Information processing device and method, and recording medium

• US 7,065,711 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2001
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ono, Tsuyoshi, Hata, Katsushige
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US10/037,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20020109719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 345/806, 345/802, 345/263, 345/265, 345/262, 715/758, 715/835, 715/856, 715/763, 715/765, 715/854, 715/853
• US Class Current: 715/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

An information processing device and method, and a recording medium for enabling several users to participate as respective avatars in a virtual space constructed on a network and to have conversations with other users. The data regarding the feeling expressions of an avatar, which correspond to a user'"'"'s conditions, are managed. Then, the image displays of the avatar are controlled based on the storage of data on the image displays.

Claims

1. An information processing system, comprising:

a detection device configured to detect living body information from a user, the detection device configured to provide detection data based on the detected information;

a manager electrically coupled to the detection device and configured to receive the detection data, the manager configured for managing data on feeling expressions of an avatar which correspond to the detected data relating to the user, wherein said feeling expressions include;

a plurality of state conditions; and

a plurality of levels associated with each of the plurality of state conditions,

wherein each of the feeling expressions are based on at least one of the plurality of state conditions and one of the plurality of levels;

a storage area for storing data on image displays of the avatar which correspond to the feeling expressions; and

a display controller for controlling the image displays of the avatars based on the data stored in the storage area.

2. An information processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the avatar exists in a virtual space constructed on a network, and the data on the feeling expressions is set when the user enters the virtual space.

3. An information processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data managed by the manager is set in accordance with information detected from the user, the information being selected from the group consisting of:

heart rate and amount of perspiration.

4. An information processing system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a voice controller for controlling a tone of voices uttered from the avatar based on the data stored in the storage area.

5. An information processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the manager manages the data on the feeling expressions based on a table in which the state conditions and the levels thereof are associated with one another to define a packet.

6. An information processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the display controller controls a display including a motion picture of the avatar.

7. An information processing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a walk-through environment is provided to a user in the virtual space.

8. An information processing method for enabling a plurality of users to participate as respective avatars in a virtual space constructed on a network and to have conversations with other users, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting image information on relating to a user;

managing data on feeling expressions of an avatar which correspond to the detected image information relating to the user, wherein said managing data includes;

a plurality of state conditions; and

a plurality of levels associated with each of the plurality of state conditions,

wherein each of the feeling expressions associated with the avatar is based on at least one of the plurality of state conditions and one of the plurality of levels;

controlling storage of data on image displays of the avatar which correspond to the feeling expressions; and

controlling the image displays of the avatar based on the storage of data on the image displays.

9. An information processing method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of controlling the data on the feeling expressions of the avatar based on voices uttered by the avatar.

10. An information processing method as claimed in claim 8, wherein a walk-through environment can be controlled by a user in the virtual space.

11. A recording medium in which an information processing program is stored for executing steps to enable a plurality of users to participate as respective avatars in a virtual space constructed on a network and to have conversations with other users, the information processing program comprising the steps of:

detecting living body information from a user with a detection device;

providing detection data based on the detected living body information;

managing data on feeling expressions of an avatar which correspond the detected living body information, wherein said feeling expressions include;

a plurality of state conditions and a plurality of levels associated with each state condition,

wherein each of the feeling expressions are based on at least one of the plurality of state conditions and one of the plurality of levels;

controlling storage of data on image displays of the avatar which correspond to the feeling expressions; and

controlling the image displays of the avatar based on the storage of data on the image displays.

12. A recording medium as claimed in claim 11, wherein a walk-through environment can be controlled by a user in the virtual space.

13. A program for executing functions in a virtual space constructed on a network in which a plurality of users participate as respective avatars and have conversations with other users, the program comprising the functions of:

a managing function for managing data controlling feeling expressions generated for an avatar wherein the feeling expressions correspond to the conditions detected on the living body information of a user, and wherein said managing data includes at least one state condition and at least two levels associated with each of the at least one state conditions, wherein each of the feeling expressions are based on at least one of the conditions and one of the levels;

a storage control function for controlling storage of data on image displays of the avatar which correspond to the feeling expressions; and

a display control function for controlling the image displays of the avatar based on the storage of data on the image displays.

14. A program as claimed in claim 13, wherein a walk-through function is provided to a user in the virtual space.

15. A character device used in connection with a communication terminal device which jointly uses a virtual space with other communication terminal devices, the character device comprising:

an image input device, the device provided with a function of detecting information on a living body;

communication parts for transmitting and receiving control commands to vary at least one of expressions of the character device and voices uttered by the character device, wherein said control commands include one of a plurality of state conditions and a plurality of levels associated with each of the plurality of state conditions, wherein each of the feeling expressions are based on at least one of the conditions and one of the levels; and

a controller for respectively controlling the expressions of the character device and the voices uttered by the character device based on the control commands received by the character device.

16. A character device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the expressions and voices of the character device are controlled based on living body information of a user that enters the virtual space.

17. A character device as claimed in claim 16, wherein one of an image display and voices are controlled by receiving data on the character device which are associated with the living body information.

18. A character device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the expressions and voices of the character device are controlled by receiving data on variations of the user'"'"'s expressions which result from communications in the virtual space.

19. A character device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the controller controls action of the character device.

20. A character device as claimed in claim 15, wherein said controller respectively controls the walk function of the character device.

21. A virtual space information processing system for controlling the display of an avatar, the system comprising:

a detection device configured to collect living body information regarding a user;

a condition manager communicatively coupled to the detection device to receive the collected living body information, the condition manager configured to store a plurality of state conditions corresponding to the collected living body information wherein each of the plurality of state conditions includes a plurality of levels;

a feeling expression generated in response to one of the plurality of state conditions and one of the plurality of levels corresponding to the collected plurality living body information; and

a data storage device for storing graphical data of the avatar that correspond to the generated feeling expression.

22. A system as claimed in claim 21 further comprising a display controller generating a visually perceptible image based on the stored graphical data of the avatar.

23. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the detection device is a digital camera configured to record expression information from the user.

24. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the detection device is an information input device configured to detect the user'"'"'s pulse or perspiration.

25. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the condition manager includes a state table for correlating the plurality of state conditions corresponding to the collected plurality of user information with the plurality of levels.

26. A system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the state table generates a packet representative of the feeling expression.

27. A system as claimed in claim 26 further comprising:

a first terminal configured to generate a first avatar, and wherein the first terminal includes a first state table configured to generate a first packet representative of a first feeling expression;

a second terminal communicatively connected to the first terminal, the second terminal configured to generate a second avatar, and wherein the second terminal includes a second state table configured to receive the first packet; and

a display controller configured to generate a visually perceptible image at the second terminal based on the first packet and the stored image data.