Display control apparatus display control method and presentation medium

• US 6,331,853 B1
• Filed: 11/24/1998
• Issued: 12/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LINE Corporation (A Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Miyashita, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu K.
• Application Number:
  US09/199,243
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 345/473, 345/419, 345/422, 345/426, 345/427, 345/474, 345/475
• US Class Current: 345/427
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5252 using two or more virtual cameras concurrently or sequentially, e.g. automatically switching between fixed virtual cameras when a character changes room or displaying a rear-mirror view in a car-driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5255 according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
• 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 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6661 for changing the position of the virtual camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6676 by dedicated player input
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6684 by dynamically adapting its position to keep a game object in its viewing frustrum, e.g. for tracking a character or a ball
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A browser presents a picture of a 3-dimensional virtual space photographed by means of a hypothetical camera used for photographing a 3-dimensional virtual space. The browser is provided with a switch button for switching from a first-person mode in which the visual point of a pilot avatar representing the user itself in the 3-dimensional virtual space coincides with the position of the camera to a third-person mode with the visual point of the pilot avatar not coinciding with the position of the camera and vice versa. In the third-person mode, the position of the camera is controlled in accordance with the visual point of the pilot avatar.

As a result, the user is capable of feeling a sense as if the user were present in a virtual world and feeling a sense as if the user had departed from the body thereof as a soul.

Claims

1. A display control apparatus for controlling an operation to display a 3-dimensional virtual space, comprising:

presentation means for presenting a picture of a 3-dimensional virtual space photographed by using a hypothetical photographing means used for photographing a 3-dimensional virtual space;

mode switching means for switching from a first-person mode in which a visual point of view of the self representing object representing the user in a 3-dimensional virtual space coincides with the position of said A photographing means to a third-person mode with said visual point of view of said self representing object not coinciding with said position of said photographing means and vice-versa; and

control means or controlling said position of said photographing means in accordance with said visual point of view of said self representing object in said third person mode,

wherein said control means controls said photographing means in said third person mode with said visual point of view of said self representing object not coinciding with said position of said photographing means in an auto mode such that said photographing means automatically changes values of a position and orientation to follow said self-representing object when said self representing object moves dynamically in said 3-dimensional virtual space.

2. A display control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein, in said third-person mode, said control means moves said photographing means to a point which is located:

on a straight line passing through s aid visual point of said self representing object and forming a predetermined angle of elevation with a line of vision of said self representing object; and

behind said self representing object at a predetermined distance from said visual point of said self representing object.

3. A display control apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said predetermined distance has such a value that a width of a picture obtained as a result of photographing by using said photographing means is a predetermined number of times the width of said self representing object.

4. A display control apparatus according to claim 1 wherein, in said third-person mode, when said visual point of said self representing object is changed to a new visual point, said control means moves said photographing means on the basis of said new visual point.

5. A display control apparatus according to claim 4 wherein, when said visual point of said object is changed, said control means starts moving said photographing means after a predetermined delay time has lapsed.

6. A display control apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said control means starts moving said photographing means when said self representing object is about to go beyond a range determined with said photographing means taken as a reference.

7. A display control apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said control means starts moving said photographing means when said photographing means is about to go beyond a range determined with said self representing object taken as a reference as a result of a movement of said self representing object.

8. A display control apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said control means moves said photographing means to a position found by interpolation between a position said photographing means is supposed to be moved to and a present position of said photographing means before said self representing object moves when said self representing object moves in said third-person mode to a new position at which switching from said first-person mode to said third-person mode occurs.

9. A display control method for controlling an operation to display a 3-dimensional virtual space whereby:

in an operation to present a picture of a 3-dimensional virtual space photographed by using a hypothetical photographing means used for photographing a 3-dimensional virtual space, it is possible to switch from a first-person mode in which a visual point of a self representing object representing the user in a 3-dimensional virtual space coincides with a position of said photographing means to a third-person mode with said visual point of said self representing object not coinciding with said position of said photographing means and vice versa; and

in said third-person mode, said position of said photographing means is controlled in accordance with said visual point of view one self representing object,

wherein said photographing means in said third person mode with said visual point of view of said self representing object not coinciding with said position of said photographing means is configured for use in an auto mode such that said photographing means automatically changes values of a position and orientation to follow said self-representing object when said self representing object moves dynamically in said 3-dimensional virtual space.

10. A display control method according to claim 9 whereby, in said third-person mode, when said visual point of said self representing object is changed to a new visual point, an operation to move said photographing means is controlled on the basis of said new visual point.

11. A presentation medium for presenting a computer program to be executed by a computer in order to carry out processing of controlling an operation to display a 3-dimensional virtual space, said computer program prescribing a display control method whereby:

in an operation to present a picture of a 3-dimensional virtual space photographed by using a hypothetical photographing means used for photographing a 3-dimensional virtual space, it is possible to switch from a first-person mode in which a visual point of a self representing object representing the user in a 3-dimensional virtual space coincides with a position of said photographing means to a third-person mode with said visual point of said self representing object not coinciding with said position of said photographing means and vice versa; and

in said third-person mode, said position of said photographing means is controlled in accordance with said visual point of said self representing object,

wherein said photographing means in said third person mode with said visual point of view of said self representing object not coinciding with said position of said photographing means is configured for use in an auto mode such that said photographing means automatically changes values of a position and orientation to follow said self-representing object when said self representing object moves dynamically in said 3-dimensional virtual space.

12. A presentation medium according to claim 11 wherein, in said third-person mode, when said visual point of said self representing object is changed to a new visual point, an operation to move said photographing means is controlled on the basis of said new visual point.