JP6189495B1 - Method for providing virtual space, method for providing virtual experience, program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

A virtual experience capable of contacting a virtual object by an intuitive operation is provided. A control circuit unit sets an area for determining contact with a virtual object including at least a portion extending in an extending direction based on a direction of a user's reference line of sight with respect to the virtual object. [Selection] Figure 15

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a method for providing a virtual space, a method for providing a virtual experience, a program, and a recording medium.

  Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that enables a block arranged in a virtual space to be grasped or thrown by a user's virtual hand arranged in the virtual space.

Toybox Demo for Oculus Touch-Inside Look [online], October 13, 2015, [Search June 13, 2016], Internet <URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbYP4bhKr2M >

  In a virtual space, when a user tries to operate by touching a virtual object, the user may not be able to operate intuitively because the sense of distance is different from the real space. Similar problems may also occur when providing virtual experiences to users by arranging virtual objects so as to be superimposed on real space.

  This indication is made in order to solve the above-mentioned subject. The purpose is to allow the user to contact the virtual object by an intuitive operation.

  In order to solve the above problems, a method for providing a virtual space according to the present disclosure is a method for providing a virtual space to a user wearing a head-mounted display on a head, wherein a plurality of virtual spaces arranged in the virtual space are provided. Identifying a virtual object, placing an operation target object that operates in conjunction with movement of a part of the body other than the user's head in a virtual space, identifying a reference line of sight in the user's virtual space, A step of identifying a virtual camera that is arranged in the virtual space and that defines a visual field area to be viewed by the user based on the reference line of sight; and at least one of the plurality of virtual objects includes a position of the virtual camera in the virtual space or a reference line of sight Area for determining contact with the operation target object including at least a portion extending in the extending direction based on the direction Comprising a step of setting a, based on the positional relationship between the region and the operation target object, determining a contact of a virtual object and the operation target object region is set, the.

  According to the present disclosure, it is possible to allow a user to contact a desired virtual object through an intuitive operation.

It is a figure which shows the structure of a HMD system. It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of a control circuit part. It is a figure which illustrates the visual field coordinate system set to HMD. It is a figure explaining the outline | summary of the virtual space provided to a user. It is a figure which shows the cross section of a visual field area | region. It is a figure which illustrates the method of determining a user's gaze direction. It is a figure showing the structure of a controller. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of a control circuit part. It is a sequence diagram which shows the flow of the process in which an HMD system provides a virtual space to a user. It is a sequence diagram which shows the flow of the process in the game in virtual space. It is a sequence diagram which shows the flow of a process after setting the determination area | region in the game in virtual space. It is a figure explaining the adjustment method of the reference vector based on the position of a virtual camera. It is a figure explaining the adjustment method of the reference | standard vector based on direction of a virtual camera, and is a figure which shows the virtual object and virtual camera which were seen from the Y-axis direction of virtual space. It is a figure explaining the adjustment method of the reference | standard vector based on direction of a virtual camera, and is a figure which shows the virtual object and virtual camera which were seen from the X-axis direction of virtual space. It is a figure which shows the example which set the determination area | region to each of the card-type virtual objects. It is a figure which shows the other example which set the determination area | region to each of the card-type virtual objects.

[Details of the embodiment of the present invention]
A specific example of a method and program for providing a virtual space according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to these exemplifications, but is defined by the scope of claims for patent, and it is intended that all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims for patent are included in the present invention. In the following description, the same reference numerals are given to the same elements in the description of the drawings, and repeated description is not repeated.

(Configuration of HMD system 100)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of the HMD system 100. As shown in this figure, the HMD system 100 includes an HMD 110, an HMD sensor 120, a controller sensor 140, a control circuit unit 200, and a controller 300.

  The HMD 110 is worn on the user's head. The HMD 110 includes a display 112 which is a non-transmissive display device, a sensor 114, and a gaze sensor 130. The HMD 110 displays a right-eye image and a left-eye image on the display 112, thereby allowing the user to visually recognize a three-dimensional image that is stereoscopically viewed by the user based on the parallax between both eyes of the user. This provides a virtual space to the user. Since the display 112 is disposed in front of the user's eyes, the user can immerse in the virtual space through an image displayed on the display 112. Thereby, the user can experience virtual reality (Virtual Reality: VR). The virtual space may include a background, various objects that can be operated by the user, menu images, and the like.

  The display 112 may include a right-eye sub-display that displays a right-eye image and a left-eye sub-display that displays a left-eye image. Alternatively, the display 112 may be a single display device that displays the right-eye image and the left-eye image on a common screen. As such a display device, for example, a display device that alternately displays a right-eye image and a left-eye image independently by switching a shutter so that the display image can be recognized only by one eye. .

  In the present embodiment, a transmissive display may be applied to the HMD 110. That is, the HMD 110 may be a transmissive HMD. In this case, a virtual object to be described later can be virtually arranged in the real space by displaying the three-dimensional image on the transmissive display. Thereby, the user can experience mixed reality (Mixes Reality: MR) in which virtual objects are arranged in the real space. In the present embodiment, an experience such as virtual reality or mixed reality in which a user can interact with a virtual object may be referred to as a virtual experience. Hereinafter, a method for providing virtual reality will be described in detail as an example.

(Hard structure of the control circuit unit 200)
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the control circuit unit 200. The control circuit unit 200 is a computer for causing the HMD 110 to provide a virtual space. As shown in FIG. 2, the control circuit unit 200 includes a processor, a memory, a storage, an input / output interface, and a communication interface. These are connected to each other in the control circuit unit 200 through a bus as a data transmission path.

  The processor includes a central processing unit (CPU), a micro-processing unit (MPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and the like, and controls operations of the control circuit unit 200 and the HMD system 100 as a whole.

  The memory functions as main memory. The memory stores a program processed by the processor and control data (such as calculation parameters). The memory may include a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory).

  The storage functions as auxiliary storage. The storage stores a program for controlling the operation of the entire HMD system 100, various simulation programs, a user authentication program, and various data (images, objects, etc.) for defining a virtual space. Furthermore, a database including a table for managing various data may be constructed in the storage. The storage can be configured to include a flash memory or an HDD (Hard Disc Drive).

  The input / output interface includes various wired connection terminals such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal, a DVI (Digital Visual Interface) terminal, an HDMI (registered trademark) (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) terminal, and various wireless connection terminals. These processing circuits are included. The input / output interface connects the HMD 110, various sensors including the HMD sensor 120 and the controller sensor 140, and the controller 300 to each other.

  The communication interface includes various wired connection terminals for communicating with an external device via the network NW, and various processing circuits for wireless connection. The communication interface is configured to conform to various communication standards and protocols for communicating via a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet.

  The control circuit unit 200 provides a virtual space to the user by loading a predetermined application program stored in the storage into a memory and executing it. When the program is executed, the memory and the storage store various programs for operating various virtual objects arranged in the virtual space and displaying and controlling various menu images.

  The control circuit unit 200 may or may not be mounted on the HMD 110. That is, the control circuit unit 200 may be another hardware independent of the HMD 110 (for example, a personal computer or a server device that can communicate with the HMD 110 through a network). The control circuit unit 200 may be a device in which one or a plurality of functions are implemented by cooperation of a plurality of hardware. Alternatively, only a part of all the functions of the control circuit unit 200 may be mounted on the HMD 110, and the remaining functions may be mounted on different hardware.

  A global coordinate system (reference coordinate system, xyz coordinate system) is set in advance for each element such as the HMD 110 constituting the HMD system 100. This global coordinate system has three reference directions (axes) parallel to the vertical direction, the horizontal direction orthogonal to the vertical direction, and the front-rear direction orthogonal to both the vertical direction and the horizontal direction in the real space. In the present embodiment, since the global coordinate system is a kind of viewpoint coordinate system, the horizontal direction, vertical direction (vertical direction), and front-rear direction in the global coordinate system are set as an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis, respectively. Specifically, the x-axis of the global coordinate system is parallel to the horizontal direction of the real space, the y-axis is parallel to the vertical direction of the real space, and the z-axis is parallel to the front-rear direction of the real space.

  The HMD sensor 120 has a position tracking function for detecting the movement of the HMD 110. With this function, the HMD sensor 120 detects the position and inclination of the HMD 110 in the real space. In order to realize this detection, the HMD 110 includes a plurality of light sources (not shown). Each light source is, for example, an LED that emits infrared rays. The HMD sensor 120 includes, for example, an infrared sensor. The HMD sensor 120 detects the detection point of the HMD 110 by detecting the infrared ray irradiated from the light source of the HMD 110 with the infrared sensor. Further, based on the detection value of the detection point of the HMD 110, the position and inclination of the HMD 110 in the real space according to the user's movement are detected. The HMD sensor 120 can determine the time change of the position and inclination of the HMD 110 based on the change with time of the detected value.

  The HMD sensor 120 may include an optical camera. In this case, the HMD sensor 120 detects the position and inclination of the HMD 110 based on the image information of the HMD 110 obtained by the optical camera.

  Instead of the HMD sensor 120, the HMD 110 may detect its position and inclination using the sensor 114. In this case, the sensor 114 may be an angular velocity sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, or a gyro sensor, for example. The HMD 110 uses at least one of these. When the sensor 114 is an angular velocity sensor, the sensor 114 detects angular velocities around three axes in the real space of the HMD 110 over time according to the movement of the HMD 110. The HMD 110 can determine the temporal change of the angle around the three axes of the HMD 110 based on the detected value of the angular velocity, and can detect the inclination of the HMD 110 based on the temporal change of the angle.

  When the HMD 110 detects the position and inclination of the HMD 110 based on the detection value of the sensor 114, the HMD sensor 120 is not necessary for the HMD system 100. Conversely, when the HMD sensor 120 arranged at a position away from the HMD 110 detects the position and inclination of the HMD 110, the sensor 114 is not necessary for the HMD 110.

  As described above, the global coordinate system is parallel to the real space coordinate system. Therefore, each inclination of the HMD 110 detected by the HMD sensor 120 corresponds to each inclination around the three axes of the HMD 110 in the global coordinate system. The HMD sensor 120 sets the uvw visual field coordinate system to the HMD 110 based on the detected value of the inclination of the HMD sensor 120 in the global coordinate system. The uvw visual field coordinate system set in the HMD 110 corresponds to a viewpoint coordinate system when a user wearing the HMD 110 views an object.

(Uvw visual field coordinate system)
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an uvw visual field coordinate system set in the HMD 110. The HMD sensor 120 detects the position and inclination of the HMD 110 in the global coordinate system when the HMD 110 is activated. Then, a three-dimensional uvw visual field coordinate system based on the detected tilt value is set in the HMD 110. As shown in FIG. 3, the HMD sensor 120 sets a three-dimensional uvw visual field coordinate system around the head of the user wearing the HMD 110 as the center (origin) in the HMD 110. Specifically, the horizontal direction, the vertical direction, and the front-rear direction (x axis, y axis, z axis) that define the global coordinate system are respectively set around each axis by an inclination around each axis of the HMD 110 in the global coordinate system. Three new directions obtained by tilting are set as the pitch direction (u-axis), yaw direction (v-axis), and roll direction (w-axis) of the uvw visual field coordinate system in the HMD 110.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the user wearing the HMD 110 stands upright and visually recognizes the front, the HMD sensor 120 sets the uvw visual field coordinate system parallel to the global coordinate system to the HMD 110. In this case, the horizontal direction (x-axis), the vertical direction (y-axis), and the front-back direction (z-axis) of the global coordinate system are the same as the pitch direction (u-axis) and yaw direction (v of the uvw visual field coordinate system in the HMD 110. Axis) and the roll direction (w-axis).

  After setting the uvw visual field coordinate system in the HMD 110, the HMD sensor 120 can detect the inclination (the amount of change in inclination) of the HMD 110 in the currently set uvw visual field coordinate system in accordance with the movement of the HMD 110. In this case, the HMD sensor 120 detects the pitch angle (θu), yaw angle (θv), and roll angle (θw) of the HMD 110 in the currently set uvw visual field coordinate system as the inclination of the HMD 110. The pitch angle (θu) is an inclination angle of the HMD 110 around the pitch direction in the uvw visual field coordinate system. The yaw angle (θv) is an inclination angle of the HMD 110 around the yaw direction in the uvw visual field coordinate system. The roll angle (θw) is an inclination angle of the HMD 110 around the roll direction in the uvw visual field coordinate system.

  Based on the detected value of the inclination of the HMD 110, the HMD sensor 120 newly sets the uvw visual field coordinate system in the HMD 110 after moving to the HMD 110. The relationship between the HMD 110 and the uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD 110 is always constant regardless of the position and inclination of the HMD 110. When the position and inclination of the HMD 110 change, the position and inclination of the uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD 110 in the global coordinate system similarly change in conjunction with the change.

  The HMD sensor 120 determines the position of the HMD 110 in the real space relative to the HMD sensor 120 based on the infrared light intensity acquired by the infrared sensor and the relative positional relationship (distance between the detection points) between the plurality of detection points. You may specify as a position. The origin of the uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD 110 in the real space (global coordinate system) may be determined based on the specified relative position. The HMD sensor 120 detects the inclination of the HMD 110 in the real space based on the relative positional relationship between the plurality of detection points, and further, based on the detected value, the uvw visual field coordinates of the HMD 110 in the real space (global coordinate system). The orientation of the system may be determined.

(Outline of virtual space 2)
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an outline of the virtual space 2 provided to the user. As shown in this figure, the virtual space 2 has a spherical structure that covers the entire 360 ° direction of the center 21. FIG. 4 illustrates only the upper half celestial sphere in the entire virtual space 2. A plurality of substantially square or substantially rectangular meshes are associated with the virtual space 2. The position of each mesh in the virtual space 2 is defined in advance as coordinates in a space coordinate system (XYZ coordinate system) defined in the virtual space 2. The control circuit unit 200 associates each partial image constituting content (still image, moving image, etc.) that can be developed in the virtual space 2 with each corresponding mesh in the virtual space 2, thereby enabling the virtual space image that can be visually recognized by the user. The virtual space 2 in which 22 is expanded is provided to the user.

  The virtual space 2 defines an XYZ space coordinate system with the center 21 as the origin. The XYZ coordinate system is parallel to the global coordinate system, for example. Since the XYZ coordinate system is a kind of viewpoint coordinate system, the horizontal direction, vertical direction (vertical direction), and front-rear direction in the XYZ coordinate system are defined as an X axis, a Y axis, and a Z axis, respectively. That is, the X axis (horizontal direction) of the XYZ coordinate system is parallel to the x axis of the global coordinate system, the Y axis (vertical direction) of the XYZ coordinate system is parallel to the y axis of the global coordinate system, and The Z axis (front-rear direction) is parallel to the z axis of the global coordinate system.

  When the HMD 110 is activated (initial state), the virtual camera 1 is arranged at the center 21 of the virtual space 2. The virtual camera 1 moves similarly in the virtual space 2 in conjunction with the movement of the HMD 110 in the real space. Thereby, changes in the position and orientation of the HMD 110 in the real space are similarly reproduced in the virtual space 2.

  As with the HMD 110, the uvw visual field coordinate system is defined for the virtual camera 1. The uvw visual field coordinate system of the virtual camera 1 in the virtual space 2 is defined so as to be linked to the uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD 110 in the real space (global coordinate system). Therefore, when the inclination of the HMD 110 changes, the inclination of the virtual camera 1 also changes accordingly. The virtual camera 1 can also move in the virtual space 2 in conjunction with the movement of the user wearing the HMD 110 in the real space.

  The orientation of the virtual camera 1 in the virtual space 2 is determined according to the position and inclination of the virtual camera 1 in the virtual space 2. As a result, a line of sight (reference line of sight 5) as a reference when the user visually recognizes the virtual space image 22 developed in the virtual space 2 is determined. The control circuit unit 200 determines the visual field region 23 in the virtual space 2 based on the reference visual line 5. The visual field area 23 is an area corresponding to the visual field of the user wearing the HMD 110 in the virtual space 2.

  FIG. 5 is a view showing a cross section of the visual field region 23. FIG. 5A shows a YZ cross section of the visual field region 23 viewed from the X direction in the virtual space 2. FIG. 5B shows an XZ cross-section of the visual field region 23 viewed from the Y direction in the virtual space 2. The visual field region 23 is defined by the first region 24 (see FIG. 5A) that is a range defined by the reference line of sight 5 and the YZ section of the virtual space 2, and the reference line of sight 5 and the XZ section of the virtual space 2. And a second region 25 (see FIG. 5B) which is a defined range. The control circuit unit 200 sets a range including the polar angle α around the reference line of sight 5 in the virtual space 2 as the first region 24. In addition, a range including the azimuth angle β around the reference line of sight 5 in the virtual space 2 is set as the second region 25.

  The HMD system 100 provides the user with the virtual space 2 by causing the display image 112 of the HMD 110 to display a view image 26 that is a portion of the virtual space image 22 that is superimposed on the view region 23. If the user moves the HMD 110, the virtual camera 1 also moves in conjunction with it, and as a result, the position of the visual field area 23 in the virtual space 2 changes. As a result, the view image 26 displayed on the display 112 is updated to an image that is superimposed on a portion of the virtual space image 22 where the user faces (= view region 23). Therefore, the user can visually recognize a desired location in the virtual space 2.

  While wearing the HMD 110, the user visually recognizes only the virtual space image 22 developed in the virtual space 2 without seeing the real world. Therefore, the HMD system 100 can give a high immersive feeling to the virtual space 2 to the user.

  The control circuit unit 200 may move the virtual camera 1 in the virtual space 2 in conjunction with the movement of the user wearing the HMD 110 in the real space. In this case, the control circuit unit 200 identifies the visual field region 23 that is visually recognized by the user by being projected on the display 112 of the HMD 110 in the virtual space 2 based on the position and orientation of the virtual camera 1 in the virtual space 2.

  The virtual camera 1 preferably includes a right-eye virtual camera that provides a right-eye image and a left-eye virtual camera that provides a left-eye image. Furthermore, it is preferable that appropriate parallax is set for the two virtual cameras so that the user can recognize the three-dimensional virtual space 2. In the present embodiment, only the virtual camera 1 in which the roll direction (w) generated by combining the roll directions of the two virtual cameras is adapted to the roll direction (w) of the HMD 110 is represented. Will be shown and described.

(Gaze direction detection)
The gaze sensor 130 has an eye tracking function that detects the direction (gaze direction) in which the line of sight of the user's right eye and left eye is directed. As the gaze sensor 130, a known sensor having an eye tracking function can be employed. The gaze sensor 130 preferably includes a right eye sensor and a left eye sensor. The gaze sensor 130 may be, for example, a sensor that detects the rotation angle of each eyeball by irradiating the user's right eye and left eye with infrared light and receiving reflected light from the cornea and iris with respect to the irradiated light. The gaze sensor 130 can detect the direction of the user's line of sight based on each detected rotation angle.

  The user's gaze direction detected by the gaze sensor 130 is a direction in the viewpoint coordinate system when the user visually recognizes the object. As described above, the uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD 110 is equal to the viewpoint coordinate system when the user visually recognizes the display 112. Further, the uvw visual field coordinate system of the virtual camera 1 is linked to the uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD 110. Therefore, in the HMD system 100, the user's line-of-sight direction detected by the gaze sensor 130 can be regarded as the user's line-of-sight direction in the uvw visual field coordinate system of the virtual camera 1.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a method of determining the user's line-of-sight direction. As shown in this figure, the gaze sensor 130 detects the line of sight of the right eye and the left eye of the user U. When the user U is looking nearby, the gaze sensor 130 detects the line of sight R1 and L1 of the user U. When the user looks far away, the gaze sensor 130 identifies the line of sight R2 and L2 that are smaller in angle with the roll direction (w) of the HMD 110 than the line of sight R1 and L1 of the user. The gaze sensor 130 transmits the detection value to the control circuit unit 200.

  When receiving the line of sight R1 and L1 as the line-of-sight detection value, the control circuit unit 200 specifies the gazing point N1 that is the intersection of the two. On the other hand, also when the lines of sight R2 and L2 are received, the gazing point N2 (not shown) that is the intersection of the two is specified. The control circuit unit 200 detects the gaze direction N0 of the user U based on the identified gazing point N1. For example, the control circuit unit 200 detects, as the line-of-sight direction N0, the direction in which the straight line passing through the midpoint of the straight line connecting the right eye R and the left eye L of the user U and the gazing point N1 extends. The line-of-sight direction N0 is a direction in which the user U actually points the line of sight with both eyes. The line-of-sight direction N0 is also a direction in which the user U actually directs his / her line of sight with respect to the visual field region 23.

  The HMD system 100 may include a microphone and a speaker in any element constituting the HMD system 100. Thereby, the user can give a voice instruction to the virtual space 2. Further, in order to receive a broadcast of a television program on a virtual television in a virtual space, the HMD system 100 may include a television receiver as any element. Further, it may include a communication function or the like for displaying an electronic mail or the like acquired by the user.

(Controller 300)
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the controller 300. The controller 300 is an example of an apparatus used to control the movement of a virtual object by detecting the movement of a part of the user's body. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 7, the controller 300 includes a right controller 320 that the user uses with the right hand and a left controller 330 that the user uses with the left hand. The right controller 320 and the left controller 330 are configured as separate devices. The user can freely move the right hand holding the right controller 320 and the left hand holding the left controller 330 to each other. The method for detecting the movement of a part of the body other than the user's head is not limited to an example using a controller including a sensor attached to the part of the body. An optical method or the like can be applied. For example, by identifying the initial position of a part of the user's body using an external camera and continuously identifying the position of the part of the user's body, the movement of the part of the body other than the user's head Can be detected. In the following description, detection of movement of a part of the body other than the user's head using the controller 300 will be described in detail.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the right controller 320 and the left controller 330 each include an operation button 302, an infrared LED (Light Emitting Diode) 304, a sensor 306, and a transceiver 308. As will be described later, the right controller 320 and the left controller 330 may include only one of the infrared LED 304 and the sensor 306.

  The operation buttons 302 are a group of buttons configured to receive operation inputs from the user for the controller 300. In the present embodiment, the operation button 302 includes a push button, a trigger button, and an analog stick.

  The push-type button is a button configured to be operated by an operation of pressing downward with a thumb. The right controller 320 includes thumb buttons 302a and 302b on the top surface 322 as push buttons. The left controller 330 includes two thumb buttons 302c and 302d on the top surface 332 as push buttons. Both thumb buttons 302a and 302b are operated (pressed) with the thumb of the right hand. Both thumb buttons 302c and 302d are operated (pressed) with the thumb of the left hand.

  The trigger type button is a button configured to be operated by an operation of pulling a trigger with an index finger or a middle finger. The right controller 320 includes a forefinger button 302e on the front surface portion of the grip 324 as a trigger button, and further includes a middle finger button 302f on a side surface portion of the grip 324. The left controller 330 includes a forefinger button 302g on the front portion of the grip 334 as a trigger type button, and further includes a middle finger button 302h on a side portion of the grip 334. The index finger button 302e, the middle finger button 302f, the index finger button 302g, and the middle finger button 302h are operated (pressed) by the index finger of the right hand, the middle finger of the right hand, the index finger of the left hand, and the middle finger of the left hand, respectively.

  The right controller 320 detects the pressed state of the thumb buttons 302 a and 302 b, the index finger button 302 e, and the middle finger button 302 f, and outputs these detected values to the control circuit unit 200. On the other hand, the left controller 330 detects the pressed state of the thumb buttons 302c and 302d, the index finger button 302g, and the middle finger button 302h, and outputs these detected values to the control circuit unit 200.

  In the present embodiment, the detection value of the pressed state of each button of the right controller 320 and the left controller 330 can take any value from 0 to 1. For example, when the user has not pressed the thumb button 302a at all, “0” is detected as the pressing state of the thumb button 302a. On the other hand, when the user presses the thumb button 302a completely (deepest), “1” is detected as the pressing state of the thumb button 302a.

  The analog stick is a stick-type button that can be operated by being tilted 360 degrees from a predetermined neutral position. An analog stick 302 i is provided on the top surface 322 of the right controller 320, and an analog stick 302 j is provided on the top surface 332 of the left controller 330. Analog sticks 302i and 302j are operated by the thumbs of the right hand and the left hand, respectively.

  The right controller 320 and the left controller 330 respectively have frames 326 and 336 that form semicircular rings extending from opposite sides of the grips (324 and 334) in a direction opposite to the top surface (322 and 332). I have. A plurality of infrared LEDs 304 are embedded on the outer surfaces of the frames 326 and 336. A plurality of (for example, about 10) infrared LEDs 304 are provided in a line along the circumferential direction of the frames 326 and 336. A plurality of rows (for example, two rows) of infrared LEDs 304 may be arranged along the circumferential direction of the frames 326 and 336.

  When the user grips the controller 300, each finger of the user is between the grip (324 or 334) and the frame (326 or 336). Therefore, the infrared LED 304 arranged on the outer surface of each of the frames 326 and 336 is not covered by the user's hand or finger. In addition to the outer surfaces of the frames 326 and 336, infrared LEDs 304 may also be provided on portions of the surfaces of the grips 324 and 334 that are not hidden by the user's finger. The infrared LED 304 emits infrared light during the play of a computer game. Infrared light emitted from the infrared LED 304 is used to detect the respective positions and inclinations of the right controller 320 and the left controller 330.

  The right controller 320 and the left controller 330 further incorporate a sensor 306 instead of or in addition to the infrared LED 304. The sensor 306 may be, for example, a magnetic sensor, an angular velocity sensor, an acceleration sensor, or a combination thereof. The position and inclination of the right controller 320 and the left controller 330 can also be detected by the sensor 306.

  When the user moves the right controller 320 and the left controller 330 with the right hand and the left hand, respectively, the sensor 306 is a value corresponding to the direction and movement of the right controller 320 and the left controller 330 (magnetic, angular velocity, or acceleration value). Is output. The control circuit unit 200 can detect the positions and inclinations of the right controller 320 and the left controller 330 by processing the output value from the sensor 306 by an appropriate method.

  The transceiver 308 is configured to transmit and receive data between the right controller 320 and the left controller 330 and the control circuit unit 200. The transceiver 308 transmits data based on the operation input given by the user to the right controller 320 or the left controller 330 via the operation button 302 to the control circuit unit 200. Further, the transceiver 308 receives a command for instructing the right controller 320 or the left controller 330 to emit the infrared LED 304 from the control circuit unit 200. Further, the transceiver 308 transmits data corresponding to various values detected by the sensor 306 to the control circuit unit 200.

  The right controller 320 and the left controller 330 may include a vibrator for transmitting tactile feedback by vibration to the user's hand. In this configuration, the transceiver 308 can receive a command for causing the vibrator to perform tactile feedback from the control circuit unit 200 in addition to the transmission / reception of each data described above. The transceiver 308 is preferably configured to send and receive data via wireless communication. In this configuration, since the cable for wired communication is not connected to the right controller 320 and the left controller 330, the user can move the right hand holding the right controller 320 and the left hand holding the left controller 330 more freely.

  The controller sensor 140 has a position tracking function for detecting the movement of the right controller 320 and the left controller 330. With this function, the controller sensor 140 detects the position and inclination of the right controller 320 and the left controller 330 in the real space. In order to realize this detection, the controller sensor 140 detects infrared light emitted from the infrared LEDs 304 of the right controller 320 and the left controller 330, respectively. The controller sensor 140 includes, for example, an infrared camera that captures an image in the infrared wavelength region, and detects the positions and inclinations of the right controller 320 and the left controller 330 based on image data captured by the infrared camera. To do.

  The image picked up by the infrared camera is a bright and dark image reflecting the arrangement of a large number of infrared LEDs 304 embedded in the surfaces of the right controller 320 and the left controller 330. A certain captured image may include a group of two bright spots that are separated from each other on the left and right. The left group of the two groups corresponds to the infrared LED 304 of the right controller 320 that the user has with the right hand. The group on the right side corresponds to the infrared LED 304 of the left controller 330 that the user has with his left hand. The controller sensor 140 detects the inclination of the right controller 320 from the direction in which the bright spots constituting the left group are arranged. For example, when the bright spots are arranged in the horizontal direction (that is, in the horizontal direction) in the captured image, the inclination of the right controller 320 may be detected as the inclination in which the frame 326 is held horizontally. Further, when the direction in which the bright spots are arranged in the captured image is inclined by a certain angle from the horizontal direction, the inclination of the right controller 320 may be detected as the inclination in which the frame 326 is inclined by the angle from the horizontal. . Similarly, the controller sensor 140 detects the inclination of the left controller 330 from the direction in which the bright spots constituting the right group in the captured image are arranged.

  The controller sensor 140 detects the positions of the right controller 320 and the left controller 330 by identifying a bright point (infrared LED 304) in the captured image. For example, among the two bright spot groups detected from the captured image, the barycentric positions of a plurality of bright spots constituting the left group are detected as the position of the right controller 320. Further, the barycentric positions of a plurality of bright spots constituting the right group are detected as positions of the left controller 330.

  Instead of the controller sensor 140, the right controller 320 and the left controller 330 may detect their position and inclination using the sensor 306. In this case, for example, the three-axis angular velocity sensor (sensor 306) of the right controller 320 detects rotations about the three orthogonal axes of the right controller 320. The right controller 320 detects how much the right controller 320 has rotated in which direction based on each detection value, and further accumulates the rotation direction and the rotation amount that are sequentially detected to thereby determine the inclination of the right controller 320. Is calculated. Similarly, the left controller 330 may calculate the inclination of the left controller 330 using the detection value from the triaxial angular velocity sensor (sensor 306) of the left controller 330. The right controller 320 and the left controller 330 may use a detection value from, for example, a triaxial magnetic sensor and / or a triaxial acceleration sensor in addition to the detection value of the triaxial angular velocity sensor.

  Although a detailed description is omitted, the right controller 320 can detect the position of the right controller 320 using a detection value from the triaxial angular velocity sensor (sensor 306). Further, the left controller 330 can detect the position of the left controller 330 using the detection value from the triaxial angular velocity sensor (sensor 306).

(Functional configuration of control circuit unit 200)
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the control circuit unit 200. The control circuit unit 200 uses the various data received from the HMD sensor 120, the controller sensor 140, the gaze sensor 130, and the controller 300 to control the virtual space 2 provided to the user and to the display 112 of the HMD 110. Control image display. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the control circuit unit 200 includes a detection unit 210, a display control unit 220, a virtual space control unit 230, a storage unit 240, and a communication unit 250. The control circuit unit 200 functions as a detection unit 210, a display control unit 220, a virtual space control unit 230, a storage unit 240, and a communication unit 250 by the cooperation of the hardware illustrated in FIG. The functions of the detection unit 210, the display control unit 220, and the virtual space control unit 230 can be realized mainly by the cooperation of the processor and the memory. The function of the storage unit 240 can be realized mainly by the cooperation of the memory and the storage. The function of the communication unit 250 can be realized mainly by the cooperation of the processor and the communication interface.

  The detection unit 210 receives detection values from various sensors (such as the HMD sensor 120) connected to the control circuit unit 200. Moreover, the predetermined process using the received detected value is performed as needed. The detection unit 210 includes an HMD detection unit 211, a line-of-sight detection unit 212, and a controller detection unit 213. The HMD detection unit 211 receives detection values from the HMD 110 and the HMD sensor 120, respectively. The line-of-sight detection unit 212 receives the detection value from the gaze sensor 130. The controller detection unit 213 receives detection values from the controller sensor 140, the right controller 320, and the left controller 330.

  The display control unit 220 controls image display on the display 112 of the HMD 110. The display control unit 220 includes a virtual camera control unit 221, a visual field region determination unit 222, and a visual field image generation unit 223. The virtual camera control unit 221 arranges the virtual camera 1 in the virtual space 2 and controls the behavior of the virtual camera 1 in the virtual space 2. The view area determination unit 222 determines the view area 23. The view image generation unit 223 generates a view image 26 displayed on the display 112 based on the determined view area 23.

  The virtual space control unit 230 controls the virtual space 2 provided to the user. The virtual space control unit 230 includes a virtual space defining unit 231, a virtual hand control unit 232, a region specifying unit 233, and a contact determination unit 234.

  The virtual space defining unit 231 defines the virtual space 2 in the HMD system 100 by generating virtual space data representing the virtual space 2 provided to the user. The virtual hand control unit 232 arranges each virtual hand (virtual right hand and virtual left hand) of the user in accordance with the operation of the right controller 320 and the left controller 330 by the user in the virtual space 2 and each virtual hand in the virtual space 2 Control hand behavior. The area specifying unit 233 sets a determination area for determining contact with an operation target object (for example, a virtual hand) to be a user operation target, in at least one of the objects in the virtual space 26, that is, the virtual object. The contact determination unit 234 determines contact between the virtual object in which the determination area is set and the operation target object based on a positional relationship between the determination area and the operation target object.

  The storage unit 240 stores various data used by the control circuit unit 200 to provide the virtual space 2 to the user. The storage unit 240 includes a template storage unit 241 and a content storage unit 242. The template storage unit 241 stores various template data representing the template of the virtual space 2. The content storage unit 242 stores various types of content that can be reproduced in the virtual space 2.

  The template data has spatial structure data that defines the spatial structure of the virtual space 2. The spatial structure data is data that defines the spatial structure of a 360-degree celestial sphere centered on the center 21, for example. The template data further includes data defining the XYZ coordinate system of the virtual space 2. The template data further includes coordinate data for specifying the position of each mesh constituting the celestial sphere in the XYZ coordinate system. The template data may further include a flag indicating whether or not a virtual object can be arranged in the virtual space 2.

  The content is content that can be reproduced in the virtual space 2. In the present embodiment, this content is game content. The content includes at least data defining a background image of the game and virtual objects (characters, items, etc.) appearing in the game. In each content, an initial direction facing an image to be shown to the user in the initial state (at the time of activation) of the HMD 110 is defined in advance.

  The communication unit 250 transmits / receives data to / from an external device 400 (for example, a game server) via the network NW.

(Process of providing virtual space 2)
FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram showing a flow of processing in which the HMD system 100 provides the virtual space 2 to the user. The virtual space 2 is basically provided to the user through the cooperation of the HMD 110 and the control circuit unit 200. When the process shown in FIG. 8 is started, first, in step S1, the virtual space defining unit 231 generates virtual space data representing the virtual space 2 provided to the user, thereby defining the virtual space 2. The generation procedure is as follows. First, the virtual space defining unit 231 defines the prototype of the virtual space 2 by acquiring the template data of the virtual space 2 from the template storage unit 241. The virtual space defining unit 231 further acquires content to be played back in the virtual space 2 from the content storage unit 242. In the present embodiment, this content is game content.

  The virtual space defining unit 231 generates virtual space data defining the virtual space 2 by adapting the acquired content to the acquired template data. The virtual space defining unit 231 appropriately associates each partial image constituting the background image included in the content with management data of each mesh constituting the celestial sphere of the virtual space 2 in the virtual space data. The virtual space defining unit 231 preferably associates each partial image with each mesh so that the initial direction defined in the content matches the Z direction in the XYZ coordinate system of the virtual space 2.

  The virtual space defining unit 231 further adds management data of each virtual object included in the content to the virtual space data as necessary. At that time, coordinates representing the position where the corresponding virtual object is arranged in the virtual space 2 are set in each management data. Thus, each virtual object is arranged at the position of the coordinate in the virtual space 2.

  After that, when the HMD 110 is activated by the user, the HMD sensor 120 detects the position and inclination of the HMD 110 in the initial state in step S2, and outputs the detected value to the control circuit unit 200 in step S3. The HMD detection unit 211 receives this detection value. Thereafter, in step S <b> 4, the virtual camera control unit 221 initializes the virtual camera 1 in the virtual space 2.

  The initialization procedure is as follows. First, the virtual camera control unit 221 places the virtual camera 1 at an initial position in the virtual space 2 (eg, the center 21 in FIG. 4). Next, the orientation of the virtual camera 1 in the virtual space 2 is set. At that time, the virtual camera control unit 221 specifies the uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD 110 in the initial state based on the detection value from the HMD sensor 120 and sets the uvw visual field coordinate system that matches the uvw visual field coordinate system of the HMD 110 to the virtual camera 1. The orientation of the virtual camera 1 may be set by setting to. When setting the uvw visual field coordinate system for the virtual camera 1, the virtual camera control unit 221 adapts the roll direction (w axis) of the virtual camera 1 to the Z direction (Z axis) of the XYZ coordinate system. Specifically, the virtual camera control unit 221 matches the direction obtained by projecting the roll direction of the virtual camera 1 on the XZ plane with the Z direction of the XYZ coordinate system, and the roll direction of the virtual camera 1 with respect to the XZ plane. Is matched with the inclination of the roll direction of the HMD 110 with respect to the horizontal plane. As a result of such adaptation processing, the roll direction of the virtual camera 2 in the initial state is adapted to the initial direction of the content, so that the horizontal direction that the user first faces after the start of content reproduction matches the initial direction of the content Can be made.

  When the initialization process of the virtual camera 1 is completed, the visual field region determination unit 222 determines the visual field region 23 in the virtual space 2 based on the uvw visual field coordinate system of the virtual camera 1. Specifically, the roll direction (w axis) of the uvw visual field coordinate system of the virtual camera 1 is specified as the reference visual line 5 of the user, and the visual field region 23 is determined based on the reference visual line 5. In step S <b> 5, the visual field image generation unit 223 processes the virtual space data, and corresponds to a portion projected to the visual field region 23 in the virtual space 2 out of the entire virtual space image 22 developed in the virtual space 2. A visual field image 26 to be generated is generated (rendered). In step S6, the visual field image generation unit 223 outputs the generated visual field image 26 to the HMD 110 as an initial visual field image. In step S <b> 7, the HMD 110 displays the received initial view image on the display 112. Thereby, the user visually recognizes the initial view image.

  Thereafter, in step S8, the HMD sensor 120 detects the current position and inclination of the HMD 110, and outputs these detected values to the control circuit unit 200 in step S9. The HMD detection unit 211 receives each detection value. The virtual camera control unit 221 specifies the current uvw visual field coordinate system in the HMD 110 based on the position and tilt detection values of the HMD 110. Furthermore, in step S <b> 10, the virtual camera control unit 221 specifies the roll direction (w axis) of the uvw visual field coordinate system in the XYZ coordinate system as the visual field direction of the HMD 110.

  In the present embodiment, in step S <b> 11, the virtual camera control unit 221 specifies the identified visual field direction of the HMD 110 as the user's reference visual line 5 in the virtual space 2. In step S <b> 12, the virtual camera control unit 221 controls the virtual camera 1 based on the identified reference line of sight 5. If the position (starting point) and direction of the reference line of sight 5 are the same as the initial state of the virtual camera 1, the virtual camera control unit 221 maintains the position and direction of the virtual camera 1 as they are. On the other hand, if the position (starting point) and / or direction of the reference line of sight 5 has changed from the initial state of the virtual camera 1, the position and / or inclination of the virtual camera 1 in the virtual space 2 is changed to the reference line of sight after the change. Change the position and / or inclination according to 5. Further, the uvw visual field coordinate system is reset for the virtual camera 1 after the control.

  In step S <b> 13, the visual field area determination unit 222 determines the visual field area 23 in the virtual space 2 based on the identified reference visual line 5. Thereafter, in step S <b> 14, the visual field image generation unit 223 processes (superimposes) the virtual space data on the visual field region 23 in the virtual space 2 among the entire virtual space image 22 developed in the virtual space 2 by processing the virtual space data. A view field image 26 that is a portion to be generated is generated (rendered). In step S15, the visual field image generation unit 223 outputs the generated visual field image 26 to the HMD 110 as a visual field image for update. In step S <b> 16, the HMD 110 updates the view image 26 by displaying the received view image 26 on the display 112. Thereby, if a user moves HMD110, the view image 26 will be updated in response to it.

(Provide virtual space game)
In the present embodiment, the user plays a game in the virtual space 2 by operating the right controller 320 and the left controller 330. In this game, the user can touch other virtual objects in the virtual space 2 with an operation target object that operates in conjunction with the movement of a part of the body other than the user's head. Although details will be described later, the control circuit unit 200 includes at least a portion extending in the extending direction based on the position of the virtual camera 1 or the direction of the reference line of sight 5 in the virtual object that can be touched by the operation target object. A determination area for determining contact with the operation target object is set. As a result, the user can bring the operation target object into contact with another virtual object through an intuitive operation. The game may be a card game, for example. In this case, the operation target object may be a virtual hand, and the other virtual object may be a card object (a virtual object having an appearance and shape imitating a real card) that can be selected by a user. Even if the virtual object is a thin card, by setting the determination area, the user can touch the virtual object of the card with a virtual hand by an intuitive operation.

  FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of processing during the game in the virtual space 2. In step S20, the virtual space defining unit 231 reads each partial image constituting the selection screen from the content storage unit 242, and in the virtual space data, the management unit of each mesh constituting the celestial sphere of the virtual space 2 is included in each of the parts. Associate images. In addition, the virtual space defining unit 231 adds management data of each virtual object included in the selection screen to the virtual space data. The management data of the virtual object includes data indicating the shape of the virtual object, the position (coordinates) and the inclination (attitude) in the virtual space 2. When the management data is added to the virtual space data, coordinates representing the position where the corresponding virtual object is arranged in the virtual space 2 are set for each management data. The virtual object is a virtual object to be selected by the user, for example, a virtual object of a card.

  In step S21, the controller sensor 140 detects the position and inclination of the right controller 320 and the position and inclination of the left controller 330, respectively. In step S <b> 22, the controller sensor 140 transmits each detection value to the control circuit unit 200. The controller detection unit 213 receives these detection values.

  In step S23, the controller 300 detects the pressed state of each button. Specifically, the right controller 320 detects the pressed state of the thumb button 302a, the index finger button 302e, and the middle finger button 302f, respectively. On the other hand, the left controller 330 detects the pressed state of the thumb button 302c, the index finger button 302g, and the middle finger button 302h, respectively. In step S <b> 24, the right controller 320 and the left controller 330 transmit each detection value to the control circuit unit 200. The controller detection unit 213 receives these detection values.

  In step S <b> 25, the virtual hand control unit 232 generates each virtual hand (virtual right hand and virtual left hand) of the user in the virtual space 2 using each received detection value. Specifically, the data defining the shape of the virtual right hand, the position and inclination in the virtual space 2 and the data defining the virtual left hand are respectively generated and added to the virtual space data.

  The virtual hand control unit 232 defines the user's virtual right hand using the detected value of the position and tilt of the right controller 320 and the detected value of the pressed state of each button of the right controller 320. At this time, the position of the right controller 320 in the global coordinate system is defined as the position of the virtual right hand in the virtual space 2. The virtual hand control unit 232 further sets the uvw visual field coordinate system linked to the uvw visual field coordinate system set in the right controller 320 based on the detected value of the tilt of the right controller 320 to the virtual right hand 2. Defines the inclination of the virtual right hand inside.

  The virtual hand control unit 232 further displays the display states of the right thumb, right index finger, and right middle finger constituting the virtual right hand based on the detected values of the thumb button 302a, the index finger button 302e, and the middle finger button 302f of the right controller 320. Stipulate. The display states of the right ring finger and the right little finger are defined to match the right middle finger.

  When the detected value of the pressed state of a button is “0”, the virtual hand control unit 232 defines a state where the finger is fully extended as the display state of the finger of the virtual hand corresponding to the button. On the other hand, when the pressed state of a certain button is “1”, the state in which the finger is completely bent is defined as the display state of the finger of the virtual hand corresponding to the button. When the pressed state of a button is “intermediate (value between 0 and 1)”, the display state of the finger of the virtual hand corresponding to the button is displayed by bending the finger to the extent corresponding to the pressed state. Specify the state.

  Similarly, the virtual hand control unit 232 defines the position and inclination of the virtual left hand in the virtual space 2 and the state of each finger based on the detection values of the left controller 330. Through these processes, the virtual hand control unit 232 places the virtual right hand and the virtual left hand in the virtual space 2.

  The processing of step S26 to step S34 is the same as step S8 to step S16 of FIG. Through the processes in steps S26 to S34, the view image 26 that is a portion projected (superimposed) on the view area 23 in the selection screen generated in step S20 is displayed on the display 112.

  In step S35, the area specifying unit 233 specifies the posture of each virtual object included in the selection screen. The process of step S35 need only be performed for the virtual object that is the target of selection by the user, and need not be performed for all virtual objects included in the virtual space 2. The processing in steps S36 to S39 is the same. The attitude of the virtual object can be specified with reference to the management data of the virtual object.

  In step S <b> 36, the region specifying unit 233 specifies a reference vector for setting a determination region used when determining contact between the virtual object and the virtual hand. The starting point of the reference vector indicates the starting point of the determination area, and is determined based on the posture specified in step S35. Specifically, the area specifying unit 233 specifies an area to be displayed as the field-of-view image 26 in the virtual object based on the attitude specified in step S35, and sets the start point of the reference vector in the area. For example, when the virtual object is a card, the start point may be set at the center position of the card surface (the surface facing the virtual camera 1). The size of the reference vector indicates the depth of the determination area, and may be determined according to how far the determination area extends from the virtual object. The direction of the reference vector indicates the extending direction of the determination region. For example, when the virtual object is a card, the normal direction of the card surface may be set as the direction of the reference vector.

  In step S37, the region specifying unit 233 sets a determination region using the specified reference vector as a reference. The area specifying unit 233 may set the determination area so as to extend in the direction of the reference vector in a section from the start point to the end point of the reference vector. For example, an area through which the virtual object passes when the virtual object is moved along the reference vector from the start point to the end point of the reference vector may be set as the determination area.

  In step S38, the region specifying unit 233 adjusts the reference vector specified in step S36 based on the position of the virtual camera 1 or the direction of the reference line of sight 5 (the direction of the virtual camera 1). Adjustment of the reference vector based on the position of the virtual camera 1 will be described later with reference to FIG. The adjustment of the reference vector based on the direction of the reference line of sight 5 will be described later with reference to FIGS.

  In step S39, the region specifying unit 233 sets the determination region again with the adjusted reference vector as a reference, and thereby the determination region is adjusted to an appropriate range according to the position of the virtual camera 1 or the direction of the reference line of sight 5. The Although details will be described later with reference to FIG. 11, the contact determination between the virtual object and the virtual hand is performed based on the adjusted determination region.

  Note that if the position of the virtual camera 1 or the direction of the reference line of sight 5 has changed, the processes in steps S38 and S39 are performed again. That is, based on the detection value newly received from the HMD sensor 120, when the processing of the above-described step S28 to step S32 is performed and the position of the virtual camera 1 and / or the direction of the reference line of sight 5 is changed, the changed virtual Based on the position of the camera 1 and / or the direction of the reference line of sight 5, the processes in steps S38 and S39 are performed. Thereby, even when the user wearing the HMD 110 moves in the real space or tilts his / her head while the selection screen is displayed, a state in which the virtual object can be easily touched by the virtual hand can be maintained. it can.

(Process after setting the judgment area)
Processing after the area specifying unit 233 sets the determination area will be described with reference to FIG. In step S60, the controller sensor 140 detects the position and inclination of the right controller 320 and the position and inclination of the left controller 330, respectively. In step S <b> 61, the controller sensor 140 transmits each detection value to the control circuit unit 200. The controller detection unit 213 receives these detection values.

  In step S62, the virtual hand control unit 232 updates the position and inclination of each virtual hand (virtual right hand and virtual left hand) of the user in the virtual space 2 using each received detection value. Specifically, the position of the virtual right hand in the virtual space 2 is updated to the current position of the right controller 320 in the global coordinate system. Further, the virtual hand control unit 232 updates the virtual right hand tilt in the virtual space 2 based on the detected tilt value of the right controller 320. Similarly, the virtual hand control unit 232 updates the position and inclination of the virtual left hand in the virtual space 2 based on each detection value of the left controller 330. In step S63, the visual field image generation unit 223 generates the visual field image 26 in which the position and inclination of the virtual hand are updated and outputs the visual field image 26 to the HMD 110. In step S64, the HMD 110 displays the received view image 26 on the display 112, thereby updating the view image 26 visually recognized by the user.

  In step S65, the contact determination unit 234 determines whether the virtual hand has contacted the virtual object. Specifically, the contact determination unit 234 determines whether or not there is an overlapping portion between the determination region adjusted in step S39 in FIG. 10 and the region occupied by the virtual hand in the virtual space 2. When contact determination unit 234 determines that there is no overlapping portion (NO in step S65), the process returns to the beginning of the illustrated flow. On the other hand, when the contact determination unit 234 determines that there is an overlapping portion (YES in step S65), the contact determination unit 234 is detected by the controller 300 (step S66) and transmitted to the control circuit unit 200 (step S67). ), It is determined whether or not a gripping operation has been detected based on each detection value indicating the pressed state of each button (step S68). There is no particular limitation on what kind of operation is to be grasped, but for example, an operation of pressing a button corresponding to each finger until the thumb of the virtual hand contacts the index finger and the middle finger may be grasped.

  If the contact determination unit 234 determines that the gripping operation has not been performed (NO in step S68), the process returns to the beginning of the illustrated flow. On the other hand, when it is determined that the gripping operation has been performed (YES in step S68), the contact determination unit 234 determines that the virtual object has been gripped (step S69). The process after the contact determination unit 234 determines that the virtual object has been grasped may be in accordance with the game content. For example, the contact determination unit 234 may associate the grasped virtual object with the grasped virtual hand, and move the virtual object in conjunction with the virtual hand when the virtual hand moves. This association may be canceled when, for example, the state in which the virtual object is grasped by the virtual hand is released (the operation of extending the grasping finger is performed).

(Adjustment of the reference vector based on the position of the virtual camera 1)
FIG. 12 shows the virtual camera 1 and virtual objects OA to OD to be selected by the user and the reference position 27 as seen from the Y-axis direction of the virtual space 2. In FIG. 6A, solid arrows Va to Vd starting from the vicinity of the center of the surface of each virtual object OA to OD (the surface facing the virtual camera 1 side) are the reference for each virtual object OA to OD. Shows vector. Note that the starting points of the reference vectors Va to Vd may be the surfaces of the virtual objects OA to OD or the inside thereof.

  When adjusting the reference vector based on the position of the virtual camera 1 in step S38 in FIG. 10, the region specifying unit 233 sets the reference position 27 at an arbitrary position in the virtual space 2 (for example, in the vicinity of the virtual objects OA to OD). Set. The reference position 27 is set to specify the amount of displacement in the direction of the reference line of sight 5 and the amount of displacement in the direction of the reference line of sight according to the amount of displacement of the position of the virtual camera 1. In the example of FIG. 12, the virtual camera between the virtual objects OA to OD of the four virtual objects OA to OD arranged in a line in the X-axis direction rather than the surface facing the virtual camera 1 side of the virtual objects OA to OD. A reference position 27 is set at a position closer to one. The reference position 27 may be a position specified based on the positions of the virtual objects OA to OD, and may be set in the internal area of the virtual objects OA to OD or set in the external area of the virtual objects OA to OD. May be.

  As in this example, by setting one reference position 27 for a plurality of virtual objects, it is possible to collectively adjust the reference vectors of the plurality of virtual objects, and to keep the processing load low. it can. It should be noted that the reference position 27 may be set for each virtual object as long as it is allowed to increase the processing load.

  After setting the reference position 27, the area specifying unit 233 specifies the direction D from the position P1 of the virtual camera 1 toward the reference position 27. Note that the direction D substantially matches the user's line-of-sight direction when selecting the virtual objects OA to OD. Then, the region specifying unit 233 adjusts the reference vectors Va to Vd so as to be parallel to the direction D and opposite to the direction D. As shown in FIG. 12A, when the direction D is parallel to the Z axis and faces the positive direction of the Z axis, the region specifying unit 233 sets the reference vectors Va to Vd in parallel to the Z axis. , And adjust so as to face the negative direction of the Z-axis. On the other hand, in the example of FIG. 12B, the position of the virtual camera 1 has moved to P2, and thus the direction D rotates θ around the Y axis. Therefore, the region specifying unit 233 rotates and adjusts the reference vectors Va to Vd. In this adjustment, the rotation angle is θ, the rotation direction is counterclockwise around the Y axis, and the starting points of the reference vectors Va to Vd are not changed during the rotation.

  In the above example, for the sake of simplicity, the example in which the reference vector is adjusted without considering the Y-axis direction component of the direction D is shown. However, the reference vector is adjusted in consideration of the Y-axis direction component. May be. In this case, the region specifying unit 233 adjusts the reference vector of the virtual object at a position higher than the virtual camera 1 in the Y-axis direction so as to be directed toward the virtual camera 1 (to be directed obliquely downward). Similarly, the area specifying unit 233 adjusts the reference vector of the virtual object at a position lower than that of the virtual camera 1 so as to be directed toward the virtual camera 1 (tilt upward). Since the determination area is specified with reference to the reference vector, the adjustment allows the user to easily operate both the virtual object at the high position and the virtual object at the low position by reaching the virtual object. You will be able to choose.

(Adjustment of the reference vector based on the direction of the reference line of sight 5)
FIG. 13 shows the virtual camera 1, the virtual objects OA to OD, and the reference vectors Va to Vd viewed from the Y-axis direction of the virtual space 2, as in FIG. 12. The roll direction of the virtual camera 1 (the w-axis direction in FIG. 3 and the direction of the reference line of sight 5) is indicated by w.

  In step S <b> 38 of FIG. 10, when adjusting the reference vector based on the direction of the reference line of sight 5, the region specifying unit 233 specifies the roll direction w of the virtual camera 1. Then, the region specifying unit 233 adjusts the reference vectors Va to Vd by rotating them so as to be parallel to the specified roll direction w and opposite to the roll direction w.

  When the roll direction w is parallel to the Z axis and faces the positive direction of the Z axis as in the example of FIG. 13A, the reference vectors Va to Vd are parallel to the Z axis, and Adjust so that it faces the negative direction of the Z-axis. On the other hand, in the example of FIG. 13B, the roll direction w is rotated counterclockwise about the Y axis by an angle θ as compared with the example of FIG. Therefore, the area specifying unit 233 adjusts the reference vectors Va to Vd by rotating them so that they are parallel to and opposite to the roll direction w. In this adjustment, the rotation angle is θ, the rotation direction is counterclockwise around the Y axis, and the starting points of the reference vectors Va to Vd are not changed during the rotation.

  In the example of FIG. 14, the virtual camera 1, the virtual objects OE and OF, and the reference vectors Ve and Vf of the virtual objects OE and OF as viewed from the X-axis direction are shown. Similarly to the above-described reference vectors Va to Vd, the reference vectors Ve and Vf are also adjusted so as to be parallel and opposite to the roll direction w.

  In the example of FIG. 14A, since the roll direction w is parallel to the Z axis and the positive direction of the Z axis, the region specifying unit 233 is parallel to the Z axis and negative of the Z axis. The reference vectors Ve and Vf are adjusted so that

  On the other hand, in the example of FIG. 14B, the roll direction w is rotated counterclockwise around the X axis by an angle θ compared to the example of FIG. 14A (the elevation angle of the virtual camera 1 is θ). ) Therefore, the region specifying unit 233 adjusts the reference vectors Ve and Vf by rotating them so that they are parallel to and opposite to the roll direction w. In this adjustment, the rotation angle is θ, the rotation direction is counterclockwise around the X axis, and the starting points of the reference vectors Ve and Vf are not changed during the rotation.

  Thereby, the reference vector Ve of the virtual object OE located in the roll direction w with respect to the virtual camera 1 (located in front of the virtual camera 1) is a vector directed from the virtual object OE to the virtual camera 1. On the other hand, the reference vector Vf of the virtual object OF at a position shifted from the roll direction w with respect to the virtual camera 1 is a vector directed downward from the virtual object OF (being away from the virtual camera 1) from the virtual object OF. .

  In contrast to the example of FIG. 14B, in the XZ plane, when the roll direction w is rotating clockwise around the X axis (when the front of the virtual camera 1 is facing downward from the horizontal). In this case, the reference vector Ve is a vector that is directed upward from the virtual camera 1 (in a direction away from the virtual camera 1). On the other hand, the reference vector Vf is a vector toward the virtual camera 1.

  As described above, the area specifying unit 233 determines a determination area from the virtual object toward the virtual camera 1 for a virtual object located in the front direction of the virtual camera 1, that is, in the front direction of the head of the user wearing the HMD 110. Set. Therefore, the user can touch the virtual object with an intuitive operation of reaching for the virtual object. On the other hand, since the determination area of the virtual object deviating from the direction is set in a direction away from the virtual camera 1, the user is less likely to touch such a virtual object. Therefore, it is possible to make it easy to touch a virtual object that the user wants to touch, and to make it difficult to touch a virtual object that the user does not intend to touch.

(Judgment area setting example)
FIG. 15 shows an example in which determination areas JG to JJ are set for the card-type virtual objects OG to OJ, respectively. (A) and (b) in the figure are the same in the set determination areas JG to JJ, and are illustrated with different viewpoints. As shown in FIG. 5B, the virtual objects OG to OJ are arranged on a curve. More specifically, the virtual objects OG to OJ are arranged so that the positions of the centers of gravity are arranged on an arc or a spherical surface centered on the virtual camera 1 and the front of each virtual object OG to OJ faces the virtual camera 1. Has been. With such an arrangement, the user can easily read information displayed on the virtual objects OG to OJ, and can easily perform an operation of selecting the virtual objects OG to OJ with a virtual hand. Among the virtual objects OG to OJ, the virtual object OI has a frame line FR on the outer edge. The frame line FR may be displayed, for example, when the virtual hand enters the determination area JI or when an operation of grasping the virtual object OI by the virtual hand that has entered the determination area JI is performed. The same applies to the virtual objects OG, OH, and OJ.

  The determination areas JG to JJ are areas specified with reference to a reference vector after adjustment based on the direction of the reference line of sight 5 (see FIGS. 13 and 14). Although the determination area and its outer edge do not need to be displayed as an image, in this example, the outer frame of the determination areas JG to JJ is illustrated for the sake of explanation. Further, in the same figure, the visual field region 23 is indicated by a broken line.

  The determination areas JG to JJ are all hexahedral areas, and extend from the virtual objects OG to OJ toward the virtual camera 1. The area specifying unit 233 adjusts the reference vector of the virtual object OG so as to be parallel and opposite to the roll direction w of the virtual camera 1. Next, the surface of the virtual object OG that faces the virtual camera 1 is translated along the adjusted reference vector to the end point of the adjusted reference vector, and among the six surfaces that define the determination region JG, The surface closest to the virtual camera 1 is specified. Then, a hexahedron region having two surfaces that face the specified surface and the surface of the virtual object OG facing the virtual camera 1 is specified as a determination region JG. Similarly, the determination areas JH to JJ can be specified for the virtual objects OH to OJ.

  The roll direction w of the virtual camera 1 is equal to the roll direction of the HMD 110, that is, the front direction of the face of the user wearing the HMD 110. Therefore, in the illustrated example, if the user extends the hand holding the right controller 320 or the left controller 330 straight toward the desired virtual object among the virtual objects OG to OJ displayed in front of the user, The virtual object can be touched with a virtual hand (more precisely, the contact determination unit 234 can determine that the virtual hand and the virtual object are in contact).

  In the illustrated example, some of the determination areas JG and JJ are outside the visual field area 23, but the determination area may be set only for the inside of the visual field area 23. Further, the determination area may be specified without considering the inside / outside of the visual field area 23, and it may be determined that the part outside the visual field area 23 is not touched in the contact determination (step S65 in FIG. 11). Thereby, it can prevent determining with having contacted the virtual object in the position which is not in a user's visual field. However, in these examples, processing such as monitoring the visual field region 23 is required, and the processing load increases. Therefore, from the viewpoint of keeping the processing load low, the determination region is specified without considering the visual field region 23. It is preferable to perform contact determination.

  In FIG. 16A, when the roll direction of the virtual camera 1 is rotated counterclockwise around the X axis with respect to the XZ plane, that is, the virtual camera 1 is directed obliquely upward in the virtual space 2. An example of determination areas JH to JJ is shown. In this case, as shown in FIG. 14B, the reference vectors of the virtual objects OG to OJ are adjusted by rotating clockwise around the X axis. Thereby, the determination areas JH to JJ specified with the adjusted reference vector as a reference are areas extending obliquely downward as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 16B shows a case where the roll direction of the virtual camera 1 is rotating clockwise around the X axis with respect to the XZ plane, that is, the virtual camera 1 is directed obliquely downward in the virtual space 2. The determination areas JH to JJ are shown as examples. In this case, since the reference vectors of the virtual objects OG to OJ are adjusted by rotating counterclockwise around the X axis, the determination areas JH to JJ identified with reference to the adjusted reference vector are shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the region extends obliquely upward.

[Modification]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. A new technical feature can also be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in each embodiment.

  The shape and range of the determination area are not limited to the above-described examples as long as the user can easily touch the desired virtual object. For example, the determination area may be an area including all or part of the internal area of the virtual object. Further, in each of the above-described examples, the overall extending direction of the determination region is adjusted. However, a part of the determination area (for example, an area extending above the virtual object that is the card) is excluded from the adjustment, and only another part (for example, an area extending from the front of the virtual object that is the card) is extended. The current direction may be adjusted.

  The virtual object operated by the user is not limited to a virtual hand as long as it moves in the virtual space 2 in conjunction with the movement of a part of the body other than the user's head. For example, in the case of a game in which an enemy character (virtual object) in the virtual space 2 fights with a weapon, the weapon becomes a virtual object operated by the user.

  There are no particular limitations on what virtual object determination areas are set, and all virtual object determination areas in the virtual space 2 may be set, or some virtual object determination areas may be set. Good. Further, the shape of the virtual object is not particularly limited. Note that a virtual object having a large volume in the virtual space 2 can be easily selected by the user without setting a determination region, so only a virtual object whose volume is equal to or smaller than a threshold value or a virtual object whose thickness is equal to or smaller than a threshold value is determined. An area may be set.

  In addition, when a virtual experience is provided by applying an operation by contact with a virtual object to MR or the like, a part of the body other than the actual head of the user is physically and optically replaced with the operation target object. The contact between the body part and the virtual object may be determined based on the positional relationship between the body part and the virtual object. When providing a virtual experience using a transmissive HMD, the user's reference line of sight may be specified by detecting the movement of the HMD or the user's line of sight, similar to the non-transmissive HMD. . The determination region setting method based on the identified reference line of sight is as described in the above embodiment.

[Example of software implementation]
A control block (detection unit 210, display control unit 220, virtual space control unit 230, storage unit 240, and communication unit 250) of the control circuit unit 200 is a logic circuit (hardware) formed in an integrated circuit (IC chip) or the like. ) Or by software using a CPU.

  In the latter case, the control block includes a CPU that executes instructions of a program that is software that implements each function, a ROM or a storage device in which the program and various data are recorded so as to be readable by a computer (or CPU) And a RAM for developing the program. And the objective of this invention is achieved when a computer (or CPU) reads the said program from the said recording medium and runs it. As the recording medium, a “non-temporary tangible medium” such as a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, a programmable logic circuit, or the like can be used. The program may be supplied to the computer via an arbitrary transmission medium (such as a communication network or a broadcast wave) that can transmit the program. The present invention can also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, in which the program is embodied by electronic transmission.

[Additional Notes]
The contents according to one aspect of the present invention are listed as follows.

  (Item 1) A method of providing a virtual space to a user wearing a head-mounted display on a head, wherein a plurality of virtual objects arranged in the virtual space are specified and a body other than the user's head is identified. An operation target object that operates in conjunction with a part of the movement is disposed in the virtual space, a step of specifying a reference line of sight in the virtual space of the user, and a position that is disposed in the virtual space and is based on the reference line of sight Identifying a virtual camera that defines a visual field area to be visually recognized by the user, and extending at least one of the plurality of virtual objects based on the position of the virtual camera in the virtual space or the direction of the reference line of sight An area for determining contact with the operation target object, including at least a portion extending in the direction; Method comprising the steps of constant, based on the positional relationship between the operation target object and the region, and, determining a contact between the operation target object and the virtual object wherein the area is set. An area including at least a portion extending in the extending direction based on the position of the virtual camera or the direction of the reference line of sight is set, and contact is determined based on the positional relationship between the area and the operation target object. It is possible to make contact with a desired virtual object through a typical operation.

  (Item 2) The method according to item 1, wherein the portion extends from the virtual object in which the region is set in the extending direction opposite to the direction of the reference line of sight. A virtual object positioned in the direction of the reference line of sight with respect to the virtual camera (virtual object to which the user has directed attention) can be easily selected, and a virtual object at a position deviating from the direction of the reference line of sight with respect to the virtual camera (user attention) Can be made difficult to select.

  (Item 3) The method further includes the step of specifying a reference vector that defines the extending direction, and in the setting step, the reference vector is rotated based on the position of the virtual camera or the direction of the reference line of sight, and after the rotation 3. The method according to item 1 or 2, wherein the region is set with reference to a reference vector. By the calculation using the reference vector, the user can intuitively operate the operation target object in the virtual space to make contact with the desired virtual object.

  (Item 4) The method according to item 3, wherein, in the setting step, the reference vector is rotated so as to be parallel and opposite to the direction of the reference line of sight. By using a reference vector, it is easy to select a virtual object located in the direction of the reference line of sight with respect to the virtual camera, and it is difficult to select a virtual object at a position deviating from the direction of the reference line of sight relative to the virtual camera. Can do.

  (Item 5) In the setting step, a direction parallel to and opposite to a direction from the position of the virtual camera toward the position of the virtual object where the region is set or a position specified based on the position of the virtual object. The method according to item 3, wherein the reference vector is rotated so that Even when the user cannot grasp the sense of distance from the virtual object and moves the operation target object to the near side of the virtual object (the virtual camera side relative to the virtual object), the user touches the virtual object. Based on the user's intention, it can be determined that the operation target object and the virtual object are in contact with each other.

  (Item 6) When the position of the virtual camera or the direction of the reference line of sight changes, the portion is extended in the extending direction based on the position of the virtual camera after the change or the direction of the reference line of sight after the change. The method of any one of items 1-5, further comprising the step of: Even when the position of the virtual camera or the direction of the reference line of sight changes, it is possible to maintain a state in which the user can contact a desired virtual object through an intuitive operation.

  (Item 7) A method for providing a virtual experience to a user wearing a head-mounted display on the head, the step of identifying a plurality of virtual objects, and the position of a part of the body other than the user's head A step of identifying a reference line of sight of the user, and a step of setting at least one of the plurality of virtual objects at least a portion extending in an extending direction based on a direction of the reference line of sight And determining a contact between the virtual object in which the region is set and the body part based on a positional relationship between the region and the position of the body part. An area including at least a portion extending in the extending direction based on the direction of the reference line of sight is set, and contact is determined based on the positional relationship between the area and the position of a part of the user's body. It becomes possible to touch the virtual object intuitively.

  (Item 8) The method according to item 7, wherein the portion extends from the virtual object in which the region is set in the extending direction opposite to the direction of the reference line of sight. Makes it easy to select a virtual object located in the direction of the reference line of sight (virtual object to which the user has directed attention), and selects a virtual object at a position outside the direction of the reference line of sight (virtual object to which the user does not pay attention) Can be difficult.

  (Item 9) The method further includes a step of specifying a reference vector that defines the extending direction, and in the setting step, the reference vector is rotated based on the direction of the reference line of sight, and the rotated reference vector is used as a reference. Item 9. The method according to Item 7 or 8, wherein the region is set. The calculation using the reference vector can allow the user to intuitively touch a desired virtual object.

  (Item 10) The method according to item 9, wherein, in the setting step, the reference vector is rotated so as to be parallel and opposite to the direction of the reference line of sight. The calculation using the reference vector makes it easy to select a virtual object located in the direction of the reference line of sight, and makes it difficult to select a virtual object located outside the direction of the reference line of sight.

  (Item 11) Any one of Items 7 to 10, further comprising a step of extending the portion in the extending direction based on the changed direction of the reference line of sight when the direction of the reference line of sight changes. A method for providing the virtual experience described in the section. Even when the direction of the reference line of sight changes, it is possible to maintain a state in which the user can contact a desired virtual object.

  (Item 12) A program that causes a computer to execute each step of any one of items 1 to 11.

  (Item 13) A computer-readable recording medium on which the program of item 12 is recorded.

1 virtual camera, 2 virtual space, 5 reference line of sight, 21 center, 22 virtual space image, 23 field of view area, 26 field of view image, 27 reference position, 100 HMD system, 110 HMD, 112 display, 114, 306 sensor, 120 HMD sensor , 130 gaze sensor, 140 controller sensor, 200 control circuit unit, 210 detection unit, 211 HMD detection unit, 212 gaze detection unit, 213 controller detection unit, 220 display control unit, 221 virtual camera control unit, 222 visual field region determination unit, 223 Visibility image generation unit, 230 Virtual space control unit, 231 Virtual space definition unit, 232 Virtual hand control unit, 233 Area specification unit, 234 Contact determination unit, 240 Storage unit, 241 Model storage unit, 242 Content storage unit, 250 Communication Part, 300 controller 302 an operation button, 302a-302d thumb button, 302 e, 302 g forefinger button, 302f, 302h middle button, 302i, 302j analog stick, 320 right controller, 322 and 332 top, 324 and 334 grip, 326 frame, 330 Left controller

Claims (13)

A method for providing a virtual space to a user wearing a head-mounted display on a head,
Identifying a plurality of virtual objects arranged in the virtual space, and arranging an operation target object that operates in conjunction with a movement of a part of the body other than the user's head in the virtual space;
Identifying a reference line of sight in the virtual space of the user;
Identifying a virtual camera that is disposed in the virtual space and that defines a field of view to be viewed by the user based on the reference line of sight;
Determination of contact with the operation target object, wherein at least one of the plurality of virtual objects includes at least a portion extending in an extending direction based on a position of the virtual camera or a direction of the reference line of sight in the virtual space. Setting an area to do,
Determining a contact between the virtual object in which the region is set and the operation target object based on a positional relationship between the region and the operation target object.   The method according to claim 1, wherein the portion extends from the virtual object in which the region is set in the extending direction opposite to the direction of the reference line of sight. Further comprising identifying a reference vector defining the extending direction;
The method according to claim 1, wherein in the setting step, the reference vector is rotated based on a position of the virtual camera or a direction of the reference line of sight, and the region is set based on the rotated reference vector. .   The method according to claim 3, wherein in the setting step, the reference vector is rotated so as to be parallel and opposite to the direction of the reference line of sight.   In the setting step, the position of the virtual camera from the position of the virtual camera is set to be parallel to and opposite to the position of the virtual object at which the area is set or the position specified based on the position of the virtual object. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the reference vector is rotated.   When the position of the virtual camera or the direction of the reference line of sight changes, the step of extending the portion in the extending direction based on the position of the virtual camera after the change or the direction of the reference line of sight after the change The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: A method for providing a virtual experience to a user wearing a head-mounted display on the head,
Identifying a plurality of virtual objects;
Identifying a position of a body part other than the user's head;
Identifying a reference line of sight of the user;
Setting an area including at least a portion extending in an extending direction based on the direction of the reference line of sight on at least one of the plurality of virtual objects;
Determining contact between the virtual object in which the region is set and the body part based on a positional relationship between the region and the position of the body part.   The method according to claim 7, wherein the portion extends from the virtual object in which the region is set in the extending direction opposite to the direction of the reference line of sight. Further comprising identifying a reference vector defining the extending direction;
The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein, in the setting step, the reference vector is rotated based on a direction of the reference line of sight, and the region is set on the basis of the rotated reference vector.   The method according to claim 9, wherein in the setting step, the reference vector is rotated so as to be parallel and opposite to the direction of the reference line of sight.   11. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: extending the portion in the extending direction based on the direction of the reference line of sight after the change when the direction of the reference line of sight changes. the method of.   The program which makes a computer perform each step of the method of any one of Claims 1-11.   A computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to claim 12 is recorded.

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