JPH11328124A - Virtual space display system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce avatar plotting processing loads by dividing a virtual space into plural cells and displaying an abatar present in a fixed space including the cell where the operator of a client computer is present. SOLUTION: A server computer divides the virtual space 21 into the cells 23 and manages the client computer participating in the virtual space 21 for the respective cells 23. Then, the client computer reads the object shape information of a building or the like other than the avatar inside a passive cell 27a, then sets light source information and camera information and transmits its own momentum to the multi-cast address of an active cell 25. Then, the momentum transmitted from the other avatar 31b-31e is received and the two-dimensional projection images of the 31b-31e and an object are prepared, plotted on a screen and displayed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a virtual space display system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, a system in which a virtual space is constructed in a computer and an operator moves in the virtual space is being developed. One such system is a virtual space sharing system. In the virtual space sharing system, the virtual space display system is a system capable of displaying a virtual space between computers on a network. In the virtual space display system, each client computer connects to and participates in a server terminal that manages a virtual space in which the user wants to participate. In virtual space,
The operator of the participating client computer is drawn as a personified symbol, that is, an avatar, and moves in the virtual space. Each client computer receives and draws information such as the amount of exercise of the avatars of all clients participating in the virtual space.

[0003]

However, in the conventional virtual space display system, when the number of clients participating in the virtual space increases, the number of avatars drawn by the client computer increases, the processing load on the client computer increases, and the comfort of the client computer increases. Can no longer provide a secure usage environment.

The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to reduce a load on an avatar drawing process of a client computer participating in a virtual space and to display a virtual space having a comfortable use environment. It is to provide a system.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a system for sharing a virtual space on a network, comprising: a server computer; and at least one server connected to the server computer via the network.
A virtual space display system comprising: a client computer; wherein the virtual space is divided into a plurality of cells, and an avatar existing in a certain space including a cell in which an operator of the client computer exists is displayed. .

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a virtual space display system 1 according to the present embodiment.

In FIG. 1, a virtual space display system 1 comprises a server computer 3 and client computers 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d,... Connected to a network. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the virtual space 21. The server computer 3 divides the virtual space 21 into cells 23. In FIG. 2, cells 23-1 and 23- are shown for convenience.
2,..., 23-12.

Further, the server computer 3 manages the client computers participating in the virtual space 21 for each cell. Client computers 5a, 5b, 5
The operators c and 5d select the virtual space they want to join,
participate.

Hereinafter, a case where the operator of the client computer 5a has joined the virtual space 21 will be described. FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of the drawing process in the client computer 5a.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the operator of the client computer 5a joins the virtual space 21,
For the client computer 5a, the cell 23-6 in which the client computer 5a participates becomes the active cell 25.

Also, cells 23-1, 23-2, 23-3, 23-5, 23-7,
23-9, 23-10, 23-11 are passive cells 27
a, which is a drawing target of the client computer 5a. Here, the adjacent cell is the active cell 25
And a side or a vertex are shared cells.

The client computer 5a is connected to the cell 2
3 from the server computer 3,
Determine the range of the passive cell 27a (step 30)
1, step 302). FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the cell information 51. The cell information 51 includes scope information 101, the number of clients 102 in the cell, a multicast address 103, client information 104, and the like.

The scope information 101 is data representing the definition of each cell 23 managed by the server computer 3, that is, coordinates indicating the top of the cell, and the like.
Numeral 02 indicates the number of participating client computers for each cell defined by the scope information 101.

The multicast address 103 is a multicast address assigned to each cell. Multicast is a technique for transmitting the same information to an unspecified number of users. A client computer transmits its own information by transmitting information to a multicast address 103, and hears the multicast address 103 to transmit other information in a cell. Client computer information can be obtained.

The client information 104 includes the number of participating clients, a client identification number assigned to each client, an avatar identification number, and resource information.
An avatar is a figure of a client drawn in a cell. In the virtual space display system 1, identification numbers are assigned to a plurality of avatars prepared in advance on the client computer, and the identification number selected by each client is held as one of the client information 104.

The resource information is information such as the processing speed of the CPU of the client computer and the memory capacity. The client computer 5a receives the above cell information 51, and determines the range of the passive cell 27a shown in FIG. 2 in which a comfortable use environment can be obtained in consideration of its own resources.

Next, the client computer 5a
From the avatar identification number of the client existing in the passive cell 27a, the corresponding avatars 31b, 31
Read the shape information of c, 31d, 31e (step 3
03). The shape information is, for example, the avatar 3 shown in FIG.
1e is a "star". Here, whether or not to read the information of the avatar 31a of the client computer 5a itself depends on the camera information (viewpoint or the like) determined by the client computer 5a.

Next, the client computer 5a
Object shape information such as a building other than an avatar in the passive cell 27a is read (step 304). Next, light source information and camera information (viewpoint and the like) are set, and the own momentum is transmitted to the multicast address of the active cell 25 (step 305). Next, the other avatars 31b, 31
The momentum transmitted from c, 31d, 31e is received (step 306), and the avatars 31b, 31c, 31d, 3d are received.
1e and a two-dimensional projected image of the object is created (step 30).
7) Draw on the screen.

The avatar 31a moves in the virtual space 21, but when it moves in the active cell 25, the operations from step 305 to step 307 are repeated to update the display. When the avatar 31a moves out of the active cell 25, the process is executed again from step 301.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the client computer 5a does not need to obtain information on the entire participating virtual space 21 and draw, but only obtains information on the passive cell 27a and draws. Therefore, the load of the drawing process on the client computer 5a is reduced.

In the present embodiment, the virtual space 21 is equally divided into rectangular cells as shown in FIG. 2, but the shape of the cells is arbitrary and the sizes of the cells may be different. Absent. Further, the server computer 3 shown in FIG.
However, the effect of the present invention is the same even if the number of devices is increased and the virtual space to be managed is shared.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the virtual space 21 in which the client computer 5a participates. As shown in FIG. 5, other avatars 31b, 31c, 31 are added to the passive cell 27a drawn by the client computer 5a.
When d, 31e, 31f, 31g, and 31h participate, the load of drawing processing increases due to an increase in avatars.

Therefore, the client computer 5a resets the range of the passive cell 27a to the range of the passive cell 27b and performs a drawing process. Passive cell 27b
Is composed of cells 23-1, 23-2, 23-5 and 23-6. As described above, the drawing range can be changed depending on the congestion state of the clients participating in the virtual space, and the load of the drawing process on the client computer can be reduced.

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention, the load of the avatar drawing process on the client computer can be reduced, and a comfortable use environment can be provided for the client computer participating in the virtual space. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a virtual space display system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a virtual space 21;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a drawing process of a client computer 5a.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing cell information 51;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a virtual space 21;

[Explanation of symbols]

1 virtual space display system 3 server computer 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d client computer 21 virtual space 23 cell 25 active cell 27a, 27b passive Cell 31 ……… Avatar

Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Akira Takakura 1-1-1, Ichigaya Kagacho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Inside Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A system for sharing a virtual space on a network, comprising: a server computer; and at least one client computer connected to the server computer via a network, wherein the virtual space is divided into a plurality of cells. And displaying an avatar existing in a certain space including a cell where an operator of the client computer exists. 2. The virtual system according to claim 1, wherein the fixed space is a cell where an operator of the client computer exists, or a cell where the client computer exists and a cell adjacent to the cell. Spatial display system. 3. The virtual space display system according to claim 1, wherein the fixed space is a cell where an operator of the client computer exists and a cell adjacent to the cell. 4. The virtual space display system according to claim 1, wherein the range of the fixed space is changed according to the number of avatars existing in the fixed space.