Information presentation apparatus and method

• US 5,917,495 A
• Filed: 11/29/1996
• Issued: 06/29/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Mori, Kenichi, Doi, Miwako
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Cliff N.
• Application Number:
  US08/753,723
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/420, 345/435, 345/474, 345/475
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• 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: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images

Abstract

In the information presentation apparatus of the present invention, shape data of objects to be presented, shape data of the virtual environment in which the objects are presented, location data of the objects in the virtual environment are stored. A virtual environment generation section generates the virtual environment in which the objects are located in accordance with the shape data of the objects, the shape data of the virtual environment, and the location data. A position and a walking direction of a user watching the virtual environment are indicated through an indication section. A visual line direction determination section determines a visual line of the user in accordance with a slope corresponding to the position and the walking direction. A drawing section draws the virtual environment in accordance with the position and the visual line. The virtual environment is displayed on a display section.

Claims

1. Information presentation apparatus, comprising:

data memory means for storing shape data of objects to be presented;

background memory means for storing shape data of a virtual environment to be presented;

location memory means for storing location data of the objects in the virtual environment;

virtual environment generation means for generating the virtual environment in which the objects are located in accordance with the shape data of objects, the shape data of the virtual environment, and the location data;

indication means for indicating a position and a walking direction of a user watching the virtual environment;

visual line direction determination means for determining a visual line along a slope of a virtual ground in the virtual environment according to the position, the walking direction and the shape data of the virtual ground; and

display means for displaying the virtual environment in accordance with the position and the visual line.

2. Information presentation apparatus, according to claim 1,

wherein said data memory means stores an object name, a shape attribute, a coordinate of shape of the object and a detail data address for each object,

wherein said background memory means stores background, content data address and depth information in virtual space for each background, and

wherein said location memory means stores shape data address of the object, coordinate, posture and scaling as location data for each object in the virtual environment.

3. Information presentation apparatus, according to claim 2,

wherein said indication means indicates an (x,y,z) coordinate value of the user'"'"'s present position and walking speed as the walking direction in the virtual environment.

4. Information presentation apparatus, according to claim 3,

wherein said visual line direction determination means calculates an (x,y,z) coordinate value of the user'"'"'s next position in accordance with the coordinate value of the user'"'"'s present position, the walking direction and virtual ground, and calculates a slope of the virtual ground in accordance with the y-coordinate of the user'"'"'s present position and next position, and wherein the walking direction and the slope are the visual line direction.

5. Information presentation apparatus, comprising:

data memory means for storing shape data of objects to be presented;

background memory means for storing shape data of a virtual environment to be presented;

location memory means for storing location data of the objects in the virtual environment;

virtual environment generation means for generating the virtual environment in which the objects are located in accordance with the shape data of objects, the shape data of the virtual environment, and the location data;

detail information memory means for storing detail information of the objects;

display means for displaying the virtual environment generated by said virtual environment generation means;

position sensor means for sending a coordinate value of a user'"'"'s position in the virtual environment;

operation means for indicating presentation of detail information of a selected object corresponding to the coordinate value of the user'"'"'s position in the virtual environment; and

presentation means for presenting the selected object and the detail information.

6. Information presentation apparatus, according to claim 5,

wherein said virtual environment generation means searches for the object nearest to the coordinate value of the user'"'"'s position in the virtual environment in accordance with the location data in said location memory means.

7. Information presentation apparatus, according to claim 5,

wherein said detail information comprises text information.

8. Information presentation apparatus, according to claim 5,

further comprising force feedback means for feedbacking force corresponding to weight of the selected object to present through said presentation means, and said detail information comprises weight information.

9. Information presentation apparatus, according to claim 5,

further comprising sense of touch feedback means for feedbacking a sense of touch corresponding to the selected object to present through said presentation means, and said detail information comprisres sense of touch information.

10. Information presentation apparatus, comprising:

virtual image control means includings means for generating a virtual environment in accordance with object data and virtual space data, means for encoding the virtual environment generated by said generating means and means for transmitting the virtual environment encoded by said encoding means;

detail information memory means including means for storing detail information of each object in the virtual environment, means for retrieving the detail information of each object from said storing means, and means for transmitting the detail information retrieved by said retrieving means; and

user terminal means including means for decoding the encoded virtual environment transmitted by said virtual image control means, means for displaying the virtual environment decoded by said decoding means, and means for inputting a position signal to select an object in the virtual environment displayed by said displaying means;

wherein generating means in said virtual image control means searches for an identifier of a selected object from the object data in accordance with the position signal transmitted by said user terminal means, the identifier of the selected object being transmitted from said virtual image control means to said detail information memory means through said user terminal means,

wherein retrieving means in said detail information memory means retrieves the detail information of the selected object from said storing means in accordance with the identifier, the detail information being transmitted to said user terminal means, and

wherein displaying means in said user terminal means displays the detail information in addition to the displayed virtual environment.

11. Information presentation apparatus, according to claim 10,

further comprising network means for mutually interconnecting said virtual image control means, said detail information memory means and said user terminal means.

12. A method for presenting information, comprising the steps of:

generating a virtual environment in which objects are located in accordance with shape data of the objects, shape data of the virtual environment, and location data;

indicating a position and a walking direction of a user watching the virtual environment;

determining a visual line along a slope of a virtual ground in the virtual environment according to the position, the walking direction and the shape data of the virtual ground; and

displaying the virtual environment in accordance with the position and the visual line.

13. A method for presenting information, comprising the steps of:

generating a virtual environment in which objects are located in accordance with shape data of the objects, shape data of the virtual environment and location data;

storing detail information of each object;

displaying the virtual environment generated at the generating step;

sensing a coordinate value of a user'"'"'s position in the virtual environment;

indicating presentation of detail information of a selected object corresponding to the coordinate value of the user'"'"'s position in the virtual environment; and

presenting the selected object and the detail information for the user.

14. A method for presenting information, comprising the steps of:

generating a virtual environment in accordance with objects data and virtual space data in a virtual image control section;

encoding the virtual environment generated at the generating step;

transmitting the virtual enviroment encoded at the encoding step from the virtual image control section to a user terminal;

decoding the encoded virtual environment transmitted from the virtual image control section;

displaying the virtual environment decoded at the decoding step in the user terminal;

inputting a position signal to select an object in the virtual environment displayed at the displaying step in the user terminal;

transmitting the position signal from the user terminal to the virtual image control section;

searching for an identifier of a selected object from the object data in accordance with the position signal in the virtual image control section;

transmitting the identifier of the selected object from the virtual image control section to a detail information memory section through the user terminal;

retrieving the detail information of the selected object in accordance with the identifier in the detail information memory section;

transmitting the detail information from the detail information memory section to the user terminal; and

displaying the detail information in addition to the displayed virtual environment in the user terminal.

15. A computer readable memory containing computer-readable instructions, comprising:

instruction means for causing a computer to generate a virtual environment in which objects are located in accordance with shape data of the objects, shape data of the virtual environment, and location data;

instruction means for causing a computer to indicate a position and a walking direction of a user watching the virtual environment;

instruction means for causing a computer to determine a visual line along a slope of a virtual ground in the virtual environment according to the position, the walking direction in the virtual environment and the shape data of the virtual ground; and

instruction means for causing a computer to display the virtual environment in accordance with the position and the visual line.

16. A computer readable memory containing computer-readable instructions, comprising:

instruction means for causing a computer to generate a virtual environment in which objects are located in accordance with shape data of the objects, shape data of the virtual environment, and location data;

instruction means for causing a computer to store detail information of each object;

instruction means for causing a computer to display the virtual environment;

instruction means for causing a computer to sense a coordinate value of a user'"'"'s position in the virtual environment;

instruction means for causing a computer to indicate presentation of detail information of a selected object corresponding to the coordinate value of the user'"'"'s position in the virtual environment; and

instruction means for causing a computer to present the selected object and the detail information for the user.

17. A computer readable memory containing computer-readable instructions, comprising:

instruction means for causing a computer to generate a virtual environment in accordance with object data and virtual space data in a virtual image control section;

instruction means for causing a computer to encode the virtual environment generated at the generating step;

instruction means for causing a computer to transmit the virtual enviroment encoded at the encoding step from the virtual image control section to a user terminal;

instruction means for causing a computer to decode the encoded virtual environment transmitted from the virtual image control section;

instruction means for causing a computer to display the virtual environment decoded at the decoding step in the user terminal;

instruction means for causing a computer to input a position signal to select an object in the virtual environment displayed at the displaying step in the user terminal;

instruction means for causing a computer to transmit the position signal from the user terminal to the virtual image control section;

instruction means for causing a computer to search for an identifier of a selected object from the object data in a accordance with the position signal in the virtual image control section;

instruction means for causing a computer to transmit the identifier of the selected object from the virtual image control section to a detail information memory section through the user terminal;

instruction means for causing a computer to retrieve the detail information of the selected object in accordance with the identifier in the detail information memory section;

instruction means for causing a computer to transmit the detail information from the detail information memory section to the user terminal; and

instruction means for causing a computer to display the detail information in addition to the displayed virtual environment in the user terminal.