JP7466034B2 - Programs and systems - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a program and a system.

In the virtual space provided to the user by a head-mounted display, the user's field of view is usually controlled by the movement of the head-mounted display, but it can also be controlled in response to input from an external controller (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 5869177

Users may become nauseous during a virtual experience, and there is a need for control of the field of view to reduce this nausea. Furthermore, when using an external controller, there is a need for a method of operation that does not impair the immersive feeling of the virtual experience. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the method of operation for controlling the user's field of view in the virtual space in order to improve the user's virtual experience.

The purpose of this disclosure is to improve the operability of field of view control.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the program causes a computer to execute a definition means for defining a virtual space including a virtual viewpoint, a video playback means for playing a video in the virtual space, a motion detection means for detecting a motion of a controller held by a user, a reception means for receiving an input from the controller for enabling control of the playback of the video in accordance with the motion of the controller, a playback control means for controlling the playback of the video in accordance with the motion of the controller while the enabling input is being received, and a display control means for displaying a field of view image corresponding to the field of view from the virtual viewpoint on a device worn by the user.

This disclosure makes it possible to improve the operability of field of view control.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of the configuration of an HMD system according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a computer according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram conceptually illustrating a uvw field of view coordinate system set in an HMD according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram conceptually illustrating one mode of expressing a virtual space according to an embodiment. 1 is a top view of a user's head wearing an HMD according to an embodiment. 1 is a diagram showing a YZ cross section of a field of view in a virtual space as viewed from an X direction. 13 is a diagram showing an XZ cross section of a field of view in a virtual space as viewed from a Y direction. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a controller according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of yaw, roll, and pitch directions defined relative to a user's right hand according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a server according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a modular configuration of a computer according to an embodiment. 11 is a sequence chart showing a part of a process executed in an HMD set according to an embodiment. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a situation in which each HMD provides a virtual space to a user in a network. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a field of view image of user 5A in FIG. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing a process executed in an HMD system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of a module of a computer according to an embodiment. 10 is a flow chart illustrating a process for controlling a gaze direction according to one embodiment. 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating an example of control of the line of sight direction in accordance with the movement of the controller. 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating an example of control of the line of sight direction in accordance with the movement of the controller. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of a field of view image in the state shown in FIG. 16 . FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of a field of view image in the state shown in FIG. 17. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a process for controlling video playback according to one embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a field of view image when controlling playback of a video. 10 is a flow chart illustrating a process for controlling a gaze direction according to one embodiment. 1 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a field of view image displayed according to one embodiment. 1 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a field of view image displayed according to one embodiment. 1 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a field of view image displayed according to one embodiment.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of this technical idea with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components are given the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions thereof will not be repeated. In one or more embodiments shown in this disclosure, the elements included in each embodiment can be combined with each other, and the result of such combination is also considered to be part of the embodiment shown in this disclosure.

[Configuration of HMD system]
The configuration of an HMD (Head-Mounted Device) system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of the HMD system 100 according to the present embodiment. The HMD system 100 is provided as a system for home use or a system for commercial use.

The HMD system 100 includes a server 600, HMD sets 110A, 110B, 110C, and 110D, an external device 700, and a network 2. Each of the HMD sets 110A, 110B, 110C, and 110D is configured to be able to communicate with the server 600 and the external device 700 via the network 2. Hereinafter, the HMD sets 110A, 110B, 110C, and 110D are collectively referred to as the HMD set 110. The number of HMD sets 110 constituting the HMD system 100 is not limited to four, and may be three or less, or five or more. The HMD set 110 includes an HMD 120, a computer 200, an HMD sensor 410, a display 430, and a controller 300. The HMD 120 includes a monitor 130, a gaze sensor 140, a first camera 150, a second camera 160, a microphone 170, and a speaker 180. The controller 300 may include a motion sensor 420.

In one aspect, the computer 200 can be connected to the Internet or other network 2, and can communicate with a server 600 or other computers connected to the network 2. Examples of other computers include computers of other HMD sets 110 and external devices 700. In another aspect, the HMD 120 can include a sensor 190 instead of the HMD sensor 410.

The HMD 120 is worn on the head of the user 5 and can provide a virtual space to the user 5 during operation. More specifically, the HMD 120 displays an image for the right eye and an image for the left eye on the monitor 130. When each eye of the user 5 views the respective image, the user 5 can recognize the image as a three-dimensional image based on the parallax between the two eyes. The HMD 120 can include both a so-called head-mounted display equipped with a monitor and a head-mounted device to which a smartphone or other terminal equipped with a monitor can be attached.

The monitor 130 is realized, for example, as a non-transparent display device. In one aspect, the monitor 130 is disposed on the main body of the HMD 120 so as to be positioned in front of both eyes of the user 5. Thus, when the user 5 visually recognizes the three-dimensional image displayed on the monitor 130, the user 5 can be immersed in the virtual space. In one aspect, the virtual space includes, for example, images of a background, objects that the user 5 can operate, and menus that the user 5 can select. In one aspect, the monitor 130 can be realized as a liquid crystal monitor or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) monitor provided in a so-called smartphone or other information display terminal.

In another aspect, the monitor 130 may be realized as a transmissive display device. In this case, the HMD 120 may be an open type such as a pair of glasses, rather than a closed type that covers the eyes of the user 5 as shown in FIG. 1. The transmissive monitor 130 may be temporarily configurable as a non-transmissive display device by adjusting its transmittance. The monitor 130 may include a configuration that simultaneously displays a portion of an image that constitutes a virtual space and the real space. For example, the monitor 130 may display an image of the real space captured by a camera mounted on the HMD 120, or may make the real space visible by setting the transmittance of a portion of the image high.

In one aspect, the monitor 130 may include a sub-monitor for displaying an image for the right eye and a sub-monitor for displaying an image for the left eye. In another aspect, the monitor 130 may be configured to display an image for the right eye and an image for the left eye as a single unit. In this case, the monitor 130 includes a high-speed shutter. The high-speed shutter operates to alternately display an image for the right eye and an image for the left eye so that the image is perceived by only one of the eyes.

In one aspect, the HMD 120 includes multiple light sources (not shown). Each light source is realized, for example, by an LED (Light Emitting Diode) that emits infrared rays. The HMD sensor 410 has a position tracking function for detecting the movement of the HMD 120. More specifically, the HMD sensor 410 reads multiple infrared rays emitted by the HMD 120 and detects the position and tilt of the HMD 120 in real space.

In another aspect, the HMD sensor 410 may be realized by a camera. In this case, the HMD sensor 410 can detect the position and inclination of the HMD 120 by performing image analysis processing using image information of the HMD 120 output from the camera.

In another aspect, the HMD 120 may include a sensor 190 as a position detector instead of or in addition to the HMD sensor 410. The HMD 120 may use the sensor 190 to detect the position and inclination of the HMD 120 itself. For example, if the sensor 190 is an angular velocity sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, or an acceleration sensor, the HMD 120 may use any of these sensors instead of the HMD sensor 410 to detect the position and inclination of the HMD 120 itself. As an example, if the sensor 190 is an angular velocity sensor, the angular velocity sensor detects the angular velocity of the HMD 120 around three axes in real space over time. The HMD 120 calculates the change in angle of the HMD 120 around the three axes over time based on each angular velocity, and further calculates the inclination of the HMD 120 based on the change in angle over time.

The gaze sensor 140 detects the direction in which the gaze of the right eye and left eye of the user 5 is directed. In other words, the gaze sensor 140 detects the gaze of the user 5. The detection of the gaze direction is realized, for example, by a known eye tracking function. The gaze sensor 140 is realized by a sensor having the eye tracking function. In one aspect, the gaze sensor 140 preferably includes a 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 left eye of the user 5 with infrared light and detects the rotation angle of each eyeball by receiving reflected light from the cornea and iris in response to the irradiated light. The gaze sensor 140 can detect the gaze of the user 5 based on each detected rotation angle.

The first camera 150 photographs the lower part of the face of the user 5. More specifically, the first camera 150 photographs the nose, mouth, etc. of the user 5. The second camera 160 photographs the eyes, eyebrows, etc. of the user 5. The housing of the HMD 120 on the user 5 side is defined as the inside of the HMD 120, and the housing of the HMD 120 on the opposite side to the user 5 is defined as the outside of the HMD 120. In one aspect, the first camera 150 may be disposed outside the HMD 120, and the second camera 160 may be disposed inside the HMD 120. The images generated by the first camera 150 and the second camera 160 are input to the computer 200. In another aspect, the first camera 150 and the second camera 160 may be realized as a single camera, and the face of the user 5 may be photographed by this single camera.

The microphone 170 converts the speech of the user 5 into an audio signal (electrical signal) and outputs it to the computer 200. The speaker 180 converts the audio signal into sound and outputs it to the user 5. In another aspect, the HMD 120 may include earphones instead of the speaker 180.

The controller 300 is connected to the computer 200 by wire or wirelessly. The controller 300 accepts input of commands from the user 5 to the computer 200. In one aspect, the controller 300 is configured to be held by the user 5. In another aspect, the controller 300 is configured to be attached to a part of the body or clothing of the user 5. In yet another aspect, the controller 300 may be configured to output at least one of vibration, sound, and light based on a signal transmitted from the computer 200. In yet another aspect, the controller 300 accepts operations from the user 5 to control the position and movement of an object placed in a virtual space.

In one aspect, the controller 300 includes multiple light sources. Each light source is realized, for example, by an LED that emits infrared light. The HMD sensor 410 has a position tracking function. In this case, the HMD sensor 410 reads multiple infrared rays emitted by the controller 300 and detects the position and tilt of the controller 300 in real space. In another aspect, the HMD sensor 410 may be realized by a camera. In this case, the HMD sensor 410 can detect the position and tilt of the controller 300 by performing image analysis processing using image information of the controller 300 output from the camera.

In one aspect, the motion sensor 420 is attached to the hand of the user 5 and detects the movement of the hand of the user 5. For example, the motion sensor 420 detects the rotation speed, number of rotations, etc. of the hand. The detected signal is sent to the computer 200. The motion sensor 420 is provided, for example, in the controller 300. In one aspect, the motion sensor 420 is provided, for example, in the controller 300 configured to be held by the user 5. In another aspect, for safety in the real space, the controller 300 is attached to something that is not easily blown away by being worn on the hand of the user 5, such as a glove type. In yet another aspect, a sensor that is not worn by the user 5 may detect the movement of the hand of the user 5. For example, a signal from a camera that captures the user 5 may be input to the computer 200 as a signal representing the movement of the user 5. The motion sensor 420 and the computer 200 are connected to each other wirelessly, as an example. In the case of wireless communication, the communication form is not particularly limited, and for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) or other known communication methods are used.

The display 430 displays an image similar to the image displayed on the monitor 130. This allows users other than the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 to view an image similar to that of the user 5. The image displayed on the display 430 does not need to be a three-dimensional image, and may be an image for the right eye or an image for the left eye. Examples of the display 430 include a liquid crystal display and an organic EL monitor.

The server 600 may transmit a program to the computer 200. In another aspect, the server 600 may communicate with other computers 200 to provide virtual reality to the HMD 120 used by other users. For example, in an amusement facility, when multiple users play a participatory game, each computer 200 communicates signals based on the actions of each user with the other computers 200 via the server 600, allowing multiple users to enjoy a common game in the same virtual space. Each computer 200 may also communicate signals based on the actions of each user with the other computers 200 without going through the server 600.

The external device 700 may be any device capable of communicating with the computer 200. The external device 700 may be, for example, a device capable of communicating with the computer 200 via the network 2, or a device capable of directly communicating with the computer 200 via short-range wireless communication or a wired connection. Examples of the external device 700 include, but are not limited to, smart devices, PCs (Personal Computers), and peripheral devices of the computer 200.

[Computer hardware configuration]
A computer 200 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the computer 200 according to the present embodiment. The computer 200 includes, as main components, a processor 210, a memory 220, a storage 230, an input/output interface 240, and a communication interface 250. Each component is connected to a bus 260.

The processor 210 executes a series of instructions contained in a program stored in the memory 220 or the storage 230 based on a signal provided to the computer 200 or based on the satisfaction of a predetermined condition. In one aspect, the processor 210 is realized as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processor Unit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or other device.

Memory 220 temporarily stores programs and data. Programs are loaded, for example, from storage 230. Data includes data input to computer 200 and data generated by processor 210. In one aspect, memory 220 is realized as RAM (Random Access Memory) or other volatile memory.

The storage 230 permanently holds programs and data. The storage 230 is realized, for example, as a ROM (Read-Only Memory), a hard disk drive, a flash memory, or other non-volatile storage device. The programs stored in the storage 230 include a program for providing a virtual space in the HMD system 100, a simulation program, a game program, a user authentication program, and a program for realizing communication with other computers 200. The data stored in the storage 230 includes data and objects for defining the virtual space, etc.

In another aspect, the storage 230 may be realized as a removable storage device such as a memory card. In yet another aspect, a configuration may be used in which programs and data stored in an external storage device are used instead of the storage 230 built into the computer 200. With such a configuration, for example, in a situation where multiple HMD systems 100 are used, such as an amusement facility, it becomes possible to perform updates of programs and data collectively.

The input/output interface 240 communicates signals between the HMD 120, the HMD sensor 410, the motion sensor 420, and the display 430. The monitor 130, the gaze sensor 140, the first camera 150, the second camera 160, the microphone 170, and the speaker 180 included in the HMD 120 can communicate with the computer 200 via the input/output interface 240 of the HMD 120. In some aspects, the input/output interface 240 is realized using a terminal such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB), a Digital Visual Interface (DVI), a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI (registered trademark)), or other terminal. The input/output interface 240 is not limited to those mentioned above.

In one aspect, the input/output interface 240 may further communicate with the controller 300. For example, the input/output interface 240 receives input of signals output from the controller 300 and the motion sensor 420. In another aspect, the input/output interface 240 sends instructions output from the processor 210 to the controller 300. The instructions instruct the controller 300 to vibrate, output sound, emit light, etc. When the controller 300 receives the instruction, it executes either vibration, sound output, or light emission according to the instruction.

The communication interface 250 is connected to the network 2 and communicates with other computers (e.g., the server 600) connected to the network 2. In one aspect, the communication interface 250 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. The communication interface 250 is not limited to the above.

In one aspect, the processor 210 accesses the storage 230, loads one or more programs stored in the storage 230 into the memory 220, and executes a series of instructions contained in the programs. The one or more programs may include an operating system for the computer 200, an application program for providing a virtual space, game software executable in the virtual space, and the like. The processor 210 sends a signal for providing the virtual space to the HMD 120 via the input/output interface 240. The HMD 120 displays an image on the monitor 130 based on the signal.

2, the computer 200 is shown as being provided outside the HMD 120, but in another aspect, the computer 200 may be built into the HMD 120. As an example, a portable information and communication terminal (e.g., a smartphone) including the monitor 130 may function as the computer 200.

The computer 200 may be configured to be shared by multiple HMDs 120. With such a configuration, for example, the same virtual space can be provided to multiple users, allowing each user to enjoy the same application as other users in the same virtual space.

In one embodiment, a real coordinate system, which is a coordinate system in real space, is set in advance in the HMD system 100. The real coordinate system has three reference directions (axes) that are parallel to the vertical direction in real space, the horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, and the front-to-back direction perpendicular to both the vertical and horizontal directions. The horizontal direction, vertical direction (up-down direction), and front-to-back direction in the real coordinate system are defined as the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis, respectively. More specifically, in the real coordinate system, the x-axis is parallel to the horizontal direction in real space. The y-axis is parallel to the vertical direction in real space. The z-axis is parallel to the front-to-back direction in real space.

In one aspect, the HMD sensor 410 includes an infrared sensor. When the infrared sensor detects infrared rays emitted from each light source of the HMD 120, it detects the presence of the HMD 120. The HMD sensor 410 further detects the position and tilt (orientation) of the HMD 120 in real space according to the movement of the user 5 wearing the HMD 120, based on the values of each point (each coordinate value in the real coordinate system). More specifically, the HMD sensor 410 can detect changes over time in the position and tilt of the HMD 120, using each value detected over time.

Each tilt of the HMD 120 detected by the HMD sensor 410 corresponds to each tilt around the three axes of the HMD 120 in the real coordinate system. The HMD sensor 410 sets a uvw field of view coordinate system in the HMD 120 based on the tilt of the HMD 120 in the real coordinate system. The uvw field of view coordinate system set in the HMD 120 corresponds to the viewpoint coordinate system when the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 views an object in the virtual space.

[uvw visual coordinate system]
The uvw field of view coordinate system will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram conceptually showing the uvw field of view coordinate system set in the HMD 120 according to an embodiment. The HMD sensor 410 detects the position and inclination of the HMD 120 in the real coordinate system when the HMD 120 is started. The processor 210 sets the uvw field of view coordinate system in the HMD 120 based on the detected values.

As shown in FIG. 3, the HMD 120 sets a three-dimensional uvw field of view coordinate system with the head of the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 as its center (origin). More specifically, the HMD 120 tilts the horizontal, vertical, and front-back directions (x-axis, y-axis, z-axis) that define the real coordinate system around each axis by the tilt of the HMD 120 around each axis in the real coordinate system, and sets the three newly obtained directions as the pitch axis (u-axis), yaw axis (v-axis), and roll axis (w-axis) of the uvw field of view coordinate system in the HMD 120.

In a certain situation, when the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 stands upright and looks straight ahead, the processor 210 sets a uvw field of view coordinate system in the HMD 120 that is parallel to the real coordinate system. In this case, the horizontal direction (x-axis), vertical direction (y-axis), and front-to-back direction (z-axis) in the real coordinate system coincide with the pitch axis (u-axis), yaw axis (v-axis), and roll axis (w-axis) of the uvw field of view coordinate system in the HMD 120.

After the uvw field of view coordinate system is set in the HMD 120, the HMD sensor 410 can detect the tilt of the HMD 120 in the set uvw field of view coordinate system based on the movement of the HMD 120. In this case, the HMD sensor 410 detects the pitch angle (θu), yaw angle (θv), and roll angle (θw) of the HMD 120 in the uvw field of view coordinate system as the tilt of the HMD 120. The pitch angle (θu) represents the tilt angle of the HMD 120 around the pitch axis in the uvw field of view coordinate system. The yaw angle (θv) represents the tilt angle of the HMD 120 around the yaw axis in the uvw field of view coordinate system. The roll angle (θw) represents the tilt angle of the HMD 120 around the roll axis in the uvw field of view coordinate system.

The HMD sensor 410 sets the uvw field of view coordinate system of the HMD 120 after the HMD 120 moves on the HMD 120 based on the detected tilt of the HMD 120. The relationship between the HMD 120 and the uvw field of view coordinate system of the HMD 120 is always constant regardless of the position and tilt of the HMD 120. When the position and tilt of the HMD 120 change, the position and tilt of the uvw field of view coordinate system of the HMD 120 in the real coordinate system change in conjunction with the change in the position and tilt.

In one aspect, the HMD sensor 410 may identify the position of the HMD 120 in real space as a relative position with respect to the HMD sensor 410 based on the infrared light intensity and the relative positional relationship between multiple points (e.g., the distance between each point) acquired based on the output from the infrared sensor. The processor 210 may determine the origin of the uvw field of view coordinate system of the HMD 120 in real space (actual coordinate system) based on the identified relative position.

[Virtual space]
The virtual space will be further described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a diagram conceptually showing one mode of expressing the virtual space 11 according to an embodiment. The virtual space 11 has a spherical structure covering the entire 360-degree direction of the center 12. In FIG. 4, in order to avoid complicating the description, the upper half of the celestial sphere in the virtual space 11 is illustrated. Each mesh is defined in the virtual space 11. The position of each mesh is defined in advance as a coordinate value in the XYZ coordinate system, which is a global coordinate system defined in the virtual space 11. The computer 200 associates each partial image constituting the panoramic image 13 (still image, video, etc.) that can be deployed in the virtual space 11 with each corresponding mesh in the virtual space 11.

In a certain aspect, an XYZ coordinate system is defined in the virtual space 11 with the center 12 as the origin. The XYZ coordinate system is, for example, parallel to the real coordinate system. The horizontal direction, vertical direction (up-down direction), and front-to-back direction in the XYZ coordinate system are defined as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, respectively. Therefore, the X-axis (horizontal direction) of the XYZ coordinate system is parallel to the x-axis of the real coordinate system, the Y-axis (vertical direction) of the XYZ coordinate system is parallel to the y-axis of the real coordinate system, and the Z-axis (front-to-back direction) of the XYZ coordinate system is parallel to the z-axis of the real coordinate system.

When the HMD 120 is started up, i.e., in the initial state of the HMD 120, the virtual camera 14 is placed at the center 12 of the virtual space 11. At a certain stage, the processor 210 displays an image captured by the virtual camera 14 on the monitor 130 of the HMD 120. The virtual camera 14 moves in the virtual space 11 in a similar manner in conjunction with the movement of the HMD 120 in the real space. This allows changes in the position and tilt of the HMD 120 in the real space to be reproduced in the virtual space 11 in a similar manner.

A uvw field of view coordinate system is defined for the virtual camera 14, as in the case of the HMD 120. The uvw field of view coordinate system of the virtual camera 14 in the virtual space 11 is defined so as to be linked to the uvw field of view coordinate system of the HMD 120 in real space (actual coordinate system). Therefore, when the tilt of the HMD 120 changes, the tilt of the virtual camera 14 also changes accordingly. The virtual camera 14 can also move in the virtual space 11 in conjunction with the movement in real space of the user 5 wearing the HMD 120.

The processor 210 of the computer 200 determines the field of view 15 in the virtual space 11 based on the position and inclination (reference line of sight 16) of the virtual camera 14. The field of view 15 corresponds to the area of the virtual space 11 that is viewed by the user 5 wearing the HMD 120. In other words, the position of the virtual camera 14 can be said to be the viewpoint of the user 5 in the virtual space 11.

The line of sight of user 5 detected by gaze sensor 140 is the direction in the viewpoint coordinate system when user 5 views an object. The uvw field of view coordinate system of HMD 120 is equal to the viewpoint coordinate system when user 5 views monitor 130. The uvw field of view coordinate system of virtual camera 14 is linked to the uvw field of view coordinate system of HMD 120. Therefore, in a certain aspect, the HMD system 100 can consider the line of sight of user 5 detected by gaze sensor 140 to be the line of sight of user 5 in the uvw field of view coordinate system of virtual camera 14.

[User's gaze]
Determining the line of sight of the user 5 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a top view of the head of a user 5 wearing an HMD 120 according to an embodiment.

In one aspect, the gaze sensor 140 detects the gaze of each of the right and left eyes of the user 5. In one aspect, when the user 5 is looking at something close, the gaze sensor 140 detects the gazes R1 and L1. In another aspect, when the user 5 is looking at something far away, the gaze sensor 140 detects the gazes R2 and L2. In this case, the angle that the gazes R2 and L2 make with respect to the roll axis w is smaller than the angle that the gazes R1 and L1 make with respect to the roll axis w. The gaze sensor 140 transmits the detection result to the computer 200.

When the computer 200 receives the detection values of the gazes R1 and L1 from the gaze sensor 140 as the gaze detection result, the computer 200 identifies the gaze point N1, which is the intersection of the gazes R1 and L1, based on the detection values. On the other hand, when the computer 200 receives the detection values of the gazes R2 and L2 from the gaze sensor 140, the computer 200 identifies the intersection of the gazes R2 and L2 as the gaze point. The computer 200 identifies the gaze N0 of the user 5 based on the position of the identified gaze point N1. For example, the computer 200 detects the direction of the line that passes through the gaze point N1 and the midpoint of the line that connects the right eye R and the left eye L of the user 5 as the gaze N0. The gaze N0 is the direction in which the user 5 is actually looking with both eyes. The gaze N0 corresponds to the direction in which the user 5 is actually looking with respect to the field of view 15.

In another aspect, the HMD system 100 may be equipped with a television broadcast receiving tuner. With such a configuration, the HMD system 100 can display television programs in the virtual space 11.

In yet another aspect, the HMD system 100 may be equipped with a communication circuit for connecting to the Internet or a calling function for connecting to a telephone line.

[View Area]
The field of view 15 will be described with reference to Fig. 6 and Fig. 7. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a YZ cross section of the field of view 15 in the virtual space 11 as viewed from the X direction. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an XZ cross section of the field of view 15 in the virtual space 11 as viewed from the Y direction.

As shown in FIG. 6, the field of view 15 in the YZ cross section includes an area 18. The area 18 is defined by the position of the virtual camera 14, the reference line of sight 16, and the YZ cross section of the virtual space 11. The processor 210 defines the range including the polar angle α centered on the reference line of sight 16 in the virtual space as the area 18.

As shown in FIG. 7, the field of view 15 in the XZ cross section includes area 19. Area 19 is defined by the position of virtual camera 14, reference line of sight 16, and the XZ cross section of virtual space 11. Processor 210 defines a range including azimuth angle β centered on reference line of sight 16 in virtual space 11 as area 19. Polar angles α and β are determined according to the position of virtual camera 14 and the inclination (direction) of virtual camera 14.

In one aspect, the HMD system 100 provides the user 5 with a field of view in the virtual space 11 by displaying a field of view image 17 on the monitor 130 based on a signal from the computer 200. The field of view image 17 is an image that corresponds to a portion of the panoramic image 13 that corresponds to the field of view area 15. When the user 5 moves the HMD 120 worn on the head, the virtual camera 14 also moves in conjunction with the movement. As a result, the position of the field of view area 15 in the virtual space 11 changes. As a result, the field of view image 17 displayed on the monitor 130 is updated to an image of the panoramic image 13 that is superimposed on the field of view area 15 in the direction in which the user 5 is facing in the virtual space 11. The user 5 can view the desired direction in the virtual space 11.

In this way, the inclination of the virtual camera 14 corresponds to the line of sight (reference line of sight 16) of the user 5 in the virtual space 11, and the position at which the virtual camera 14 is positioned corresponds to the viewpoint of the user 5 in the virtual space 11. Therefore, by changing the position or inclination of the virtual camera 14, the image displayed on the monitor 130 is updated and the field of view of the user 5 is moved.

While wearing the HMD 120, the user 5 can only view the panoramic image 13 displayed in the virtual space 11, without being able to see the real world. Therefore, the HMD system 100 can give the user 5 a high sense of immersion in the virtual space 11.

In one aspect, the processor 210 may move the virtual camera 14 in the virtual space 11 in conjunction with the movement in real space of the user 5 wearing the HMD 120. In this case, the processor 210 identifies the image area (field of view area 15) to be projected onto the monitor 130 of the HMD 120 based on the position and inclination of the virtual camera 14 in the virtual space 11.

In one aspect, the virtual camera 14 may include 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. An appropriate parallax is set for the two virtual cameras so that the user 5 can recognize the three-dimensional virtual space 11. In another aspect, the virtual camera 14 may be realized by a single virtual camera. In this case, an image for the right eye and an image for the left eye may be generated from an image obtained by the single virtual camera. In this embodiment, the technical idea of the present disclosure is illustrated by assuming that the virtual camera 14 includes two virtual cameras and is configured so that the roll axis (w) generated by combining the roll axes of the two virtual cameras is adapted to the roll axis (w) of the HMD 120.

[controller]
An example of the controller 300 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the controller 300 according to an embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 8, in one aspect, the controller 300 may include a right controller 300R and a left controller (not shown). The right controller 300R is operated by the right hand of the user 5. The left controller is operated by the left hand of the user 5. In one aspect, the right controller 300R and the left controller are configured symmetrically as separate devices. Thus, the user 5 can freely move both the right hand holding the right controller 300R and the left hand holding the left controller. In another aspect, the controller 300 may be an integrated controller that accepts operation from both hands. The right controller 300R will be described below.

The right controller 300R includes a grip 310, a frame 320, and a top surface 330. The grip 310 is configured to be held by the right hand of the user 5. For example, the grip 310 can be held by the palm and three fingers (middle finger, ring finger, and little finger) of the right hand of the user 5.

Grip 310 includes buttons 340, 350 and a motion sensor 420. Button 340 is located on the side of grip 310 and is operated by the middle finger of the right hand. Button 350 is located on the front of grip 310 and is operated by the index finger of the right hand. In one aspect, buttons 340, 350 are configured as trigger-type buttons. Motion sensor 420 is built into the housing of grip 310. If the movements of user 5 can be detected from around user 5 by a camera or other device, grip 310 does not need to include motion sensor 420.

The frame 320 includes a number of infrared LEDs 360 arranged along its circumference. During execution of a program that uses the controller 300, the infrared LEDs 360 emit infrared light in accordance with the progress of the program. The infrared light emitted from the infrared LEDs 360 can be used to detect the positions and attitudes (tilt, direction) of the right controller 300R and the left controller. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the infrared LEDs 360 are arranged in two rows, but the number of rows is not limited to that shown in FIG. 8. An arrangement in one row or three or more rows may be used.

The top surface 330 includes buttons 370, 380 and an analog stick 390. The buttons 370, 380 are configured as push buttons. The buttons 370, 380 are operated by the thumb of the right hand of the user 5. In a certain situation, the analog stick 390 is operated in any direction within 360 degrees from the initial position (neutral position). Such operations include, for example, operations for moving an object placed in the virtual space 11.

In one aspect, the right controller 300R and the left controller include a battery for driving the infrared LED 360 and other components. The battery may be, but is not limited to, a rechargeable battery, a button type, a dry cell battery, or the like. In another aspect, the right controller 300R and the left controller may be connected, for example, to a USB interface of the computer 200. In this case, the right controller 300R and the left controller do not require a battery.

As shown in states (A) and (B) of FIG. 8, for example, the yaw, roll, and pitch directions are defined for the right hand of user 5. When user 5 extends his thumb and index finger, the direction in which the thumb extends is defined as the yaw direction, the direction in which the index finger extends is defined as the roll direction, and the direction perpendicular to the plane defined by the axis of the yaw direction and the axis of the roll direction is defined as the pitch direction.

[Server hardware configuration]
Server 600 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of server 600 according to an embodiment. Server 600 includes, as main components, a processor 610, a memory 620, a storage 630, an input/output interface 640, and a communication interface 650. Each component is connected to a bus 660.

The processor 610 executes a series of instructions contained in a program stored in the memory 620 or the storage 630 based on a signal provided to the server 600 or based on the satisfaction of a predetermined condition. In one aspect, the processor 610 is realized as a CPU, a GPU, an MPU, an FPGA, or other device.

Memory 620 temporarily stores programs and data. Programs are loaded, for example, from storage 630. Data includes data input to server 600 and data generated by processor 610. In one aspect, memory 620 is realized as RAM or other volatile memory.

Storage 630 permanently holds programs and data. Storage 630 is realized, for example, as a ROM, a hard disk drive, a flash memory, or other non-volatile storage device. Programs stored in storage 630 may include a program for providing a virtual space in HMD system 100, a simulation program, a game program, a user authentication program, and a program for realizing communication with computer 200. Data stored in storage 630 may include data and objects for defining the virtual space, etc.

In another aspect, the storage 630 may be realized as a removable storage device such as a memory card. In yet another aspect, instead of the storage 630 built into the server 600, a configuration may be used in which programs and data stored in an external storage device are used. With such a configuration, for example, in a situation where multiple HMD systems 100 are used, such as an amusement facility, it becomes possible to perform updates of programs and data collectively.

The input/output interface 640 communicates signals with input/output devices. In some aspects, the input/output interface 640 is realized using a USB, DVI, HDMI, or other terminal. The input/output interface 640 is not limited to the above.

The communication interface 650 is connected to the network 2 and communicates with the computer 200 connected to the network 2. In one aspect, the communication interface 650 is realized as, for example, a LAN or other wired communication interface, or a wireless communication interface such as WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, or other wireless communication interface. The communication interface 650 is not limited to the above.

In one aspect, the processor 610 accesses the storage 630, loads one or more programs stored in the storage 630 into the memory 620, and executes a series of instructions contained in the programs. The one or more programs may include an operating system of the server 600, an application program for providing a virtual space, game software executable in the virtual space, and the like. The processor 610 may send a signal for providing the virtual space to the computer 200 via the input/output interface 640.

[HMD Control Device]
A control device for the HMD 120 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. In an embodiment, the control device is realized by a computer 200 having a known configuration. Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing the computer 200 according to an embodiment as a modular configuration.

As shown in FIG. 10, the computer 200 includes a control module 510, a rendering module 520, a memory module 530, and a communication control module 540. In one aspect, the control module 510 and the rendering module 520 are realized by the processor 210. In another aspect, multiple processors 210 may operate as the control module 510 and the rendering module 520. The memory module 530 is realized by the memory 220 or the storage 230. The communication control module 540 is realized by the communication interface 250.

The control module 510 controls the virtual space 11 provided to the user 5. The control module 510 defines the virtual space 11 in the HMD system 100 using virtual space data representing the virtual space 11. The virtual space data is stored in, for example, the memory module 530. The control module 510 may generate the virtual space data or acquire the virtual space data from the server 600 or the like.

The control module 510 places objects in the virtual space 11 using object data representing the objects. The object data is stored in the memory module 530, for example. The control module 510 may generate the object data or obtain the object data from the server 600 or the like. The objects may include, for example, an avatar object that is an avatar of the user 5, a character object, an operational object such as a virtual hand that is operated by the controller 300, landscapes including forests, mountains, and the like that are placed according to the progress of the game story, cityscapes, animals, and the like.

The control module 510 places in the virtual space 11 an avatar object of the user 5 of another computer 200 connected via the network 2. In one aspect, the control module 510 places in the virtual space 11 an avatar object of the user 5. In one aspect, the control module 510 places in the virtual space 11 an avatar object that resembles the user 5 based on an image including the user 5. In another aspect, the control module 510 places in the virtual space 11 an avatar object that has been selected by the user 5 from among multiple types of avatar objects (e.g., objects that resemble animals or deformed human objects).

The control module 510 determines the inclination of the HMD 120 based on the output of the HMD sensor 410. In another aspect, the control module 510 determines the inclination of the HMD 120 based on the output of the sensor 190 functioning as a motion sensor. The control module 510 detects the organs that make up the face of the user 5 (e.g., mouth, eyes, eyebrows) from the images of the face of the user 5 generated by the first camera 150 and the second camera 160. The control module 510 detects the movement (shape) of each detected organ.

The control module 510 detects the line of sight of the user 5 in the virtual space 11 based on a signal from the gaze sensor 140. The control module 510 detects the viewpoint position (coordinate value in the XYZ coordinate system) where the detected line of sight of the user 5 intersects with the celestial sphere of the virtual space 11. More specifically, the control module 510 detects the viewpoint position based on the line of sight of the user 5 defined in the uvw coordinate system and the position and inclination of the virtual camera 14. The control module 510 transmits the detected viewpoint position to the server 600. In another aspect, the control module 510 may be configured to transmit line of sight information representing the line of sight of the user 5 to the server 600. In such a case, the server 600 may calculate the viewpoint position based on the line of sight information received.

The control module 510 reflects the movement of the HMD 120 detected by the HMD sensor 410 in the avatar object. For example, the control module 510 detects that the HMD 120 has been tilted and tilts and positions the avatar object. The control module 510 reflects the detected movement of the facial organs in the face of the avatar object placed in the virtual space 11. The control module 510 receives gaze information of the other user 5 from the server 600 and reflects it in the gaze of the avatar object of the other user 5. In a certain aspect, the control module 510 reflects the movement of the controller 300 in the avatar object or the operation object. In this case, the controller 300 is equipped with a motion sensor, an acceleration sensor, or multiple light-emitting elements (e.g., infrared LEDs) for detecting the movement of the controller 300.

The control module 510 places an operation object in the virtual space 11 for receiving an operation by the user 5 in the virtual space 11. The user 5 operates, for example, an object placed in the virtual space 11 by operating the operation object. In one aspect, the operation object may include, for example, a hand object that is a virtual hand corresponding to the hand of the user 5. In one aspect, the control module 510 moves the hand object in the virtual space 11 in conjunction with the movement of the hand of the user 5 in the real space based on the output of the motion sensor 420. In one aspect, the operation object may correspond to the hand portion of an avatar object.

The control module 510 detects a collision when each of the objects placed in the virtual space 11 collides with another object. The control module 510 can detect, for example, the timing when a collision area of one object comes into contact with a collision area of another object, and performs a predetermined process when this detection is made. The control module 510 can detect the timing when objects are no longer in contact with each other, and performs a predetermined process when this detection is made. The control module 510 can detect when objects are in contact with each other. For example, when a control object comes into contact with another object, the control module 510 detects that the control object has come into contact with the other object, and performs a predetermined process.

In one aspect, the control module 510 controls the image display on the monitor 130 of the HMD 120. For example, the control module 510 places a virtual camera 14 in the virtual space 11. The control module 510 controls the position of the virtual camera 14 in the virtual space 11 and the tilt (direction) of the virtual camera 14. The control module 510 determines the field of view 15 according to the tilt of the head of the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 and the position of the virtual camera 14. The rendering module 520 generates a field of view image 17 to be displayed on the monitor 130 based on the determined field of view 15. The field of view image 17 generated by the rendering module 520 is output to the HMD 120 by the communication control module 540.

When the control module 510 detects speech from the user 5 using the microphone 170 from the HMD 120, it identifies the computer 200 to which voice data corresponding to the speech is to be sent. The voice data is sent to the computer 200 identified by the control module 510. When the control module 510 receives voice data from another user's computer 200 via the network 2, it outputs the voice (speech) corresponding to the voice data from the speaker 180.

The memory module 530 holds data that is used by the computer 200 to provide the virtual space 11 to the user 5. In one aspect, the memory module 530 holds space information, object information, and user information.

The spatial information holds one or more templates defined to provide the virtual space 11.

The object information includes a plurality of panoramic images 13 that constitute the virtual space 11, and object data for placing objects in the virtual space 11. The panoramic images 13 may include still images and moving images. The panoramic images 13 may include images of unreal space and images of real space. Images of unreal space include, for example, images generated by computer graphics.

The user information holds a user ID that identifies the user 5. The user ID may be, for example, an IP (Internet Protocol) address or a MAC (Media Access Control) address that is set in the computer 200 used by the user. In another aspect, the user ID may be set by the user. The user information includes a program for causing the computer 200 to function as a control device for the HMD system 100, etc.

The data and programs stored in the memory module 530 are input by the user 5 of the HMD 120. Alternatively, the processor 210 downloads the programs or data from a computer (e.g., server 600) operated by the operator providing the content, and stores the downloaded programs or data in the memory module 530.

The communication control module 540 can communicate with the server 600 and other information and communication devices via the network 2.

In one aspect, the control module 510 and the rendering module 520 may be realized using, for example, Unity (registered trademark) provided by Unity Technologies, Inc. In another aspect, the control module 510 and the rendering module 520 may be realized as a combination of circuit elements that realize each process.

Processing in computer 200 is realized by hardware and software executed by processor 210. Such software may be stored in advance on a hard disk or other memory module 530. The software may 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 network. Such software is read from the data recording medium by an optical disk drive or other data reading device, or downloaded from server 600 or other computer via communication control module 540, and then temporarily stored in a storage module. The software is read from the storage module by processor 210 and stored in RAM in the form of an executable program. Processor 210 executes the program.

[Control structure of HMD system]
The control structure of the HMD set 110 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a sequence chart showing a part of the processing executed in the HMD set 110 according to an embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 11, in step S1110, the processor 210 of the computer 200, as the control module 510, identifies virtual space data and defines the virtual space 11.

In step S1120, the processor 210 initializes the virtual camera 14. For example, the processor 210 places the virtual camera 14 in a work area of the memory at a predefined center 12 in the virtual space 11, and points the line of sight of the virtual camera 14 in the direction in which the user 5 is facing.

In step S1130, the processor 210, as the rendering module 520, generates field of view image data for displaying an initial field of view image. The generated field of view image data is output to the HMD 120 by the communication control module 540.

In step S1132, the monitor 130 of the HMD 120 displays a field of view image based on the field of view image data received from the computer 200. The user 5 wearing the HMD 120 can recognize the virtual space 11 by visually recognizing the field of view image.

In step S1134, the HMD sensor 410 detects the position and inclination of the HMD 120 based on the multiple infrared lights emitted from the HMD 120. The detection results are output to the computer 200 as motion detection data.

In step S1140, the processor 210 determines the field of view direction of the user 5 wearing the HMD 120 based on the position and tilt contained in the motion detection data of the HMD 120.

In step S1150, the processor 210 executes the application program and places objects in the virtual space 11 based on instructions contained in the application program.

In step S1160, the controller 300 detects an operation by the user 5 based on a signal output from the motion sensor 420, and outputs detection data representing the detected operation to the computer 200. In another aspect, the operation of the controller 300 by the user 5 may be detected based on an image from a camera arranged around the user 5.

In step S1170, the processor 210 detects the operation of the controller 300 by the user 5 based on the detection data acquired from the controller 300.

In step S1180, the processor 210 generates field of view image data based on the operation of the controller 300 by the user 5. The generated field of view image data is output to the HMD 120 by the communication control module 540.

In step S1190, the HMD 120 updates the field of view image based on the received field of view image data and displays the updated field of view image on the monitor 130.

[Avatar Object]
Avatar objects according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 12(A) and (B). Hereinafter, avatar objects of each user 5 of the HMD sets 110A and 110B will be described. Hereinafter, the user of the HMD set 110A will be referred to as user 5A, the user of the HMD set 110B as user 5B, the user of the HMD set 110C as user 5C, and the user of the HMD set 110D as user 5D. A is added to the reference symbol of each component related to the HMD set 110A, B is added to the reference symbol of each component related to the HMD set 110B, C is added to the reference symbol of each component related to the HMD set 110C, and D is added to the reference symbol of each component related to the HMD set 110D. For example, the HMD 120A is included in the HMD set 110A.

Figure 12 (A) is a schematic diagram showing a situation in which each HMD 120 provides a virtual space 11 to a user 5 in a network 2. Computers 200A to 200D provide virtual spaces 11A to 11D to users 5A to 5D, respectively, via HMDs 120A to 120D. In the example shown in Figure 12 (A), virtual space 11A and virtual space 11B are configured with the same data. In other words, computer 200A and computer 200B share the same virtual space. In virtual space 11A and virtual space 11B, there exist an avatar object 6A of user 5A and an avatar object 6B of user 5B. Although avatar object 6A in virtual space 11A and avatar object 6B in virtual space 11B each wear an HMD 120, this is for ease of explanation, and in reality, these objects do not wear an HMD 120.

In one aspect, the processor 210A may position a virtual camera 14A that captures a field of view image 17A of the user 5A at the eye position of the avatar object 6A.

Figure 12 (B) is a diagram showing a field of view image 17A of user 5A in Figure 12 (A). Field of view image 17A is an image displayed on monitor 130A of HMD 120A. This field of view image 17A is an image generated by virtual camera 14A. An avatar object 6B of user 5B is displayed in field of view image 17A. Although not specifically shown, avatar object 6A of user 5A is similarly displayed in the field of view image of user 5B.

In the state of FIG. 12(B), user 5A can communicate with user 5B through dialogue via virtual space 11A. More specifically, the voice of user 5A picked up by microphone 170A is transmitted to HMD 120B of user 5B via server 600 and output from speaker 180B provided on HMD 120B. The voice of user 5B is transmitted to HMD 120A of user 5A via server 600 and output from speaker 180A provided on HMD 120A.

The movements of user 5B (the movements of HMD 120B and controller 300B) are reflected by processor 210A in avatar object 6B placed in virtual space 11A. This allows user 5A to recognize the movements of user 5B through avatar object 6B.

Figure 13 is a sequence chart showing a part of the processing executed in the HMD system 100 according to the present embodiment. Although the HMD set 110D is not shown in Figure 13, the HMD set 110D operates in the same manner as the HMD sets 110A, 110B, and 110C. In the following description, A will be added to the reference number of each component related to the HMD set 110A, B will be added to the reference number of each component related to the HMD set 110B, C will be added to the reference number of each component related to the HMD set 110C, and D will be added to the reference number of each component related to the HMD set 110D.

In step S1310A, the processor 210A in the HMD set 110A acquires avatar information for determining the movement of the avatar object 6A in the virtual space 11A. The avatar information includes information about the avatar, such as, for example, movement information, face tracking data, and voice data. The movement information includes information indicating the temporal change in the position and tilt of the HMD 120A, and information indicating the hand movement of the user 5A detected by the motion sensor 420A, etc. The face tracking data includes data specifying the position and size of each part of the face of the user 5A. The face tracking data includes data indicating the movement of each organ constituting the face of the user 5A and gaze data. The voice data includes data indicating the voice of the user 5A acquired by the microphone 170A of the HMD 120A. The avatar information may include information specifying the avatar object 6A, or the user 5A associated with the avatar object 6A, and information specifying the virtual space 11A in which the avatar object 6A exists. The information specifying the avatar object 6A or the user 5A includes a user ID. The information for identifying the virtual space 11A in which the avatar object 6A exists includes a room ID. The processor 210A transmits the avatar information acquired as described above to the server 600 via the network 2.

In step S1310B, the processor 210B in the HMD set 110B acquires avatar information for determining the movement of the avatar object 6B in the virtual space 11B, similar to the processing in step S1310A, and transmits it to the server 600. Similarly, in step S1310C, the processor 210C in the HMD set 110C acquires avatar information for determining the movement of the avatar object 6C in the virtual space 11C, and transmits it to the server 600.

In step S1320, the server 600 temporarily stores the player information received from each of the HMD sets 110A, 110B, and 110C. The server 600 integrates the avatar information of all users (users 5A to 5C in this example) associated with the common virtual space 11 based on the user ID and room ID, etc., included in each piece of avatar information. The server 600 then transmits the integrated avatar information to all users associated with the virtual space 11 at a predetermined timing. This executes a synchronization process. This synchronization process allows the HMD sets 110A, 110B, and 110C to share each other's avatar information at approximately the same timing.

Next, based on the avatar information transmitted from the server 600 to each of the HMD sets 110A to 110C, each of the HMD sets 110A to 110C executes the process of steps S1330A to S1330C. The process of step S1330A corresponds to the process of step S1180 in FIG. 11.

In step S1330A, the processor 210A in the HMD set 110A updates the information of the avatar objects 6B and avatar objects 6C of the other users 5B and 5C in the virtual space 11A. Specifically, the processor 210A updates the position, orientation, etc. of the avatar object 6B in the virtual space 11 based on the movement information included in the avatar information transmitted from the HMD set 110B. For example, the processor 210A updates the information (position, orientation, etc.) of the avatar object 6B included in the object information stored in the memory module 530. Similarly, the processor 210A updates the information (position, orientation, etc.) of the avatar object 6C in the virtual space 11 based on the movement information included in the avatar information transmitted from the HMD set 110C.

In step S1330B, the processor 210B in the HMD set 110B updates the information of the avatar objects 6A and 6C of the users 5A and 5C in the virtual space 11B, similar to the processing in step S1330A. Similarly, in step S1330C, the processor 210C in the HMD set 110C updates the information of the avatar objects 6A and 6B of the users 5A and 5B in the virtual space 11C.

[Module detailed configuration]
The details of the module configuration of computer 200 will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a block diagram showing the detailed configuration of modules of computer 200 according to an embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 14, the control module 510 includes a virtual camera control module 1421, a field of view determination module 1422, a reference gaze identification module 1423, a face organ detection module 1424, a motion detection module 1425, a virtual space definition module 1426, a virtual object generation module 1427, an operation object control module 1428, and an avatar control module 1429. The rendering module 520 includes a field of view image generation module 1438. The memory module 530 holds space information 1431, object information 1432, user information 1433, and face information 1434.

The virtual camera control module 1421 places the virtual camera 14 in the virtual space 11. The virtual camera control module 1421 controls the placement position of the virtual camera 14 in the virtual space 11 and the orientation (tilt) of the virtual camera 14.

The virtual camera control module 1421 can control the orientation of the virtual camera 14, i.e., the direction of the line of sight from the virtual viewpoint, according to the movement of the user's head. The movement of the user's head is the movement of the HMD 120 associated with the user, i.e., the HMD 120 worn by the user, and is detected by the HMD sensor 410. The HMD sensor 410 detects the direction, amount, and speed of head movement as the movement of the user's head based on the change in the position of the user's head over time.

The virtual camera control module 1421 can also control the direction of the line of sight from the virtual viewpoint according to the movement (position, posture) of the controller 300. The movement of the controller 300 is detected by the HMD sensor 410 using, for example, infrared light emitted from the infrared LED 360. The HMD sensor 410 detects the direction, amount, and speed of movement of the controller 300 as the movement of the controller 300 based on the change in the position of the controller 300 over time.

The virtual camera control module 1421 normally controls the direction of the gaze in response to the movement of the user's head, but when it receives an input from the controller 300 that enables control of the direction of the gaze in response to the movement of the controller 300, it controls the direction of the gaze in response to the movement of the controller 300 while this input is being accepted.

The field of view determination module 1422 determines the field of view 15 based on the position of the virtual camera 14, i.e., the virtual viewpoint and the line of sight direction from the virtual viewpoint, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. The field of view image generation module 1438 generates the field of view image 17 to be displayed on the monitor 130 based on the determined field of view 15.

The reference gaze identification module 1423 identifies the gaze of the user 5 based on a signal from the gaze sensor 140. The face organ detection module 1424 detects the organs (e.g., mouth, eyes, eyebrows) that make up the face of the user 5 from the images of the user's 5's face generated by the first camera 150 and the second camera 160. The movement detection module 1425 detects the movement (shape) of each organ detected by the face organ detection module 1424.

The virtual space definition module 1426 defines the virtual space 11 in the HMD system 100 by generating virtual space data representing the virtual space 11.

The virtual object generation module 1427 generates objects to be placed in the virtual space 11. The objects may include, for example, landscapes including forests, mountains, and other things, animals, etc. that are placed according to the progress of the game story.

The operation object control module 1428 places an operation object in the virtual space 11 for receiving operations by the user in the virtual space 11. The user operates the operation object to, for example, operate an object placed in the virtual space 11. In one aspect, the operation object may include, for example, a hand object corresponding to the hand of the user wearing the HMD 120. In one aspect, the operation object may correspond to the hand portion of an avatar object described below.

The avatar control module 1429 generates data for placing in the virtual space 11 the avatar objects of users of other computers 200 connected via the network 2. In one aspect, the avatar control module 1429 generates data for placing in the virtual space 11 the avatar object of the user 5. In one aspect, the avatar control module 1429 generates an avatar object that imitates the user 5 based on an image including the user 5. In another aspect, the avatar control module 1429 generates data for placing in the virtual space 11 an avatar object that has been selected by the user 5 from among multiple types of avatar objects (e.g., objects imitating animals and deformed human objects).

The avatar control module 1429 reflects the movement of the HMD 120 detected by the HMD sensor 410 in the avatar object. For example, the avatar control module 1429 detects that the HMD 120 has been tilted and generates data for tilting and positioning the avatar object. In a certain aspect, the avatar control module 1429 reflects the movement of the controller 300 in the avatar object. In this case, the controller 300 includes a motion sensor, an acceleration sensor, or a plurality of light-emitting elements (e.g., infrared LEDs) for detecting the movement of the controller 300. The avatar control module 1429 reflects the movement of the facial organs detected by the movement detection module 1425 in the face of the avatar object placed in the virtual space 11. In other words, the avatar control module 1429 reflects the facial movement of the user 5A in the avatar object.

The control module 510 detects a collision when each of the objects placed in the virtual space 11 collides with another object. The control module 510 can detect, for example, the timing when one object touches another object, and performs a predetermined process when this detection is made. The control module 510 can detect the timing when the objects are no longer in contact with each other, and performs a predetermined process when this detection is made. The control module 510 can detect when an object is in contact with another object. Specifically, the operation object control module 1428 detects that an operation object and another object have touched each other, and performs a predetermined process.

The memory module 530 holds data used by the computer 200 to provide the virtual space 11 to the user 5. In one aspect, the memory module 530 holds space information 1431, object information 1432, user information 1433, and face information 1434.

The spatial information 1431 holds one or more templates defined to provide the virtual space 11.

Object information 1432 holds content to be played in virtual space 11, objects used in the content, and information (e.g., location information) for placing the objects in virtual space 11. The content may include, for example, games, content depicting scenery similar to that of the real world, etc.

The user information 1433 includes programs for causing the computer 200 to function as a control device for the HMD system 100, application programs that use each piece of content stored in the object information 1432, and the like.

The face information 1434 holds pre-stored templates for the face organ detection module 1424 to detect the facial organs of the user 5. In one aspect, the face information 1434 holds a mouth template 1435, an eye template 1436, and an eyebrow template 1437. Each template may be an image corresponding to an organ that constitutes the face. For example, the mouth template 1435 may be an image of a mouth. Each template may include multiple images.

[360-degree video display]
In a certain aspect, the processor 210 defines a virtual space using the 360-degree video as virtual space data. As a result, a field of view image including the 360-degree video in the field of view is provided on the monitor 130 of the HMD 120. The 360-degree video may be, for example, a 360-degree video stored in advance in the storage 230, a 360-degree video downloaded from an external source, or the like. The 360-degree video may also be a 360-degree video captured by a 360-degree camera connected to the computer 200, or an animated video such as a background video of a game program.

[Gaze direction control]
In one embodiment, processor 210 in computer 200 has, as a control mode of the direction of gaze, a mode (third mode) in which the direction of gaze is controlled in response to the movement of the user's head, and a mode (fourth mode) in which the direction of gaze is controlled in response to the movement of controller 300. The user can switch the control mode by operating controller 300.

Figure 15 is a flowchart showing the processing executed by processor 210 in a control mode of the gaze direction according to the movement of the user's head. During this control mode, processor 210 disables the other control mode, i.e., the control of the gaze direction according to the movement of controller 300. During this control mode, processor 210 also repeatedly executes the processing shown in Figure 15.

As shown in FIG. 15, in step S1501, the processor 210 determines whether or not an input has been received from the controller 300 to enable control of the line of sight direction according to the movement of the controller 300. The input for enabling may be any input operation, such as pressing the button 350 provided on the controller 300. If the input for enabling has not been received (S1501: NO), the processor 210 ends the processing shown in FIG. 15.

If an activation input is received in step S1501 (S1501: YES), in step S1502, the processor 210 switches the gaze direction control mode to a control mode according to the movement of the controller 300. In step S1503, the processor 210 disables the other control mode, which is control according to the movement of the user's head.

In step S1504, the processor 210 determines whether or not the movement of the controller 300 has been detected. If the movement of the controller 300 has not been detected (S1504; NO), the process proceeds to step S1510. If the movement of the controller 300 has been detected (S1504; YES), in step S1505, the processor 210 determines whether the operation mode of the controller 300 is the drag operation mode (first mode) or the flick operation mode (second mode). The drag operation mode is an operation mode in which the direction of the line of sight can be controlled based on the amount of movement of the controller 300, and the flick operation mode is an operation mode in which the direction of the line of sight can be controlled based on the movement speed of the controller 300. The processor 210 accepts a selection input by the user on a menu screen or the like and pre-sets either the drag operation mode or the flick operation mode as the default operation mode, but may be able to switch at any timing by accepting an input to change the operation mode from the user.

In the case of the drag operation mode (S1505; drag), in step S1506, the processor 210 changes the direction of the line of sight from the virtual viewpoint to a direction determined according to the movement of the controller 300. For example, the processor 210 may translate the line of sight together with the virtual viewpoint in the same direction as the moving direction of the controller 300. The processor 210 may also rotate the line of sight in a rotation direction determined according to the moving direction of the controller 300 with the virtual viewpoint as the base point. The rotation direction determined according to the moving direction of the controller 300 is, for example, a counterclockwise direction with the virtual viewpoint as the base point when the moving direction of the controller 300 is to the right, and a clockwise direction of the line of sight when the moving direction of the controller 300 is to the left. With a simple operation, the direction of the line of sight can be changed with the feeling of a drag operation as if grabbing and moving the virtual space, improving the virtual experience.

In one aspect, the processor 210 changes the direction of the line of sight at a constant speed, regardless of the moving speed of the controller 300. This makes it possible to limit the speed at which the field of view changes to a constant speed, thereby suppressing VR sickness caused by changes in the field of view. As the constant speed, for example, a speed determined experimentally at which VR sickness does not occur may be selected.

When the processor 210 rotates the line of sight with the virtual viewpoint as the base point in a direction determined according to the direction of movement of the controller 300, the processor 210 rotates the line of sight at a constant angular velocity regardless of the speed of movement of the controller 300. The processor 210 determines the amount of rotation at this time according to the amount of movement of the controller 300. For example, the greater the amount of movement of the controller 300, the greater the amount of rotation of the line of sight. The user 5 can adjust the amount of rotation according to the amount of movement of the controller 300, and can make the adjustment intuitively and easily.

In step S1507, the processor 210 generates a field of view image corresponding to the field of view determined according to the line of sight. The generated field of view image is displayed by the HMD 120.

Figures 16 and 17 are diagrams illustrating an example of control of the direction of line of sight 16 in response to the movement of the controller 300. Figure 16 is a diagram showing the state before rotation of the direction of line of sight 16, and Figure 17 is a diagram showing the state after rotation of the direction of line of sight 16. Also, Figure 18 is a diagram showing a field of view image 1821 in the state of Figure 16, and Figure 19 is a diagram showing a field of view image 1921 in the state of Figure 17. Note that the field of view image 1821 in Figure 18 and the field of view image 1921 in Figure 19 include a virtual hand 1831 corresponding to the hand of the user 5.

16, object 1645 placed in virtual space 11 is within field of view 15, but object 1643 is outside field of view 15. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 18, object 1645 is included in field of view image 1821, but object 1643 is not included.
Thereafter, when the user 5 continues to input the activation signal and moves the controller 300 in the direction of the arrow 1644 as shown in Fig. 16, the processor 210 moves the virtual hand 1831 placed in the virtual space in the direction of the arrow 1841 as shown in Fig. 18. At this time, the processor 210 may place the virtual hand 1831 in an open shape in the virtual space 11 while there is no activation signal, and may change the shape to the virtual hand 1831 in a shape corresponding to the drag operation mode, for example, a grabbing shape, while the activation signal is being accepted.

The processor 210 rotates the direction of the line of sight 16 in the direction indicated by the arrow 1644 in FIG. 16, starting from the virtual camera 14 (virtual viewpoint), in response to the movement of the controller 300. The processor 210 then rotates the line of sight 16 by an amount corresponding to the amount of movement of the controller 300, and stops it in the orientation shown in FIG. 17. Since the object 1643 is also included in the field of view 15 after the line of sight 16 has been rotated, the field of view image 1921 shown in FIG. 19 also includes the object 1643.

In one aspect, the processor 210 sets a threshold for the movement speed of the controller 300, and when the detected movement speed of the controller 300 is below the threshold, rotates it at an angular velocity determined according to the movement speed, and when the detected movement speed is equal to or greater than the threshold, rotates it at a constant angular velocity determined according to the threshold. The user 5 can adjust the amount of rotation according to the movement speed of the controller 300, and can make adjustments intuitively and easily. When a certain movement speed is reached, the speed of rotation of the field of view is fixed constant, thereby reducing VR sickness caused by changes in the field of view.

On the other hand, if the operation mode of the controller 300 is the flick operation mode (S1505: Flick), in step S1508, the processor 210 rotates the line of sight from the virtual viewpoint in a rotation direction determined according to the moving direction of the controller 300. The processor 210 also rotates the line of sight at an angular velocity determined according to the moving speed of the controller 300. For example, the faster the moving speed of the controller 300, the faster the angular velocity. This allows the operation to be performed with a feeling as if a flick operation is being performed to shake off the virtual space, and the virtual experience can be improved with easy operation. In the case of a flick operation, the shape of the virtual hand included in the field of view image may be the shape of a hand with open fingers. By making the hand shape different from that of the drag operation mode, the user 5 can easily recognize the difference between the operation modes.

In step S1509, processor 210 generates a field of view image corresponding to the field of view determined according to the line of sight direction. In one aspect, processor 210 generates a field of view image with reduced visibility while the line of sight is rotated compared to when the line of sight is not rotated. Processor 210 can reduce visibility by image processing of the field of view image corresponding to the field of view determined by the rotated line of sight direction. As an image with reduced visibility, an image with a reduced amount of information visually recognized by the user can be used, for example, an image with a lower resolution than the field of view image when the line of sight is not rotated, an image with low contrast, an image with a narrow field of view with the periphery painted black, etc.

In step S1510, the processor 210 determines whether the input for enabling gaze direction control in response to the movement of the controller 300 has been completed. For example, when the pressing operation of the button 350 corresponding to the input for enabling has been released, the processor 210 determines that the input for enabling has been completed. If the input for enabling has not been completed (step S1510; NO), the process returns to step S1504.

When the input of the activation has been completed (S1510: YES), in step S1511, the processor 210 switches from a control mode in which the gaze direction is controlled in response to the movement of the controller 300 to a control mode in which the gaze direction is controlled in response to the movement of the head of the user 5. In step S1512, the processor 210 disables the gaze direction control in response to the movement of the controller 300.

In the above process, the processor 210 may define a standard direction of gaze such as a home position, and upon receiving a specific input for resetting, perform directional control to return the gaze direction to the standard direction. The standard direction of gaze may be the direction immediately before receiving the activation input, or may be a predetermined direction. The specific input may be, for example, an operation of the controller 300, such as pressing multiple buttons 350 simultaneously, or a specific movement of the head of the user 5 detected by the HMD sensor 410. This control allows the gaze direction to be easily returned to the standard direction even if it is significantly changed.

In one aspect, the processor 210 performs a billing process in response to control of the line of sight direction according to the movement of the controller 300. The billing amount in the billing process may be a fixed amount, or may be an amount according to the amount of change in the line of sight direction. For example, the processor 210 may perform pay-per-use billing in which the billing amount increases the greater the amount of rotation according to the movement of the controller 300. By paying, the user 5 can enjoy a highly immersive virtual experience with simple operations.

As described above, by controlling the line of sight direction according to the movement of the controller 300 while the activation input is being accepted, the user 5 normally changes the line of sight direction by moving his/her head, but when facing directly behind or while operating while lying down, or when it is difficult to change the line of sight direction by moving his/her head, the line of sight direction can be changed by the controller 300 by performing an activation input operation only during those times. Operation by the controller 300 can be switched to with a simple operation only when necessary, thereby improving the virtual experience of the user 5.

In addition, the direction of the line of sight can be changed in response to the movement of the controller 300 in the drag operation mode or flick operation mode, so that the user 5 can have a virtual experience in which it is as if the user 5 is changing the field of view in the virtual space with his or her hand, resulting in a deeper sense of immersion.

In the above embodiment, the processor 210 may accept, as an activation input, that the hand shape of the user 5 is a specific shape, regardless of the operation of the controller 300. For example, the specific shape is a clenched hand. For example, when the HMD sensor 410 is realized by a camera, the hand shape of the user 5 is detected by the processor 210 performing image analysis processing on an image of the hand of the user 5 that is captured and output by the camera.

Similarly, while accepting the activation input, the processor 210 may control the gaze direction in response to the hand movement of the user 5. As described above, the processor 210 detects hand movement such as the direction, amount and speed of movement of the hand from temporal changes in the position, shape, posture, etc. of the hand detected by image analysis processing of the hand image. The processor 210 controls the gaze direction in response to the detected hand movement in a manner similar to the control of the gaze direction in response to the movement of the controller 300.

[Video playback control]
In an embodiment, processor 210 plays a video in a virtual space. The video may be a 360-degree video that defines the virtual space, or a video played on an object such as a screen arranged in the virtual space. Processor 210 controls the playback of the video in response to the movement of controller 300 while processor 210 is receiving an input from controller 300 to enable the playback control of the video in response to the movement of controller 300.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the processing steps performed by the processor 210 to control the playback of a moving image.
20, in step S2021, the processor 210 determines whether or not an input for enabling playback control corresponding to the movement of the controller 300 has been received from the controller 300. The input for enabling may be any input operation, such as pressing the button 350 provided on the controller 300. If the input for enabling has not been received (S2021: NO), the processor 210 ends this process.

On the other hand, if activation input has been received (S2021: YES), in step S2022, the processor 210 determines whether or not movement of the controller 300 has been detected. If movement of the controller 300 has not been detected (S2022: NO), the process proceeds to step S2004.

If movement of the controller 300 is detected (S2022: YES), in step S2023, the processor 210 controls the playback of the video according to the movement of the controller 300. In one aspect, the processor 210 controls the playback according to the moving direction of the controller 300. For example, the processor 210 controls the playback to fast-forward the video if the moving direction of the controller 300 is to the right, and to rewind the video if the moving direction of the controller 300 is to the left. The processor 210 also controls the playback according to the amount of movement or the moving speed of the controller 300. For example, in the case of fast-forward, the processor 210 increases the fast-forward speed the greater the amount of movement of the controller 300 or the faster the moving speed.

In one aspect, the processor 210 may perform playback control according to an operation mode selected by the user 5 on a menu screen or the like, from among a drag operation mode in which playback control is performed in accordance with the amount of movement of the controller 300, and a flick operation mode in which playback control is performed in accordance with the movement speed of the controller 300.
In step S2024, the processor 210 generates a field of view image corresponding to the field of view determined by the line of sight. The generated field of view image is displayed by the HMD 120.

FIG. 21 shows an example of a field of view image during playback control.
The field of view image 2121 shown in FIG. 21 is a field of view image generated from a 360-degree video that defines a virtual space. The field of view image 2121 includes a virtual hand 2122 corresponding to the hand of the user 5. When performing an operation of fast-forwarding a 360-degree video with the controller 300, the user 5 moves the controller 300 to the right while performing an input operation of enabling playback control with the controller 300. In response to the movement of the controller 300 to the right, the processor 210 moves the virtual hand 2122 arranged in the virtual space to the right and increases the frame rate of the field of view image output to the HMD 120 to fast-forward the 360-degree video. In addition, the processor 210 compares the amount of movement of the controller 300 with a threshold value, for example, and divides it into three stages, and increases the fast-forward speed in the order of 2x speed, 4x speed, and 8x speed as the amount of movement increases.

If the field of view image 2121 includes a fast-forward mark 2124, it is easy for the user 5 to understand that fast-forwarding is occurring. A mark indicating the content of playback control, such as the mark 2124, is displayed in the field of view image, for example, by the processor 210 placing a mark object in virtual space or by performing image processing on the field of view image.

In a certain situation, the processor 210 controls the volume of the video in accordance with the movement of the controller 300 while receiving an input from the controller 300 to enable playback control of the video in accordance with the movement of the controller 300. For example, when using the controller 300 to lower the volume in the field of view image 2121 shown in FIG. 21, the user 5 moves the controller 300 downward while performing an input operation to enable playback control with the controller 300. The processor 210 moves the virtual hand 2122 downward in response to the downward movement of the controller 300, and lowers the volume output to the HMD 120. The processor 210 also performs display control to lower the gauge indicating the volume of the volume bar 2125 included in the field of view image 2121, similar to the mark 2124.

In step S2025, the processor 210 determines whether or not the activation input has been completed. If the activation input has not been completed (S2025: NO), the process returns to step S2022. On the other hand, if the activation input has been completed (S2025: YES), the process ends.

As described above, while accepting activation input, the processor 210 controls the playback of the video in accordance with the movement of the controller 300, allowing the user 5 to operate the playback with simple and intuitive operations, improving operability and the virtual experience.

[Controlling the direction of gaze according to the movement of the information display device]
In one embodiment, a portable terminal such as a smartphone or tablet terminal functions as a computer 200, and the display of the terminal functions as a monitor 130 that displays a field of view image. The terminal is equipped with a gyro sensor or the like and can detect the tilt, movement, and other movements of the terminal. The processor 210 in the terminal is capable of controlling the direction of the line of sight in response to the detected movement of the terminal to generate a field of view image, in a manner similar to the above embodiment in which the direction of the line of sight is controlled in response to the movement of the head of the user 5.

The processor 210 of the terminal normally disables the control of the line of sight direction according to the movement of the terminal, and controls the line of sight direction according to the movement of the terminal while receiving an input from the terminal to enable the control of the line of sight direction according to the movement of the terminal.
FIG. 22 shows the processing executed by the processor 210 of the terminal when control of the gaze direction in response to the movement of the terminal is disabled.

As shown in FIG. 22, in step S2221, the processor 210 determines whether or not an input for enabling control of the gaze direction according to the movement of the terminal has been received. The input for enabling may be, for example, a touch on the display if the display of the terminal is a touch panel, or may be an operation of pressing a button such as a home button if the display is provided.

If the input of activation has not been received (S2221: NO), the processor 210 ends this process.
On the other hand, if the input for enabling has been accepted (S2221: YES), in step S2222, the processor 210 enables the control of the line of sight direction according to the movement of the terminal. The processor 210 moves the line of sight in the direction in which the terminal moves according to the movement of the terminal detected by a gyro sensor or the like of the terminal, for example, the movement of the position of the terminal, the tilt, etc., and changes the direction of the line of sight to the direction in which the terminal is tilted.

In step S2223, the processor 210 determines whether or not the activation input has been completed. If the activation input has not been completed (S2223: NO), the process returns to step S2222. If the activation input has been completed (S2223: YES), in step S2224, the processor 210 disables the control of the line of sight direction according to the movement of the terminal, and ends this process.

23 to 25 show examples of the display of a field of view image on a terminal. Fig. 23 and Fig. 24 are examples of the display of a field of view image when the control of the line of sight direction according to the movement of the terminal is disabled. Fig. 25 is an example of the display of a field of view image when the control of the line of sight direction according to the movement of the terminal is enabled.
As shown in Fig. 23, a field of view image 2322 is displayed on a terminal 2321. Since line-of-sight direction control is disabled until an activation input is received, the line-of-sight direction does not change even if the terminal 2321 is tilted, as shown in Fig. 24. Therefore, there is no tilt of the field of view, and the field of view image 2322 does not change.

On the other hand, when an activation input is received, control of the line of sight direction according to the movement of the terminal is enabled while the input is being received. As shown in FIG. 25, when the tilt of the terminal 2321 is detected, the processor 210 rotates, for example, the line of sight direction in the virtual space by the same amount as the tilt of the terminal 2321, with the virtual viewpoint as the base point. Therefore, a field of view image 2521 in which the field of view is tilted due to the rotation of the line of sight is displayed on the terminal 2321.

As described above, while the activation input is being accepted, the processor 210 controls the line of sight direction in accordance with the movement of the terminal, so the user 5 can change the field of view by moving the terminal with a simple operation only for as long as necessary. If there is no activation input, the line of sight direction does not change even if the terminal moves, so this eliminates the annoyance of the line of sight direction changing unintentionally by the user 5, such as when the terminal is tilted by mistake.

In the above embodiment, a virtual space (VR space) in which the user is immersed by the HMD has been described as an example, but a see-through HMD may be used as the HMD. In this case, a field of view image in which a part of the image constituting the virtual space is synthesized in the real space visually recognized by the user through the see-through HMD may be output to provide the user with a virtual experience in an augmented reality (AR) space or a mixed reality (MR) space. In this case, an action may be exerted on a target object in the virtual space based on the movement of the user's hand instead of the operation object. Specifically, the processor may specify coordinate information of the position of the user's hand in the real space and define the position of the target object in the virtual space in relation to the coordinate information in the real space. This allows the processor to grasp the positional relationship between the user's hand in the real space and the target object in the virtual space, and to execute processing corresponding to the above-mentioned collision control between the user's hand and the target object. As a result, it becomes possible to exert an action on the target object based on the movement of the user's hand.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. The technical scope of the present invention also includes embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments.

[Additional Notes]
The technical features disclosed above can be summarized as follows:

(Appendix 1)
According to an embodiment, a computer-executable program is provided, which causes a computer to execute the steps of: defining a virtual space including a virtual viewpoint; detecting a head movement of a user associated with a head-mounted device; controlling a line of sight direction from the virtual viewpoint in response to the head movement of the user; detecting a movement of a controller held by the user; receiving an input from the controller to enable control of the line of sight direction in response to the movement of the controller; controlling the line of sight direction in response to the movement of the controller while the enabling input is being received; and displaying, on the head-mounted device, a field of view image corresponding to a field of view determined in response to the line of sight direction.

(Appendix 2)
The program is a program described in (Appendix 1), wherein the step of controlling the direction of the line of sight in accordance with the movement of the controller changes the direction of the line of sight to a direction determined in accordance with the movement of the controller at a constant speed regardless of the movement speed of the controller.

(Appendix 3)
The program is described in (Appendix 2), wherein the step of controlling the direction of the line of sight in accordance with the movement of the controller rotates the line of sight, with the virtual viewpoint as a base point, in a rotation direction determined in accordance with the movement direction of the controller, by an amount determined in accordance with the movement amount of the controller, and at a constant angular velocity regardless of the movement speed of the controller.

(Appendix 4)
The program is the program described in (Appendix 1), wherein the step of controlling the direction of the line of sight in accordance with the movement of the controller, when the movement speed of the controller is less than a threshold, rotates the line of sight, with the virtual viewpoint as a base point, in a rotation direction determined in accordance with the movement direction of the controller, by an amount of rotation determined in accordance with the amount of movement of the controller, and at an angular velocity determined in accordance with the movement speed, and when the movement speed of the controller is equal to or greater than the threshold, rotates the line of sight, with the virtual viewpoint as a base point, in the rotation direction by the amount of rotation, at a constant angular velocity determined in accordance with the threshold.

(Appendix 5)
The program is the program described in (Appendix 1), wherein the step of controlling the direction of the line of sight in accordance with the movement of the controller rotates the line of sight, with the virtual viewpoint as a base point, in a rotation direction determined in accordance with the movement direction of the controller, at an angular velocity determined in accordance with the movement speed of the controller, and the step of displaying the field of view image on the head mounted device displays, while the line of sight is rotating, a field of view image with reduced visibility compared to when the line of sight is not rotated, on the head mounted device.

(Appendix 6)
The program further causes the computer to execute a step of receiving an input from the controller to select either a first mode in which the direction of the line of sight is controlled based on the amount of movement of the controller, or a second mode in which the direction of the line of sight is controlled based on the movement speed of the controller, and the step of controlling the direction of the line of sight in accordance with the movement of the controller controls the direction of the line of sight based on the amount of movement of the controller if the first mode is selected, and controls the direction of the line of sight based on the movement speed of the controller if the second mode is selected. This is a program described in any one of (Appendix 1) to (Appendix 5).

(Appendix 7)
The program further causes the computer to execute the steps of: switching from a third mode, in which the field of view is controlled in response to head movement, to a fourth mode, in which the field of view is controlled in response to controller movement, in response to start of acceptance of the enabling input; and switching from the fourth mode to the third mode in response to end of acceptance of the enabling input, wherein in the third mode, control of the field of view in response to controller movement is disabled, and in the fourth mode, control of the field of view in response to head movement is disabled. This is a program described in any of (Appendix 1) to (Appendix 6).

(Appendix 8)
The program is a program described in any one of (Appendix 1) to (Appendix 7) for causing the computer to further execute a step of performing billing processing in accordance with control of the direction of the line of sight in response to the movement of the controller.

(Appendix 9)
According to one embodiment, there is provided a program executed by a computer, the program causing a computer to execute the steps of: defining a virtual space including a virtual viewpoint, playing a video in the virtual space, detecting a movement of a controller held by a user, receiving an input from the controller for enabling control of the playback of the video in accordance with the movement of the controller, controlling the playback of the video in accordance with the movement of the controller while the enabling input is being received, and displaying a field of view image corresponding to a field of view from the virtual viewpoint on a head-mounted device associated with the user.

(Appendix 10)
According to one embodiment, a computer-implemented method is provided, comprising the steps of: defining a virtual space including a virtual viewpoint; detecting a head movement of a user associated with a head-mounted device; controlling a line of sight direction from the virtual viewpoint in response to the head movement of the user; detecting a movement of a controller held by the user; receiving an input from the controller to enable control of the line of sight direction in response to the movement of the controller; controlling the line of sight direction in response to the movement of the controller while the enabling input is being received; and displaying, on the head-mounted device, a field of view image corresponding to a field of view determined in response to the line of sight direction.

(Appendix 11)
According to an embodiment, an information processing device is provided, the information processing device includes a storage unit that stores the program, and a computer that executes the program, the program causes the computer to execute the steps of: defining a virtual space including a virtual viewpoint, detecting a head movement of a user associated with a head-mounted device, controlling a line of sight from the virtual viewpoint in response to the head movement of the user, detecting a movement of a controller held by the user, receiving an input from the controller to enable control of the line of sight direction in response to the movement of the controller, controlling the line of sight direction in response to the movement of the controller while the enabling input is being received, and displaying, on the head-mounted device, a field of view image corresponding to a field of view determined in response to the line of sight direction.

(Appendix 12)
According to an embodiment, a computer-executable program is provided, which causes a computer to execute the steps of: defining a virtual space including a virtual viewpoint, detecting a motion of a terminal, receiving an input for enabling control of a line-of-sight direction from the virtual viewpoint in accordance with the motion of the terminal, controlling the line-of-sight direction from the virtual viewpoint in accordance with the motion of the terminal while the enabling input is being received, and displaying, on the terminal, a field-of-view image corresponding to a field of view determined in accordance with the line-of-sight direction.

The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

2...Network, 5...User, 6...Avatar object, 11...Virtual space, 12...Center, 14...Virtual camera, 15...Viewing area, 100...HMD system, 110...HMD set, 130...Monitor, 170...Microphone, 180...Speaker, 190...Sensor, 200...Computer, 210...Processor, 220...Memory, 230...Storage, 240...Input/output interface, 250...Communication interface, 300...Controller, 310...Grip, 320...Frame, 340, 350, 370, 380...Button, 390...Analog stick, 410...HMD sensor, 420...Motion sensor, 430...Display, 5 10...Control module, 520...Rendering module, 530...Memory module, 540...Communication control module, 600...Server, 610...Processor, 620...Memory, 630...Storage, 640...Input/output interface, 650...Communication interface, 1421...Virtual camera control module, 1422...Field of view area determination module, 1423...Reference gaze identification module, 1424...Motion detection module, 1426...Virtual space definition module, 1427...Virtual object generation module, 1428...Operation object control module, 1429...Avatar control module, 1438...Field of view image generation module.

Claims (6)

A definition means for defining a virtual space including a virtual viewpoint;
a video playback means for playing a video in the virtual space;
A motion detection means for detecting a motion of a controller held by a user;
a receiving means for receiving an input from the controller to enable control of playback of the video in accordance with a movement of the controller;
a playback control means for controlling playback of the video according to an operation mode selected by a user on a menu screen from a first operation mode for controlling playback in accordance with an amount of movement of the controller and a second operation mode for controlling playback in accordance with a speed of the movement while the enabling input is being accepted;
a display control means for displaying a field of view image corresponding to a field of view from the virtual viewpoint on a device worn by the user;
A program for causing a computer to execute the following. 2 . The program according to claim 1 , wherein the first operation mode is a drag operation mode, and the second operation mode is a flick operation mode. 2. The program according to claim 1, wherein the playback control means controls the playback of the video so as to fast-forward or rewind the video in accordance with a moving direction of the controller.
4. The program according to claim 3 , wherein said playback control means controls playback of said video so that if the moving direction of said controller is a rightward direction, said video is fast-forwarded, and if the moving direction of said controller is a leftward direction, said video is rewound. The program according to claim 1, wherein the playback control means controls the volume of the video in response to the movement of the controller while accepting an input for enabling playback control of the video in response to the movement of the controller. A definition means for defining a virtual space including a virtual viewpoint;
a video playback means for playing a video in the virtual space;
A motion detection means for detecting a motion of a controller held by a user;
a receiving means for receiving an input from the controller to enable control of playback of the video in accordance with a movement of the controller;
a playback control means for controlling playback of the video according to an operation mode selected by a user on a menu screen from a first operation mode for controlling playback in accordance with an amount of movement of the controller and a second operation mode for controlling playback in accordance with a speed of the movement while the enabling input is being accepted;
and a display control means for displaying a field of view image corresponding to the field of view from the virtual viewpoint on a device worn by the user.
system.

Images