Information processing method and system for executing the information method

• US 10,313,481 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2018
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Colopl, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Colopl, Inc.
• Inventors: Kada, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K
• Application Number:
  US15/881,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20180302499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 345418
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5258 by dynamically adapting the position of the virtual camera to keep a game object or game character in its viewing frustum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5372 for tagging characters, objects or locations in the game scene, e.g. displaying a circle under the character controlled by the player
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/10 Geometric effects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2016 Rotation, translation, scaling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A method includes defining a virtual space, wherein the virtual space comprises a second avatar object and a first avatar of object, the first avatar object is associated with a first user, and the first user is associated with a first head-mounted device (HMD). The method further includes identifying a position of the first avatar object in the virtual space. The method further includes defining a visual field from the position in the virtual space. The method further includes generating a visual-field image corresponding to the visual field. The method further includes displaying the visual-field image on the first HMD. The method further includes identifying a relative positional relationship between the first avatar object and the second avatar object. The method further includes displaying an enlarged image of at least a part of the second avatar object in response to the relative positional relationship satisfying a predetermined condition.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

defining a virtual space,

wherein the virtual space comprises a second avatar object and a first avatar object, the first avatar object is associated with a first user, and

wherein the first user is associated with a first head-mounted device (HMD);

identifying a position of the first avatar object in the virtual space;

defining a visual field from the position in the virtual space;

generating a visual-field image corresponding to the visual field;

displaying the visual-field image on the HMD;

identifying a relative positional relationship between the first avatar object and the second avatar object; and

enlarging at least a part of the second avatar object in response to the relative positional relationship satisfying a predetermined condition, wherein the enlarging comprises maintaining the relative positional relationship between the first avatar object and the second avatar object.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the relative positional relationship comprises a distance between the first avatar object and the second avatar object, and

wherein the enlarging of the at least a part of the second avatar object comprises enlarging the at least a part of the second avatar object in response to the distance being larger than a predetermined distance.

3. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the identifying of the relative positional relationship comprises identifying the relative positional relationship based on a size of the second avatar object displayed on the visual-field image, and

wherein the enlarging of the at least a part of the second avatar object comprises enlarging the at least a part of the second avatar object in response to the size being smaller than a predetermined size.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising identifying a line of sight of the second avatar object,

wherein the identifying of the relative positional relationship comprises identifying the relative positional relationship based on the line of sight of the second avatar object.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the enlarging of the at least a part of the second avatar object comprises enlarging the at least a part of the second avatar object in response to the line of sight of the second avatar object being directed at the first avatar object.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising identifying a duration for which the line of sight of the second avatar object is directed at the first avatar object,

wherein the enlarging of the at least a part of the second avatar object comprises enlarging the at least a part of the second avatar object in response to the duration being directed at the first avatar object for longer than a predetermined duration.

7. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

detecting that the line of sight of the second avatar object is directed at the first avatar object;

subsequently detecting that the line of sight of the second avatar object is not directed at the first avatar object; and

identifying an elapsed time from the point at which the line of sight of the second avatar object is no longer directed at the first avatar object,

wherein the enlarging of the at least a part of the second avatar object comprises enlarging the at least a part of the second avatar object in response to the elapsed time being within a predetermined duration.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising identifying a line of sight of the first avatar object,

wherein the identifying of the relative positional relationship comprises identifying the relative positional relationship based on the line of sight of the first avatar object.

9. The information processing method according to claim 1, further comprising acquiring information on a portion of the second avatar object,

wherein the identifying of the relative positional relationship comprises identifying the relative positional relationship based on the portion.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising identifying a position of the portion in a height direction in the virtual space,

wherein the enlarging of the at least a part of the second avatar object comprises enlarging the at least a part of the second avatar object in response to the position of the portion being included within a predetermined range in the height direction.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising determining a shape of the portion,

wherein the enlarging of the at least a part of the second avatar object comprises enlarging the at least a part of the second avatar object in response to the shape of the portion being a predetermined shape.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising acquiring sound data representing a sound relating to the second avatar object,

wherein the enlarging of the at least a part of the second avatar object comprises enlarging the at least a part of the second avatar object in response to the relative positional relationship satisfying a predetermined condition and the sound data having been acquired.