Picture display method and apparatus

• US 6,307,564 B1
• Filed: 10/15/1999
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LINE Corporation (A Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kawakami, Itaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Cliff N.
• Application Number:
  US09/419,325
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 345/418, 345/419, 345/473, 345/474
• US Class Current: 345/474
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for displaying a three-dimensional picture is disclosed. The picture display apparatus includes a display device for displaying a three-dimensional picture, a pointing device for pointing a position in the picture displayed in the display device, a holding device for holding the control information of a plurality of possible stop points pre-determined in a three-dimensional space, and a control device for causing the three-dimensional picture to be displayed on the display device based on the control information of the possible stop points in the three-dimensional space held by the holding device. The possible stop points correspond to positions in the picture pointed by the pointing device. The producer of a virtual reality can easily reflect the intention of a three-dimensional virtual reality, while the-user can easily walk in the three-dimensional virtual reality.

Claims

1. A picture display method for use with a pointing device and with a display device having a plurality of pre-determined selection areas, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a three-dimensional picture on the display device;

receiving a selection of one of the pre-determined selection areas from the pointing device, wherein the selected selection area has associated therewith a stop point; and

displaying the three-dimensional picture on the display device based on control information associated with the stop point.

2. The picture display method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control information associated with the selected stop point at least includes position information representing the position in said three-dimensional space.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein upon receipt of a selection the step of displaying automatically moves from a first stop point to a second stop point wherein the second stop point is a pre-determined distance from the first stop point.

4. The picture display method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control information associated with the selected stop point at least includes operation information representing the state of operations performed by the user at the selected stop point.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein upon receipt of a selection the step of displaying automatically moves from a first stop point to a second stop point wherein the second stop point is a pre-determined distance from the first stop point.

6. The picture display method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control information associated with the selected stop point at least includes line of sight information representing a direction of a line of sight at the stop point.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein upon receipt of a selection the step of displaying automatically moves from a first stop point to a second stop point wherein the second stop point is a pre-determined distance from the first stop point.

8. The picture display method of claim 1, wherein upon receipt of a selection the step of displaying automatically moves from a first stop point to a second stop point wherein the second stop point is a pre-determined distance from the first stop point.

9. A computer network configured to provide graphical data to a computer and to receive requests from the computers comprising:

a video server operationally coupled with a network and configured to provide graphical data to a computer over the network wherein the graphical data includes a plurality of viewpoints within a three-dimensional virtual reality and a plurality of discrete selection areas, wherein each of the plurality of discrete selection areas is associated with at least one of the plurality of viewpoints;

a management server operationally coupled with the video server and the network and configured to receive requests from the computer and to provide the graphical data in response to the requests;

a computer configured to receive the graphical data from the video server and to provide requests to the management server; and

a network operationally coupled with the computer, the video server and the management server wherein the network transmits the graphical data and the requests.

10. The computer network of claim 9 wherein the video server and the management server reside on one host computer.

11. The computer network of claim 9, wherein the computer comprises:

a display configured to show a picture wherein the picture is based upon a first one of the plurality of viewpoints and includes at least one of the plurality of discrete selection areas; and

a pointing device operationally coupled with the display wherein, when the pointing device actuates one of the discrete selection areas, the display shows a picture based upon a viewpoint associated with the actuated discrete selection area, wherein the viewpoint associated with the activated discrete selection area is a pre-determined distance from the first one of the plurality of viewpoints.

12. A picture display apparatus, comprising:

a display configured to display a three-dimensional picture;

a pointing device configured to point to a position in the picture displayed in said display;

a holding memory configured to store the control information of a plurality of possible stop points pre-determined in a three-dimensional space; and

a control circuit configured to cause the three-dimensional picture to be displayed on said display based on said control information of the possible stop points in the three-dimensional space held by said holding memory, said possible stop points corresponding to positions in said picture pointed to by said pointing device, wherein selection of a first stop point by the pointing device causes the display to change from a viewpoint associated with a second stop point to a viewpoint associated with the first stop point.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the control information on the possible stop points held by said holding memory at least includes the operation information representing the state of operations performed by the user at said possible stop points.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the control information on the possible stop points held by said holding memory at least includes the line of sight information representing the direction of the line of sight at said possible stop points.

15. A picture display apparatus, comprising:

a display configured to receive picture information;

a control circuit operationally coupled with the display and configured to provide picture information for a virtual reality wherein the picture information includes a first viewpoint and a plurality of selection areas; and

a selection device operationally coupled with the control circuit and configured to choose from among the plurality of selection areas wherein upon selection of one of the plurality of selection areas the picture information changes from the first viewpoint to a second viewpoint associated with the chosen selection area wherein the second viewpoint is a pre-determined distance from the first viewpoint.

16. A picture displaying method, comprising the steps of:

providing a display for displaying a three-dimensional picture;

providing a pointing device for pointing to a position in the picture displayed in said display;

providing a holding memory for storing the control information of a plurality of possible stop points pre-determined in a three-dimensional space; and

causing the three-dimensional picture to be displayed on said display based on said control information of the possible stop points in the three-dimensional space held by said holding memory, said possible stop points corresponding to positions in said picture pointed to by said pointing device, wherein selection of a first stop point by the pointing device causes the display to change from a viewpoint associated with a second stop point to a viewpoint associated with the first stop point.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the control information on the possible stop points held by said holding memory at least includes the operation information representing the state of operations performed by the user at said possible stop points.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the control information on the possible stop points held by said holding memory at least includes the line of sight information representing the direction of the line of sight at said possible stop points.

19. A picture displaying method, comprising the steps of:

providing a display to receive picture information;

operationally coupling a control circuit with the display, said control circuit configured to provide picture information for a virtual reality wherein the picture information includes a first viewpoint and a plurality of selection areas; and

operationally coupling a selection device with the control circuit, said selection device configured to choose from among the plurality of selection areas wherein upon selection of one of the plurality of selection areas the picture information changes from the first viewpoint to a second viewpoint associated with the chosen selection area wherein the second viewpoint is a pre-determined distance from the first viewpoint.