WO2020246127A1

WO2020246127A1 - Incentive granting system, incentive granting device, incentive granting method, and incentive management program in virtual reality space

Info

Publication number: WO2020246127A1
Application number: PCT/JP2020/015497
Authority: WO
Inventors: 拓宏水野
Original assignee: 株式会社アルファコード
Priority date: 2019-06-07
Filing date: 2020-04-06
Publication date: 2020-12-10
Also published as: JP7395172B2; JP2020201619A

Abstract

The present invention is provided with: a user presence determination unit 24 which determines whether a virtual user corresponding to an actual user is present in a VR space; and an incentive granting unit 25 which, when the virtual user is determined to be present in the VR space, grants a prescribed incentive to the actual user, wherein, the incentive is caused to be granted to the actual user if the virtual user is only present in the VR space. Therefore, actively activating in the VR space or clearing a prescribed condition through activation is not a condition for being granted the incentive, and the user can relatively simply obtain the incentive.

Description

Incentive granting system, incentive granting device, incentive granting method and incentive management program in virtual reality space

The present invention relates to an incentive giving system, an incentive giving device, an incentive giving method and an incentive management program in a virtual reality space, and is particularly suitable for a system that gives a predetermined incentive to a user who watches virtual reality contents. It is an incentive.

In recent years, the use of virtual reality (VR) technology, which allows you to experience the virtual world created in a computer as if it were real, is spreading. Recently, with the spread of VR usage scenes, the movement to display advertisements in the VR space is also spreading. The advertisement displayed in the VR space is called a VR advertisement. As for this VR advertisement, it is desired to enhance the advertising effect as much as possible, as in the case of the Internet advertisement performed using the Internet website or the like. Therefore, a mechanism has been devised to display an advertisement having contents according to the attributes, interests, behaviors, etc. of the user who is viewing the VR image.

In addition, a system has been proposed in which a plurality of communities are formed in the VR space and the number of participants in the events held in each community is increased (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the VR space providing system described in Patent Document 1, the behavior of a user who participates in a community in the VR space via an avatar (participation in an event held in the community, the behavior of the user at the event, or the event). The game wins or loses in the game, etc.) is evaluated, and points that can be used in the VR space are given to the user according to the evaluation.

In the VR space described in Patent Document 1, one virtual city is formed, and many avatars are active in the city. Various lounges are set up in the VR space so that users can interact with each other via avatars. For example, a game space, a theater, a marketplace (shop), a cafe, etc. will be set up as a lounge. Events are mainly held in the lounge. Examples of events include soccer totocalchos, games, electronic bulletin boards (BBS), and product purchases.

In this way, in the system described in Patent Document 1, by giving points to users who have high loyalty for community activities in the VR space, it is possible to maintain and expand the participants in the community. There is. In addition, by giving points to users who are playing games and users who are actively active on electronic bulletin boards, it is possible to motivate those users to participate in the community.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-14676

In order to enhance the effectiveness of VR advertisements, there is an idea that it is necessary to increase the chances that users who are viewing VR contents (a series of VR images in VR space) will see the advertisements. Therefore, the VR advertisement may be repeatedly displayed in the VR space, or the VR advertisement may be displayed prominently. However, there is a problem that such a display method is sometimes unpleasant for the user and may be counterproductive as an advertisement. That is, even if the targeting advertisement is performed based on the information on the user's attributes and behavior, the displayed advertisement does not always match the user's hobbies and tastes. The more prominent such an ad is, the more annoying and unpleasant it appears to those who are not interested in it.

On the other hand, as described in Patent Document 1, if the user's behavior in the community in the VR space is evaluated and points are given, it is possible to give the user motivation to participate in the community. is there. For example, if a community for promoting products and services is created in the VR space and points are given to users who participate in the community and perform a predetermined action, the number of users who participate in the community can be increased. It can be expected that the number will increase and the sales promotion effect will increase to some extent.

However, in the system described in Patent Document 1, points are given only to users who have high royalties for community activities in the VR space and users who have cleared certain conditions by community activities. In other words, active activities within the community are a condition for giving points. Therefore, the conditions for awarding points give users a sense of urgency that they must actively engage in activities within the community, and a sense of despair that they cannot do it anyway, and are negative for participating in the community. There was a problem that it could be a motivation for.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and can effectively give an incentive to a user who experiences the contents of the VR space so that the user can feel more motivated. The purpose is to do.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the present invention, it is determined whether or not the virtual user corresponding to the real user exists in the virtual reality space, and it is determined that the virtual user exists in the virtual reality space. In some cases, a predetermined incentive is given to the actual user.

According to the present invention configured as described above, an incentive is given only when the virtual user is in the virtual reality space. That is, it is not a condition for giving an incentive to actively act in the virtual reality space or to clear a certain condition by the activity, and the user can obtain an incentive relatively easily. .. Therefore, it is possible to effectively give an incentive to the user who experiences the content in the virtual reality space so that the user can feel more motivated.

It is a figure which shows the whole configuration example of the VR image providing system which applied the incentive giving system in the virtual reality space by 1st and 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure example of the arithmetic unit included in the client apparatus by 1st and 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure example of the server apparatus by 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the operation example of the server apparatus by 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure example of the server apparatus by 2nd Embodiment.

(First Embodiment)
Hereinafter, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration example of a VR image providing system to which the incentive giving system in the virtual reality space according to the first embodiment is applied. As shown in FIG. 1, the incentive giving system (VR image providing system) according to the first embodiment includes a client device 100 and a server device 200.

The client device 100 includes a head-mounted display (HMD) 101 that is worn on the user's head and used, various sensors 102 to 104, a controller 105 that is held and used by the user, and an arithmetic unit 106. .. Although the configuration in which the HMD 101 and the arithmetic unit 106 are separate bodies is shown here, the HMD 101 may have a built-in function of the arithmetic unit 106. The server device 200 corresponds to an incentive giving device, and the client device 100 is connected via a communication network 300 such as the Internet or a mobile phone network. Although only one client device 100 is shown in FIG. 1, there may be a plurality of client devices 100.

The HMD 101 included in the client device 100 displays a virtual reality image (VR image) of the virtual reality space (VR space). The HMD 101 may be of any type. That is, the HMD 101 may be a binocular type or a monocular type. Further, the HMD 101 may be a non-transparent type that completely covers the eyes, or a transparent type that does not completely cover the eyes. Further, the HMD 101 may be a goggle type, a glasses type, or a hat type.

Specifically, the various sensors 102 to 104 are mounted on the HMD 101 to detect the movement of the user's head, the motion detection sensor 102, mounted on the HMD 101 to detect the movement of the user's line of sight, and the controller 105. It is a motion detection sensor 104 mounted on the device to detect the movement of the user's hand.

The

motion detection sensors

102 and 104 are known sensors configured by combining an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and the like, and detect acceleration and angular velocity according to a change in the direction and speed of movement of an object, a change in posture, and the like. The motion detection information of the above is wirelessly transmitted to the arithmetic unit 106 via the HMD 101 or the controller 105. The HMD 101 and the arithmetic unit 106 and the controller 105 and the arithmetic unit 106 are connected by a short-range wireless communication means such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

The line-of-sight detection sensor 103 is a known sensor configured by combining, for example, a small camera and an image processing device. The eye movement is detected by image recognition processing on a captured image, and the movement detection information is transmitted via the HMD 101. Is transmitted wirelessly to the arithmetic unit 106. The line-of-sight detection sensor 103 may be composed of transparent optical sensors arranged side by side on the lenses of the spectacles of the HMD 101.

The controller 105 is for giving a desired instruction to the arithmetic unit 106 by the user, and is provided with a predetermined operation button. When the operation button is operated by the user, the controller 105 wirelessly transmits instruction information according to the content of the operation to the arithmetic unit 106.

The arithmetic unit 106 is composed of, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer. The arithmetic unit 106 performs a process of generating user state information, which will be described later, and transmitting it to the server device 200 based on the motion detection information supplied from the various sensors 102 to 104. The arithmetic unit 106 also performs a process of transmitting instruction information supplied from the controller 105 to the server device 200. Further, the arithmetic unit 106 receives the VR image that fluctuates according to the user state information and the instruction information from the server device 200 and displays it on the HMD 101.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of the arithmetic unit 106 included in the client device 100. Note that, in FIG. 2, only the main functional configurations relating to the subject in the first embodiment are shown, and those not directly related to the subject are omitted. For example, the functional configuration relating to processing the instruction information supplied from the controller 105 is not shown. The fact that only the main functional configuration relating to the subject is illustrated is the same in the functional configuration of the server device 200 of FIG. 3 which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 2, the arithmetic unit 106 according to the first embodiment has a communication unit 10, a head movement detection unit 11, a line-of-sight detection unit 12, a hand movement detection unit 13, and a user state information generation unit as functional configurations. 14. It includes a VR image acquisition unit 15 and a display control unit 16. These functional blocks 11 to 16 can be configured by any of hardware, DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and software. For example, when configured by software, each of the above functional blocks 11 to 16 is actually configured to include a computer CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., and is a program stored in a recording medium such as RAM, ROM, hard disk, or semiconductor memory. Is realized by the operation of.

The communication unit 10 bidirectionally communicates with the server device 200 via the communication network 300. The head movement detection unit 11 corresponds to a user wearing the HMD 101 (corresponding to a "real user" in the claims) based on the motion detection information transmitted from the motion detection sensor 102 mounted on the HMD 101. In the following description, the movement of the head facing direction and posture is detected (the term "user" simply means a real user).

The line-of-sight detection unit 12 detects the movement in the direction in which the line of sight of the user wearing the HMD 101 is facing, based on the motion detection information transmitted from the line-of-sight detection sensor 103 mounted on the HMD 101. The hand movement detection unit 13 detects the movement of the direction or posture in which the user holding the controller 105 is facing, based on the movement detection information transmitted from the movement detection sensor 104 mounted on the controller 105. To do.

The user state information generation unit 14 generates user state information indicating the movement state of each part of the user based on the detection results of the head movement detection unit 11, the line-of-sight detection unit 12, and the hand movement detection unit 13. .. The format of the user status information is arbitrary. For example, it is possible to generate user state information as one piece of information having a plurality of fields indicating the movement of the head, the movement of the line of sight, and the movement of the hand. Alternatively, a plurality of user state information in which the movement of the head, the movement of the line of sight, and the movement of the hand are configured as separate information may be individually generated. The user state information generation unit 14 transmits the generated user state information to the server device 200 via the communication unit 10. The user state information generation unit 14 repeatedly executes such processing at predetermined time intervals.

In this way, the client device 100 detects the movement of the head of the user wearing the HMD 101, the movement of the line of sight, and the movement of the hand holding the controller 105 by the various sensors 102 to 104, and the user state information based on the detection result is stored in the server. It is configured to transmit to the device 200. Further, although the related functional configuration is not shown in FIG. 2, the client device 100 is configured to transmit instruction information generated by the user operating the controller 105 to the server device 200.

The VR image acquisition unit 15 transmits a VR image provision request to the server device 200, and in response, acquires a VR image from the server device 200 via the communication unit 10. For example, the server device 200 provides a Web portal site capable of providing a plurality of VR contents that can be viewed on the client device 100. Then, the client device 100 accesses the portal site, logs in, and performs an operation in which the user selects a desired VR content from a plurality of VR contents. In response to this selection operation, the VR image acquisition unit 15 transmits a request for providing a VR image corresponding to the selected VR content to the server device 200, and acquires the corresponding VR image from the server device 200.

The VR content selection operation may be performed using the operation unit (touch panel, keyboard, mouse, etc.) included in the arithmetic unit 106, or may be performed using the controller 105. When performing a selection operation using the operation unit included in the arithmetic unit 106, the user executes the selection operation while looking at the screen of the portal site displayed on the display provided in the arithmetic unit 106 without the HMD 101 attached. .. On the other hand, when the selection operation is performed using the controller 105, the user executes the selection operation while looking at the screen of the portal site displayed on the HMD 101 with the HMD 101 attached.

The display control unit 16 controls the HMD 101 to display the VR image acquired by the VR image acquisition unit 15. As described above, the VR image is an image that fluctuates according to the user state information and the instruction information. For example, in a VR image, the field of view in a three-dimensional VR space fluctuates according to the movement of the user's head and the movement of the line of sight indicated by the user state information. Further, as a result of executing a predetermined process according to the movement of the user's hand indicated by the user state information and the instruction information of the controller 105, the VR image fluctuates the view of the VR space or exists in the VR space. The state of the object fluctuates, and the scene in VR space fluctuates.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of the server device 200 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the server device 200 has a communication unit 20, an image provision request acquisition unit 21, a user status information acquisition unit 22, and a VR image provision unit 23 (virtual reality image provision unit within the scope of claims) as functional configurations. A user presence / absence determination unit 24 and an incentive granting unit 25 are provided. Further, the server device 200 includes a VR image storage unit 27 and a user information storage unit 28 as storage media.

Each of the above functional blocks 21 to 25 can be configured by any of hardware, DSP, and software. For example, when configured by software, each of the above functional blocks 21 to 25 is actually configured to include a computer CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., and is a program stored in a recording medium such as RAM, ROM, hard disk, or semiconductor memory. It is realized by operating (including the incentive management program).

The communication unit 20 bidirectionally communicates with the arithmetic unit 106 of the client device 100 via the communication network 300. The image provision request acquisition unit 21 acquires the image provision request transmitted from the client device 100. As described above, the image provision request is made from the client device 100 to the server when the user selects the desired VR content from the plurality of VR contents existing in the portal site provided from the server device 200 to the client device 100. This is information transmitted to the device 200. This image acquisition request includes identification information that can uniquely identify the user who made the request (for example, a user ID when accessing the portal site and logging in).

The user status information acquisition unit 22 sequentially acquires the user status information that is repeatedly transmitted by the user status information generation unit 14 of the client device 100.

The VR image providing unit 23 provides the client device 100 with a VR image that fluctuates according to the behavior of the user who is viewing the VR content. That is, when the image providing request acquisition unit 21 acquires the image providing request transmitted from the client device 100, the VR image providing unit 23 varies according to the user state information and the instruction information transmitted from the client device 100. A VR image is generated and transmitted to the client device 100. The contents of the fluctuation of the VR image based on the user state information and the instruction information are as described above.

The source data of the VR image generated by the VR image providing unit 23 is stored in the VR image storage unit 27. That is, the VR image storage unit 27 stores the entire image data of the VR space set as a range that can be changed according to the movement of the user's head and the movement of the line of sight, and various types existing in the VR space. The image data of the object is stored. In addition, the VR image storage unit 27 stores various data necessary for displaying the VR image on the HMD 101.

The VR image providing unit 23 is a VR space included in the field of view in the direction the user is looking, based on the information of the movement of the user's head and the movement of the line of sight indicated by the user state information acquired by the user state information acquisition unit 22. The image data of the above and the image data of the object are read from the VR image storage unit 27. Then, using the read image data, a VR image of the field of view is generated, and the generated VR image is transmitted to the client device 100. In the initial state when the image providing request acquisition unit 21 acquires the image providing request transmitted from the client device 100, the VR image providing unit 23 generates a VR image having a predetermined field of view and transmits it to the client device 100. To do.

The user existence determination unit 24 determines whether or not a virtual user corresponding to the real user exists in the VR space. The virtual user corresponding to the real user is a virtual user who acts in the VR space as an alter ego of the real user. The virtual user may be an avatar image including the whole body, upper body, face, etc. displayed in the VR space (a part or all of one's own figure is visualized as an avatar image), or a virtual user. Only the image of a typical hand or controller may be displayed in the VR space (the image of oneself is not visualized as an avatar image).

In the present embodiment, in the user presence / absence determination unit 24, the image provision request acquisition unit 21 acquires the image provision request transmitted from the client device 100, and the VR image provision unit 23 receives the VR image in the initial state as the client. By transmitting to the device 100, it is determined that the virtual user exists in the VR space. That is, when the user selects desired VR content on the portal site, sends an image provision request to the server device 200, and starts viewing the VR content, the user presence / absence determination unit 24 makes the image provision request. It is determined that a virtual user corresponding to the real user exists in the VR space. After that, when the real user stops viewing the VR content, the user existence determination unit 24 determines that the virtual user does not exist in the VR space.

The incentive giving unit 25 gives a predetermined incentive to the real user when the user presence / absence determination unit 24 determines that the virtual user exists in the VR space. The incentive to be given may be an incentive that the real user can use in the real world, or an incentive that can be used by the virtual user in the VR space.

Incentives that can be used by real users in the real world are, for example, coupons that can be used when purchasing a specific product or service, points issued by a specific business company, and the like. The incentive giving unit 25 transmits the incentive information of such a coupon or a point to the client device 100 via the communication unit 10. The client device 100 stores the incentive information acquired from the server device 200. The user can use the coupon or points by presenting the incentive information at a predetermined online shop or an actual store.

The incentives that virtual users can use in the VR space are, for example, virtual currencies and items that can be used in the VR space. The incentive giving unit 25 stores such incentive information in the user information storage unit 28. The user information storage unit 28 stores incentive information given to the user, for example, in association with the user ID used when the user logs in to the portal site. The incentive information stored in the user information storage unit 28 can be used at the request of the user in the VR content for which the VR image is provided by the VR image providing unit 23. For example, the use of incentive information in VR content is instructed by the user operating the controller 105.

The content of the incentives shown here is an example, and is not limited to this. Further, the method of giving an incentive is also an example, and the method is not limited to this.

In addition, the plurality of VR contents that can be selected on the portal site may include VR contents that are targeted for incentives and VR contents that are not. In this case, the processing of the user presence / absence determination unit 24 and the incentive giving unit 25 may be executed only when the VR content to which the incentive is given is selected.

For example, when a certain business entity promotes a product or service, it is conceivable to create VR content to be given an incentive and provide it on the portal site. As an example, when a travel company or a transportation company wants to promote a trip to a specific tourist destination, it creates VR content that introduces the goodness of the tourist destination, and within the VR space provided by the VR content. An incentive is given to a real user (a user who is viewing the VR content) corresponding to the virtual user existing in.

By doing this, it is possible to give users the motivation to experience the VR content, and it will be possible for as many users as possible to experience the charm of the tourist destination through the experience in the VR space. Here, the VR content itself is a content that conveys the attractiveness of the tourist destination to the user, and an explicit advertisement image like a conventional Internet advertisement or VR advertisement is not displayed in the VR space, which is annoying. There is no discomfort to the user due to the advertisement image.

In addition, by preparing activities such as events and games related to tourist spots in the VR space, it will be easier to convey the charm of tourist spots to users by participating in the activities. Can be done. At this time, since participating in the activity is not a condition for giving the incentive, the user is not given a negative motivation to watch the VR content having the activity. Further, since clearing a certain condition by executing the activity is not a condition for giving an incentive, the user is not given a negative motivation to participate in the activity in the VR space.

The contents of VR contents to be given incentives can be considered in various ways other than for sales promotion of such tourist spots. For example, when an administrative agency or an incentive requested by an administrative agency wants to revitalize a town in a specific area, it creates VR content that conveys the appeal of the area and provides users who view the VR content. It is also possible to give incentives. In addition, when a specific company wants to promote sales related to BI (Business Intelligence) tools, it creates VR content that allows users to experience the functions of the BI tool, and gives incentives to users who view the VR content. It is also possible to do something like that.

Further, in the VR space provided by the VR content to which the incentive is given (the VR space to which the user existence determination unit 24 determines the existence of the virtual user), a plurality of virtual users corresponding to the plurality of client devices 100 are used. It may be a VR space such as a community that can exist at the same time and allows a plurality of virtual users existing at the same time to interact with each other. In this case, the dialogue between the virtual users may be performed by using, for example, an electronic bulletin board system, or may be a format in which an annotation image of a speech balloon is added in the vicinity of the avatar image.

Also, it may be possible to have a dialogue by the following processing. That is, the client device 100 further includes a microphone and a speaker, inputs the voice spoken by the user from the microphone, supplies the voice data to the arithmetic unit 106, and transmits the voice data from the arithmetic unit 106 to the server device 200. The VR image providing unit 23 of the server device 200 generates a VR image in which avatar images of a plurality of virtual users corresponding to a plurality of users viewing VR contents are drawn in a VR space, and the VR images of the plurality of users are generated. The voice data related to the remark is transmitted to the client device 100 together with the VR image. In each client device 100, the VR image is displayed on the HMD 101, and the voice related to the speech is output from the speaker.

In this way, the community-type VR content that enables a plurality of users viewing the same VR content to interact with each other corresponds to the virtual user existing in the VR space provided by the VR content. By giving incentives to real users, not only can as many users as possible watch the VR content and the VR content itself conveys the attractiveness of the object to the user, but also the object through natural dialogue between users. It is possible to make the user feel the charm of.

At this time, it is not a condition for giving incentives to speak positively in the VR space. That is, an incentive is given to a user who is merely in the VR space and is only listening to the dialogue of another person. Therefore, the user does not feel urgency or pain such as having to have a dialogue that he / she is not good at. As a result, it is possible to have as many users as possible watch the VR content without giving the user a negative motivation to watch the community-type VR content.

As mentioned above, activities in the VR space are not a condition for giving incentives. However, the incentive giving unit 25 gives an incentive according to the length of time that the virtual user exists in the VR space after the user existence determination unit 24 determines that the virtual user exists in the VR space. You may change the way of giving. For example, the incentive giving unit 25 gives an incentive when the virtual user enters the VR space, and then gives the incentive again after a predetermined time elapses without the virtual user leaving the VR space. You may. Further, the incentive giving unit 25 may give an incentive every time a predetermined time elapses after the virtual user enters the VR space. Further, the content of the incentive may be changed according to the length of time that the virtual user exists in the VR space.

Further, the incentive giving unit 25 may change the incentive giving method according to the number of times that the user existence determination unit 24 determines that the virtual user exists in the VR space for one VR content. .. For example, the incentive giving unit 25 may give an incentive until the number of times the virtual user enters the VR space exceeds a predetermined value, and may not give an incentive after the number of times the virtual user enters the VR space exceeds the predetermined value. On the contrary, the incentive may not be given until the number of times the virtual user has entered the VR space exceeds the predetermined value, and the incentive may be given after the number of times the virtual user has entered the VR space exceeds the predetermined value. Further, the content of the incentive may be changed according to the number of times the virtual user enters the VR space.

In addition, regarding community-type VR content in which virtual users in the VR space can interact with each other, even if the number of times a certain virtual user exists exceeds a predetermined value and is excluded from the incentive grant target, the virtual user is invited. When the number of existence of another virtual user does not exceed a predetermined value, an incentive may be given to the real user corresponding to the certain virtual user. In this way, the user can be motivated to invite another user. The invitation may be made by using the invitation function prepared as one function of the VR content. Alternatively, the user information may be configured in which a real user invites in the real space and information about who is invited by whom is added to the user information.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the server device 200 according to the first embodiment configured as described above. First, the image provision request acquisition unit 21 determines whether or not the image provision request transmitted from the client device 100 has been acquired (step S1). If the image provision request has not been acquired, the image provision request acquisition unit 21 repeats the determination in step S1.

When the image providing request acquisition unit 21 acquires the image providing request, the VR image providing unit 23 generates a VR image having a predetermined field of view as an initial state (step S2), and transmits the VR image to the client device 100 (step S2). Step S3). With the transmission of this VR image, the user presence / absence determination unit 24 determines that a virtual user corresponding to the user who has transmitted the image provision request (the user corresponding to the user ID included in the image provision request) exists in the VR space. (Step S4).

Next, the incentive giving unit 25 gives a predetermined incentive to the user who has sent the image provision request (step S5). After that, the user status information acquisition unit 22 determines whether or not the user status information transmitted from the client device 100 has been acquired (step S6). When the user state information acquisition unit 22 acquires the user state information, the VR image providing unit 23 generates a VR image that fluctuates according to the user's behavior indicated by the user state information (step S7), and the VR image. Is transmitted to the client device 100 (step S8). After that, the process proceeds to step S9.

On the other hand, when the user status information acquisition unit 22 has not acquired the user status information, the VR image providing unit 23 determines whether or not the provision of the VR content requested by the user has been completed (step S9). The case where the provision of the VR content is terminated is either the case where the user is instructed to end the viewing of the VR content, or the case where the playback of the VR content is completed to the end. Here, if the provision of the VR content has not been completed, the process returns to step S6. On the other hand, when the provision of the VR content is completed, the user presence / absence determination unit 24 determines that the virtual user corresponding to the user who has sent the image provision request does not exist in the VR space (step S10), and FIG. The processing of the flowchart shown is completed.

As described in detail above, in the first embodiment, it is determined whether or not the virtual user corresponding to the real user exists in the VR space, and it is determined that the virtual user exists in the VR space. In addition, a predetermined incentive is given to a real user.

According to the first embodiment configured in this way, an incentive is given only when the virtual user is in the VR space. That is, it is not a condition for giving an incentive to actively act in an activity or community set in the VR space, or to clear certain conditions by the activity, and the user can give an incentive relatively easily. You will be able to get it. Therefore, it is possible to effectively give an incentive to the user who experiences the VR content so that the user can easily feel the motivation.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As described in the first embodiment, if an incentive is given only by the virtual user being in the VR space, an unscrupulous user who tries to enter the VR space only for the purpose of acquiring the incentive comes out. It is expected that. That is, after selecting the VR content to be given an incentive and transmitting the image provision request to the server device 200, there is a possibility that some users will do something else without wearing the HMD 101 and viewing the VR content. is there.

No matter how many virtual users corresponding to such users exist in the VR space, it cannot be expected that the effect of the sales promotion intended by the provider of the VR content will be improved. On the contrary, there is a demerit that a limited incentive may be wasted by a user who cannot expect a sales promotion effect. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the incentive is not given to the user who is in the VR space only for the purpose of acquiring the incentive.

The overall configuration of the VR image providing system to which the incentive giving system in the virtual reality space according to the second embodiment is applied is the same as that in FIG. The functional configuration of the client device 100 is the same as that shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example of the server device 200'according to the second embodiment. Note that, in FIG. 5, those having the same reference numerals as those shown in FIG. 3 have the same functions, and therefore, duplicate description will be omitted here.

As shown in FIG. 5, the server device 200'according to the second embodiment further includes an appropriateness determination unit 26 as a functional configuration, and also includes an incentive giving unit 25'instead of the incentive giving unit 25.

When the user existence determination unit 24 determines that the virtual user exists in the VR space, the appropriateness determination unit 26 evaluates at least one of the behavior of the virtual user and the fluctuation of the VR image, and is based on the evaluation result. Therefore, it is determined whether or not the existence of the virtual user in the VR space is appropriate. The incentive giving unit 25'give an incentive only when the appropriateness determination unit 26 determines that the existence of the virtual user in the VR space is appropriate.

Here, the behavior of the virtual user is, for example, as follows.
-Movement of the area that the virtual user pays attention to in the VR space-Movement of the virtual user's hand in the VR space, the posture of the hand or the positional relationship of both hands The fluctuation of the VR image is, for example, as follows. ..
・ Movement in VR space (movement of visual field)

The area of interest of the virtual user in the VR space (hereinafter referred to as the area of interest) varies depending on the direction of the head and the direction of the line of sight of the user wearing the HMD 101. However, in the case of a user who does not wear the HMD 101 after entering the VR space, the region of interest does not change at all. If the HMD101 is placed on some device that moves or vibrates automatically, the area of interest will fluctuate, but it will repeat fluctuations according to a certain pattern, or it will be a movement that is impossible for human behavior. There is. Therefore, when the area of interest does not move at all or moves unnaturally in this way, it can be said that the existence of the virtual user may not be appropriate.

The same can be said for the movement of the virtual user's hand in the VR space. That is, the hand of the virtual user fluctuates according to the movement of the hand of the user holding the controller 105. However, in the case of a user who does not hold the controller 105 after entering the VR space, the virtual user's hand does not move at all. If the HMD101 is placed on some device that automatically moves or vibrates, the virtual user's hand will fluctuate, but it will repeatedly fluctuate according to a certain pattern, or both hands will move in exactly the same way. Or it may be a movement that is impossible for human behavior. Therefore, if the virtual user's hand does not move at all or moves unnaturally in this way, it can be said that the existence of the virtual user may not be appropriate.

Also, depending on how the controller 105 is placed, the posture of the virtual user's hands may become unnatural, or the positional relationship between the virtual user's hands may become unnatural. That is, when the user does not have the controller 105 and places it somewhere, the posture and the positional relationship may not be possible if the user actually holds the controller 105. Even in such a case, it can be said that the existence of the virtual user may not be appropriate.

In addition, the field of view of the VR space fluctuates depending on the direction of the head of the user wearing the HMD 101. However, in the case of a user who does not wear the HMD 101 after entering the VR space, the field of view of the VR space does not change at all. If the HMD101 is placed on some device that automatically moves or vibrates, the field of view in the VR space will fluctuate, but it will repeat fluctuations according to a certain pattern, or it will be a movement of the human head. It may be a movement that you cannot get. Therefore, it can be said that the existence of the virtual user may not be appropriate even when the field of view of the VR space does not move at all or moves unnaturally in this way.

The appropriateness determination unit 26 evaluates at least one of the behavior of the virtual user and the fluctuation of the VR image illustrated above, and when there is a possibility that the existence of the virtual user is not appropriate as described above, the appropriateness determination unit 26 is in the VR space. It is determined that the existence of the virtual user in is not appropriate. The behavior of the virtual user and the fluctuation of the VR image can be recognized by using, for example, the VR image generated by the VR image providing unit 23. Since the behavior of the virtual user and the fluctuation of the VR image are specified based on the user state information acquired by the user state information acquisition unit 22, the appropriateness determination unit 26 uses the user state information to determine the existence of the virtual user. The suitability may be determined.

That is, in the appropriateness determination unit 26, after the user presence / absence determination unit 24 determines that the virtual user exists in the VR space, the user state information transmitted from the client device 100 or the VR image providing unit 23 accordingly. Based on the generated VR image, at least one of the behavior of the virtual user and the variation of the VR image is evaluated. This evaluation is performed, for example, based on the user state information or the VR image generated in response to the user state information for a predetermined time after the virtual user is determined to exist in the VR space by the user existence determination unit 24. Alternatively, the evaluation is performed based on the user state information or the VR image obtained after the virtual user is determined to exist in the VR space by the user presence / absence determination unit 24 and before the virtual user leaves the VR space. You may do it. The incentive giving unit 25 determines whether or not to give an incentive after the evaluation by the appropriateness determination unit 26 is performed.

The content of the evaluation performed by the appropriateness judgment unit 26 can be arbitrarily determined. For example, the existence of a virtual user is present for at least one of the movement of the area of interest of the virtual user in the VR space, the movement of the virtual user's hand in the VR space, the posture of the hand or the positional relationship between both hands, and the movement of the VR space. When it is evaluated that it may not be appropriate, it is conceivable to determine that the existence of the virtual user in the VR space is not appropriate.

Alternatively, the existence of the virtual user is appropriate for each of the movement of the area of interest of the virtual user in the VR space, the movement of the virtual user's hand in the VR space, the posture of the hand or the positional relationship between both hands, and the movement of the VR space. It is also possible to score the high possibility that it is not a thing and judge whether or not the existence of the virtual user in the VR space is appropriate based on the total value of each score. The scoring in this case may be performed based on a predetermined function, or may be performed using a learning model constructed by machine learning.

Here, as an example of the behavior of the virtual user, the movement of the virtual user's attention area in the VR space, the movement of the virtual user's hand in the VR space, the posture of the hand, or the positional relationship of both hands is shown. It is not limited to. For example, the movement of the body of the virtual user, the posture of the body, or the positional relationship between the body and the hand may be used. In this case, the user wears the motion detection sensor on the user's body with a belt or the like. The location of the user's body to which the motion detection sensor is attached via a belt or the like is any or all of the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, ankles, and the like. The client device 100 also includes the motion detection information detected by the motion detection sensor attached to the user's body in the user status information and transmits the motion detection information to the server device 200.

The body of the virtual user fluctuates according to the movement of the body of the user who wears the movement detection sensor on the body. However, in the case of a user who does not wear the motion detection sensor on the body after entering the VR space, the body of the virtual user does not move at all. If a motion detection sensor is placed on some device that automatically moves or vibrates, the virtual user's body will move, but it may repeat movements in a certain pattern, or it may be a human behavior. There is no movement. Therefore, when the virtual user's body does not move at all or moves unnaturally in this way, it can be said that the existence of the virtual user may not be appropriate.

Further, depending on how the motion detection sensor and the controller 105 are placed, the posture of the virtual user's body may become unnatural, or the positional relationship between the virtual user's body and both hands may become unnatural. .. That is, if the user does not wear the motion detection sensor and puts it somewhere, or does not have the controller 105 and puts it somewhere, the virtual user's body and hands are in a state that cannot be achieved by a living human being. In some cases. Even in such a case, it can be said that the existence of the virtual user may not be appropriate.

Further, as another example of the behavior of the virtual user, the movement of the virtual user in the VR space may be used. In this case, the client device 100 includes, for example, a position detection sensor in the HMD 101. The position of the virtual user in the VR space changes depending on the movement of the user wearing the HMD 101 equipped with the position detection sensor. However, in the case of a user who does not wear the HMD 101 after entering the VR space, the position of the virtual user does not move at all. Therefore, if the position of the virtual user does not move at all in this way, it can be said that the existence of the virtual user may not be appropriate.

Furthermore, as another example of the behavior of the virtual user, the remarks made by the virtual user in the community-type VR content may be used. For example, when a virtual user repeats the same remarks, makes remarks that are not semantically connected to the remarks of others, or makes unclear remarks, the existence of the virtual user exists. It can be said that it may not be appropriate.

Further, as an example of the fluctuation of the VR image, the movement of the field of view in the VR space is shown, but the movement is not limited to this. For example, the movement of the object image displayed in the VR space may be used. The object image displayed in the VR space can be changed by the operation of the controller 105 (hand movement or button operation of the user holding the controller 105). However, in the case of a user who does not hold the controller 105 after entering the VR space, the controller 105 is not operated, so that the object does not move according to the operation of the controller 105. Therefore, it can be said that the existence of the virtual user may not be appropriate when the movement that fluctuates according to the operation of the controller 105 does not occur in any object.

According to the second embodiment configured as described above, it is possible to prevent the incentive from being given to the user who is in the VR space only for the purpose of acquiring the incentive, and the incentive is more effectively expressed. be able to.

In the first and second embodiments, the example in which the virtual user gives an incentive only by being in the VR space has been described, but it is large enough to actively participate in the activity carried out in the VR space. Incentives may be given. Even in this case, since participating in the activity itself is not a condition for giving incentives, it is possible to give incentives to users who do not participate in the activity, and to users who actively participate. Can give greater incentives.

Further, in the first and second embodiments, the server device 200 provides the client device 100 with a Web portal site capable of providing a plurality of VR contents, and the user selects desired VR contents from the Web portal site. As described above, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the server device 200 may provide the client device 100 with a VR image of a virtual portal space capable of providing a plurality of VR contents, display the VR image on the HMD 101, and allow the user to select a desired VR content from the VR images. ..

Further, in the first and second embodiments, an example in which an image provision request is transmitted from the client device 100 to the server device 200 and a VR image generated by the server device 200 is transmitted to the client device 100 has been described. The present invention is not limited to this. For example, a portal screen displaying a list of selection interfaces corresponding to a plurality of VR contents installed in the arithmetic unit 106 of the client device 100 is displayed on the display of the HMD 101 or the arithmetic unit 106, and the VR content desired by the user is displayed. May be selected, and the VR image of the selected VR content may be generated by the arithmetic unit 106.

In this case, for example, the arithmetic unit 106 further includes the functions of the image provision request acquisition unit 21, the user status information acquisition unit 22, the VR image provision unit 23, the user presence / absence determination unit 24, and the appropriateness determination unit 26. Then, the VR image providing unit 23 generates a virtual reality image that fluctuates according to the user state information based on the detection results of the various sensors 102 to 104 and displays it on the HMD 101. Further, the user presence / absence determination unit 24 receives an image provision request internally issued by the client device 100, and the VR image providing unit 23 generates a VR image in the initial state and displays it on the HMD 101. It is determined that it exists in the VR space, and the determination result is notified to the server device 200 (200'). The appropriateness determination unit 26 also notifies the server device 200 (200') of the determination result. The incentive giving unit 25 (25') of the server device 200 (200') receives the determination results of the user presence / absence determination unit 24 and the appropriateness determination unit 26 from the client device 100, and determines whether or not to give the incentive.

Further, in the first and second embodiments described above, the configuration for selecting one from a plurality of VR contents has been described, but a configuration for simply designating and playing back one VR content may be used. In short, the present invention is any configuration as long as it detects when the VR content is viewed by the user (when the virtual user enters the VR space provided by the VR content) and gives an incentive. Is included in the range of.

In addition, the first and second embodiments are merely examples of embodiment of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted in a limited manner by these. It must not be. That is, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from its gist or its main features.

11 Head movement detection unit 12 Line-of-sight detection unit 13 Hand movement detection unit 14 User status information generation unit 15 VR image acquisition unit 16 Display control unit 21 Image provision request acquisition unit 22 User status information acquisition unit 23 VR image provision unit (virtual) Reality image provider)
24 User presence / absence judgment unit 25, 25'Incentive giving unit 26 Appropriate judgment unit 100 Client device 101 HMD
102-104 Sensor 105 Controller 106 Arithmetic logic unit 200, 200'Server device (incentive giving device)

Claims

A virtual reality image providing unit that provides a virtual reality image that fluctuates according to the behavior of the real user during viewing,
A user existence determination unit that determines whether or not a virtual user corresponding to the above real user exists in the virtual reality space,
A virtual feature is provided with an incentive giving unit that gives a predetermined incentive to the real user when the user presence / absence determination unit determines that the virtual user exists in the virtual reality space. Incentive giving system in real space.
When the user presence / absence determination unit determines that the virtual user exists in the virtual reality space, at least one of the behavior of the virtual user and the fluctuation of the virtual reality image is evaluated, and based on the evaluation result. Further, an appropriateness determination unit for determining whether or not the existence of the virtual user in the virtual reality space is appropriate is provided.
The first aspect of claim 1, wherein the incentive giving unit grants the incentive only when the appropriateness determination unit determines that the existence of the virtual user in the virtual reality space is appropriate. An incentive granting system in virtual reality space.
The behavior of the virtual user includes the movement of the area of interest of the virtual user in the virtual real space, the movement of the hand of the virtual user, the posture of the hand or the positional relationship of both hands, and the virtual user in the virtual real space. The virtual real space according to claim 2, further comprising at least one of the movement of the virtual user, the movement of the body of the virtual user, the posture of the body or the positional relationship between the body and the hand, and the remark by the virtual user. Incentive granting system.
The virtual reality according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the variation of the virtual reality image includes at least one of the movement of the virtual reality space and the movement of the object image displayed in the virtual reality space. Incentive giving system in space.
A client device including a head-mounted display, a sensor, a controller, and an arithmetic unit, and a server device to which the client device is connected via a communication network are provided.
The client device detects at least one of the movement of the head, the movement of the line of sight, the movement of the hand holding the controller, and the movement of the body of the real user to which the head-mounted display is attached by the sensor, and obtains the detection result. Based on the user status information is sent to the above server device,
The server device includes the virtual reality image providing unit, the user existence determination unit, and the incentive giving unit.
When the virtual reality image providing unit receives an image providing request transmitted from the client device, the virtual reality image providing unit generates a virtual reality image that fluctuates according to the user state information transmitted from the client device and generates the client device. Send to
In response to the image provision request transmitted from the client device, the user presence / absence determination unit transmits the virtual reality image to the client device by the virtual reality image providing unit, so that the virtual user can use the virtual reality space. The incentive giving system in a virtual reality space according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein it is determined that the image exists in the inside.
A client device including a head-mounted display, a sensor, a controller, and an arithmetic unit, and a server device to which the client device is connected via a communication network are provided.
The above client device
It is equipped with the virtual reality image providing unit and the user existence determination unit.
The sensor is configured to detect at least one of the movement of the head, the movement of the line of sight, the movement of the hand holding the controller, and the movement of the body of the real user to which the head-mounted display is attached.
The virtual reality image providing unit generates a virtual reality image that fluctuates according to user state information based on the detection result by the sensor and displays it on the head-mounted display.
The user presence / absence determination unit receives the image provision request issued by the client device, and the virtual reality image providing unit generates the virtual reality image and displays it on the head-mounted display. Judging that it exists in the virtual reality space,
The server device includes the incentive giving unit.
The present invention according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the incentive giving unit receives a notification of a determination result from the user presence / absence determination unit from the client device and determines whether or not the incentive is given. Incentive giving system in the virtual reality space of.
The incentive giving unit determines the length of time that the virtual user exists in the virtual reality space after the user existence determination unit determines that the virtual user exists in the virtual reality space. The incentive granting system in the virtual reality space according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the method of granting the incentive is changed accordingly.
The incentive giving unit is characterized in that the method of giving the incentive is changed according to the number of times that the virtual user is determined to exist in the virtual reality space by the user existence determination unit. The incentive giving system in the virtual reality space according to any one of 7.
In the virtual reality space for which the user existence determination unit determines the existence of the virtual user, a plurality of virtual users corresponding to a plurality of client devices may exist at the same time, and a plurality of virtual users existing at the same time interact with each other. The incentive giving system in the virtual reality space according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the virtual reality space is formed so that it can be performed.
After the user presence / absence determination unit determines that the virtual user exists in the virtual reality space, the appropriateness determination unit determines the user state information transmitted from the client device or the virtual reality image accordingly. The virtual reality space according to claim 2 and 5, wherein at least one of the behavior of the virtual user and the variation of the virtual reality image is evaluated based on the virtual reality image generated by the providing unit. Incentive granting system in.
In the appropriateness determination unit, after the user presence / absence determination unit determines that the virtual user exists in the virtual reality space, the user state information or a virtual generated by the virtual reality image providing unit accordingly. The incentive giving system in the virtual reality space according to claim 2 and 6, wherein at least one of the behavior of the virtual user and the variation of the virtual reality image is evaluated based on the real image.
A virtual reality image providing unit that provides a virtual reality image that fluctuates according to the behavior of the real user during viewing,
A user existence determination unit that determines whether or not a virtual user corresponding to the above real user exists in the virtual reality space,
A virtual feature is provided with an incentive giving unit that gives a predetermined incentive to the real user when the user presence / absence determination unit determines that the virtual user exists in the virtual reality space. An incentive giving device in the real space.
When the user presence / absence determination unit determines that the virtual user exists in the virtual reality space, at least one of the behavior of the virtual user and the fluctuation of the virtual reality image is evaluated, and based on the evaluation result. Further, an appropriateness determination unit for determining whether or not the existence of the virtual user in the virtual reality space is appropriate is provided.
The incentive giving unit according to claim 12, wherein the incentive giving unit gives the incentive only when the appropriateness determination unit determines that the existence of the virtual user in the virtual reality space is appropriate. An incentive granting device in virtual reality space.
A step in which the virtual reality image provider of the computer provides a virtual reality image that fluctuates according to the behavior of the real user who is watching.
A step in which the user existence determination unit of the computer determines whether or not a virtual user corresponding to the real user exists in the virtual reality space.
The incentive giving unit of the computer has a step of giving a predetermined incentive to the real user when the user presence / absence determination unit determines that the virtual user exists in the virtual reality space. A method of giving incentives in a virtual reality space characterized by.
When the appropriateness determination unit of the computer determines that the virtual user exists in the virtual reality space by the user existence determination unit, at least one of the behavior of the virtual user and the fluctuation of the virtual reality image is determined. It further has a step of evaluating and determining whether or not the existence of the virtual user in the virtual reality space is appropriate based on the evaluation result.
14. The incentive giving unit according to claim 14, wherein the incentive giving unit gives the incentive only when the appropriateness determination unit determines that the existence of the virtual user in the virtual reality space is appropriate. How to give incentives in virtual reality space.
Virtual reality image providing means that provides a virtual reality image that fluctuates according to the behavior of the real user during viewing,
It is determined by the user existence determination means for determining whether or not the virtual user corresponding to the real user exists in the virtual reality space and the user existence determination means that the virtual user exists in the virtual reality space. In this case, an incentive management program in a virtual reality space for operating a computer as an incentive giving means for giving a predetermined incentive to the real user.
When it is determined by the user existence determination means that the virtual user exists in the virtual reality space, at least one of the behavior of the virtual user and the fluctuation of the virtual reality image is evaluated, and based on the evaluation result. Further, an appropriate determination means for determining whether or not the existence of the virtual user in the virtual reality space is appropriate is provided.
The 16th aspect of claim 16, wherein the incentive giving means gives the incentive only when the appropriateness determination means determines that the existence of the virtual user in the virtual reality space is appropriate. A program for managing incentives in virtual reality space.