a server device that provides a virtual space. Furthermore, it may be used for presentation to other users in response to other users included in this scenario logging on.

The generation scenario information selection unit 15 described above extracts other users who have been logged off during at least a part of the user's last logoff period, and generates a scenario using both logoff periods. Therefore, in the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, it is possible to generate a scenario without causing a contradiction in the action history related to the avatar of the user who is logged on to the virtual space.
Further, since the generation scenario information selection means 15 described above can select information for scenario generation based on the actual temporal order or the temporal order in the virtual space, a scenario generated by the scenario synthesis means 16 can also be selected. Similarly, it may include a real time order or a time order in virtual space. Therefore, the scenario synthesizing unit 16 can generate a scenario with no contradiction in time order.

(3D image construction means 18)
The three-dimensional image construction unit 18 can generate an image based on the scenario in order to visually present the scenario generated by the scenario synthesis unit 16 to the user in the virtual space. The format of the image to be generated is preferably a three-dimensional image, but it may be appropriately changed to two-dimensional based on the user terminal mode, etc., and a two-dimensional or three-dimensional format is selected according to the user's preference etc. May be. Hereinafter, the case of a three-dimensional image will be described.
The three-dimensional image construction unit 18 includes a scenario-based three-dimensional image construction unit 19 and the like. The scenario-based three-dimensional image constructing unit 19 can construct a three-dimensional image to be presented to the user by appropriately using text, objects, etc. included in the scenario generated by the scenario generating unit 14 described above. This three-dimensional image may be an object in the virtual space.

In one embodiment, the scenario-based three-dimensional image constructing unit 19 arranges the scenario generated by the scenario generating unit 14 on the surface of a substantially planar bulletin board that can be rendered in the virtual space, and the user can use the scenario as a character. Synthesize a recognizable image. The synthesized image can be presented to the user by operating the user's non-first person avatar in the virtual space. The decoration etc. in the presentation can be designed as appropriate.
In another embodiment, the scenario-based three-dimensional image constructing unit 19 can render a character included in the scenario generated by the scenario generating unit 14 in the virtual space and can be recognized as a character by the user. Replace with the image.
In still another embodiment, the scenario-based three-dimensional image constructing unit 19 includes a phrase that can be associated with the action pattern of the non-first person avatar among the phrases included in the scenario generated by the scenario generating unit 14. Based on the similarity, a three-dimensional image representing a specific behavior pattern of the non-first person avatar is generated. For example, when the generated scenario includes a phrase such as “It was sad”, the scenario-based three-dimensional image constructing unit 19 generates a three-dimensional image or the like representing an action of a non-first person avatar to the user. sell.
In these embodiments, the three-dimensional images that can be generated by the scenario-based three-dimensional image constructing means 19 may be used alone or in combination. For example, a three-dimensional image may be generated by superimposing an image representing the action of a non-first person avatar on the surface of a bulletin board including the above-described characters.

(3D image DB 40)
The 3D image DB 40 is an image database device or the like that can store 3D images that can be handled in a virtual space. The format of the image to be stored is preferably a three-dimensional image, but is not limited to this, and a two-dimensional image to be displayed on a mobile phone terminal or the like may be stored. Hereinafter, the case of a three-dimensional image will be described.
In one embodiment, the three-dimensional image DB 40 can store the three-dimensional image generated by the above-described three-dimensional image constructing unit 18 and provide it to the scenario generation device 10 according to the present invention.
In another embodiment, the 3D image DB 40 may provide information for a 3D image in a virtual space that is not limited to scenario generation to the scenario generation device 10 according to the present invention.
In yet another embodiment, the three-dimensional image DB 40 can provide the scenario generation apparatus 10 according to the present invention with information for a three-dimensional image that is appropriately simplified for presentation of a scenario.

  The scenario generation apparatus 10 according to the present invention is generated in the information or virtual space of another user's avatar who has logged off during at least a part of the user's final logoff period by cooperating these means. A scenario in the virtual space can be automatically generated using event information or the like, and a non-first person avatar can be operated to be presented to the user as a three-dimensional image.

[System configuration]
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a system configuration for scenario generation according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the scenario generation system 50 includes a scenario generation apparatus 10, a virtual space server 20, a user management DB 30, a 3D image DB 40, a user terminal 60, and the like that can be connected to each other via a network 38. The apparatus 10 can be connected to the logon scenario adjustment DB 35. The description of the same parts as in FIG.

  The user terminal 60 includes a personal computer, a mobile terminal, a mobile phone, and the like that can access the scenario generation apparatus of the present invention via the network 38. The network 38 may be wired or wireless. Preferably, the network 38 is the Internet.

  When a user appropriately accesses the virtual space server 20 using the user terminal 60 and requests authentication of his / her account in order to use the virtual space, the scenario generation device 10 according to the present invention is associated with the user's account. Based on the user ID, the user management DB 30 is used to extract the user's avatar ID, and the logon scenario adjustment DB 35 is used to define the user's final logoff period. It is possible to search for other users who have logged off at least during a part of the period, and to extract and select various types of information for scenario generation.

  The operation of the scenario generation device 10 according to the present invention is performed as the steps executed by the scenario generation device 10 in response to the user who has logged off logging on to the virtual space. Therefore, the virtual space server 20 does not operate the avatar associated with the user in the virtual space during the period when the user is logged off. In addition, even after the user logs on, the virtual space server 20 does not cause various stages of load for scenario generation.

  In the scenario generation system according to the present invention, a scenario in the last logoff period of the user can be automatically generated in response to the user logon without increasing the load on the virtual space server 20.

[Hardware configuration of scenario generator]
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of the scenario generation device according to the embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the scenario generation device will be described as a server. However, the same applies to the case where a personal computer or the like is used as the scenario generation device.

  The scenario generation apparatus 10 includes a CPU 110 constituting the control unit 108 (a plurality of CPUs such as the CPU 120 may be added in a multiprocessor configuration), a bus line 107, a communication I / F 140, a main memory 150, a BIOS (Basic Input Output System). ) 160, a USB port 190, an I / O controller 170, input means such as a keyboard and mouse 180, and a display device 122. The I / O controller 170 can be connected to a storage unit 109 such as a tape drive 172, a hard disk 174, an optical disk drive 176, and a semiconductor memory 178. The BIOS 160 stores a boot program executed by the CPU 110 when the server is started, a program depending on the server hardware, and the like. The hard disk 174 stores various programs for functioning as a server and programs for executing the functions of the present invention. As the optical disk drive 176, for example, a DVD-ROM drive, a CD-ROM drive, a DVD-RAM drive, a CD-RAM drive, or the like can be used. In this case, the optical disk 177 corresponding to each drive is used. A program or data can be read from the optical disk 177 by the optical disk drive 176 and provided to the main memory 150 or the hard disk 174 via the I / O controller 170. Similarly, the tape medium 171 corresponding to the tape drive 172 can be used mainly for backup.

Program provided to the server, a hard disk 174, optical disk 17 7 or is provided by being stored in a recording medium such as a memory card. This program may be installed in the server and executed by being read from the recording medium via the I / O controller 170 or downloaded via the communication I / F 140.

  The above-described program may be stored in an internal or external storage medium. Here, examples of the storage medium include, but are not limited to, a magnetic recording medium, a magneto-optical recording medium, an optical recording medium, and an electronic medium. The magnetic recording medium includes a magnetic tape, a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a hard disk 174, a magnetic random access memory (MRAM), etc., and the magneto-optical recording medium includes a magneto-optical disk (MO and MD), etc. Recording media include write-once compact discs (CDs), write-once digital multipurpose discs (DVDs), write-once Blu-ray discs, write-once holographic discs, etc., and electronic media are electrically writable read-only memory, random access memory , Flash memory, silicon storage disk, etc. Further, a storage device such as a hard disk 174 or an optical disk library provided in a server system connected to a dedicated communication line or a communication line such as the Internet may be used as a recording medium, and the program may be provided to the server via the communication line. .

  Here, the display device 122 displays a screen for accepting data input by the server administrator, or displays a screen of calculation processing results. The display device 122 is a cathode ray tube display device (CRT) or a liquid crystal display device (LCD). Display devices. The input means accepts input by the user, and may be configured with a keyboard and mouse 180 or the like. The communication I / F 140 is a network adapter for enabling the server to be connected to a terminal via a dedicated network or a public network. The communication I / F 140 may include a modem, a cable modem, and an Ethernet (registered trademark) adapter.

  In the above example, the hardware configuration of the scenario generation apparatus 10 has been mainly described. However, the functions described above can be realized by installing a program in a computer and operating the computer as the scenario generation apparatus 10. . Therefore, the functions realized by the scenario generation apparatus 10 described as an embodiment in the present invention are executed by executing the above-described method by the computer, or by introducing the above-described program into the computer and executing it. Is also feasible.

[Stage generation stages]
FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram illustrating the steps of the scenario generation method according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows that information for generating a scenario is used by excluding information of other users who have logged on during at least a part of the last logoff period of the user.

  In the scenario generation method according to the present invention, in the user logon acceptance step (S100), the logon of the user is accepted and the user is identified based on the account. In another embodiment, the scenario generation method according to the present invention receives authentication information from a server device or the like that provides a virtual space from the server device or the like in the user logon acceptance step (S100) when the user logs on. Then, it is possible to identify the user involved in the scenario generation based on this information.

  Next, in the scenario generation method according to the present invention, in the final logoff period defining step (S110), the elapsed time from the time when the identified user last logged off to the time of logging on is appropriately stored as the final logoff period. To do. In other words, the last logoff period includes at least information at the time of the last logoff for the identified user.

Next, in the scenario generation method according to the present invention, in the step (S115) of extracting other users who have logged on at least a part of the final logoff period, the final logoff period of the user defined in step ( S110 ) . Extract other users who were logged on to. Here, “logging on at least a part” includes that the user has logged on throughout the last logoff period, and another user logs on in any part of the last logoff period of the user. It points to what it was.

Next, in the scenario generation method according to the present invention, in the step (S130) of excluding information related to other users who have logged on, the operation of excluding information related to other users extracted in the above step ( S115 ) . To implement. Here, the exclusion of information is not necessarily limited to a general operation or the like that excludes a part of information with a condition after the extraction of information, but a creation and storage of a list of IDs of logged-on users. Or, it may be editing of a logical value of a specific item that can be included in an attribute of arbitrary information. That is, the extraction of information for generating a scenario may be after the step ( S130 ) or earlier.
In one embodiment, the step ( S130 ) of the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention appropriately stores the IDs of other users extracted in the above step ( S115 ) . In the subsequent information arrangement, the information related to the user including the ID stored in step ( S130 ) can be distinguished from other information.
In another embodiment, the step ( S130 ) of the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention sets filtering conditions for specific items of attributes that can be included in information such as arbitrary avatars, objects, and events in the virtual space. Can be set. For example, when the item of the user ID that owns the avatar is included in a part of the attribute of the avatar, in the step ( S130 ) , as a filtering condition for the item of the user ID included in the attribute of the avatar, the step ( S115 ) It may be set or memorized that the user ID extracted in is not included. In the subsequent information arrangement, information can be selected and arranged using this filtering condition together.
By operating in this way, the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention generates in the subsequent step by storing the logged-on user for the arrangement of the subsequent information in step ( S130 ) . It becomes possible to exclude the information of the logged-on user from the scenario. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to extract information for scenario generation in advance, an increase in load on the system in scenario generation can be avoided.

Next, in the event generation step according to the present invention, in the event arrangement step (S140), information for excluding information related to the logged-on user is used, and arbitrary information in the virtual space, that is, avatar information and Information on events and / or the like can be arranged. Here, the arrangement may be an arrangement according to a temporal order, an arrangement based on the relationship with the user's preference, or the like, and the conditions for the arrangement can be designed as appropriate.
In one embodiment, the event arrangement step (S140) of the scenario generation method according to the present invention includes the logged-on user information extracted in the above step ( S115 ) and stored in the above step ( S130 ) . Any information in the virtual space may be arranged for scenario generation so as not to include it. This arbitrary information may be other users included in the user's friend list, for example.
In another embodiment, the event arrangement step (S140) of the scenario generation method according to the present invention is extracted in the above step ( S115 ) , and the user ID item included in the avatar attribute is extracted in the above step ( S130 ) . Based on the filtering condition set as a target, arbitrary information in the virtual space can be arranged for scenario generation so as not to include an avatar corresponding to the filtering condition.

The information arrangement in the event arrangement step (S140) is an arbitrary arrangement of one information, an arbitrary arrangement of two or more information under the condition that does not include the user information extracted in the above step ( S115 ) . Any number of information may be arranged for scenario generation.
In one embodiment, the event arrangement step (S140) may arrange information according to a temporal order. In the arrangement of information according to the temporal order, one information only needs to correspond to one point in time, and a technique known in the art such as data rearrangement can be used for the order of the arranged information. .
If the same time point is included across multiple information, the step ( S140 ) adjusts the time information included in the information for the scenario as appropriate so that one information corresponds to one time point. Also good. For example, the last logoff period of a specific user is from 16:00 to 20:00, the total information for the scenario is two, and the information of 1 is the event X that is continuously performed for 24 hours in the virtual space If the other information is that the friend Q has been logged off from 18:00, the step ( S140 ) is the event X information from 16:00 to 18:00 within the last logoff period. The information of the friend Q can be arranged between 18:00 and 20:00. In this way, in the operation of step ( S140 ) , a plurality of pieces of information for the scenario can be arranged so that one piece of information corresponds to one point in time within the final logoff period.
In one embodiment, the scenario generation method according to the present invention sorts a plurality of pieces of information for scenarios in descending order based on time information in the virtual space included in each information in step ( S140 ) . The new information can be arranged in the scenario in preference to the old information.
In another embodiment, the scenario generation method according to the present invention sorts a plurality of pieces of information for a scenario in ascending order based on time information in a virtual space included in each piece of information in the step ( S140 ) . They can be arranged in accordance with the progress of time in space and used in scenarios.
By operating the step ( S140 ) according to the temporal order, one information for the scenario is arranged at one time point in the last logoff period. Therefore, in the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, it is possible to generate a scenario that is consistent with the temporal order in the virtual space. The present invention is not limited to this, and the virtual space scenario creation method according to the present invention may not include the user information extracted in the above-described step ( S115 ) , and an arbitrary number of pieces of information are arranged according to a condition to be arbitrarily added. May be.

Next, the scenario generation method according to the present invention can generate a scenario using the information for the scenario arranged as described above in the scenario generation step (S150).
The mode of the scenario may be character information or an image that the user can recognize as characters. The scenario may be accompanied by an image having a relationship with the scenario. Furthermore, a scenario generated as a character may be converted into synthesized speech or the like and provided to the user.
The subject of the scenario can be anything, for example, a sentence that is based on a non-first person avatar may be generated, or a sentence that reports the avatars and events included in the above-mentioned arranged information from a third party perspective may be generated. Not limited to these.
In the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, the scenario is generated from the viewpoint of the non-first person avatar or the third person viewpoint instead of the first person avatar, thereby avoiding inconsistency with the user logging off. sell.

In one embodiment, a known method such as natural language processing can be used as a technique for generating a scenario from the above-described arranged information. In other words, information indicating the usage of a ward or the like may be added to each piece of arranged information, and a sentence may be generated from fragments of phrases that can be connected to each other.
In another embodiment, the scenario may be selected from a predefined template. For example, a scenario can be generated by preparing a template capable of selecting or replacing a term at a specific location in a sentence, and selecting or replacing the term in the template according to the above-described arranged information. The predetermined scenario is not limited to this, but the form of characters such as a template for creating a sentence, the form of an image including decorations such as a background when the scenario is presented to the user, and the timing at which the scenario is presented to the user As appropriate, a sound form such as a sound signal reproduced based on the above is included. A typical scenario may be a sentence that can be changed at a predetermined location, such as a template, or a sentence that can be inserted with other words at a predetermined position, or a collection of fragments of sentences that can be connected by a conjunction, etc. A processing procedure or the like for changing the ending in the form of characters or the tone in the form of speech based on the dialect format may be used. The standard scenario may be presented to the user in the virtual space and included in at least a part of the information that can be recognized by the user. A typical scenario configuration, a set of phrases that can be selected for the typical scenario, and the like can be appropriately designed. Alternatively, using a database device or the like, the user or other user's behavior information is cumulatively stored, and a phrase or the like that has become a topic in the virtual space is extracted using statistical processing, etc. Selectable phrases may be prepared.

Thus generated scenario, the scenario generation device 10 shown in FIG. 1, be stored in such virtual space server 2 0 or storage medium having such user terminal 60 is suitably shown in FIG. 2 (not shown) Good. Furthermore, other users included in the generated scenario may be able to access the stored scenario. Therefore, in the present invention, other users can also refer to the same scenario, thereby obtaining an opportunity to know the topic in the virtual space during the logoff period, and omitting the operation of the new system for generating the scenario. By doing so, the load on the system can be further reduced.

Next, in the scenario generation method according to the present invention, in the 3D image generation step (S160), a 3D image that can be presented to the user can be appropriately generated based on the scenario generated in the above step ( S150 ) . . The format of the image to be generated is preferably a three-dimensional image, but it may be appropriately changed to two-dimensional based on the user terminal mode, etc., and a two-dimensional or three-dimensional format is selected according to the user's preference etc. May be. For example, the character form scenario generated in the above-described scenario generation step (S150) may be converted into a three-dimensional character that the user can recognize as an image.

In one embodiment, in the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, in the step ( S160 ) , the scenario generated in the above step ( S150 ) is formed on the surface of a substantially planar bulletin board that can be rendered in the virtual space. Arrange and synthesize an image in a form that the user can recognize as characters. The synthesized image can be presented to the user by operating the non-first person avatar of the user in the virtual space. The decoration etc. in the presentation can be designed as appropriate.
In another embodiment, step ( S160 ) replaces the characters included in the scenario generated in step ( S150 ) with a three-dimensional image that can be rendered in virtual space and recognized by the user as characters.
In yet another embodiment, the step ( S160 ) is similar to a phrase that can be associated with a behavioral pattern of a virtual pet included in the non-first person avatar among the phrases included in the scenario generated in the step ( S150 ). Based on the sex, a three-dimensional image representing a specific behavior pattern of the virtual pet is generated. For example, if the generated scenario includes a phrase such as “Rustful”, the step ( S160 ) may generate a three-dimensional image or the like representing an action in which the virtual pet is pleasing to the first person avatar of the user.
In yet another embodiment, the step ( S160 ) includes determining whether the phrase included in the scenario is included in the scenario based on the information of other users who have logged off among the phrases included in the scenario generated in the step ( S150 ). Generate a three-dimensional image that prompts the user to estimate. For example, the step ( S160 ) may present a term similar to the name of the other user's avatar to the user by operating the virtual pet.
In these embodiments, the three-dimensional images that can be generated by the scenario-based three-dimensional image constructing means 19 may be used alone or in combination. For example, a three-dimensional image may be generated by superimposing an image representing the action of a non-first person avatar on the surface of a bulletin board including the above-described characters.

The scenario generation method according to the present invention operates these stages, thereby using information on other users who have been logged off during the defined final logoff period, and eliminating information on users who have been logged on. Scenarios can also be generated that also have temporal order consistency. According to the present invention, in response to a logged-off user logging on again, a scenario is generated using information related to the user's last log-off period, and described from the viewpoint of a non-first person avatar such as a virtual pet It can be presented to the user as text or the like.
In the present invention, the scenario generation operation is not started until the user who has logged off logs on again, and therefore the scenario can be generated without increasing the load on the system.

[Stage generation stages]
FIG. 5 shows a flow diagram illustrating the steps of a scenario generation method including information selection according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The steps shown in FIG. 5 include the step of extracting other users, the step of selecting information for the scenario (S120), the step of extracting other users who have logged off (S122), Is replaced with the step (S130) of removing the forbidden selection and the step (S130) of excluding information related to other logged-on users is replaced with the step of extracting the user (S124) and the virtual space event extracting step (S126). Except for this, it is the same as some of the steps shown in FIG. Description of operations common to those in FIG. 4 is omitted.

In the scenario generation method according to the present invention, in the step of selecting information for a scenario (S120), information used for the scenario can be selected by selecting a subsequent step. For example, it is possible to use selection Y and selection N branches that branch based on whether a result of a certain condition determination is true or false of a logical value. Further, a branch such as selection A that does not depend on such condition determination may be added as appropriate.
In one embodiment, the scenario generation method according to the present invention uses the selection Y and selection N branches exclusively in step ( S120 ) , and logs off from the virtual space at a time included in the defined final logoff period. If the result of the determination is true, the process proceeds to step ( S122 ) according to the branch of selection Y, and if it is false, the process proceeds to step ( S124 ) according to the determination of selection N. . Thus, the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention generates a scenario by appropriately using the information of the user and the other user who has been logged off when there is another user who has been logged off. That is, in other words, when there is no other user who has logged off, a scenario can be generated by appropriately using information such as an event for an unspecified large number of users who have progressed in the virtual space.
In another embodiment, the scenario generation method according to the present invention uses both selection Y and selection N branches in step ( S120 ) regardless of the above-described determination, and includes steps ( S122 ) and ( S124 ) . Both execute. That is, the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, by using the information of the event such as for unspecified users who have progressed at the user and log off to other information Ho及 beauty virtual space of the user was appropriate scenario Can be generated.
In yet another embodiment, in the scenario generation method according to the present invention, in step ( S120 ) , the subsequent logged-on other users are extracted according to the branch of selection A (S126 ) regardless of the above-described determination. ) Accordingly, other users who have logged on during the last logoff period of the user can also be used for scenario generation.
Selection in these embodiments A, the branch selection Y or selected from N, in accordance with aspects of the exemplary device of the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, or based on user preferences, etc., or random by a random number, etc. May be selected based on various selection rules. The user can know a scenario generated by a certain rule by always using information of another user who has logged off by the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, or any information can be used. It is also possible to get an opportunity to know a scenario generated by a random selection rule that cannot be predicted in advance.
Selection A, select Y or the number of branches, such as selected from N, conditions, weights, etc. of the branch for the criteria may be appropriately designed based on the preference of the user in the virtual space.

Then, the scenario generation method according to the present invention, the forbidden selected exclusion step (S132), the above-described step (S120) and subsequent steps (S122), S124) or information for the scenario extracted in (S126) Then, an operation for identifying and eliminating information corresponding to a predetermined prohibition is performed. Here, the predetermined prohibition refers to selection of information that causes a contradiction in the action history of an arbitrary avatar in the virtual space.
In one embodiment, the forbidden selection exclusion step (S132) of the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention excludes information that has occurred within the field of view of other users from the information extracted for the scenario. Yes. For example, neither the user's first person avatar or non-first person avatar in the user's last logoff period can be recognized by other users logged on during the period, so after the user logs on again, Leaving an action history within the range of the field of view of another user's first person avatar or the like during the period may cause a contradiction in the action history of the other user's avatar. Therefore, the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention excludes information generated in the range of the field of view of the other user's avatar from the information for the extracted scenario in step ( S132 ) . Accordingly, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of contradiction in the action history of the avatars of other users who have logged on to the virtual space.
In another embodiment, the forbidden selection exclusion step (S132) of the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention may include determining whether the distance from the information extracted for the scenario to the avatars of other logged-on users is Anything that occurs in a place that is less than or equal to a predetermined length can be eliminated. Accordingly, in the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, in the step ( S132 ) , the distance in the virtual space to any avatar of another user is predetermined from the information for the extracted scenario described above. By excluding information that is less than or equal to the length of the user, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of inconsistencies in the behavior history of the avatars of other users who have logged on to the virtual space.

In the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, in addition to generating a scenario using the logged-off user's avatar, the user who has logged on in the virtual space by operating step ( S132 ) The avatar information of the logged-on user can be included in the scenario without causing any contradiction in the action history of the avatar.
For example, in the last logoff period of the user, even if avatars of other logged-on users are reflected in a photograph taken by the virtual pet of the user, that is, a screen shot image from the virtual pet viewpoint, In this case, since this virtual pet is not recognized because it is outside the range of the avatar's field of view, no contradiction occurs in the action history of this avatar. In other words, the virtual pet of the user who has logged off records a screenshot image or the like based on a log recording of the face direction of the avatar that is logged on at a certain point in the user's last logoff period. By searching for an avatar or the like whose possible place is not within the field of view, the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention can include such logged-on avatar information in the scenario.

  Next, in the event generation step (S140), the scenario generation method according to the present invention may arrange the avatar information and / or event information, etc. extracted and excluded from the forbidden selection. Here, the arrangement may be an arrangement according to a temporal order, an arrangement based on the user's preference, or the like, and the conditions for the arrangement may be appropriately designed. For example, information such as avatars of other users that are included in the user's friend list and have passed through the forbidden selection exclusion step (S132) may be arranged.

Next, the scenario generation method according to the present invention may generate a scenario in the scenario generation step (S150) using the information for the scenario arranged in the above step ( S140 ) .

In one embodiment, the arranged information includes a screenshot image in the virtual space, and in step ( S150 ) , a scenario including this image may be generated. The viewpoint of this screen shot image was separated from the other users who were logged on in the field of view who was logged on, or at a distance of a predetermined distance or more from all other users who were logged on during the user's last logoff period. It can be a place. In a situation where such a screen shot image can be provided, the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, in step ( S150 ) , selects the screen shot image alone, together with other typical images, or text. It can be provided to the user together with a scenario having the form of For example, a screen shot image of an event that has been performed in the virtual space can be provided to the user as a photograph taken by the virtual pet.

Next, in the scenario generation method according to the present invention, in the 3D image generation step (S160), a 3D image that can be presented to the user can be appropriately generated based on the scenario generated in the above step ( S150 ) . . The format of the image to be generated is preferably a three-dimensional image, but it may be appropriately changed to two-dimensional based on the user terminal mode, etc., and a two-dimensional or three-dimensional format is selected according to the user's preference etc. May be.

  By operating these stages, the scenario generation method according to the present invention occurs in the virtual space during the final logoff period, information on other users who have logged off during at least a part of the defined final logoff period. Uses event information, information on places outside the field of view of other users who were logged on during the last logoff period, etc., and also eliminates forbidden selection that causes inconsistency in the behavior history of any avatar, and also has temporal order consistency A scenario can be generated. Therefore, according to the present invention, in response to the logged-off user logging on again, a scenario is generated using information related to the user's last log-off period, and from the viewpoint of a non-first person avatar such as a virtual pet. It can be presented to the user as written text or the like.

[Predetermined standard scenario]
FIG. 6 illustrates a predetermined scenario template according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Scenario templates 250 shown in FIG. 6 (a), include a title area 252, the text area 25 4及 beauty image area 258 or the like as appropriate. The text area 254 may appropriately include a fixed phrase or the like into which a replaceable term or another term can be inserted. The number, capacity, number of characters, number of pixels, layout, etc. of each region can be designed as appropriate. For example, the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention uses the scenario template 250 as appropriate, inserts the extracted name of the other user's avatar or the like into the title area 252, and extracts the characteristics of the other user's avatar or the past Words included in action information such as chats are inserted into the text area 254 or text area 254 using standard sentences as appropriate, and related images or non-first person avatar animations that present this scenario to the user are displayed in the image area. 258. In this manner, a scenario that can be recognized by the user as a sentence including an image as appropriate can be generated from fragmentary information extracted and arranged for scenario generation.

  The scenario template 260 shown in FIG. 6B appropriately includes a title option 262, a fixed text A (264), a fixed text B (266), an image region 268, and the like. For these areas, a format, a term, a background, and the like may be set in advance based on user preferences and the like. The title option 262 may be an area for displaying a scenario title, which may be selected based on the user's preference or the like, or may be automatically set based on the time of day or the like. The virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention uses a scenario template 260 as appropriate, displays a preset title option 262, and displays other user information extracted in the preset text A (264). It is possible to insert the event information extracted into the preset fixed text B (266) and insert an image related to the image area 258 or an animation of a non-first person avatar that presents this scenario to the user. In this manner, as in the description using FIG. 6A described above, a scenario that can be recognized as a sentence in which the user appropriately includes an image can be generated.

In these embodiments, the format of the information of the area included in the template may be a character or an image. For example, all information included in the scenario may be presented to the user as non-linguistic information such as images, and the user may be given an opportunity to guess what the user's non-first person avatar is trying to convey.
In addition, a template that can be used in these embodiments and all or a part of the generated scenario are stored in the virtual space scenario generation device according to the present invention or the server device that provides the virtual space according to the present invention, for example, using HTML format. You may memorize | store in an apparatus etc.
Furthermore, the scenario stored in the storage device or the like may be accessible from other users included in the scenario. By knowing a scenario in which another user includes his / her avatar at the time of re-logon, the other user can also use the scenario during the logoff period. Also in this case, according to the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, there is no contradiction in the action history of the avatar in the virtual space, and the generated scenario can be shared with other users. Users have the opportunity to be more interested and interested in the virtual space.

[Logon table]
FIG. 7 shows a time table for selecting and arranging information used in a scenario according to an embodiment of the present invention. The scenario adjustment time tables 300 and 400 have a data structure capable of arranging and storing users or events in the virtual space according to the time (t) 310 in the virtual space.

FIG. 7A is a time table for selecting and arranging information used in a scenario according to an embodiment of the present invention, and logs on in at least a part of the last logoff period of a specific user. A time table that excludes all other users, in other words, a time table that includes other users who have been logged off over the entire last log off period of a particular user, is shown relative to each log off period.
FIG. 7B shows a time table including other users who have logged off during at least a part of the last logoff period of a specific user according to an embodiment of the present invention, comparing each logoff period. Show.

  In one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 7A, the scenario adjustment time table 300 may store the last logoff period of a specific user using the user 1 time table U01 (301). For example, when the user's last logoff time is 2:30 in the virtual space and the logon time is 8:00:00, the scenario adjustment time table 300 indicates that the user's last logoff period 311 is 2 It can be stored that it is from 30:30 to 8:00:00.

  When the last logoff period 311 of the user is defined, the virtual space scenario generation device and the like according to the present invention can extract other users who have logged off over the entire period. At this time, other users may be extracted on the condition that they are included in the friend list of the user. For example, the user 2, the user 3, and the user 4 are extracted, and the log-off period 312 of the user 2 is stored in the time table U 02 (302) of the user 2 and the log-off period 313 of the user 3 is the user 3. It is stored in the time table U03 (303), and the log-off period 314 of the user 4 can be stored in the time table U04 (304) of the user 4. For example, the logoff period 312 of the user 2 continues from 2:00, the logoff period 313 of the user 3 starts from 0:00, and the logoff period 314 of the user 4 continues from 1:30 to the time of the user logon. Other users may also log off from the virtual space throughout the user's last logoff period. As described above, the virtual space scenario generation device and the like according to the present invention can extract information of other users who have logged off over the entire last logoff period 311 of the user.

  As described above, by using the scenario adjustment timetable 300, the virtual space scenario generation method implementation device and the like according to the present invention extract and extract other users who have been logged off over the entire defined final logoff period. A scenario can be generated using information such as the user's avatar. By using a period in which both the user and other users have logged off and never met in the virtual space, the present invention can generate a scenario without any contradiction in the action history of the avatar.

  In another embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 7B, the scenario adjustment time table 400 may store the last logoff period of a specific user using the user 1 time table U <b> 11 (401). For example, when the user's last log-off time is 2:30 in the virtual space and the log-on time is 9: 0, the scenario adjustment time table 300 indicates that the user's last log-off period 311 is 2 It can be stored that it is from 30:30 to 9:00:00.

When the user's final logoff period 411 is defined, the virtual space scenario generation device and the like according to the present invention can extract other users who have logged off during at least a part of this period. At this time, other users may be extracted on condition that they are included in the user's friend list. For example, the user 12, the user 13, and the user 14 are extracted, and the logoff period 412 of the user 12 is stored in the time table U12 (402) of the user 12 as the logoff period, and the logoff period 413 of the user 13 is the user 13 The log-off period 414 of the user 14 can be stored in the time table U14 (404) of the user 14 and stored in the time table U13 (403). For example, the logoff period 412 of the user 12 is 2: 0 to 3:30, the logoff period 413 of the user 13 is 3:58 to 6:55, the logoff period 414 of the user 14 is 2: 1 to 6:02, etc. It can be.
In addition, the virtual space scenario generation device and the like according to the present invention are implemented in the virtual space in the last logoff period 411 of the user, such as an event or an advertisement from the system that provides the virtual space to an unspecified number of users. Information can be extracted as appropriate. For example, event information 421, event information 422, and the like can be extracted and stored using the event time table SYS (420) by the system as the event including at least part of the user's last logoff period 411. Here, the event information 421 may be continuously performed from the previous day to 3:30 on the current day, and the event information 422 may be continuously performed from 3:30 beyond the point of re-logon of the user.

The virtual space scenario generation device and the like according to the present invention can extract information on other users who have logged off or information on events in the virtual space, at least part of which is included in the last logoff period 411 of the user.
For example, the virtual space scenario generation device according to the present invention has a period from 2:30 to 3:30 as information for a scenario presented to the user who has logged off from 2:30 to 9:00:00 The information of the user 12 who has been logged off (a part of the logoff period 412 of the user 12) is used, and the information of the user 14 who has been logged off during the period from 3:30 to 4:30 (the logoff period 414 of the user 14) A part of the log-off period 413 of the user 13 using the information of the user 13 who logged off during the period from 4:30 to 5:30 Event information 422 can be used during this period. The length of time for associating each piece of information for the scenario may be set as appropriate.

  As described above, by using the scenario adjustment time table 400, the execution device or the like of the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention generates a scenario for one time point included in the defined final logoff period. Can be associated with each other and arranged in accordance with the temporal order in the virtual space and used for scenario generation.

In yet another embodiment, referring to FIG. 7B again, the information on the avatars of other users who have logged on during the user's last logoff period 411 is also obtained from the avatars of the other users. Can be used for scenarios provided that the personal avatar could not be recognized. For example, the period from 3:30 to 9: 0 included in the last logoff period 411 of the user does not overlap with the logoff period 412 of the user 12, and during this period, the user logs off and the user 12 Can be the period during which was logged on. In the virtual space scenario creation method according to the present invention, a location outside the field of view of the user 12 or at a predetermined distance from the user 12 can be used for scenario generation.
The extraction of other users who have logged on may be based on the above-mentioned friend list, an avatar existing in an arbitrary place in the virtual space, or the like may be extracted, and may be designed as appropriate.

Thus, in the virtual space scenario creation method according to the present invention, information of the avatar of another user that has logged on-the final off period 411 of the user is also a location remote than the field of view outside or predetermined distance Can be used for scenario generation.

[Example of scenario presentation: Example of using information of another user who has logged off]
FIG. 8 shows an example of scenario presentation in a virtual space according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the example of FIG. 8, an example of generating a scenario using information of another user who has logged off is shown.

  When a user who has logged off from the virtual space logs on again, the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention defines a final logoff period, selects information for the scenario, and selects a time sequence in response to the logon. A scenario that can be presented to the user can be generated using a template or the like as appropriate. On the screen of the user terminal device or the like, a self first person avatar 360, a non-first person avatar such as a virtual pet 365, an object in a virtual space (not shown), and a scenario presentation area 600 may be displayed. The scenario presentation area 600 may be virtually attached to the virtual pet 365 or the like and move together with the movement of the virtual pet 365 or the like in the virtual space.

In the scenario presentation area 600, the scenario generated by the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention is preferably presented to the user as a three-dimensional image including an image that the user can recognize as characters. For example, the scenario presentation area 600 may be displayed on the user's terminal device or the like like a substantially planar bulletin board floating in the virtual space when the user moves the viewpoint in the virtual space, or It may be displayed like a virtual three-dimensional object having thickness or unevenness. Such a three-dimensional image can be constructed using, for example, the three-dimensional image construction means 18 of the scenario generation device 10 shown in FIG.
The scenario presentation area 600 appropriately includes a title 610, an article 620, a logo 630, and the like. The title 610, the logo 630, and the like may be set based on the name or attribute of a virtual pet or the like. For example, a title or an icon image that can be easily associated with the virtual pet 365 having a small mammal-like shape may be set in the title 610 and the logo 630. The logo 630 may be an animation or the like as appropriate.

The article 620 may include information for a scenario extracted by the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention and arranged based on a temporal order. For example, the information (user 12) of the user 12 who has been logged off in the period from 2:30 to 3:30 from the logoff period of the other user included in the time table shown in FIG. 4) and the information of the user 14 who logged off during the period from 3:30 to 4:30 (part of the logoff period 414 of the user 14) is used. Information of the user 13 who has logged off during the period up to 30 minutes (part of the logoff period 413 of the user 13) can be used for scenario generation. In other words, the article 620 may include a scenario including content such as “playing with U12 (user 12) from 2:30 to 3:30 and playing with U13 (user 13) after 4:30”. In order to indicate the user 12 or the user 13 or the like, the name of each user may be used, or the name or the like of the first person avatar of each user may be used.
Information on other users included in these scenarios is information on a period during which each other user has logged off. That is, regarding the information included in the scenario, the user and other users do not meet in the virtual space. Therefore, in the scenario creation method according to the present invention, no contradiction occurs in the action history of any avatar by the generation of the scenario.

  As described above, the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention can present a scenario generated using the scenario presentation area 600 and the like to the user. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and public information is notified from the virtual space to the user. For example, a known method may be used. For example, among scenarios generated by the virtual space scenario creation method according to the present invention, a text format scenario can be displayed in an area (not shown) for displaying notification information such as a terminal device. However, since the area for displaying the notification information is not particularly associated with the user's avatar or virtual pet or the like, a specific virtual pet is displayed during the final logoff period by including an indication that the main character of the scenario is a virtual pet or the like. Etc. can indicate to the user that they have an action history.

The virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention can operate the virtual pet 365 and present the generated scenario to the user using the scenario presentation area 600 and the like. The user can recognize that the scenario shown in the scenario presentation area 600 is generated based on the virtual pet 365 or from the viewpoint of the virtual pet 365.
Further, in the virtual space scenario generation method according to the present invention, using the information of the non-first person avatar and the other user's avatar who has logged off, there is no contradiction in the behavior history of any avatar and between avatars. A scenario can be generated and presented to the user. This allows the non-first person avatar to have an action history during the user's logoff period. In addition, the user's interest in the virtual space can be increased.

[Example of scenario presentation: Example of using information of other logged-on users]
FIG. 9 shows another example of scenario presentation in the virtual space according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the example of FIG. 9, an example of generating a scenario using information of another user who has logged on is shown. Description of points common to the example shown in FIG. 8 is omitted.

  In the virtual space, the user who has logged on again logs on from the point of view of his / her first person avatar 360 in his / her last logoff period through the scenario presentation area 650 associated with a non-first person avatar such as his / her own virtual pet 365. It is possible to know a scenario including information of other users who have been present. For example, in the scenario presentation area 650, information on the logged-on user's avatars 371 and 372, a viewpoint 367 set outside the field of view of all logged-on avatars, and screenshots recorded from this viewpoint. Information 366 of the non-first person avatar indicating that the action has been taken. The scenario form displayed in the scenario presentation area 650 may be an image as shown in FIG. 9 or may include what the user can recognize as characters as shown in FIG. An image or the like presented in the scenario presentation area 650 can be configured using, for example, the three-dimensional image configuration unit 18 of the scenario generation device 10 illustrated in FIG.

The viewpoint 367 is a virtual that is not included in the view of all other logged-on users or has a longer interval than a predetermined distance from all other logged-on users in the last logoff period of the user. It can be a place in space. The virtual space scenario creation method according to the present invention can use such location information as a viewpoint for the non-first person avatar of the user to acquire a screenshot image.
For example, the back image, the back of the head of the other user's avatar 371 or 372 that was logged on, or a part thereof may be included in the screenshot image. The user cannot recognize what exists in the viewpoint 367, and the non-first person avatar such as the virtual pet 365 does not affect the behavior histories of both the avatars 371 and 372. Accordingly, the behavior histories of the avatars 371 and 372 in the virtual space do not contradict each other depending on the action of a non-first person avatar such as the virtual pet 365. That is, using the viewpoint 367, a non-first person avatar such as the virtual pet 365 can obtain a screen shot image.

  For other users' avatars 371 or 372 who are logged on, the viewpoint 367 is a place outside the range of the field of view of each avatar or having a longer interval than a predetermined distance. That is, both of the other users' avatars 371 and 372 cannot recognize what the viewpoint 367 has. Therefore, even if the virtual space scenario creation method according to the present invention generates a scenario that the non-first person avatar of the user has performed something using the viewpoint 367, the logged-on user avatar 371 or There is no contradiction in the action history of 372.

  Also, as shown in FIG. 9, by presenting the generated scenario as an image in the scenario presentation area 650, the user can see what occurred in the virtual space during his final logoff period based on this image. An opportunity to imagine or estimate Information included in the scenario does not need to be accurately transmitted to the user by information such as images or characters presented in the scenario presentation area 650. It is also included in the scope of the present invention that these images or characters can be used as a kind of puzzle solving.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not restricted to embodiment mentioned above. The effects described in the embodiments of the present invention are only the most preferable effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention. is not.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the scenario production | generation apparatus based on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the system configuration | structure of a scenario generation based on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the hardware structural example of the content generation apparatus based on one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating steps of a scenario generation method according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating steps of a scenario generation method that includes information selection, according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which illustrates the fixed form of the predetermined scenario based on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the time table for selecting and arranging the information used for a scenario based on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of the scenario presentation in the virtual space based on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows another example of the scenario presentation in the virtual space based on one Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Scenario production | generation apparatus 12 User authentication means 13 Logon reception means 14 Scenario production | generation means 15 Generation | occurrence | production scenario information selection means 16 Scenario synthetic | combination means 18 3D image composition means 19 Scenario based 3D image composition means 20 Virtual space server 30 User management DB
35 Logon scenario adjustment DB
38 Network 40 3D image DB
50 Scenario generation system 60 User terminal 250, 260 Scenario template 300, 400 Time table for scenario adjustment 310, 410 hours 360 First person avatar 365 Non-first person avatar (virtual pet)
371, 372 Avatar of another user who has logged on 420 Event timetable by the system 600, 650 Scenario presentation area 610 Title 620 Article 630 Logo

Claims (10)

A virtual space scenario generation method for generating a scenario in a virtual space configured using a computer network,
In response to the user logging on to the virtual space, defining a last logoff period for the user;
Extracting a logged-on user that is another user who has logged on in at least a portion of the defined last logoff period;
Arranging information with time information in the virtual space using a temporal order, and excluding information associated with the logged-on user from information with time information in the arranged virtual space. Identifying information associated with a logoff user that is another user who has been logged off in all , and generating the scenario using information associated with the identified logoff user;
A virtual space scenario generation method including: The step of generating the scenario includes:
The scenario indicating that the logoff user and the user meet in the virtual space and the logged-on user and the user do not meet using the information associated with the identified logoff user in the final logoff period Generate
The virtual space scenario generation method according to claim 1.   The virtual space scenario generation method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of presenting the generated scenario to the user by operating a non-first person avatar associated with the user in the virtual space. . The step of generating the scenario includes:
Adding the information that other users logged on during at least a part of the defined last logoff period could not recognize in the virtual space to generate the scenario;
The virtual space scenario generation method according to claim 1. The scenario includes information on a user selected from the logoff users whose association with the user is stored by a predetermined storage unit.
The virtual space scenario generation method according to claim 1. The step of generating the scenario further comprises:
Storing the generated scenario so that the logoff user included in the generated scenario can access the generated scenario;
The virtual space scenario generation method according to claim 1. And further presenting the generated scenario to the logoff user included in the generated scenario by operating the non-first person avatar of the logoff user in the virtual space.
The virtual space scenario generation method according to claim 1.   8. The virtual space scenario generation method according to claim 1, wherein the scenario describes an event in a virtual space viewed from a viewpoint of a non-first person avatar associated with the user. 9.   A computer program for generating a virtual space scenario, which causes a computer to execute the method according to claim 1. In a virtual space configured by using a computer network, a virtual space scenario generation device that generates a scenario,
In response to a user logging on to the virtual space, a final logoff period defining unit for defining a final logoff period for the user;
A logged-on user extractor for extracting a logged-on user who is another user who has logged on in at least a part of the defined last logoff period;
Arranging information with time information in the virtual space using a temporal order, and excluding information associated with the logged-on user from information with time information in the arranged virtual space. A virtual space scenario generation unit that identifies information associated with a logoff user that is another user who has logged off at all , and generates the scenario using information associated with the identified logoff user;
A virtual space scenario generation device.

Images