Information processing apparatus, control method, and program

• US 10,585,531 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2015
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Tetsuo, Nakayama, Ryuji, Nishizawa, Kazuto
• Primary Examiner(s): Yeung, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US15/327,070
• Publication Number:
  US 20170168651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1639 the display being based on projection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03 Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

There is provided an information processing apparatus including circuitry configured to initiate display of a virtual object, based on a gesture operation, starting from a point of origin and moving towards a target point; and continue to display the virtual object in display motion after the gesture operation, wherein a path of travel of the virtual object or a display characteristic of the virtual object is determined based on a positional relationship between the virtual object and another object that is a real object located in proximity to the path of travel of the virtual object.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to

initiate a display motion of a virtual object displayed by a display device, based on a gesture operation, starting from a point of origin and moving towards a target point; and

continue to display the virtual object in the display motion after the gesture operation until the virtual object reaches the target point,

wherein a path of travel of the virtual object or a display characteristic of the virtual object is determined based on a positional relationship between the virtual object and another object that is a real object located in proximity to a direct path of travel of the virtual object from the point of origin to the target point,

wherein the target point is determined based on a speed of performing the gesture operation,

wherein a mode of display moving the virtual object is changed based on information associated with the real object,

wherein the information comprises height information of the real object, and

wherein the virtual object is displayed to travel a route of display motion that circumvents a predetermined area of the real object, when the real object has a height taller than a predetermined value.

2. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the path of travel of the virtual object or the display characteristic of the virtual object is determined when the virtual object passes or enters into a predetermined area of the another object, and the path of travel is diverted from the direct path of travel or the display characteristic is changed.

3. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information further comprises material information of the real object.

4. The information processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the virtual object is displayed to travel a route of display motion that circumvents a predetermined area of the real object, when the real object is made of a reflective material.

5. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information further comprises information indicating a categorical type of the real object.

6. The information processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the virtual object is displayed to travel a route of display motion that circumvents a predetermined area of the real object, when the real object includes food.

7. The information processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein a route of display motion that circumvents the predetermined area of the another object is determined in advance of setting the virtual object into display motion, based on a location of the another object.

8. The information processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein a circumvention route of display motion that circumvents the predetermined area of the another object is determined after the virtual object has been set into display motion and approaching the predetermined area of the another object.

9. The information processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein a display appearance of the virtual object is changed to be more translucent when the virtual object is displayed to be passing or entering the predetermined area of the another object.

10. The information processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the virtual object, when displayed to be passing or entering the predetermined area of the another object, is displayed to have a transmittance determined based on a characteristic of the another object.

11. The information processing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the characteristic of the another object is related to a color or a shape.

12. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein a mode of display moving the virtual object is changed based on information associated with the another object.

13. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to stop display motion of the virtual object when the virtual object visually collides with a hand of the user having a particular posture.

14. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display motion of the virtual object is controlled based on a quantity characteristic or a length characteristic of the virtual object.

15. The information processing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the virtual object is displayed in display motion having a movement speed based on the speed of performing the gesture operation and based on a virtual coefficient of friction with a display surface.

16. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display motion of the virtual object is controlled based on a number of or a size of contents associated with the virtual object.

17. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display motion of the virtual object is controlled based on a perceived weight of the virtual object.

18. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display motion of the virtual object is controlled based on an importance degree of contents of the virtual object.

19. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to initiate a playing of a sound when the virtual object is displayed to be in display motion, wherein the sound is based on a virtual amount of contents associated with the virtual object.

22. The information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein whether the path of travel of the virtual object is changed or the display characteristic of the virtual object is changed is determined according to a categorical type of the real object.

20. An information processing method comprising:

displaying a display motion of a virtual object displayed by a display device, based on a gesture operation, starting from a point of origin and moving towards a target point; and

continuing to display the virtual object in the display motion after the gesture operation until the virtual object reaches the target point,

wherein a path of travel of the virtual object or a display characteristic of the virtual object is determined based on a positional relationship between the virtual object and another object that is a real object located in proximity to a direct path of travel of the virtual object from the point of origin to the target point,

wherein the target point is determined based on a speed of performing the gesture operation,

wherein a mode of display moving the virtual object is changed based on information associated with the real object,

wherein the information comprises height information of the real object, and

wherein the virtual object is displayed to travel a route of display motion that circumvents a predetermined area of the real object, when the real object has a height taller than a predetermined value.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a program, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to execute an information processing method, the method comprising:

displaying a display motion of a virtual object displayed by a display device, based on a gesture operation, starting from a point of origin and moving towards a target point; and

continuing to display the virtual object in the display motion after the gesture operation until the virtual object reaches the target point,

wherein a path of travel of the virtual object or a display characteristic of the virtual object is determined based on a positional relationship between the virtual object and another object that is a real object located in proximity to a direct path of travel of the virtual object from the point of origin to the target point,

wherein the target point is determined based on a speed of performing the gesture operation,

wherein a mode of display moving the virtual object is changed based on information associated with the real object,

wherein the information comprises height information of the real object, and

wherein the virtual object is displayed to travel a route of display motion that circumvents a predetermined area of the real object, when the real object has a height taller than a predetermined value.