JP6966336B2 - An information processing method, a device, and a program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method. - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a technique for displaying a virtual object in a virtual space.

Patent Document 1 describes that the widget returns to the initial state when it is located outside the field of view in the virtual space.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-4357

There is room for improvement in the technique described in Patent Document 1 so that the user does not lose sight of the widget in the virtual space.

Therefore, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide an information processing method, a device, and a program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method for improving the movement of a moving object such as a widget in a virtual space.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the information processing method of the present invention is an information processing method executed by a computer to provide a virtual space to a user via a head mount device including a display unit, and the information processing method is executed by the user. A step of specifying virtual space data including a character object and a moving target associated with the character object, and a step of specifying a virtual viewpoint associated with the character object in the virtual space and defining a view image based on the virtual viewpoint. A step of displaying the view image on the display unit, a step of starting to move the virtual viewpoint based on the movement of the head mount device, and a step of predicting a first position to which the virtual viewpoint is moved. It includes a step of specifying a second position which is a destination of the movement target based on the first position, and a step of moving the movement target to the second position.

According to the present meeting, the moving object can be easily captured in the visual field image, and the user can recognize the moving object or the process based on the moving object in the visual field image. Therefore, it is possible to improve the virtual experience using the head mount device.

It is a figure which shows the outline of the structure of the HMD system 100 according to a certain embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the hardware composition of the computer 200 which follows one aspect. It is a figure which conceptually represents the uvw field coordinate system set in the HMD apparatus 110 according to a certain embodiment. It is a figure which conceptually represents one aspect which expresses the virtual space 2 according to a certain embodiment. It is a figure which showed the head of the user 190 who wears the HMD apparatus 110 according to a certain embodiment from the top. It is a figure which shows the YZ cross section which looked at the visual field area 23 from the X direction in the virtual space 2. It is a figure which shows the XZ cross section which looked at the visual field area 23 from the Y direction in virtual space 2. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the controller 160 according to a certain embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a computer 200 according to an embodiment as a module configuration. It is a flowchart which shows the process which the HMD system 100 executes. It is a flowchart which shows the prediction process of the virtual viewpoint and the move destination identification process of a move target executed by the HMD system 100. It is a figure which shows the positional relationship between a character object and a moving object, and the field of view image thereof. It is a figure which shows the positional relationship with the moving object, and the field of view image thereof when a character object is turned to the right. It is a figure which shows the positional relationship with a character object and the visual field image thereof when the movement destination of the movement target is corrected. It is a figure which shows the character object, the positional relationship with other character objects, and the field of view image thereof when the movement destination of the movement target is corrected. It is a figure which shows the positional relationship with a character object and the visual field image thereof when the moving object is not moved to the moving destination. It is a figure which shows the graph of the sensor value detected by the sensor 114.

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

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

The HMD system 100 includes an HMD device 110, 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 may include a motion sensor 130.

In one aspect, the computer 200 can connect to the Internet or other network 19 and can communicate with the server 150 or other computer 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 mounted on the user's head and provide the user with a virtual space during operation. More specifically, the HMD device 110 displays an image for the right eye and an image for the left eye on the display 112, respectively. When each eye of the user visually recognizes the respective image, the user can recognize the image as a three-dimensional image based on the parallax of both eyes. The display 112 may be integrally configured with the HMD device 110 or may be a separate body.

The display 112 is realized, for example, as a non-transparent display device. In one aspect, the display 112 is arranged in the body of the HMD device 110 so as to be located in front of both eyes of the user. Therefore, the user can immerse himself in the virtual space when he / she visually recognizes the three-dimensional image displayed on the display 112. In certain embodiments, the virtual space includes, for example, a background, user-operable objects, user-selectable menu images, and the like. In certain embodiments, the display 112 can 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.

In certain aspects, 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 the image for the right eye and the image for the left eye as a unit. In this case, the display 112 includes a high speed shutter. The high-speed shutter operates so that the image for the right eye and the image for the left eye can be alternately displayed so that the image is recognized by only one of the eyes.

The camera 116 acquires a facial image of the user who wears the HMD device 110. The face image acquired by the camera 116 can be used to detect the user's facial expression by the image analysis process. The camera 116 may be, for example, an infrared camera built in the main body of the HMD device 110 in order to detect the movement of the pupil, the opening / closing of the eyelids, the movement of the eyebrows, and the like. Alternatively, the camera 116 may be an external camera arranged outside the HMD device 110 as shown in FIG. 1 in order to detect movements of the user's mouth, cheeks, jaws, and the like. Further, the camera 116 may be composed of both the infrared camera and the external camera described above.

The microphone 118 acquires the voice emitted by the user. The voice acquired by the microphone 118 can be used to detect the user's emotions by the voice analysis process. The voice can also be used to give voice instructions to the virtual space 2. Further, the voice may be sent to the HMD system used by another user via the network 19 and the server 150, and may be output from a speaker or the like connected to the HMD system. As a result, a conversation (chat) between users who share the virtual space is realized.

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 uses this function to detect the position and tilt of the HMD device 110 in the real space.

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

In another aspect, the HMD device 110 may include the sensor 114 as a position detector in place of or in addition to the HMD sensor 120. The HMD device 110 can detect the position and tilt of the HMD device 110 itself by using the sensor 114. For example, if 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 of these sensors instead of the HMD sensor 120 to position and tilt itself. Can be detected. As an example, when the sensor 114 is an angular velocity sensor, the angular velocity sensor detects the angular velocity around the three axes of the HMD device 110 in the 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. Further, the HMD device 110 may include a transmissive display device. In this case, the transmissive display device may be temporarily configured as a non-transparent display device by adjusting its transmittance. Further, the visual field image may include a configuration for presenting the real space as a part of the image constituting the virtual space. For example, an image taken by a camera mounted on the HMD device 110 may be superimposed on a part of the field of view image and displayed, or by setting a high transmittance of a part of the transmissive display device, the field of view may be displayed. The real space may be visible from a part of the image.

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

The server 150 may send a program to the computer 200 to provide the user with the virtual space 2.

Also, in another aspect, the server 150 may communicate with another computer 200 to provide virtual reality to the HMD device used by another user. For example, in an amusement facility, when a plurality of users play a participatory game, each computer 200 communicates a signal based on the operation of each user with another computer 200, and the plurality of users are common in the same virtual space. Allows you to enjoy the game.

The controller 160 receives an instruction input from the user 190 to the computer 200. In one aspect, the controller 160 is configured to be grippable by the user 190. In another aspect, the controller 160 is configured to be wearable on a part of the body or clothing of the user 190. 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 accepts an operation given by the user 190 to control the position, movement, etc. of an object placed in a space that provides virtual reality.

The motion sensor 130 is attached to the user's hand in a certain aspect to detect the movement of the user's hand. For example, the motion sensor 130 detects the rotation speed, the number of rotations, and the like of the hand. The detected signal is sent to the computer 200. The motion sensor 130 is provided in, for example, a glove-shaped controller 160. In certain embodiments, for safety in real space, it is desirable that the controller 160 be attached to something that does not easily fly by being attached to the user 190's hand, such as a glove type. In another aspect, a sensor not attached to the user 190 may detect the movement of the user 190's hand. For example, the signal of the 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 mode is not particularly limited, and for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) or other known communication method is used.

[Hardware configuration]
The computer 200 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the computer 200 according to 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 the signal given to the computer 200 or based on the condition that a predetermined condition is satisfied. In a certain 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 storage 12, for example. The data stored in the memory 11 includes the data input to the computer 200 and the data generated by the processor 10. In a certain aspect, the memory 11 is realized as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or other volatile memory.

Storage 12 permanently retains programs and data. The storage 12 is realized as, for example, a ROM (Read-Only Memory), a hard disk device, a flash memory, or other non-volatile storage device. The program stored in the storage 12 includes 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, objects, and the like 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 yet another aspect, a configuration using programs and data stored in an external storage device may be used instead of the storage 12 built into the computer 200. According to such a configuration, in a situation where a plurality of HMD systems 100 are used, for example, in an amusement facility, it is possible to collectively update programs, data, and the like.

In certain embodiments, the input / output interface 13 communicates a signal with the HMD device 110, the HMD sensor 120, or the motion sensor 130. In a certain aspect, the input / output interface 13 is realized by using a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface, a DVI (Digital Visual Interface), an HDMI (registered trademark) (High-Definition Multimedia Interface), and other terminals. The input / output interface 13 is not limited to the above.

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 voice, emit light, and the like. When the controller 160 receives the command, the controller 160 executes either vibration, audio output, or light emission in response to the command.

The communication interface 14 is connected to the network 19 and communicates with another computer (for example, the server 150) connected to the network 19. In a certain aspect, the communication interface 14 is realized as, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) or other wired communication interface, or a WiFi (Wireless Fidelity), Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC (Near Field Communication) or other wireless communication interface. Will be done. The communication interface 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 contained in the program. The one or more programs may include an operating system of the computer 200, an application program for providing the 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 the 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 the plurality of HMD systems 100 via the network 19.

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

Further, the computer 200 may have a configuration commonly used for a 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 the present embodiment may be directly connected to the computer 200 by the input / output interface 13. Further, each function of the server 150 in the present embodiment may be implemented in the computer 200.

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

In one aspect, the HMD sensor 120 includes an infrared sensor. When the infrared sensor detects infrared rays 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 a change over time in the position and inclination of the HMD device 110 by using each value detected over time.

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

[Uvw field coordinate system]
The uvw field coordinate system will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram conceptually representing the uvw field coordinate system set in the HMD device 110 according to a certain embodiment. The HMD sensor 120 detects the position and tilt of the HMD device 110 in the global coordinate system when the HMD device 110 is started. The processor 10 sets the uvw 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 centered (origin) on the head of the user wearing the HMD device 110. More specifically, the HMD device 110 rotates in the horizontal, vertical, and front-back directions (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 directions newly obtained by tilting each axis by the inclination of 1 are the pitch direction (u axis), the yaw direction (v axis), and the roll direction (w axis) of the uvw field coordinate system in the HMD device 110. Set as.

In a certain aspect, when the user 190 wearing the HMD device 110 is upright and visually recognizing the front surface, the processor 10 sets the uvw field coordinate system parallel to the global coordinate system to the HMD device 110. In this case, the horizontal direction (x axis), the vertical direction (y axis), and the anteroposterior direction (z axis) in the global coordinate system are the pitch direction (u axis) and the yaw direction (v axis) of the uvw field coordinate system in the HMD apparatus 110. Axis) and roll direction (w-axis).

After the uvw field coordinate system is set in the HMD device 110, the HMD sensor 120 can detect the tilt (change amount of tilt) of the HMD device 110 in the set uvw 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, respectively. 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.

The HMD sensor 120 sets the uvw field coordinate system in the HMD device 110 after the HMD device 110 has moved based on the detected tilt angle of the HMD device 110 in the HMD device 110. The relationship between the HMD device 110 and the uvw 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 changes in conjunction with the change of the position and inclination.

In one aspect, the HMD sensor 120 is based on the infrared light intensity obtained based on the output from the infrared sensor and the relative positional relationship between the points (eg, the distance between the points). The position of the 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 representing one aspect of expressing the virtual space 2 according to a certain embodiment. The virtual space 2 has an all-sky spherical structure that covers the entire center 21 in the 360-degree direction. In FIG. 4, the celestial sphere in the upper half of the virtual space 2 is illustrated so as not to complicate the explanation. Each mesh is defined in the virtual space 2. The position of each mesh is predetermined as a coordinate value in the XYZ coordinate system defined in the virtual space 2. The computer 200 associates each partial image constituting the content (still image, moving image, etc.) that can be expanded 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. Provides the user with the virtual space 2 in which is expanded.

In a certain 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, the vertical direction (vertical direction), and the front-back direction in the XYZ coordinate system are defined as the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis, respectively. Therefore, the X-axis (horizontal direction) of the XYZ coordinate system is parallel to the x-axis of the global coordinate system, and the Y-axis (vertical direction) of the XYZ coordinate system is parallel to the y-axis of the global coordinate system. The Z-axis (front-back direction) is parallel to the z-axis of the global coordinate system.

At the time of starting the HMD device 110, that is, in the initial state of the HMD device 110, the virtual camera 1 is arranged at the center 21 of the virtual space 2. The virtual camera 1 moves in the virtual space 2 in the same manner as the movement of the HMD device 110 in the real space. As a result, changes in the position and orientation 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 virtual camera 1 is defined with the uvw field-of-view coordinate system. The uvw field-of-view coordinate system of the virtual camera 1 in the virtual space 2 is defined to be linked to the uvw field-of-view coordinate system of the HMD device 110 in the real space (global coordinate system). Therefore, when the tilt of the HMD device 110 changes, the tilt of the virtual camera 1 also changes accordingly. Further, 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. It will be decided. The processor 10 of the computer 200 defines the field of view 23 in the virtual space 2 based on the reference line of sight 5. The field of view 23 corresponds to the field of view of the user wearing the HMD device 110 in the virtual space 2.

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

[User's line of sight]
The determination of the line-of-sight direction of the user will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a top view of the head of a user 190 wearing an HMD device 110 according to an embodiment.

In one aspect, the gaze sensor 140 detects each line of sight of the user 190's right and left eyes. In one 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 detection result of the line of sight, the computer 200 identifies the gaze point N1 which is the intersection of the lines of sight R1 and L1 based on the detected values. On the other hand, when the computer 200 receives the detected values of the lines of sight R2 and L2 from the gaze sensor 140, the computer 200 identifies the intersection of the lines of sight R2 and L2 as the gaze point. The computer 200 specifies the line-of-sight direction N0 of the user 190 based on the position of the specified gazing point N1. For example, the computer 200 detects the midpoint of the straight line connecting the right eye R and the left eye L of the user 190 and the extending direction of the straight line passing through the gazing point N1 as the line-of-sight direction N0. The line-of-sight direction N0 is the direction in which the user 190 actually directs the line of sight with both eyes. Further, the line-of-sight direction N0 corresponds to the direction in which the user 190 actually directs the line of sight to the field-of-sight area 23.

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

In yet 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]
The view area 23 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a YZ cross section of the field of view 23 as viewed from the X direction in the virtual space 2. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an XZ cross section of the field of view 23 as viewed from the Y direction in the virtual space 2.

As shown in FIG. 6, the field of view region 23 in the YZ cross section includes the 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 a region 24.

As shown in FIG. 7, the field of view 23 in the XZ cross section includes the 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 centered on the reference line of sight 5 in the virtual space 2 as a region 25.

In one aspect, the HMD system 100 provides the user 190 with a virtual space by displaying a field of view image on the display 112 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 the user 190 moves the HMD device 110 attached to the head, the virtual camera 1 also moves in conjunction with the movement. As a result, the position of the field of view 23 in the virtual space 2 changes. As a result, the field-of-view image displayed on the display 112 is updated to an image superimposed on the field-of-view area 23 in the direction facing the user in the virtual space 2 among the virtual space images 22. The user can visually recognize the desired direction in the virtual space 2.

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

In a certain aspect, the processor 10 may move the virtual camera 1 in the virtual space 2 in conjunction with the movement of the user 190 equipped with the HMD device 110 in the real space. In this case, the processor 10 identifies an image region (that is, a field of view 23 in the virtual space 2) projected on the display 112 of the HMD device 110 based on the position and orientation of the virtual camera 1 in the virtual space 2. That is, the virtual camera 1 defines the field of view of the user 190 in the virtual space 2.

According to certain embodiments, the virtual camera 1 preferably includes two virtual cameras, i.e., a virtual camera for providing an image for the right eye and a virtual camera for providing an image for the left eye. Further, it is preferable that an 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 of the present disclosure is exemplified as being configured to be compatible.

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

As shown in the state (A) of FIG. 8, in a certain aspect, the controller 160 may include a right controller 160R and a left controller. The right controller 160R is operated by the right hand of the user 190. The left controller is operated by the left hand of the user 190. In a certain aspect, the right controller 160R and the left controller are symmetrically configured 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 accepts the operation 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 gripped by the right hand of the user 190. For example, the grip 30 may be held by the palm of the user 190's right hand 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 arranged on the side surface of the grip 30 and accepts an operation by the middle finger of the right hand. The button 34 is arranged on the front surface of the grip 30 and accepts an operation by the index finger of the right hand. In one aspect, the buttons 33, 34 are configured as trigger type buttons. The motion sensor 130 is built in the housing of the grip 30. If the operation of the user 190 can be detected from around the user 190 by a camera or other device, the grip 30 does not have to include the motion sensor 130.

The frame 31 includes a plurality of infrared LEDs 35 arranged along its circumferential direction. The infrared LED 35 emits infrared rays as the program progresses while the program using the controller 160 is being executed. The infrared rays emitted from the infrared LED 35 can be used to detect the positions and postures (tilts, orientations) 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 with one column or three 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. Buttons 36 and 37 accept operations by the thumb of the right hand of the user 190. The analog stick 38 accepts an operation in any direction 360 degrees from the initial position (neutral position) in a certain aspect. The operation includes, for example, an operation for moving an object arranged in the virtual space 2.

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

As shown in the states (A) and (B) of FIG. 8, for example, the yaw, roll, and pitch directions are defined 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 certain embodiments, the control device is implemented by a computer 200 having a well-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 field of view area determination module 222, a field of view image generation module 223, and a reference line of sight specifying module 224 as submodules. The virtual space control module 230 includes a virtual space definition module 231, a virtual object control module 232, an operation object control module 233, and a predictive control module 234 as submodules.

In certain embodiments, the display control module 220 and the virtual space control module 230 are implemented by the processor 10. In another embodiment, a plurality of 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 the 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 visual field determination module 222 defines the visual field region 23 according to the direction of the head of the user who wears the HMD device 110. The field of view image generation module 223 generates a field of view image to be displayed on the display 112 based on the determined field of view area 23. Further, the visual field image generation module 223 determines the display mode of the character object included in the visual field image. The reference line-of-sight identification 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 creates a virtual object to be arranged in the virtual space 2. Further, the virtual object control module 232 controls the operation (movement, state change, etc.) of the virtual object and the character object in the virtual space 2. The virtual object may include, for example, a moving object such as a forest, a landscape including mountains and the like, an animal, and a widget such as a UI (User Interface) screen, which are arranged as the story of the game progresses. The character object is an object associated with the user who wears the HMD device 110 in the virtual space 2, and may be referred to as an avatar. In the present disclosure, an object including an avatar will be referred to as a character object.

Further, the movement target is a virtual object that moves in the virtual space according to the movement of the user (HMD device 110) and is set to be visible in the field of view image. For example, it is preferable that a widget such as a UI (User Interface) screen that can be operated by the user is visible in the field of view image even if the user moves. Other objects to be moved include widgets such as UI screens, as well as stage objects such as enemy character objects, character objects associated with other users, and control objects. The stage object is, for example, an object for defining the appearance of the object (Light for defining the texture, etc.) and an object for defining the movement path of the enemy character object. Note that the widget, the enemy character object, and the character object of another user are typically information that is visually displayed. On the other hand, the stage object is typically invisible control information. By moving invisible control information such as a stage object, the user can recognize the control based on the information in the field image.

The operation object control module 233 arranges the operation object for operating the object arranged in the virtual space 2 in the virtual space 2. In a certain aspect, the operation object may be, for example, a hand object (virtual hand) corresponding to the hand of the user wearing the HMD device 110, a finger object corresponding to the finger of the user, a stick object corresponding to the stick used by the user, or the like. Can include. When the operation object is a finger object, in particular, the operation object corresponds to a portion of the axis in the direction (axis direction) pointed to by the finger.

When each of the objects arranged in the virtual space 2 collides with another object, the virtual space control module 230 detects the collision. The virtual space control module 230 can detect, for example, the timing at which a certain object and another object touch each other, and when the detection is made, a predetermined process is performed. The virtual space control module 230 can detect the timing when the object and the object are separated from the touching state, and when the detection is made, the virtual space control module 230 performs a predetermined process. The virtual space control module 230 can detect that the object is in contact with the object. Specifically, when the operation object and another object (for example, a virtual object arranged by the virtual object control module 232) are touched by the operation object control module 233, the operation object and the other object come into contact with each other. It detects that and performs a predetermined process.

The memory module 240 holds data used by the computer 200 to provide the virtual space 2 to the user 190. In a certain aspect, the memory module 240 holds the spatial information 241 and the object information 242 and the user information 243. Spatial information 241 includes, for example, one or more templates defined to provide virtual space 2. The object information 242 includes, for example, content to be reproduced in the virtual space 2, information for arranging an object used in the content, attribute information such as drawing data of a character object and its size information, and the like. There is. The content may include, for example, a game, content representing a landscape similar to that of the real world, and the like. Further, the object information 242 includes information indicating a relative priority regarding the placement position of a moving object such as a virtual object, a character object associated with another user, and a widget such as a menu screen. The user information 243 includes, for example, a program for operating the computer 200 as a control device of the HMD system 100, an application program using each content held in the object information 242, and the like.

The 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, a server 150) operated by a business operator that provides the content, and stores the downloaded program or data in the memory module 240.

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

In certain aspects, the display control module 220 and the virtual space control module 230 may be implemented using, for example, Unity® 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.

The processing in the computer 200 is realized by the hardware and the software executed by the processor 10. Such software may be pre-stored in a hard disk or other memory module 240. The software may also be stored on a CD-ROM or other computer-readable non-volatile data recording medium and distributed as a program product. Alternatively, the software may be provided as a downloadable program product by an information provider connected to the Internet or other networks. Such software is temporarily stored in the memory module 240 after being read from the 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. NS. The software is read from the memory module 240 by the processor 10 and stored in RAM in the form of an executable program. Processor 10 executes the program.

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

The data recording medium is not limited to CD-ROM, FD (Flexible Disk), and hard disk, but also magnetic tape, cassette tape, optical disc (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), semiconductor memory such as flash ROM, etc. It may be a non-volatile data recording medium that fixedly carries the program.

The program referred to here may include not only a program that can be directly executed by the processor 10, but also a program in the form of a source program, a compressed program, an encrypted program, and the like.

[Control structure]
The control structure of the computer 200 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 10. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a process executed by the HMD system 100 used by the user 190 to provide the virtual space 2 to the user 190.

In step S1, the processor 10 of the computer 200 identifies the virtual space image data including the character object associated with the user as the virtual space definition module 231 and defines the virtual space 2. Further, the processor 10 arranges a virtual object (including a movement target such as a widget) and an operation object in the virtual space 2 as a virtual object control module 232 and an operation object control module 233. The virtual space definition module 231 defines its operation in the virtual space 2 in a controllable manner.

In step S2, the processor 10 initializes the virtual camera 1 as the virtual camera control module 221. For example, the processor 10 arranges 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 S3, the processor 10 generates the visual field image data for displaying the initial visual field image as the visual field image generation module 223. The generated field of view image data is sent to the HMD device 110 by the communication control module 250 via the field of view image generation module 223.

In step S4, the display 112 of the HMD device 110 displays a field of view image based on the signal received from the computer 200. The user 190 equipped with the HMD device 110 can recognize the virtual space 2 when visually recognizing the visual field image.

In step S5, the HMD sensor 120 detects the position and tilt of the HMD device 110 based on the plurality of infrared rays emitted from the HMD device 110. Further, the sensor 114 detects the acceleration of the movement of the HMD device 110. The detection result is sent to the computer 200 as motion detection data.

In step S6, the processor 10 identifies the field of view of the user 190 equipped with the HMD device 110 based on the position and inclination of the HMD device 110 as the field of view determination module 222. Here, the processor 10 specifies the virtual viewpoint as the visual field direction. The virtual viewpoint is virtually set at a position that is a preset distance from the virtual camera 1 in the direction of the line of sight from the virtual camera 1. The processor 10 executes an application program and arranges an object in the virtual space 2 based on an instruction included in the application program.

In step S7, the processor 10 generates the view image data for displaying the view image according to the movement of the HMD device 110 as the view image generation module 223, and outputs the generated view image data to the HMD device 110.

In step S8, the display 112 of the HMD device 110 updates the field of view image based on the received field of view image data, and displays the updated field of view image.

The processes of steps S5 to S10 described above are repeatedly executed. Therefore, the virtual viewpoint moves with the movement of the HMD device 110, and when the movement of the HMD device 110 is completed, the movement of the virtual viewpoint is completed. Further, in the present embodiment, when the movement of the HMD device 110 starts, the movement destination (first position) of the virtual viewpoint when the movement is completed is predicted. Then, until the movement of the HMD device 110 is completed, the processor 10 identifies the movement destination (second position) of the movement target based on the movement destination of the virtual viewpoint, and moves the movement target.

Next, the virtual viewpoint prediction process (prediction of the first position) and the movement target identification process (identification of the second position) in the present embodiment, which are performed between steps S5 to S8 in FIG. 10, will be described. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the processing of the processor 10 that operates as a predictive control module that predicts the first position that is the destination of movement of the virtual viewpoint and specifies the second position that is the destination of movement of the movement target based on the prediction. be.

In step S101, the sensor 114 detects the acceleration and the like according to the movement of the HMD device 110, and the processor 10 detects that the HMD device 110 has moved. Step S101 corresponds to step S5 in FIG.

In step S102, the processor 10 determines whether or not the acceleration of the HMD device 110 detected by the sensor 114 is equal to or greater than the threshold value. Here, the sensor 114 detects the angular acceleration of the yaw angle of the HMD device 110.

In step S103, the processor 10 predicts the destination of the virtual viewpoint based on the acceleration of the HMD device 110 detected by the sensor 114.

In step S104, the processor 10 identifies the destination of the movement target based on the virtual viewpoint.

In step S105, the processor 10 determines whether or not the position of the moving target before moving is included in the visual field image based on the predicted moving destination of the virtual viewpoint. In step S105, when it is determined that the position of the moving target before movement is included in the visual field image (step S105: YES), in step S106, the processor 10 arranges the moving target in the visual field image in a fixed manner. Determine if it is placed at a position. It should be noted that the fixed placement position indicates that there is a positional relationship set with the virtual viewpoint. Therefore, for example, when it is set that the UI screen is displayed in the upper left of the view image, the UI screen is set at a position in the virtual space based on the position of the virtual viewpoint so that the UI screen is always displayed at that position. The object is placed. Information regarding such an arrangement position (information indicating a positional relationship between an object or the like to be fixedly arranged and a virtual viewpoint) is stored in the object information 242 in advance.

When the processor 10 determines that the moving object is arranged at a fixed arrangement position in the field of view image (step S106: YES), in step S107, the moving object is virtual corresponding to the fixed arrangement position. Move to a position in space. The fixed arrangement position is the same as the movement destination specified in step S104. If necessary, the same processing as in S109 to S113 may be performed. When the processor 10 determines that the movement target is not arranged at a fixed arrangement position (step S106: NO), the movement processing is not performed in step S108.

On the other hand, in step S105, when the processor 10 determines that the position before the movement of the moving target is not included in the visual field image (step S105: NO), in step S109, the processor 10 determines that the moving destination of the moving target is not included. Determines the existence of other virtual objects and other objects between and. More specifically, the processor 10 determines whether or not another virtual object or the like exists on the line connecting the character object associated with the user and the movement destination of the movement target.

In step S110, when the processor 10 determines that there is another virtual object (step S110: YES), in step S111, the processor 10 sets the relative priority of the movement target and the other virtual object as an object. The judgment is made based on the information 242. The object information 242 stores the relative priority of the movement target and other virtual objects in advance. Then, in step S112, the processor 10 modifies the movement destination of the movement target in the virtual space so that the object having a high relative priority is displayed in the foreground when displayed in the field of view image.

If the processor 10 does not determine that there is another virtual object in step S110 (step S110: NO), the processor 10 proceeds to step S113. In step S113, the processor 10 moves the movement target to the movement destination.

In steps S7 and 8 shown in FIG. 10, when the moving target is moved to the moving destination based on the prediction of the moving destination of the virtual viewpoint, the processor 10 generates a visual field image in which the moving target is moved to the moving destination. It can be displayed on the display 112.

In FIG. 11, the processes of steps S105 to S108 are arbitrary processes, and the processes may not be performed.

Next, the character object associated with the user, the positional relationship with the widget W to be moved, and the visual field image thereof will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 15. In FIG. 12, the state (A) is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the virtual objects K1 and K2, the virtual viewpoint S, the widget W, and the character object A in the virtual space. As shown in the state (A), the widget W is arranged between the virtual objects K1 and K2 and the character object A in the virtual space. The widget W here is a movement target, and is an interface for a user to perform an operation in a virtual space using a character object. Further, the virtual viewpoint S is set to a position in the virtual space based on the line-of-sight direction of the character object A. The field of view image is generated within a defined range based on the virtual viewpoint. Further, the arrangement position of the widget W is determined based on the position of the virtual viewpoint S. In the state (A), the widget W is arranged on the line of sight of the character object A.

The state (B) shows a field of view image from the character object associated with the user. As shown in the state (B), the visual field image shows the widget W, the virtual objects K1 and K2, and the virtual viewpoint S. Although the virtual viewpoint S is expressed for convenience, it may not be displayed in the actual field of view image. In the state (B), the widget W to be moved is displayed in front of the virtual objects K1 and K2 according to the positional relationship shown in the state (A).

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state when the character object A starts to turn to the right (starts to move) according to the movement of the HMD device 110. The state (A) is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the character object, the virtual objects K1 and K2, the widget W, and the virtual viewpoint S in the virtual space at that time.

As shown in the state (A), when the character object A starts to turn to the right, the destination of the virtual viewpoint is predicted. Then, the destination of the widget W is specified based on the destination of the virtual viewpoint. In the state (A), the destination of the widget W is specified at the position indicated by the destination P1.

In the virtual space, it is assumed that the virtual object K3 exists between the movement destination P1 and the character object A. In this case, the relative priority between the virtual object K3 and the widget W is determined. When the priority of the widget W is high, the movement destination P1 of the widget W is modified to the movement destination P2 so that the widget W is arranged between the character object A and the virtual object K3.

The state (B) shows the field of view image at that time. As shown in the state (B), when the user starts to move, the destination of the virtual viewpoint is already predicted, and therefore the specified widget W is displayed. In the state (B), the widget W is displayed on the right side of the virtual viewpoint.

FIG. 14 shows a state and a field of view image when the movement of the character object A is completed. As shown in the state (A), the movement of the character object A is completed, and the widget W is arranged between the character object A and the virtual object K3.

The state (B) shows a field image generated based on the state (A). As shown in the state (B), the widget W is displayed in front of the virtual object K3.

FIG. 15 shows a state in which another character object B and virtual object K4 are located between the character object A and the destination widget W. Here, the priority of the other character object B is set to be higher than that of the widget W and the virtual object K3. Further, the widget W is set to have a higher priority than the virtual object K3.

In such a case, in the state (A), the movement destination (movement destination P1) of the widget W is arranged so that the other character object B, the widget W, and the virtual object K3 are arranged in this order from the viewpoint of the character object A. It is corrected to the move destination P2.

The state (B) shows the field of view image at that time. As shown in the state (A), another character object B is displayed in the foreground, and a visual field image in which the widget W is displayed behind the other character object B is generated.

FIG. 16 shows a state when the widget W is not moved. In the state (A) of FIG. 16, the character object A starts to turn to the right, indicating a state in which the movement is completed. When the character object A starts to turn to the right, the destination of the virtual viewpoint S is predicted. At this time, if the widget W before movement is included in the visual field image based on the movement destination predicted by the virtual viewpoint S, the widget W is not moved. Therefore, as shown in the state (B), the position of the widget W in the virtual space does not change.

Next, the control algorithm of the predictive control module 234 will be described. The processor 10 operates as a predictive control module 234 based on the acceleration detected by the sensor 114. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a graph of acceleration detected by the sensor 114. The sensor 114 can detect acceleration in 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. FIG. 16 shows the acceleration in the yaw direction, but each direction may be combined.

As shown in FIG. 17, when the user wearing the HMD device 110 tries to move in any direction, the acceleration of the sensor 114 gradually increases, and when the acceleration peak is reached, the acceleration turns to a decreasing direction. At the end, the acceleration tends to be 0.

The processor 10 decides to perform the prediction process when the acceleration detected by the sensor 114 becomes equal to or higher than the reference value. If the acceleration is less than the reference value, the processor 10 does not perform the prediction process because the movement of the HMD device 110 is blurred.

On the other hand, when the acceleration detected by the sensor 114 becomes a negative value, it indicates that the movement of the HMD device 110 is about to be completed. Therefore, the processor 10 can predict the time when the acceleration becomes 0 based on the state change of the detected acceleration. Therefore, the processor 10 calculates (predicts) the direction in which the HMD device 110 is oriented. The processor 10 calculates (predicts) the position of the virtual viewpoint based on the calculated angle.

In FIG. 17, the processor 10 can perform prediction processing when the acceleration becomes a set prediction determination value of 0 or less. This prediction determination value is a value set in advance by the designer.

In the present embodiment, the virtual space (VR space) in which the user 190 is immersed by the HMD device 110 has been described as an example, but a transmissive HMD device may be adopted as the HMD device 110. In this case, an augmented reality (AR) space or a mixed reality (AR) space or a composite is output by outputting a view image obtained by synthesizing a part of the image constituting the virtual space in the real space visually recognized by the user 190 via the transmissive HMD device. A virtual experience in a real (MR) space may be provided to the user 190.

The subject matter disclosed herein is set forth, for example, as the following items.

(Item 1)
An information processing method executed by a computer to provide a virtual space to a user via a head-mounted device (HMD device 110) including a display unit (display 112).
A step of specifying virtual space data including a character object A associated with the user 190 and a movement target (widget W) (step S1 in FIG. 10).
A step of specifying the virtual viewpoint S associated with the character object in the virtual space and defining a field image based on the virtual viewpoint (step S7 in FIG. 10).
A step of displaying the field of view image on the display unit (step S8 in FIG. 10) and
A step of starting to move the virtual viewpoint based on the movement of the head mount device and predicting a first position to which the virtual viewpoint is moved (step S6 in FIG. 10 and step S103 in FIG. 11).
A step of specifying a second position which is a movement destination of the movement target based on the movement destination of the virtual viewpoint (step S104 of FIG. 11) and
An information processing method including a step of moving the moving target to the second position (step S113 in FIG. 11).

According to this disclosure, the moving object can be easily captured in the visual field image, and the user can recognize the moving object or the process based on the moving object in the visual field image. Therefore, it is possible to improve the virtual experience using the head mount device.

(Item 2)
The movement of the virtual viewpoint is completed in response to the completion of the movement of the head mount device (steps S5 and S6 in FIG. 10).
Until the movement of the virtual viewpoint is completed, the movement target is moved to the second position (step S113 in FIG. 11).
The information processing method according to item 1.

According to this disclosure, even if the process of moving the moving target is heavy and the frame may be dropped, by ending the movement while the line of sight is moving, the moving target will follow later. VR sickness can be prevented.

(Item 3)
The virtual space data further includes a virtual object (another character object B in FIG. 15).
The relative priorities of the movement target and the virtual object are stored in advance in the storage unit (user information 243), and are stored in the storage unit (user information 243).
When the virtual object exists between the character object and the second position, the second position is modified based on the priority (step S112 in FIG. 11).
The information processing method according to item 1 or 2.

According to this disclosure, it is possible to prevent one of the moving objects from being invisible or causing inconvenience in the processing using the moving object due to the overlapping of the moving object and the other virtual object.

(Item 4)
Further comprising a step (step S102 in FIG. 11) of detecting the movement of the head mount device by an acceleration sensor mounted on the head mount device.
The information processing method according to any one of items 1 to 3, wherein the moving target is determined to be moved when the acceleration of the acceleration sensor becomes equal to or higher than a reference value.

According to this disclosure, the necessity of prediction can be appropriately determined.

(Item 5)
When the moving target before moving is located within the range of the visual field image after the virtual viewpoint is moved to the first position, the moving target is not moved (step S108 in FIG. 11), item 1. The information processing method according to any one of 4 to 4.

According to this disclosure, it is possible to reduce the processing for the movement processing or prevent VR sickness.

(Item 6)
When the arrangement position of the moving object in the field of view image is determined, the second position is specified so as to move the moving object to the arrangement position (step S107 in FIG. 11).
The information processing method according to item 5.

According to this disclosure, it is easy for the user to see, and the immersive feeling in the virtual space can be improved. For example, a moving target having a fixed placement position such as a menu screen or a physical strength gauge in a game can be placed in the same field of view image even if the head mount device is moved, which is a virtual space for the user. It becomes easier to grasp the operability and the state.

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

(Item 8)
A device comprising at least a memory and a processor coupled to the memory, and executing the information processing method according to any one of items 1 to 7 under the control of the processor.

1 ... virtual camera, 2 ... virtual space, 5 ... reference 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 ... Visibility area, 24, 25 ... Area, 31 ... Frame, 32 ... Top surface, 33, 34, 36, 37 ... Button, 35 ... Infrared LED, 38 ... Analog stick, 100 ... HMD system , 110 ... HMD device, 112 ... Display, 114 ... Sensor, 120 ... HMD sensor, 130 ... Motion sensor, 140 ... Gaze sensor, 150 ... Server, 160 ... Controller, 160L ... Left controller, 160R ... Right controller, 190 ... User , 200 ... computer, 220 ... display control module, 221 ... virtual camera control module, 222 ... view area determination module, 223 ... view image generation module, 224 ... reference line-of-sight identification module, 230 ... virtual space control module, 231 ... virtual space Definition module, 232 ... Virtual object control module, 233 ... Operation object control module, 234 ... Predictive control module, 240 ... Memory module, 241 ... Spatial information, 242 ... Object information, 243 ... User information, 250 ... Communication control module.

Claims (7)

A method of information processing performed by a computer to provide a virtual space to a user via a head-mounted device with a display.
Steps to identify virtual space data that contains at least a second object,
A virtual viewpoint of the user set at a position set at a preset distance from a virtual camera that moves based on the movement of the head mount device, and the virtual viewpoint that moves based on the movement of the head mount device. In the virtual space, and a step of defining a field image based on the virtual viewpoint,
The step of displaying the field of view image on the display unit,
A step of starting to move the virtual viewpoint based on the movement of the head mount device and predicting a first position to which the virtual viewpoint is moved.
A step of specifying a second position to which the second object is moved based on the first position, and
The step of moving the second object to the second position,
Equipped with
The second position is a position closer to the user in the virtual space than the position where the first object different from the second object is displayed.
Information processing method. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein the second object is an object that can be operated by the user. The information processing method according to claim 2, wherein the first object is an object that cannot be operated by the user. In the step of moving the second object, the area of the third position where the first object is displayed in the virtual space and the area of the first position where the virtual viewpoint is moved are virtualized by the user. This is a step of moving the second object to the second position when at least a part of the object overlaps with respect to the viewpoint.
The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The step of moving the second object is a step of moving the second object to the second position when the priority of the second object is higher than the priority of the first object.
The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A device comprising at least a memory and a processor coupled to the memory, and executing the information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 under the control of the processor.

Images