JP7390767B1 - How to output the blueprint of a block object - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a method that allows a user to easily assemble block objects using block parts. A method for outputting a blueprint of a block object composed of a plurality of types of assembleable block parts, executed by a processing unit of a server terminal connected to a user terminal via a network, comprising: The processing unit of the server terminal acquires image data of the object model, analyzes the image data, determines the pose of the object model based on the analysis result, and stores the object model in the storage unit of the server terminal. A blueprint of a block object corresponding to the pose of the model is determined, and the blueprint is output. [Selection diagram] Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to a method for outputting a blueprint of a block object.

2. Description of the Related Art Toys that allow users to assemble block object models such as animals, buildings, and vehicles using block parts such as Lego bricks have become popular.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for streamlining the design of block parts that constitute a block object.

Patent No. 5665872

However, although it is possible to realize the efficiency and visualization of the design of block parts using the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is not possible to realize a method for visualizing an image of assembling block objects from the user's perspective. The method was not disclosed.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method that allows a user to easily assemble block objects using block parts.

In one aspect of the present invention, a method for outputting a blueprint of a block object composed of multiple types of block parts that can be assembled is executed by a processing unit of a server terminal connected to a user terminal via a network. The processing unit of the server terminal acquires image data of the object model, analyzes the image data, determines the pose of the object model based on the analysis result, and stores the image data in the storage unit of the server terminal. A blueprint of a block object corresponding to the pose of the stored object model is determined, and the blueprint is output.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method that allows a user to easily assemble block objects using block parts.

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram showing a system that provides a method for recommending block objects according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a functional block configuration diagram showing the server terminal 100 of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a functional block configuration diagram showing the user terminal 200 of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of object model information stored in the server 100. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of block parts information stored in the server 100. FIG. It is an example of the flowchart which shows the detail of the method of outputting the blueprint of a block object based on 1st embodiment of this invention. 4 is an example of image data of an object model and a block object displayed on a user terminal according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below do not unduly limit the content of the present invention described in the claims. Furthermore, not all of the components shown in the embodiments are essential components of the present invention.

<Configuration>
FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram showing a system that provides a method for outputting a blueprint of a block object according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This system 1 includes a server terminal 100 that determines a pose of an object model based on image data acquired from a user terminal 200, determines and outputs a blueprint of a block object corresponding to the pose, and a user terminal 200A. , 200B. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the user terminals 200A and 200B will be collectively referred to as the user terminal 200.

Here, examples of block objects composed of a plurality of block parts include animals, people, characters, robots, vehicles, buildings, etc., but are not limited to one example.

Server terminal 100 and user terminal 200 are each connected via network NW. The network NW includes the Internet, an intranet, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), and the like.

The server terminal 100 may be, for example, a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer, or may be logically realized by cloud computing. In this embodiment, one server terminal is illustrated for convenience of explanation, but the number is not limited to this, and a plurality of server terminals may be used.

The user terminal 200 is, for example, an information processing device such as a personal computer or a tablet terminal, but may also be configured by a smartphone, a mobile phone, a PDA, or the like.

In this embodiment, the system 1 will be described as having a server terminal 100 and a user terminal 200, and a user uses the user terminal 200 to operate the server terminal 100, but the server terminal 100 is standalone. The server terminal itself may have a function that each user can directly operate.

FIG. 2 is a functional block configuration diagram of the server terminal 100 in FIG. 1. The server terminal 100 includes a communication section 110, a storage section 120, and a control section 130.

The communication unit 110 is a communication interface for communicating with the user terminal 200 via the network NW, and communication is performed according to a communication protocol such as TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol).

The storage unit 120 stores programs, input data, etc. for executing various control processes and functions within the control unit 130, and is composed of RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), etc. Ru. The storage unit 120 also includes an object model information storage unit 121 that stores information related to the object model, and a block parts information storage unit 122 that stores block parts information generated based on the object model. . Note that a database (not shown) storing various data may be constructed outside the storage unit 120 or the server terminal 100.

The control unit 130 controls the overall operation of the server terminal 100 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 120, and is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc. be done. The functions of the control unit 130 include an information reception unit 131 that receives information such as image data and predetermined instructions from the user terminal 200, an object model information processing unit 132 that refers to and processes various information related to the object model, and block parts. The block parts information processing unit 133 refers to and processes various information related to the block object, and the output processing unit 134 performs a process of transmitting design drawing information related to the block object to be outputted to the user terminal. The information reception unit 131, object model information processing unit 132, block parts information processing unit 133, and output processing unit 134 are activated by a program stored in the storage unit 120 and are connected to the server terminal 100, which is a computer (electronic computer). Executed by

The information reception unit 131 is provided by the server terminal 100 and allows the user to enter text (input text, click icons (buttons ) When a predetermined request is made (by pressing ), information is received from the user terminal 200 via the communication unit 110 .

The object model processing unit 132 stores information related to object models in the object model information storage unit 121 and performs processing to refer to stored object model information.

The block parts information processing unit 133 stores information related to block parts in the block parts information storage unit 122, and performs processing to refer to the stored block parts information.

The output processing unit 134 performs a process of transmitting necessary information to the user terminal 200 in order to display blueprint information related to the block object on the user terminal 200. At this time, the output processing unit 134 uses the image and text data stored in the storage unit 120 as materials and arranges various images and texts in a predetermined area of the user interface based on predetermined layout rules. Screen information necessary to be displayed on the interface of the terminal 200 can be generated. This screen information generation process can also be executed by a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).

FIG. 3 is a functional block configuration diagram showing the user terminal 200 of FIG. 1. The user terminal 200 includes a communication section 210, a display operation section 220, a storage section 230, and a control section 240.

The communication unit 210 is a communication interface for communicating with the server terminal 100 via the network NW, and communication is performed according to a communication protocol such as TCP/IP. Further, the communication unit 210 can also include a communication interface for communicating with the sensor device 300 via short-range wireless communication or the like.

The display operation unit 220 is a user interface used by the user to input instructions and display text, images, etc. in accordance with input data from the control unit 240, and the user terminal 200 is configured with a personal computer. If the user terminal 200 is a smart phone or a tablet device, the user terminal 200 is composed of a touch panel or the like. This display operation section 220 is activated by a control program stored in the storage section 230 and executed by the user terminal 200 which is a computer (electronic computer).

The storage unit 230 stores programs, input data, etc. for executing various control processes and functions within the control unit 240, and is composed of a RAM, a ROM, and the like. Furthermore, the storage unit 230 temporarily stores the contents of communication with the server terminal 100.

The control unit 240 controls the overall operation of the user terminal 200 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 230, and is composed of a CPU, a GPU, and the like.

Note that the configuration may be such that the server terminal 100 is provided with the function of a display operation section, or in this case, the configuration may be such that the user terminal 200 is not provided. In addition, the user terminal 200 may be equipped with a camera (not shown), and in this case, the camera captures an image of an AR marker provided on the block parts to determine the shape, color, etc. of the block parts. It is possible to identify the type, etc.) and determine the coordinates in augmented reality (AR) space.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of object model information stored in the server 100.

Object model information 1000 shown in FIG. 4 stores information related to an object model generated by a service operator associated with server terminal 100 or a user associated with user terminal 200. In FIG. 4, for convenience of explanation, an example of one object model (a user identified by object ID "10001") is shown, but information on a plurality of object models can be stored. The object model corresponds to a block object that can be assembled using a plurality of block parts, and is assumed to correspond to each of a plurality of types of block objects. Various data related to the object model include 3D model data of the object model, cross-sectional data of the object model, data related to one or more types of block parts and their number necessary for assembling the object model, and data related to the number and type of block parts needed to assemble the object model. Information such as blueprint information related to block parts corresponding to each part and blueprint information related to block parts arranged for each layer of the cross section can be included. Here, the 3D model data can also be stored as polygon data of an object model, voxel data of an object model, or 2D model data converted into a 3D model by predetermined processing. Further, the blueprint information can be stored in advance as a blueprint of a block object corresponding to each of a plurality of posing patterns of the object model. In addition to posing patterns, it is also possible to store patterns related to the appearance and appearance of the object model, such as a plurality of hairstyle patterns, facial expression patterns, and clothing patterns of the object model. Here, if an object model is devised and posted (registered) by a creator, identification information such as a creator ID that identifies the creator may be associated and recorded for each object model. For example, for an object (an animal, character, etc.) that the creator devises, the creator may create multiple patterns related to appearance/appearance, including posing patterns, and multiple color combination patterns for each posing pattern. You can also register in voxel data format or any other data format, or the service operator can give multiple creators a theme (for example, their own pet, a specific character, etc.) and each It is also possible to accept object registrations from creators. The server terminal 100 can convert data received from a creator into voxel data, and generate blueprint information based on the voxel data.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of block parts information stored in the server 100.

Block parts information 2000 shown in FIG. 5 stores information related to the shape, size, color, weight, etc. of block parts. In FIG. 5, for convenience of explanation, an example of one block part (block part identified by ID "20001") is shown, but information related to a plurality of block parts can be stored. Various data related to block parts may include, for example, data related to block parts corresponding to parts for assembling a block object (consisting of shape, size, color, number of each block part, etc.) . Here, each of the plurality of types of block parts can be associated with a unique color, but the invention is not limited thereto.

FIG. 6 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a method for outputting a blueprint of a block object according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

As a preliminary process, the user accesses the server terminal 100 using the web browser of the user terminal 200 or an application (if installing an application). A predetermined screen is displayed on a user interface via a website, application, or the like. The user can transmit (upload) image data of an object model that the user wants to assemble as a block object from the user terminal 200 to the server terminal 100. Here, the user views an animation of an object model (for example, a person) on the user terminal 200, and performs predetermined actions such as pressing a pause button or taking a screenshot from the animation image of the person moving. By performing this operation, determine the pose of the person, select the pose of the object model that you want to assemble as a block object, and create image data (e.g., voxel data or two-dimensional data) that represents the pose of this object model. voxel data converted from ) is transmitted from the user terminal 200 to the server terminal 100.

Then, as processing in step S101, the information receiving unit 131 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 receives the pose of the object model that the user wants to assemble from the user terminal 200 via the network and communication unit 110. Receive the expressed image data. In this example, the user wants to assemble a block object of a bear in a certain pose, expressed as image data as shown in FIG. 7(a), and the user interface displayed on the user terminal 200 When image data of a specific posing scene is selected from among the bear animation images on the screen and a transmission operation is performed, the server terminal 100 receives the bear image data. Here, the image data may be data in any format such as polygon data, but may also be voxel data, or data converted to voxel data from another data format. , it is also possible to convert to voxel data after this processing.

Subsequently, as processing in step S102, the object model information processing unit 132 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 starts processing to analyze the received image data of the object model. Although the process of analyzing image data such as polygon data and voxel data can be realized using known methods, in this embodiment, in particular, the posture and pose of an object included in the image data is determined by determining the skeleton of the object. It is characterized by specifying by

Subsequently, as processing in step S103, the object model information processing section 132 of the control section 130 of the server terminal 100 refers to the 3D model data of the object model stored in the object model information storage section 121 of the storage section 120. The object model information processing unit 132 analyzes the posture and pose of the object model included in the image data of the object model, and provides information regarding the pose of the object determined based on the posture and pose obtained as the analysis result, and Compare the model with 3D model data. Here, as the 3D model data, a plurality of types of 3D model data (voxel data of a specific object) corresponding to a block object configured with a plurality of block parts and performing a predetermined pose are stored. Specific objects include various types of animals (bears, etc. in this example), humans (men, women, adults, children) with various characteristics, or virtual objects (characters, robots, etc.). may be included.

Subsequently, as processing in step S104, the object model information processing unit 132 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 compares the object determined based on the image analysis of the two-dimensional data and the object stored as 3D model data. The object to be compared and posed in a predetermined pose is determined as an object model (3D model) corresponding to a block object that can be assembled using block parts. For example, if there is voxel data of an object model posing a bear as stored 3D model data, the object model information processing unit 132 stores it as a block object because it matches the pose of the object determined from the image data. The object to be assembled is determined as a block object for posing a bear. The output processing unit 134 of the control unit 130 of the server terminal 100 transmits the determined 3D model data of the object model to the user terminal 200 in response to the image data of the object model transmitted from the user terminal 200, and displays it. can be done. Here, the control unit 130 can refer to the blueprint data in the storage unit 120 and transmit the color configuration pattern of the block object to the user terminal 200 for display. It is also possible to accept selections.

Subsequently, as processing in step S105, the object model information processing unit 132 refers to the object model information storage unit 121 of the storage unit 120 for design drawing data that presents the method for assembling the determined object model (block object). , and can be transmitted to the user terminal 200 and displayed in the format shown in FIG. 7(b), for example. As described above, the storage unit 120 stores object models and blueprint information corresponding to a plurality of posing patterns for a predetermined object model. By extracting the blueprint information of the block object that corresponds to the pose of the model, the blueprint to be provided is determined. Alternatively, according to the image data acquired from the user terminal 200, blueprint information corresponding to the pose of the object model determined as a result of image analysis can be generated in real time. At this time, based on voxel data of the object model including posing, blueprint information is generated based on predetermined rules while referring to stored information regarding block parts including color and shape. Although it is possible to save calculation processing time by extracting blueprint information from pre-stored blueprint information, the latter configuration is better because the object model that the user wishes to assemble the block object is (and its poses) can be expanded.

Subsequently, as processing in step S106, the output processing unit 134 transmits the determined or generated blueprint information to the user terminal 200, and displays the object model selected by the user on the user interface screen of the user terminal 200. Display it as a blueprint corresponding to the pose. Here, as data included in the blueprint information, parts constituting a block object are classified and identified by shape and color, and when the user terminal 200 selects a color for the block object, the selected color A situation may also occur in which the user does not have any remaining block parts for assembling the block object (that is, the block parts are in short supply). In such a case, as shown in FIG. 7(b), an object is displayed so that the user can purchase the required number of parts for each shape and color in association with the display of information about parts included in the blueprint information. Information identifying the model, information identifying the shape and color of the block parts, and information regarding the number of block parts are encrypted into information such as a two-dimensional code (e.g. QR code (registered trademark)), etc. It can also be displayed as identification information. Here, the identification information can be generated for each block part, or can be generated as a combination of a plurality of block parts for convenience of purchase by the user. By making this identification information readable, the user can purchase the necessary number of missing block parts online or at a store. By storing purchase information of block parts as a history in the storage unit 120 of the server terminal 100 in advance together with member information such as a user ID, the server terminal 100 can determine whether or not to assemble the parts based on the purchase information. It is also possible to automatically determine which block parts are missing for a block object, and to display identification information for promoting purchase along with information regarding the determined block parts. As mentioned above, if the object model was devised by a specific creator, by associating the creator's identification information with the above identification information, the amount of compensation corresponding to the subsequent purchase amount will be returned to the creator. It can also be easily processed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the user can provide an object model that the user wishes to assemble and a blueprint corresponding to its pose in an efficient manner, and the user can You can enjoy not only assembling models, but also assembling object models in various poses.

Although the embodiments according to the invention have been described above, they can be implemented in various other forms, and can be implemented with various omissions, substitutions, and changes. These embodiments and modifications, as well as omissions, substitutions, and changes, are included within the technical scope of the claims and their equivalents.

1 system 100 server terminal, 110 communication unit, 120 storage unit, 130 control unit, 200 user terminal, NW network

Claims (4)

A method for outputting a blueprint of a block object composed of a plurality of types of block parts that can be assembled, the method being executed by a processing unit of a server terminal connected to a user terminal via a network, the method comprising:
The processing unit of the server terminal includes:
Get the image data of the object model,
Analyzing the image data,
determining a pose for the object model based on the analysis result;
determining a blueprint of a block object corresponding to the pose of the object model stored in the storage unit of the server terminal;
Output the blueprint ,
A method , characterized in that the image data is selected by a user terminal from among animation images of the object model by a predetermined operation . The method according to claim 1, wherein the server terminal stores in advance a blueprint of a block object corresponding to each of the plurality of posing patterns of the object model. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the image data is voxel data of the object model. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the blueprint of the block object corresponding to the pose of the object model stored in the storage unit of the server terminal is based on the pre-stored blueprint. The method described in.