JPH0844886A - Method for laying out virtual object in virtual space - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent inequality from occurring in the supply of an object to a virtual space. CONSTITUTION:When service is started, it is judged whether or not many and unspecified users have accessed a certain shop (step 11). When a user has accesses the shop, one is added on a counter (a) (step 12), and after that, it is judged whether or not the counter (a) of the shop is larger than that of a peripheral building (step 13). When it is not, processing is returned to step 11. When the counter (a) of the shop is larger than that of the peripheral building, step is transferred by one from the peripheral building to a center part (step 14). When the counter (a) is further larger than that of the peripheral building, step is transferred by one again from the peripheral building to the center part (steps 14, 15). Transfer to the center part is completed when the counter (a) of the shop has become to that of the peripheral building. At this time, the processing is returned to step 11 if the service is continued (step 16).

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for laying out a virtual object in a virtual space created by computer graphics (hereinafter abbreviated as CG).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A computer is used to generate a virtual cityscape and C
There are various systems that display the cityscape on the display with G. For example, Fujitsu Habitat (reference: Nogaki Tan)
The future of human interface, p. 134,
Fujitsu Management Laboratories, 1992) is a service that allows a user to access a fictitious area created by a system administrator through a computer terminal. The user can build a virtual building on the land given to him or a virtual condominium. It is a system that buys a room, searches the virtual cityscape with CG, meets other users' incarnations (avatars), and communicates and plays in the virtual space.

[0003] In addition, a magic cap manufactured by General Magic Co., Ltd. (Details of reference Magic Cap, MACLIFE No.67 / 3 pp.2
00-201,1994) is a computer system that accesses a display of a computer as an information terminal with a mouse or a pen to perform various electronic communications, banking procedures, shopping, database search, and the like. The graphical user interface includes "Desk", "Hallway" (Fig. 6) and "Down Town" generated by CG.
There are three types of scenes called "(Fig. 7)" on the main screen. For example, users can access the services of the library by opening the "Hallway" door with many doors in the corridor and opening the door labeled "Library". To access the AT & T communication service, use the "Down" created by CG.
On the "Town" screen, the user could access the AT & T building along the road with a mouse or pen in the same way to receive the service.

[0004]

The above-mentioned conventional technique has the following two problems.

1) When a large number of users share one virtual space like the habitat, when a virtual cityscape is generated and managed by a system administrator, for example, the user's land is set in a virtual empty area. When allocating, the system administrator has too much authority. It is not a big problem if you communicate and play in the virtual space, but if you build a virtual store in the virtual space and perform services such as home shopping, travel agency business, bank agency business, etc. However, even in a virtual space, it is possible that the profitability of the store will be affected by the location conditions of the store. Depending on where the land is obtained in the virtual space, real estate speculation and land acquisition battles may occur, which is a problem as with real land.

2) When the computer terminals owned by each user individually have different cityscape layouts, such as the layout of the icon of the file folder in the desk stock environment of the current personal computer, the user has his or her own preference. Because you can layout virtual cityscapes and corridor doors, there is no land conflict, but you need to operate a long corridor with a mouse to access a virtual store that you frequently use. There is a problem that it may occur or get lost in the middle of accessing a desired store that is frequently used in a complicated cityscape.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned conflict in the virtual space and inconvenience of access to a desired object, prevent the system administrator from having too much authority, and prevent the object from entering the virtual space. It is an object of the present invention to provide a virtual object layout method in a virtual space in which inequality does not occur in providing such items.

[0008]

A first virtual object layout method in a virtual space of the present invention is for laying out a virtual object in a virtual space generated by computer graphics, which can be accessed by a computer communication terminal. A virtual object layout method in a virtual space for laying out the object when one user owns one virtual space or when a plurality of users share the virtual space, wherein the object is surrounded by the center of the space. The layout is arranged in the space in the order of increasing frequency of user access.

A second virtual object layout method in virtual space according to the present invention can be accessed by a computer communication terminal,
In laying out a virtual object in a virtual space generated by computer graphics, in a virtual space in which one virtual space is laid out by one user or shared by a plurality of users A virtual object layout method, in which the objects are randomly laid out in the space.

A third method for accessing a virtual object in a virtual space according to the present invention is one virtual space for laying out a virtual object in a virtual space generated by computer graphics that can be accessed by a computer communication terminal. Is a virtual object layout method in a virtual space for laying out the object when owned by one user or shared by a plurality of users, wherein the object is arranged from the center of the space toward the periphery. 5 of the name of the object
Layout in order of 0s.

A fourth virtual object layout method in virtual space of the present invention can be accessed by a computer communication terminal,
When laying out a virtual object in a virtual space generated by computer graphics, if each computer terminal owned by each user has a different space layout, the virtual object in the virtual space is laid out. A method for laying out objects, wherein the objects are laid out in the virtual space of a two-dimensional graphical user interface from the left end to the right end or from the right end to the left end of the space in order from the latest user access. .

As examples of the space and the space, streets and buildings, buildings and rooms (including stores, offices, etc.), main fences and books, product shelves and products, drawers and stationery, video-on.・ There is a demand menu screen and menus. The layout can then be updated.

[0013]

According to the present invention, the layout of virtual objects in a virtual space is not subjectively performed by the system administrator, but the frequency of user access, random numbers, the order of Japanese syllabary of object names, and new access of users are set. It is something that is done objectively according to the level of interest.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing the first embodiment.

A case in which a plurality of users access a CG-generated virtual streetscape that can be accessed by a computer communication terminal according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

Now, when the service according to the present invention is started, it is judged whether or not an unspecified number of users have accessed a store (step 11). When the user accesses the store, the counter a is incremented by 1 (step 1
2) Then, it is determined whether the counter a of the store is larger than the counters of the surrounding buildings (step 13),
If not, return to step 11. If the counter a of the store is larger than the counter of the surrounding building, the step moves from the surrounding building to the center (step 14). If the counter a is larger than the counter of the surrounding buildings, the building is moved to the center of the one step from the surrounding buildings (steps 14 and 15). When the counter a of the store becomes the same as that of the surrounding building, the transfer to the center is completed. If the service is to be continued here, the process returns to step 11 (step 16).

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a CG-generated virtual cityscape display screen that the user of the first embodiment can access with a computer communication terminal.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 21 is a cursor icon for moving around in a virtual cityscape, 22 is a map of the cityscape and a circle and an arrow indicating the direction in which the user is currently facing, and 23 is a bird's eye view of the cityscape. Indicates the current position of the store, 24 is the location of the store before the move, and 25 is the store after the move.

In FIG. 1, "transfer to the center" means transfer from 24 to 25 in FIG. 2, and "one step" means transfer to the next. In the example of FIG. 2, transfer of two steps is performed. Show. (Second Embodiment) In the present embodiment, in laying out a virtual cityscape or a virtual building created by CG that can be accessed by a computer communication terminal, a plurality of users can use one virtual space. In the case of sharing, virtual buildings, rooms, etc. are randomly laid out in a cityscape or inside a building by random numbers, and the layout is updated as necessary. That is, the virtual cityscape is divided into blocks, and a random number generated by a computer is used to determine the layout of stores, buildings, doors of rooms, and the like.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the second embodiment. A random number is generated (step 31), and land is allocated based on the random number (step 32). The building is moved to the allocated land (step 33). It is determined whether to update the layout (step 34), and if it is updated, the process returns to step 31. Finally, it is determined whether the service is to be ended (step 35), and if the service is to be continued, the process returns to step 31.

The graphics of the streets and corridors are
It may be three-dimensional as shown in FIG. 2, or may be two-dimensional CG as in the examples of FIGS. 6 and 7. (Third Embodiment) In the third embodiment, in laying out a virtual cityscape or a virtual building generated by CG, which can be accessed by a computer communication terminal, one virtual space is divided into a plurality of spaces. When users share it, virtual buildings and rooms are laid out in the order of the Japanese syllabary of the names of buildings and rooms in the center of the cityscape and inside the building, and the virtual buildings and rooms are arranged in the order of the Japanese syllabary. It is laid out far from the center of the cityscape.

The graphics of the streets and corridors are
It may be three-dimensional as shown in FIG. 2, or may be two-dimensional CG as in the examples of FIGS. 6 and 7. (Fourth Embodiment) In the fourth embodiment, each user personally owns the layout of the interior of a virtual cityscape or a virtual building generated by CG that can be accessed by a computer communication terminal. A virtual space street layout method for laying out buildings and rooms when computer terminals have different cityscape layouts, wherein a virtual building or room is used as a two-dimensional graphical user interface. In the building, the layout is arranged at the left end of the cityscape or inside the building in order from the latest access by the user, and the layout is constantly updated.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a virtual cityscape display screen generated by CG of the fourth embodiment.

It is determined whether the user has accessed the store (step 41), and if accessed, the store is moved to the leftmost end of the street (step 42). It is determined whether to end the service (step 43).

Now, when a user accesses a store, as shown in FIG. 5, what was originally on the right side of the greengrocer is to automatically lay out at the left end of the virtual cityscape. As the access order is newer, stores and the like are arranged in chronological order on the left side. (Fifth Embodiment) A fifth embodiment is a computer that each user individually owns when laying out a virtual cityscape or a virtual building created by CG that can be accessed by a computer communication terminal. A method of laying out a building or a room when the terminals have different cityscape layouts, in which a virtual building, a room, or the like is used as a two-dimensional graphical user interface in the cityscape or the building. Then, the layout is automatically updated at the right end inside the cityscape or the building in order from the latest access by the user, and the layout is constantly updated.

In this embodiment, the "left side" of the fourth embodiment is changed to the "right side".

The present invention has been described above with reference to an example of a virtual store in a virtual cityscape. However, not only the virtual store but also any virtual building or virtual store in a virtual bookshelf is used. It may be a virtual stationery in a book or a virtual drawer, a virtual product on a virtual product shelf in a virtual store, or the like.
Further, the case where a plurality of users share one virtual space has been described, but the same applies to the case where one user owns one virtual space. The present invention can be applied not only to a layout for searching a virtual cityscape but also to a layout of a video-on-demand menu screen.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention, the layout of the virtual objects in the virtual space is performed objectively,
It eliminates the conflict in the virtual space and the inconvenience of access to desired objects, prevents the system administrator from having too much authority, and creates inequalities in providing stores in the virtual space. There is an effect that there is no.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a virtual cityscape display screen generated by CG according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a virtual cityscape display screen generated by CG according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional technique.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another example of a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11-16 steps 21 cursor icon 22 arrow 23 circle 24 store before relocation 25 store after relocation 31-35, 41-43 steps

Front Page Continuation (72) Inventor Noboru Sonehara 1-16, Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nihon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. When laying out a virtual object in a virtual space generated by computer graphics that can be accessed by a computer communication terminal, one virtual space is owned by one user or shared by a plurality of users. A virtual object layout method in a virtual space for laying out the objects, wherein the objects are laid out in the space in the order of increasing frequency of user access from the center to the periphery of the space. Virtual object layout method. 2. When laying out a virtual object in a virtual space generated by computer graphics, which can be accessed by a computer communication terminal, one virtual space is owned by one user or shared by a plurality of users. A virtual object layout method in a virtual space for laying out the object in the case of performing, wherein the object is randomly laid out in the space by a random number. 3. When laying out a virtual object in a virtual space generated by computer graphics, which is accessible by a computer communication terminal, when one virtual space is owned by one user or shared by a plurality of users. And a virtual object layout method in a virtual space for laying out the object, wherein the object is named 5 from the center of the space toward the periphery.
A virtual object layout method in a virtual space for laying out in order of 0 notes. 4. When laying out a virtual object in a virtual space generated by computer graphics, which can be accessed by a computer communication terminal, each computer terminal owned by each user has a different space layout. A virtual object layout method in a virtual space for laying out the object, wherein the object is moved from the left end to the right end or from the right end to the left end of the space in the virtual space of a two-dimensional graphical user interface. A virtual object layout method in a virtual space in which the user's access to the latest is laid out in order. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the space is a cityscape and the object is a building. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the space is a building and the object is a room. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the space is a bookshelf or a goods shelf, and the object is a book or a goods. 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the space is a drawer and the object is a stationery. 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the space is a video-on-demand menu screen and the object is a menu. 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the layout is updated.