JP6298557B1 - Information processing method, apparatus, and program for causing computer to execute information processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

An entertainment property of a virtual experience in a virtual space can be improved. An information processing method executed by a computer to provide a virtual space to a user via a head mounted device including a display unit operates based on an operation object associated with the user and predetermined motion information. Generating virtual space data defining a virtual space including a target object having a plurality of parts to be detected, and when a collision between the operation object and the target object is detected, a collision part of the target object based on the collision is detected. Based on the step of generating feedback information indicating at least a feedback action, the step of updating at least the action of the collision part using the motion information and the feedback information, the virtual space data, and the updated action of at least the collision part Generate a field of view image and Parts in and a step of displaying the parallax field image. [Selection] Figure 12

Description

  The present disclosure relates to an information processing method, an apparatus, and a program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method.

  Patent document 1 is disclosing the apparatus provided with the shooting device which shoots toward the target displayed on a display.

JP 09-077552 A

  In the virtual space where the target appears, the presentation of the target when a predetermined object hits the target according to the user operation can affect the entertainment property of the virtual space.

  Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide an information processing method and apparatus capable of improving the entertainment property of a virtual experience in a virtual space, and a program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method.

  According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an information processing method executed by a computer to provide a virtual space to a user via a head mounted device including a display unit is provided. The information processing method includes: generating virtual space data defining a virtual space including an operation object associated with a user and a target object having a plurality of parts that operate based on predetermined motion information; Generating a feedback information indicating at least a feedback operation of a collision part of the target object based on the collision, and using the motion information and the feedback information, at least an action of the collision part when a collision between the target object and the target object is detected And a step of generating a visual field image based on the virtual space data and at least the updated motion of the collision site and causing the display unit to display the visual field image.

  According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an information processing method and apparatus that can improve the entertainment property of a virtual experience in a virtual space, and a program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method.

It is a figure showing the outline of a structure of the HMD system 100 according to a certain embodiment. It is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware constitutions of the computer 200 according to one situation. It is a figure which represents notionally the uvw visual field coordinate system set to the HMD apparatus 110 according to an embodiment. It is a figure which represents notionally the one aspect | mode which represents the virtual space 2 according to a certain embodiment. It is the figure showing the head of user 190 wearing HMD device 110 according to a certain embodiment from the top. 3 is a diagram illustrating a YZ cross section of a visual field region 23 viewed from the X direction in a virtual space 2. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an XZ cross section of a visual field region 23 viewed from a Y direction in a virtual space 2. FIG. It is a figure showing schematic structure of the controller 160 according to a certain embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a computer 200 according to an embodiment as a module configuration. It is a flowchart showing the process which HMD system 100A according to a certain embodiment performs. It is a figure showing an example of the visual field image 300 displayed on the HMD apparatus 110 according to a certain embodiment. It is a flowchart showing control of the virtual object according to a certain embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the definition and configuration of a target object 400 according to an embodiment. It is a flowchart showing the production | generation of the feedback information according to a certain embodiment. It is a figure showing the calculation method of the feedback operation | movement of the target object 400 according to an embodiment. It is a figure showing an example of the effect of the collision with the operation object 302 and the target object 400 according to a certain embodiment. It is a figure showing the calculation method of the feedback operation | movement of the target object 400 according to a modification.

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

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

  The HMD system 100 includes an HMD device 110 (user terminal), an HMD sensor 120, a controller 160, and a computer 200. The HMD device 110 includes a display 112, a camera 116, a microphone 118, and a gaze sensor 140. The controller 160 can include a motion sensor 130.

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

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

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

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

  The camera 116 acquires a face image of the user wearing the HMD device 110. The face image acquired by the camera 116 can be used to detect the user's facial expression through image analysis processing. The camera 116 may be, for example, an infrared camera built in the main body of the HMD device 110 in order to detect pupil movement, eyelid opening / closing, eyebrow movement, and the like. Alternatively, the camera 116 may be an external camera disposed outside the HMD device 110 as shown in FIG. 1 in order to detect movements of the user's mouth, cheeks, and jaws. The camera 116 may be configured by both the infrared camera and the external camera described above.

  The microphone 118 acquires the voice uttered by the user. The voice acquired by the microphone 118 can be used to detect a user's emotion by voice analysis processing. The voice can also be used to give a voice instruction to the virtual space 2. Further, the sound may be sent to the HMD system used by another user via the network 19 and the server 150, and output from a speaker or the like connected to the HMD system. Thereby, the conversation (chat) between the users who share a virtual space is implement | achieved.

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

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

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

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

  Server 150 may send a program to computer 200. In another aspect, the server 150 may communicate with other computers 200 for providing virtual reality to HMD devices used by other users. For example, when a plurality of users play a participatory game in an amusement facility, each computer 200 communicates a signal based on each user's operation with another computer 200, and a plurality of users are common in the same virtual space. Allows you to enjoy the game. The server 150 can be composed of one or more computer devices. The server 150 may have a hardware configuration (processor, memory, storage, etc.) similar to the hardware configuration of the computer 200 described later.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  The server 150 is connected to each control device of at least one HMD system 100 via the network 19. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the server 150 connects a plurality of HMD systems 100 including an HMD system 100A having an HMD device 110A, an HMD system 100B having an HMD device 110B, and an HMD system 100C having an HMD device 110C to each other. Connect to enable communication. Thereby, the virtual experience using a common virtual space is provided to the user who uses each HMD system. The HMD system 100A, the HMD system 100B, the HMD system 100C, and the other HMD systems 100 all have the same configuration. However, each HMD system 100 may be a different model, or may have different performance (processing performance, detection performance related to detection of user action, etc.).

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

  Further, the computer 200 may be configured to be used in common for the plurality of HMD devices 110. According to such a configuration, for example, the same virtual space can be provided to a plurality of users, so that each user can enjoy the same application as other users in the same virtual space. In such a case, the plurality of HMD systems 100 in this embodiment may be directly connected to the computer 200 by the input / output interface 13. In addition, each function (for example, synchronization processing described later) of the server 150 in the present embodiment may be implemented in the computer 200.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  As shown in the state (A) of FIG. 8, in one aspect, the controller 160 may include a right controller 160R and a left controller (not shown). The right controller 160R is operated with the right hand of the user 190. The left controller is operated with the left hand of the user 190. In one aspect, the right controller 160R and the left controller are configured symmetrically as separate devices. Therefore, the user 190 can freely move the right hand holding the right controller 160R and the left hand holding the left controller. In another aspect, the controller 160 may be an integrated controller that receives operations of both hands. Hereinafter, the right controller 160R will be described.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  In one aspect, the display control module 220 controls image display on the display 112 of the HMD device 110. The virtual camera control module 221 arranges the virtual camera 1 in the virtual space 2 and controls the behavior, orientation, and the like of the virtual camera 1. The view area determination module 222 defines the view area 23 according to the orientation of the head of the user wearing the HMD device 110. The view image generation module 223 generates a view image to be displayed on the display 112 based on the determined view area 23. The reference line-of-sight identifying module 224 identifies the line of sight of the user 190 based on the signal from the gaze sensor 140.

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

  The virtual object control module 232 generates a virtual object that is a virtual object placed in the virtual space 2 based on object information 242 described later. The virtual object control module 232 also controls the movement (movement, state change, etc.) of the virtual object in the virtual space 2.

  The virtual object is an entire object arranged in the virtual space 2. The virtual objects may include, for example, forests, mountains and other landscapes, animals, etc. that are arranged according to the progress of the game story. The virtual object may include a character object such as an avatar as a substitute for the user 190 in the virtual space 2 and a game character (player character) operated by the user 190. Furthermore, the virtual object may also include an operation object that is an object preset as a target that can be operated by the user. That is, the operation object is a virtual object associated with the user. The operation object may be an object corresponding to at least a part of the character object (for example, a hand portion of the avatar), or may be an object corresponding to a tool (for example, a weapon) possessed by the avatar or the character. Alternatively, the operation object may be an object corresponding to an object (for example, a solid object such as a ball) released from an avatar or a character. Alternatively, the operation object may be an object corresponding to an object (for example, a solid object such as a bullet or an arrow) released from a tool possessed by an avatar or a character. Furthermore, the virtual object may include a target object that the user 190 recognizes as a target (a target to which the operation object is applied) in the virtual space 2. Examples of targets include enemy characters and obstacles. In the following description, if no misunderstanding occurs, the virtual object is simply referred to as “object”.

  The virtual space control module 230 detects the collision when each of the objects arranged in the virtual space 2 collides with another object. In one aspect, the virtual space control module 230 detects a collision between the operation object and the target object. The virtual space control module 230 can detect, for example, a timing when a certain object touches another object, and performs a predetermined process when the detection is performed. The virtual space control module 230 can detect the timing at which the object is away from the touched state, and performs a predetermined process when the detection is made. The virtual space control module 230 can detect that the object is in contact with the object by executing a known hit determination based on, for example, a collision area set for each object.

  When a collision between the operation object and the target object is detected by the virtual space control module 230, the feedback module 233 generates feedback information indicating a feedback operation of the target object based on the collision in real time. The feedback operation is an operation of the target object that occurs due to a collision between the operation object and the target object. “Generate feedback information in real time” refers to starting to generate feedback information that does not exist before a collision is detected, triggered by the detection of the collision. The feedback module 233 controls the movement of the target object based on the feedback information. Therefore, when a collision with the operation object is detected, the target object can be controlled by both the virtual object control module 232 and the feedback module 233.

  The memory module 240 holds data used for the computer 200 to provide the virtual space 2 to the user 190. In one aspect, the memory module 240 holds space information 241, object information 242, and user information 243. The space information 241 includes, for example, one or more templates defined for providing the virtual space 2. The object information 242 includes, for example, content reproduced in the virtual space 2, information for arranging objects used in the content, and the like. The content can include, for example, content representing a scene similar to a game or a real society. The object information 242 includes drawing information for drawing each object. The object information 242 may also include attribute information indicating attributes associated with each object. Examples of the attribute information of the object include information indicating the type of the object (for example, an avatar) and information indicating whether the object is a movable object (movable object) or a fixed object (fixed object). The user information 243 includes, for example, a program for causing the computer 200 to function as a control device of the HMD system 100, an application program that uses each content held in the object information 242, and the like.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Control structure]
With reference to FIG. 10, a control structure of computer 200 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing processing executed by the HMD system 100A used by the user 190A to provide the virtual space 2 to the user 190A. When there are a plurality of HMD systems 100, the same processing is executed in the other HMD systems 100B and 100C.

  In step S <b> 1, the processor 10 of the computer 200 specifies the virtual space image data (virtual space image 22) constituting the background of the virtual space 2 as the virtual space definition module 231, and defines the virtual space 2. The processor 10 generates virtual space data that defines the virtual space 2.

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

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

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

  In step S <b> 5, the HMD sensor 120 detects the position and tilt of the HMD device 110 based on a plurality of infrared lights transmitted from the HMD device 110. The detection result is sent to the computer 200 as motion detection data.

  In step S6, the processor 10 uses the visual field direction determination module 222 to determine the visual field direction (that is, the position and tilt of the virtual camera 1) of the user 190A wearing the HMD device 110A based on the position and tilt of the HMD device 110A. Identify. The processor 10 executes the application program and places an object in the virtual space 2 based on instructions included in the application program.

  In step S7, the controller 160 detects the operation of the user 190A in the real space. For example, in one aspect, the controller 160 detects that a button has been pressed by the user 190A. In another aspect, the controller 160 detects the operation of both hands of the user 190A (for example, shaking both hands). A signal indicating the detected content is sent to the computer 200.

  In step S <b> 8, the processor 10 controls the operation of each virtual object as at least one of the virtual object control module 232 and the feedback module 233. In one aspect, the processor 10 controls at least one of the operation object and the target object.

  In step S <b> 9, the processor 10 generates view image data for displaying a view image based on the processing result of step S <b> 8 and the virtual space data as the view image generation module 223, and uses the generated view image data as the HMD device 110. Output to.

  In step S10, the display 112 of the HMD device 110 updates the view image based on the received view image data, and displays the updated view image.

[Control at collision]
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a visual field image 300 displayed on the HMD device 110 according to an embodiment. The user 190 can visually recognize this view field image 300 through the HMD device 110. In the example of FIG. 11, the view image 300 includes a hand object 301 representing a character's hand (virtual hand) operated by the user 190, an operation object 302 representing a weapon (sword) held by the hand, and an enemy character. And a target object 400 representing The user 190 attacks the enemy character (target object 400) by operating the sword (operation object 302) via the controller 160. The computer 200 determines the collision between the operation object 302 and the target object 400, and when the collision occurs, the computer 200 controls the movement of the portion of the target object 400 that includes at least the part that the operation object 302 has hit. With this effect, the user 190 can grasp at a glance which part of the enemy character has hit his / her weapon when he / she is playing against the enemy character in the virtual space 2.

  The control related to the collision between the operation object 302 and the target object 400 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating control of a virtual object according to an embodiment.

  In step S <b> 21, the processor 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as “processor 10”) of the HMD system 100 functions as the virtual space definition module 231, and defines the virtual space 2 including the operation object 302 and the target object 400. This process can correspond to the process of step S1 shown in FIG. Specifically, the processor 10 reads from the memory module 240 at least one type of information among the space information 241, the object information 242, and the user information 243. Then, the processor 10 defines the virtual space 2 by generating virtual space data that defines the virtual space 2 based on the read information. Alternatively, the processor 10 is also based on programs and data (information on virtual space image data, drawing of objects, initial arrangement, and the like) downloaded in advance from a computer (for example, the server 150) operated by a provider that provides content. Virtual space data may be generated.

  The definition and configuration of the target object 400 for producing a collision between the operation object 302 and the target object 400 will be described in more detail. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the definition and configuration of a target object 400 according to an embodiment. The target object 400 is formed by applying an appearance design to individual bones (bones) 401 constituting the skeleton (that is, by fleshing individual bones). The target object 400 includes a plurality of parts, and one part corresponds to one bone 401. Two adjacent bones 401 are connected by a joint 402. Each bone 401 is programmed so that it can move with a predetermined degree of freedom using the joint 402 as a fulcrum.

  The object information 242 of the target object 400 includes skeleton information that defines the bone 401 and the joint 402, appearance information that defines an appearance design applied to the bone 401, and motion information that defines a predetermined action of each part. Can be included. It can be said that the motion information is information that defines a predetermined motion of the bone 401 and the joint 402. In step S21, the processor 10 reads the skeleton information and appearance information of the target object 400 to be displayed from the memory module 240, and defines the target object based on the skeleton information.

  Returning to FIG. 12, in step S22, the processor 10 functions as the visual field image generation module 223, generates visual field image data for displaying an initial visual field image based on the virtual space data, and the visual field image data is converted into the HMD. Output (transmit) to the device 110. The HMD device 110 processes the view image data and displays the view image 300. This process can correspond to steps S3 and S4 in FIG. As a result, the user 190 can visually recognize the visual field image 300 on which the hand object 301, the operation object 302, and the target object 400 are drawn.

  In step S23, the processor 10 functions as the virtual object control module 232, and updates the motion of the target object 400 in the virtual space 2 based on the motion information. This process may correspond to step S8 in FIG. The update of the motion of the target object 400 is to change the value indicating the motion of the target object 400 in the virtual space 2 to a new value. More specifically, the value related to the position and orientation of the target object 400 is changed. It is to be. The processor 10 reads the motion information of the displayed target object 400 from the memory module 240 and determines a new action of the target object 400 based on the motion information. Subsequently, the processor 10 generates motion information indicating the determined operation.

  While controlling the movement of the target object, the processor 10 also controls the movement of the manipulation object 302. In step S <b> 24, the processor 10 functions as the virtual object control module 232 and updates the operation of the operation object 302 by processing the signal transmitted from the controller 160. This process can correspond to steps S7 and S8 in FIG. The update of the operation of the operation object 302 is to change the value indicating the operation of the operation object 302 in the virtual space 2 to a new value. More specifically, the value related to the position and orientation of the operation object 302 is changed. It is to be. The processor 10 generates motion information indicating a new action of the operation object 302.

  In step S25, the processor 10 functions as the visual field image generation module 223, and generates visual field image data for displaying a new movement of the virtual object (at least one of the operation object 302 and the target object 400) based on the movement information. Then, the visual field image data is output (transmitted) to the HMD device 110. The HMD device 110 updates the view image 300 by processing the view image data. These processes can correspond to steps S9 and S10 in FIG. As a result, in the view field image 300, the target object 400 performs a predetermined action, or the operation object 302 moves according to the user's operation.

  In step S <b> 26, the processor 10 functions as the virtual space control module 230 and determines whether or not the operation object 302 and the target object 400 collide in the virtual space 2. When the collision is not detected (NO in step S26), the processor 10 repeats the processes in steps S23 to S25. If a collision is detected (YES in step S26), the process proceeds to step S27.

  In step S27, the processor 10 functions as the feedback module 233, and generates feedback information of the target object 400 based on the generated collision. This process may correspond to step S8 in FIG.

  The generation of feedback information will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15. FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating the generation of feedback information according to an embodiment. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a calculation method of the feedback operation of the target object 400 according to an embodiment. More specifically, FIG. 15 illustrates a calculation method of the feedback operation when the operation object 302 hits the right hand of the target object 400. Represent. In FIG. 15, the hand, the forearm, the upper arm, and the chest are particularly shown as the parts constituting the target object 400. The bones corresponding to these parts are referred to as a hand bone 411, a forearm bone 412, an upper arm bone 413, and a chest bone 414, respectively.

  In step S271, the processor 10 acquires a parameter related to the collision between the operation object 302 and the target object 400 as a collision parameter. In one aspect, the collision parameter includes a collision point in the target object 400, a collision site in the target object 400, and a hit vector indicating the motion of the operation object 302 at the time of the collision. The processor 10 specifies the position where the operation object 302 hits among the target objects 400 as a collision point. This collision point may be represented by coordinates, for example. In addition, the processor 10 identifies a part hit by the operation object 302 among a plurality of parts constituting the target object 400 as a collision part. The collision site may be represented by a site identifier or coordinates. Further, the processor 10 calculates a hit vector indicating the moving direction of the operation object 302 at the time of collision with the target object 400 and the magnitude of the collision (impact force). The end point of the hit vector is a collision point. In FIG. 15, the collision point is indicated by a symbol HP, and the hit vector is indicated by a symbol HV.

  In step S272, the processor 10 calculates the operation of the collision site based on the collision parameter without using the motion information. Since each part is generated by applying an appearance design to the bone, in order to obtain the motion of the part, the motion of the bone corresponding to the part may be obtained. Therefore, it can be said that obtaining the motion of the part is synonymous with obtaining the motion of the bone.

  In the example of FIG. 15, since the collision site is a hand, the processor 10 first calculates the motion of the hand bone 411. Specifically, the processor 10 calculates a joint vector from the joint corresponding to the hand bone 411 to the collision point HP. Two joints can correspond to one bone, but the processor 10 may select a joint to be a starting point of a joint vector by an arbitrary method. In the example of FIG. 15, the processor 10 may select the joint 421 connected to the forearm bone 412 that is another bone, and calculate the joint vector 511 from the joint 421 to the collision point HP. Subsequently, the processor 10 calculates a rotational moment by calculating an outer product of the joint vector 511 and the hit vector HV, and calculates an angular acceleration of the hand bone 411 based on the rotational moment and the virtual mass of the hand. Then, the processor 10 obtains the angular velocity of the hand bone 411 based on the angular acceleration, and calculates the motion of the hand bone 411 based on the angular velocity. For example, the processor 10 determines the vibration 521 of the hand bone 411 based on the angular velocity. The processor 10 holds the calculated operation as feedback information of the hand bone 411 (that is, hand feedback information).

  Here, the vibration of the bone (part) of the target object 400 means that the bone (part) reciprocates across the central axis with the position of the bone at the time of collision with the operation object 302 as the central axis. Say. That is, the vibration of the bone (part) means that the bone (part) moves like a pendulum across the central axis. If the bone simply moves by a predetermined angle + θ and returns to the original position, it is not possible to satisfactorily express the vibration. Move the bone in a direction by a predetermined angle + θ, return the bone to its original position, then move the bone in the opposite direction by a predetermined angle −θ ′ (| + θ | ≧ | −θ ′ |) and By controlling the bone so as to return to the position, the vibration atmosphere can be visually and satisfactorily provided to the user 190.

  The vibration is an operation at the collision site and, if necessary, at a site near the collision site, and is not an operation for changing the posture of the target object 400. That is, the posture of the target object 400 does not change even when a part of the target object is vibrating. For example, even if the hand or foot vibrates as in the example shown in FIG. 15, the processor 10 does not move the bone corresponding to the trunk (for example, the bone corresponding to the spine).

  The processor 10 may calculate motion not only for the collision site, but also for other sites that are directly or indirectly connected to the collision site. In the present disclosure, the other parts are represented using the concept of the number of hops. The number of hops in the present disclosure is a numerical value indicating how far another part is from the collision part, and is represented by the minimum number of joints that pass from the collision part to the other part. In the example of FIG. 15, the forearm that is directly connected to the hand corresponds to a part that is one hop away from the hand. The upper arm that is indirectly connected to the hand via the forearm corresponds to a portion that is separated from the hand by 2 hops. The chest that is indirectly connected to the hand via the forearm and upper arm corresponds to a site 3 hops away from the hand. In the following, the number of hops is represented by a variable i.

  In step S273, the processor 10 sets the hop number i to 1.

  In step S274, the processor 10 specifies a part one hop away from the collision part as an additional target part (hereinafter simply referred to as “target part”). In the example of FIG. 15, the processor 10 specifies the forearm as a target site.

  In step S275, the processor 10 determines whether or not to calculate the motion of the target part. When the impact force indicated by the hit vector HV reaches the target part, the processor 10 determines to calculate the motion of the target part. When the impact force does not reach the target part, the processor 10 does not execute the calculation. Is determined. In the present disclosure, the processor 10 determines the impact force transmitted to the target site by setting the impact force at the collision site to 1. The impact force transmitted to the target part other than the collision part is 0 or more and less than 1. The processor 10 determines that the motion of the target site is calculated if the impact force at the target site is greater than 0, and determines that the motion of the target site is not calculated if the impact force is 0.

  The processor 10 determines the impact force of each part other than the collision part by attenuating the hit vector HV as the part is farther from the collision part. The attenuation of the hit vector HV means to reduce the magnitude of the hit vector HV, that is, the impact force. The degree of attenuation of the hit vector HV at each part corresponding to the collision part may be set in advance as part of the object information 242. In this case, the processor 10 reads the object information 242 to obtain the impact force of each part corresponding to the collision part. Alternatively, the processor 10 attenuates in real time based on at least one of the impact force indicated by the hit vector HV, the parameter (position, dimension, virtual mass, etc.) of the target part, and the distance from the collision part to the target part. The degree may be calculated.

  In the model shown in FIG. 15, for example, the impact force on the forearm, upper arm, and chest may be 0.8, 0.4, and 0.1, respectively. Alternatively, the impact forces at the forearm, upper arm, and chest may be 0.9, 0.4, and 0, respectively. When the impact force at a site n hops away from the collision site is 0, the impact force at a site more than (n + 1) hops away from the collision site is also 0.

  If YES in step S275, the process proceeds to step S276. In step S276, the processor 10 calculates the motion of the target part based on the collision parameter without using the motion information. Since the hop number i is 1 at this stage, the processor 10 calculates the forearm motion in the example of FIG. Specifically, the processor 10 selects, as the joint corresponding to the forearm bone 412, the joint 422 not selected as the joint corresponding to the hand bone 411 among the joints 421 and 422 located at both ends of the forearm bone 412. . Then, the processor 10 calculates a joint vector 512 from the joint 422 to the collision point HP. Further, the processor 10 determines the magnitude (impact force) of the hit vector HV transmitted to the forearm bone 412 by attenuating the hit vector HV. Subsequently, the processor 10 calculates the rotational moment by calculating the outer product of the joint vector 512 and the attenuated hit vector HV, and determines the angular acceleration of the forearm bone 412 based on the rotational moment and the virtual mass of the forearm. Then, the processor 10 obtains the angular velocity of the forearm bone 412 based on the angular acceleration, and calculates the motion (for example, vibration 522) of the forearm bone 412 based on the angular velocity. The processor 10 holds the calculated motion as feedback information of the forearm bone 412 (ie, forearm feedback information).

  In step S277, the processor 10 increments the number of hops by one. At this stage, the number of hops is two.

  Subsequently, the process proceeds to step S274, and the processes after that step are repeated. In the example of FIG. 15, the processor 10 specifies the upper arm as the target part in step S274 and determines whether or not to calculate the motion of the target part in step S275. If YES in step S275, the processor 10 calculates the upper arm motion based on the collision parameter in step S276 without using motion information. Specifically, the processor 10 calculates a joint vector 513 from the joint 423 connecting the upper arm bone 413 and the chest bone 414 to the collision point HP. Further, the processor 10 determines the magnitude (impact force) of the hit vector HV transmitted to the upper arm bone 413 by attenuating the hit vector HV. Subsequently, the processor 10 obtains the rotational moment by calculating the outer product of the joint vector 513 and the attenuated hit vector HV, and obtains the angular acceleration of the upper arm bone 413 based on the rotational moment and the upper arm virtual mass. . Then, the processor 10 obtains an angular velocity of the upper arm bone 413 based on the angular acceleration, and calculates an operation (for example, vibration 523) of the upper arm bone 413 based on the angular velocity. The processor 10 holds the calculated motion as feedback information of the upper arm bone 413 (that is, feedback information of the upper arm).

  In step S277, the processor 10 increments the number of hops by 1, so that the number of hops becomes 3. Subsequently, the process proceeds to step S274, and the processes after that step are repeated. In the example of FIG. 15, the processor 10 may or may not calculate the motion of the thoracic bone 414. When obtaining the motion of the chest bone 414, the processor 10 calculates a joint vector 514 from the joint 424 corresponding to the chest bone 414 to the collision point HP. Based on the joint vector 514 and the attenuated hit vector HV, the processor 10 calculates feedback information (that is, chest feedback information) indicating the operation of the chest bone 414 (for example, vibration 524).

  The processor 10 generates feedback information for at least one part including the collision part until it is determined in step S275 that the motion of the target part is not calculated.

  In the example of FIG. 15, the hand, which is a peripheral part, is a collision part, so the processor 10 generates feedback information for each part while following the part one by one toward the center of the target object 400. Depending on the location of the collision site, the processor 10 generates feedback information while tracing the site one by one from the collision site toward the center, and also generates feedback information while tracing the site one by one from the collision site to the periphery. It can happen. For example, if the collision site is the upper arm in the model of FIG. 15, the processor 10 may process at least one of the forearm and the chest, which is a site one hop away from the collision site, as an additional target site. Further, the processor 10 may process a hand, neck, or belly, which is a site 2 hops away from the collision site, as a further target site.

  Returning to FIG. 12, in step S28, the processor 10 functions as the virtual object control module 232 and the feedback module 233, and updates the operation of the target object 400 in the virtual space 2 based on both the motion information and the feedback information. This process may correspond to step S8 in FIG. The processor 10 reads the motion information of the displayed target object 400 from the memory module 240. Then, the processor 10 determines a new action of the target object 400 based on the motion information and the generated feedback information. Subsequently, the processor 10 generates motion information indicating the determined operation.

  In step S29, the processor 10 functions as the visual field image generation module 223, generates visual field image data for displaying a new movement of the target object 400 based on both the motion information and the feedback information, and the visual field image data. Is output (transmitted) to the HMD device 110. The HMD device 110 updates the view image 300 by processing the view image data. These processes can correspond to steps S9 and S10 in FIG. The motion of the target object 400 in the view image 300 is a sum, combination, or mixture of a predetermined motion defined by the motion information and a feedback motion (for example, vibration) defined by the feedback information.

  In step S30, the processor 10 repeats steps S23 to S29 until it determines that the processor 10 ends provision of the virtual space 2.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of the effect of the collision between the operation object 302 and the target object 400 according to an embodiment. A state (A) in this figure represents a visual field image 300 representing the moment when the operation object 302 and the target object 400 collide (the moment when the sword hits the right hand of the enemy character). In response to the detection of the collision, the processor 10 specifies a collision site in the target object 400 and generates feedback information indicating a feedback operation of the target object 400 based on the collision in real time. Then, the processor 10 updates at least the operation of the collision site using these motion information and feedback information. By this series of processing, the view image 300 changes to the state (B) of FIG. 16, and is drawn so that the collision site (right hand) of the target object 400 and its surroundings (for example, the right arm) vibrate.

  In the state (B), the target object 400 slightly lowers its sword, but this operation is an operation based on the motion information, and is therefore a predetermined operation. On the other hand, the vibration in the state (B) is an operation based on feedback information generated in real time based on the detection of a collision, and thus is a dynamically generated operation. It can be said that the operation of the target object 400 in the state (B) is obtained by adding an operation based on feedback information to an operation based on motion information.

  By such processing, the motion of the target object based on the motion information is added with the motion of the collision site based on the feedback information (or the collision site and its nearby site), so that the collision is visually produced. By this effect, the user 190 can grasp at a glance where the operation object of the user 190 hits the target object. Therefore, the entertainment property of the virtual experience of the user 190 in the virtual space 2 can be improved.

  Feedback information for expressing a collision is not prepared in advance, but is generated in real time when a collision is detected. There are many collision patterns between the operation object 302 and the target object 400 depending on the user operation. Therefore, if the motion information is prepared so as to adapt to each collision pattern, the amount of motion information to be prepared in advance becomes very large. Furthermore, it is necessary to read motion information from the memory module 240 every time a collision occurs, and this process takes a certain amount of time. Therefore, it takes time to update the motion of the virtual objects such as the operation object 302 and the target object 400. End up. When the processing speed decreases, the update frequency (frame rate) of the view field image 300 may decrease and the user 190 may get VR sick. According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the motion of the target object 400 at the time of collision is calculated in real time, so that feedback information can be obtained at a higher speed than when motion information is used. can do. Since the collision feedback is processed quickly, the virtual space 2 continues to be displayed smoothly, and VR sickness can be prevented.

  Furthermore, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, feedback information of each part is generated using the joint vector unique to each part while fixing the direction and position of the hit vector HV and the collision point HP. Since it is not necessary to move or change the position and orientation of the hit vector HV, the amount of calculation is reduced accordingly. Therefore, the time for generating feedback information is shortened, and as a result, the operation of the target object 400 can be updated at high speed.

  Further, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the position and direction of the hit vector HV are not moved or deformed, and only the magnitude of the hit vector HV is reduced according to the distance from the collision site. Thus, by adjusting only the magnitude of the hit vector HV, it becomes possible to output a realistic feedback operation while suppressing the amount of calculation of feedback information.

[Modification]
As mentioned above, although embodiment of this indication was described, the technical scope of this invention should not be limitedly interpreted by description of this embodiment. This embodiment is an example, and it is understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention described in the claims. The technical scope of the present invention should be determined based on the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  A modification of the feedback calculation will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a calculation method of the feedback operation of the target object 400 according to the modification. The state (A) in FIG. 17 shows a scene in which the operation object 302 (for example, a sword that has been swung down) that has come down from above has hit the hand of the target object 400. A state (B) in FIG. 17 shows a scene in which the operation object 302 (for example, a sword swung up) that has come up from below hits the hand of the target object 400. Both states (A) and (B) show a scene in which the operation object 302 hits the right hand of the target object 400, as in FIG.

  When the hit vector HV includes a component in the vertical direction (Y direction) as in these examples, the processor 10 sets the collision point around the joint of the collision site in the vertical direction (Y direction) of the hit vector HV. The joint vector may be set using a collision point after the rotational movement by rotating the predetermined direction in the indicated direction.

  In the state (A), since the vertical component (Y direction component) of the hit vector HV is downward, the processor 10 sets the collision point HP ′ by rotating the collision point HP downward by a predetermined angle. Then, the processor 10 calculates a joint vector 511 ′ from the joint 421 of the hand bone 411 to the collision point HP ′. It can be said that this joint vector 511 ′ is a vector obtained by rotationally moving the joint vector 511 from the joint 421 to the original collision point HP based on the direction of the hit vector HV. Accordingly, the processor 10 may first obtain the joint vector 511, and then obtain the joint vector 511 ′ and the collision point HP ′ by rotationally moving the joint vector 511. The processor 10 obtains joint vectors 512 ′ to 514 ′ that extend toward the collision point HP ′ after the rotational movement for the other target parts. Further, the processor 10 obtains a hit vector HV ′ having the collision point HP ′ as an end point by translating the hit vector HV in accordance with the movement of the collision point HP. Then, the processor 10 uses the hit vector HV ′ and the joint vectors 511 ′ to 514 ′ to generate feedback information for each part as in the above embodiment.

  In the state (B), since the vertical component (Y direction component) of the hit vector HV is upward, the processor 10 sets the collision point HP ′ by rotating the collision point HP upward by a predetermined angle. Then, the processor 10 calculates a joint vector 511 ′ from the joint 421 of the hand bone 411 to the collision point HP ′. The processor 10 may first obtain the joint vector 511, and then obtain the joint vector 511 ′ and the collision point HP ′ by rotationally moving the joint vector 511. The processor 10 obtains joint vectors 512 ′, 513 ′, and 514 ′ that extend toward the collision point HP ′ after the rotational movement for the forearm, the upper arm, and the chest that are other target portions. Further, the processor 10 translates the hit vector HV to obtain a hit vector HV ′ having the collision point HP ′ as an end point. Then, the processor 10 uses the hit vector HV ′ and the joint vectors 511 ′ to 514 ′ to generate feedback information for each part as in the above embodiment.

  Thus, the processor 10 may generate feedback information after correcting the direction of each joint vector based on the direction of the hit vector HV. By performing this correction, the movement (for example, vibration) of the target object 400 can be made more realistic.

  The feedback operation is not limited to vibration. For example, the processor 10 calculates the angular velocity by the same calculation as that in the above embodiment for each part to obtain a movable range of the part, and temporarily expands the part over the range, so that the part is swollen. You may produce a state. Alternatively, the feedback operation may be a combination of a plurality of operations (eg, a combination of vibration and expansion).

  In the above embodiment, the virtual space (VR space) in which the user 190 is immersed by the HMD device 110 has been described as an example. However, as the HMD device 110, a transmissive HMD device may be employed. In this case, an augmented reality (AR) space or a composite image is output by outputting a visual field image obtained by synthesizing a part of an image constituting the virtual space to the real space visually recognized by the user 190 via the transmission type HMD device. A virtual experience in a Reality (MR) space may be provided to the user 190. In this case, instead of the hand object 301, an action may be performed on another virtual object in the virtual space 2 (hereinafter referred to as “target object”) based on the hand movement of the user 190. Specifically, the processor 10 may specify the coordinate information of the position of the hand of the user 190 in the real space and define the position of the target object in the virtual space 2 in relation to the coordinate information in the real space. . Thereby, the processor 10 grasps the positional relationship between the hand of the user 190 in the real space and the target object in the virtual space 2, and performs processing corresponding to the above-described collision control between the hand of the user 190 and the target object. It becomes executable. As a result, it is possible to act on the target object based on the hand movement of the user 190.

  The subject matter disclosed in the present specification is indicated as, for example, the following items.

(Item 1)
Information executed by a computer (computer 200 or server 150) to provide a virtual space (virtual space 2) to a user (user 190) via a head mounted device (HMD device 110) including a display unit (display 112). A processing method,
Generate virtual space data defining the virtual space including an operation object (operation object 302) associated with the user and a target object (target object 400) having a plurality of parts that operate based on predetermined motion information (Step S1 in FIG. 10 or Step S21 in FIG. 12)
When a collision between the operation object and the target object is detected, a step of generating feedback information indicating at least a feedback operation of a collision portion of the target object based on the collision (step S27 in FIG. 12);
Using the motion information and the feedback information to update at least the operation of the collision site (step S28 in FIG. 12);
A step of generating a view field image (view field image 300) based on the virtual space data and the updated motion of at least the collision site, and displaying the view field image on the display unit (step S10 in FIG. 10 or FIG. 12). Information processing method including step S29).

  According to the information processing method of this item, when the operation object and the target object collide, the collision part of the target object performs a feedback operation. The visual presentation by the feedback operation allows the user to grasp at a glance where the operation object hits the target object. As a result, it is possible to improve the entertainment property of the user's virtual experience in the virtual space.

  In addition, according to the information processing method of this item, since the motion of the target object at the time of collision is calculated in real time without using motion information, feedback information can be obtained faster than when using motion information. The motion of the target object can be updated at high speed. Since the collision feedback is processed quickly, the virtual space can be displayed smoothly. As a result, it is possible to prevent the VR sickness of the user.

(Item 2)
The step of generating the feedback information indicating the feedback operation of two or more parts including the collision part (step S27 in FIG. 12).
Information processing method for item 1 including:

  According to the information processing method of this item, since the feedback operation is applied to a plurality of parts including the collision part, the entertainment property of the user's virtual experience in the virtual space can be further improved. Since the feedback operation of each part is calculated in real time without using motion information, the actions of a plurality of parts can be updated at high speed, and as a result, the virtual space can be displayed smoothly.

(Item 3)
A step of identifying a collision point (collision point HP) between the operation object and the target object (step S271 in FIG. 14);
A step of calculating a hit vector (hit vector HV) indicating a motion of the operation object colliding with the target object (step S271 in FIG. 14);
For each of the two or more parts, calculating a joint vector (joint vectors 511 to 514) from the joint (joint 421 to 424) of the part to the collision point (steps S272 to S277 in FIG. 14);
For each of the two or more parts, the step of generating the feedback information of the part based on the hit vector and the joint vector corresponding to the part (steps S272 to S277 in FIG. 14) Information processing method.

  According to the information processing method of this item, feedback information of each part is generated using the joint vector of each part while fixing the hit vector and the collision point. Since it is not necessary to move or change the position and orientation of the hit vector, the amount of calculation is reduced accordingly. Therefore, the time for generating feedback information can be shortened.

(Item 4)
4. The information processing method according to item 3, including a step of attenuating the hit vector toward a part farther from the collision part.

  According to the information processing method of this item, the position and direction of the hit vector are not moved or deformed, and only the size of the hit vector is reduced according to the distance from the collision site. In this way, by adjusting only the size of the hit vector, it is possible to output an accurate feedback operation while suppressing the amount of calculation of feedback information.

(Item 5)
5. The information processing method according to item 3 or 4, comprising a step of correcting the direction of each joint vector based on the direction of the hit vector.

  According to the information processing method of this item, it is possible to output a true feedback operation by correcting the direction of the joint vector in accordance with the operation of the operation object.

(Item 6)
The feedback action of each part includes vibrations along a direction intersecting the bones of the part (bones 411 to 414).
The information processing method according to any one of items 1 to 5.

  According to the information processing method of this item, since the feedback operation is represented by vibration, the effect at the time of collision is enhanced. As a result, it is possible to improve the entertainment characteristics of the virtual experience of the user in the virtual space.

(Item 7)
A program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method according to any of items 1 to 6.

(Item 8)
An apparatus comprising at least a memory (memory module 240) and a processor (processor 10) coupled to the memory, wherein the information processing method according to any one of items 1 to 6 is executed under the control of the processor.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Virtual camera, 2 ... Virtual space, 5 ... Base line of sight, 10 ... Processor, 11 ... Memory, 12 ... Storage, 13 ... Input / output interface, 14 ... Communication interface, 15 ... Bus, 19 ... Network, 21 ... Center, 22 ... Virtual space image, 23 ... Field of view, 24, 25 ... Area, 30 ... Grip, 31 ... Frame, 32 ... Top, 33, 34, 36, 37 ... Button, 35 ... Infrared LED, 38 ... Analog stick, 100, 100A, 100B, 100C ... HMD system, 110, 110A, 110B, 110C ... HMD device, 112 ... display, 114 ... sensor, 116 ... camera, 118 ... microphone, 120 ... HMD sensor, 130 ... motion sensor, 140 ... Gaze sensor 150 ... server 160 ... controller 160R ... right Troller, 190, 190A ... user, 200 ... computer, 220 ... display control module, 221 ... virtual camera control module, 222 ... visual field region determination module, 223 ... visual field image generation module, 224 ... reference visual line identification module, 230 ... virtual space Control module, 231 ... Virtual space definition module, 232 ... Virtual object control module, 233 ... Feedback module, 240 ... Memory module, 241 ... Spatial information, 242 ... Object information, 243 ... User information, 250 ... Communication control module, 300 ... Field-of-view image, 301 ... hand object, 302 ... operation object, 400 ... target object, 401 ... bone, 402 ... joint, 411 ... hand bone, 412 ... forearm bone, 413 ... upper arm bone, 41 ... breast bone, 511～514,511'～514' ... joint vector, 810 ... right hand, HV, HV' ... hit vector, HP, HP' ... the collision point.

Claims (5)

An information processing method executed by a computer to provide a virtual space to a user via a head-mounted device including a display unit,
Generating virtual space data defining the virtual space including an operation object associated with the user and a target object having a plurality of parts that operate based on predetermined motion information;
If the collision with the operation object and the target object is detected, and generating two or more indicates to the feedback information feedback operation of the site containing the impingement site of the target object based on the collision,
Using the motion information and the feedback information to update at least the operation of the collision site;
The virtual space data, updated the generate field image based on the operation of the at least crash site, seen including a step of displaying the convergent field image, to the display unit,
The step of generating the feedback information includes:
Identifying a collision point between the operation object and the target object;
Calculating a hit vector indicating a motion of the operation object colliding with the target object;
For each of the two or more parts, calculating a joint vector from the joint of the part to the collision point;
Correcting the direction of each joint vector based on the direction of the hit vector;
Wherein each of the two or more sites, step a, an including information processing method for generating the feedback information the site on the basis of said joint vector the hit vector and corresponding vital direction to the site is corrected. Including steps of attenuating the hit vector as a site distant from the collision site, information processing method according to claim 1. The feedback operation of each site comprises a vibration along the direction intersecting with the site of bone, information processing method according to 請 Motomeko 1 or 2. The program which makes a computer perform the information processing method as described in any one of Claims 1-3 . At least comprising a memory and a processor coupled to the memory, to execute the information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 by the control of the processor, device.