JP7159244B2 - CONTENT DELIVERY SYSTEM, CONTENT DELIVERY METHOD, COMPUTER PROGRAM - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a content delivery system, content delivery method, and computer program.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a service for distributing live content via a network has become popular as Internet live broadcasting. In such live Internet broadcasting, a technology has been proposed in which a distributor appears as a virtual character (avatar) in a virtual space and the video is distributed as live content. In such live content, motion capture technology is used to distribute video in which the actions of the distributor are combined with the actions of a virtual character.

For example, in Patent Document 1, an avatar in a virtual space acts on behalf of the self and generates a three-dimensional space image from a free viewpoint including a third-person viewpoint, thereby reducing the inconvenience of carrying shooting equipment in the real space. A configuration is disclosed for creating a moving image without the trouble of requesting another person to take a picture.

In addition, Patent Document 2 describes that when a live performance is performed in the real world, the performer can be more excited by giving a gift or giving flowers to the performer. For the purpose of achieving the same effect in video sharing services, virtual items purchased by viewers of content (referring to "programs" in which videos are shared among viewers, such as live content) are associated with content. It proposes to manage it as an item to decorate the display screen of the content. Virtual items include, for example, flowers, characters, logos, etc. purchased by content viewers as "decorations" and placed at arbitrary positions on the display screen to decorate the display screen.

Japanese Patent No. 4637889 JP 2012-120098 A

However, in live Internet broadcasting using a virtual space, the following serious problems have not yet been solved in the conventional technology related to systems in which viewers enter virtual items such as decorations into this virtual space. .

Taking the above decoration as an example, as a performer or a person involved in live content (singers, dancers, performers, speakers, directors, directors, producers, sponsors, etc.) is viewed and the contents are approved, it is desired that a virtual item as a symbol of approval, praise, or praise be displayed in the content screen, like the decoration described in the above patent document.

In addition, it is hoped that symbolic items of endorsement, such as decorations that are carefully displayed, will be seen by a greater number of viewers in a wider range, and that endorsement will spread more widely.

However, in the configuration disclosed in the above Patent Document 2, the only viewers who can throw in decorations are viewers who have come to see the content voluntarily. It's hard to get a throw in a certain decoration.

Similarly, in the configuration disclosed in the above Patent Document 2, only the viewers who came to see the live content of their own will only see the decorations thrown into the live content by other viewers, so It was not possible to imagine that the decorations would be seen by a wide range of people and that the circle of support would expand.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is possible to obtain a virtual item that is a symbol of support for the live content from a wider range of target audiences, not limited to the viewers of the target live content. At the same time, a content distribution system and content that can broaden the circle of support for the live content by enabling a wider range of target audiences, not limited to the viewers of the live content, to see the virtual item that is the symbol of the support. An object of the invention is to provide a distribution method and a computer program.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a content distribution system, a content distribution method, and a computer program described in 1) to 7) below.
1)
a participation reception unit that accepts a desire to participate from other live content distributors in the virtual space used by the live content distributor for distribution;
an information acquisition unit that acquires motion information indicating movements of a live content distributor and another live content distributor, and information about each virtual character;
a video distribution unit that distributes video of the virtual space and each virtual character to viewers of live content and viewers of other live content based on each information acquired by the information acquisition unit;
Equipped with an input reception unit for receiving input of a new virtual item into the virtual space from either each distributor or each viewer, and distribution of the virtual space and each virtual character including the video of the newly input virtual item. A content distribution system characterized by performing
2)
1), wherein the newly inserted virtual item has motion information, which is movement information, and the motion information is configured to be used for distribution performed by the video distribution unit. content delivery system.
3)
Motion information indicating respective movements of a live content distributor and other live content distributors, and motion information indicating the movement of a newly introduced virtual item are stored and/or stored by a common component. or the content delivery system according to 2).
4)
a participation acceptance step of accepting requests from other live content distributors to participate in the virtual space used by the live content distributor for distribution;
an information acquisition step of acquiring motion information indicating movements of a live content distributor and another live content distributor, and information of each virtual character;
a video distribution step of distributing video of the virtual space and each virtual character to viewers of live content and viewers of other live content based on each information acquired by the information acquisition unit;
Equipped with an input reception step for receiving input of a new virtual item into the virtual space from either each distributor or each viewer, and distribution of the virtual space and each virtual character including the video of the newly input virtual item. A content distribution method characterized by performing
5)
4), characterized in that the newly introduced virtual item has motion information, which is motion information, and the motion information is configured to be used for distribution performed in the video distribution step. content delivery method.
6)
Motion information indicating respective movements of a live content distributor and other live content distributors, and motion information indicating the movement of a newly introduced virtual item are stored and/or stored by a common component. or the content delivery method according to 5).
7)
A computer program that causes a computer to execute each step of the content distribution method according to any one of 4) to 6).

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to obtain a virtual item that is a symbol of support for the live content from a wider target audience, not limited to the target live content viewers, and at the same time, the live content viewers To provide a content distribution system, a content distribution method, and a computer program capable of widening the circle of support for live content by making the virtual item, which is a symbol of support, visible to a wider range of target people, including but not limited to can be done.

1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a content delivery/receiving system according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a content distribution server included in the content distribution and reception system of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining data of avatars held by the content delivery/receiving system of FIG. 1; 2 is a block diagram of a first distributor terminal included in the content distribution/receiving system of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a first viewer terminal included in the content delivery/receiving system of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 6 is an external schematic diagram of the first viewer terminal of FIG. 5; FIG. 7 is a view including display of comments in the schematic external view of FIG. 6 ; FIG. 2 is a signal flow diagram for content viewing before joint distribution executed by the content distribution receiving system of the present invention; 1 is a schematic diagram of a first virtual space before joint distribution in the content distribution reception system of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of rendering seen from each viewpoint in the virtual space shown in FIG. 9; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a second virtual space before joint distribution in the content distribution reception system of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of rendering viewed from each viewpoint in the virtual space shown in FIG. 11; FIG. 4 is a signal flow diagram for throwing in virtual items before joint distribution, which is executed by the content distribution receiving system of the present invention; 1 is a schematic diagram of a first virtual space before joint distribution into which virtual items are thrown in the content distribution receiving system of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of rendering seen from each viewpoint in the virtual space shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a signal flow diagram for execution of joint distribution executed by the content distribution receiving system of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the first virtual space after starting joint distribution in the content distribution receiving system of the present invention; FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of rendering viewed from each viewpoint in the virtual space shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a signal flow diagram when a virtual item is thrown from the first viewer terminal after joint distribution is started, which is executed by the content distribution reception system of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the first virtual space after co-distribution starts, into which virtual items are thrown, in the content distribution reception system of the present invention; FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram of rendering seen from each viewpoint in the virtual space shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a signal flow diagram when a virtual item is thrown from a second viewer terminal after starting joint distribution, which is executed by the content distribution receiving system of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the first virtual space after co-distribution starts, into which virtual items are thrown, in the content distribution reception system of the present invention; FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram of rendering seen from each viewpoint in the illustrated virtual space. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of utilization in the case where the throw-in virtual item is added with action information in the content distribution receiving system of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of utilization in the case where the throw-in virtual item is added with action information in the content distribution receiving system of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another aspect of the throw-in virtual item in the content delivery/receiving system of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another aspect of the throw-in virtual item in the content delivery/receiving system of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another aspect of the throw-in virtual item in the content delivery/receiving system of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another aspect of the throw-in virtual item in the content delivery/receiving system of the present invention; 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a content distribution server and the like in the content distribution reception system of the present invention; FIG.

Embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described below. It should be noted that the embodiments described below are merely examples, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention, which are also included in the present invention.

[Configuration of Content Distribution Receiving System 1]
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a content delivery/receiving system 1 according to the present invention.

The content distribution receiving system 1 includes a content distribution server 2, a first distributor terminal 11, a first viewer terminal 12, a second distributor terminal 21, and a second viewer terminal 22. Each component is connected to the Internet communication network 3 or other communication network so as to be able to exchange data with each other. The content distribution server 2 is a server configured such that a general-purpose computer operates with a dedicated computer program.

The first distributor terminal 11 is a personal computer that is used for distributing live content using the first virtual space 30, which will be described later, and is used by a distributor that organizes this live content. The first viewer terminal 12 is a personal computer used by a viewer who views the live content, or may be realized using various information terminals such as a smart phone and a PDA (personal digital assistant).

The second distributor terminal 21 is a personal computer that is used for distributing live content using a second virtual space 40, which will be described later, and is used by a distributor that organizes this live content. The second viewer terminal 22 is a personal computer used by the viewer who watches the live content, or may be realized using various information terminals such as a smartphone and a PDA (personal digital assistant). is.

The first distributor terminal 11 and the first viewer terminal 12 are collectively referred to as the first content distribution group 10, and similarly the second distributor terminal 21 and the second viewer terminal 22 are collectively referred to as the first content distribution group 10. It is called a second content distribution group 20 . Each distribution group shares its respective live content distribution stream within each group 10, 20 at a stage where joint distribution of live content has not yet been implemented.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 1 and the above description, the number of configured terminals and the like is limited for the sake of simplicity and clarity. content distribution groups.

[Configuration of content distribution server 2]
As shown in FIG. 2, the content distribution server 2 includes an input/output interface 2a, which is a data transmission end inside and outside the server, and a control unit 2b, which is a CPU (central processing unit) for controlling the operation of the server 2 shown in various places. have.

The motion information storage unit 2c, which the server 2 also has, stores data related to the motion of avatars (human representative display objects), which are virtual items, transmitted from each distributor terminal or each viewer terminal, and data such as throw-in items. It stores virtual item data, etc., and sends it to the required destination as needed.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the motion information storage unit 2c prepares avatar appearance data 7-1 by the viewer terminal or the like, which will be described later, or prepares the avatar appearance data 7-1 for selection by the system. You can choose from among them or specify the URL (uniform resource locator) of appearance data located on the net. As motion data 7-2, which is the result of sensing movements of various parts of the body of a viewer, as shown in FIG. . Information on the branch 7-2b connecting the nodes 7-2a may be further generated to clarify the relationship between the nodes 7-2a.

The content distribution unit 2d receives and stores the live content that each distributor terminal or the like performs rendering work and generates into video, and transmits the live content to each terminal requesting viewing for viewing. For example, rendering of an avatar, as shown in FIG. 3C, obtains the positions and movements of various parts of the appearance data 7-1 from the motion data 7-2, and renders the avatar showing the current positions and movements of the avatar. data 7-3 for use. Rendering can be performed using the avatar appearance data 7-1, which is still image data instead of moving images, and the data of nodes 7-2a and branches 7-2b. Since it is data, the data capacity is small, and the data of the node 7-2a and the branch 7-2b are not image data but coordinate data or motion vector data of a limited number of points, so the capacity is also small. , transmission, reception, storage, and rendering of data requires a very small load on the transmission path and hardware. Furthermore, if the appearance data 7-1 of the avatar is specified by a URL (uniform resource locator) instead of the image data itself, it is possible to transmit and store smaller character string data. These advantages are similar regardless of how the system constructs, transmits, stores, or renders the appearance data and motion data, and is not limited to human avatars. , a common effect when trying to render virtual objects. It should be noted that the schematic diagrams of the avatars described in various places in the drawings attached to this application use simple representations and do not include the movement of the limbs, etc., but these illustrations are as shown in FIG. 3(C). It means rendering avatar data 7-3.

As will be described later, the joint distribution reception unit 2e receives an application from a distributor terminal used by a distributor who sponsors and distributes a certain live content to jointly distribute another live content during the current distribution. , generates and transmits information for inquiring about joint distribution to terminals of other distributors who host other live contents.

The program storage unit 2f stores programs for realizing each execution operation of the server 2. FIG.

The user management unit 2g includes the distributor terminal used by the distributor who hosts each live content described above, the viewer terminal used by the viewer who watches the live content, and further, the other distributor for jointly distributing this live content. Information on the distributor terminal used by the viewer and the viewer terminal used by the viewer is held as data such as IP (Internet Protocol) address. Since it is possible to know to which terminal the content should be sent, in the present system 1 the appropriate live content is sent to the appropriate terminal.

The user management unit 2g also records the history of virtual items thrown into the virtual space used by each live content and information such as the types of the items.

The throw-in item reception unit 2h accepts the throw-in of a virtual item from the terminal viewing the live content, indicating approval or praise for this live content, and sends it to the distributor terminal that hosts the live content of the other party to whom the throw-in item is thrown. , to transmit information about virtual items. As a result, the thrown virtual item is displayed on the display screen of the thrown live content.

The bus line 2i connects each configuration of these servers 2 so that data can be exchanged with each other.

The first distributor terminal 11 and the second distributor terminal 21 have a common configuration, and the first distributor terminal 11 will be described below as an example.

[Configuration of first distributor terminal 11]
As shown in FIG. 4, the first distributor terminal 11 has an input/output interface 11a, which is an information input/output terminal inside and outside the terminal, and a control unit 11b, which is a CPU for controlling each component of the terminal 11. is doing.

The avatar operation unit 11c allows the broadcaster to make the avatar, which is a virtual alter ego of himself/herself, appear in the virtual space and perform a desired action, using an acceleration sensor attached to his/her body or a 3D camera to control his or her movements. , or data obtained by sensing movements of various parts of one's own body with a Doppler sensor, these motion data are acquired and transmitted to the server 2 .

The motion information reception unit 11d stores motion data of other distributors or viewers received from other distributor terminals via the server 2 and uses them for rendering in order to realize joint distribution of live contents. In addition to joint distribution, if a viewer of live content hosted by the distributor requests participation by an avatar, the motion data of this viewer's avatar will be received and recorded, and how the live content will be rendered. use. The motion information reception unit 11d is also configured to receive and store information on virtual items thrown in by other distributors or viewers, and to render the live contents in the same manner as avatars. In the live content as well, the thrown virtual item can be viewed by a wide range of target viewers, including the viewers of the distribution group of the joint distribution destination.

The rendering unit 11e uses the motion data of the avatar shown above, the data of the thrown virtual item, the background image of the virtual space, and the data of the virtual item placed in the virtual space, to render the virtual space is drawn (rendered) for visualizing the virtual space, and the resulting virtual space video is transmitted to the server 2 as live content for distribution.

The display unit 11f is configured to display a screen so that the distributor himself/herself can view the live content or perform various operations. Mount Display) or the like.

The operating unit 11g is used by the distributor to operate various operations, and may be a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel of a personal computer, or a device operated by an operator's motion data. The program storage unit 11h stores computer programs necessary for distribution and viewing of live content, and may include a general-purpose computer operating system (OS), an Internet browsing program (browser), and the like. The data storage unit 11i stores virtual space background data, virtual item data, and the like used for live content.

The throw-in item posting unit 11j is configured to store virtual item data in order for the distributor to throw the virtual item into other live content that is jointly distributed. In addition, since there is a possibility that it may be used as the viewer terminal 12 depending on the situation, the comment posting section 11k, which is arranged in the same manner as the viewer terminal 12, is character information displayed over the live content display screen. This configuration is for posting a certain comment to the server 2 . The bus line 11m connects each component of the distributor terminal 11 so that data can be exchanged with each other.

The first viewer terminal 12 and the second viewer terminal 22 have a common configuration, and the first viewer terminal 12 will be described below as an example.

[Configuration of the first viewer terminal 12]
As shown in FIG. 5, the first viewer terminal 12 includes an input/output interface 12a, which is a data transmission/reception end inside and outside the terminal 12, and a control section 12b, which is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) for controlling various parts of the terminal 12. have.

The avatar operation unit 12c allows the broadcaster to make the avatar, which is a virtual alter ego of himself/herself, appear in the virtual space and perform a desired action, using an accelerometer attached to his/her body or a 3D camera to control his or her movements. , or data obtained by sensing movements of various parts of one's own body with a Doppler sensor, these motion data are acquired and transmitted to the server 2 .

The avatar posting unit 12e is used to post the appearance data of the avatar and the motion data described above to the server 2 so that the viewer can make his or her own avatar appear in the live content that the viewer is viewing.

The display unit 12f is configured to display a screen for the viewer to view live content or to perform various operations. Mount Display) or the like.

The operation unit 12g is used by the viewer to operate various operations, and may be a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel of a personal computer, or may be a device operated by the operator's motion data. The program storage unit 12h stores computer programs necessary for viewing live content, and may include a general-purpose computer operating system (OS), an Internet browsing program (browser), and the like. The data storage unit 12i stores various data.

The throw-in item posting unit 12j stores the data of the virtual item so that the viewer throws the virtual item into the live content that the viewer is watching. The comment posting unit 12k is configured to post to the server 2 a comment, which is character information displayed over the live content display screen. A bus line 12m connects each component of the viewer terminal 12 so that data can be exchanged with each other.

FIG. 6 schematically shows the appearance of the first viewer terminal 12 implemented by a personal computer. In order for the viewer to use the service of this system 1, when the viewer inputs the URL (uniform resource locator) that has been notified in advance and connects to the server 2, the necessary data and Javascript (Javascript (registration Trademark)) program is sent and the portal of the video distribution service is displayed.

FIG. 5 shows a situation in which the viewer selects live content that he/she wants to view from a display list (not shown), and the content of that live content (program) is currently being displayed. However, in order to avoid complicating the illustration, the comments, which are text information posted by each viewer watching the live content, are not shown in FIG.

In FIG. 6, a display panel 12-1 has a moving image display area 12-1a for displaying a live content moving image. broadcaster's avatar 12-1c, a first throw-in item 12- representing the appearance of a ribbon thrown by any viewer watching this live content for the purpose of endorsement, praise, etc. of the live content 1d, a tree 12-1n and a house 12-1o, which are virtual items placed in the virtual space used by this live content, are displayed.

Similarly, the display panel 12-1 includes a home button display 12-1e for returning to the portal (entrance) page of the video distribution service, and a reproduction stop button display used when the content to be viewed is not a live broadcast but a reproduced content. 12-1f, pause button display 12-1g, and play button display 12-1h are displayed.

The comment posting button display 12-1i in the display panel 12-1 is a button for posting the previously explained comment on the content that the viewer is viewing, and the item throwing button display 12-1j is the same. This is a button for the action of throwing in a virtual item for showing approval or praise for the content being viewed.

In the seek bar display 12-1k, when the content is reproduced content, the left end corresponds to the reproduction start time and the right end corresponds to the reproduction end time, and the position of the seek button display 12-1m indicates the current reproduction time. By moving the position of the seek button display 12-1m with the mouse pointer 12-3, it is possible to move to the desired time of reproduction. A mouse pointer 12-3 and a mouse cursor 12-2 are provided as the operation unit 12g described above, and the viewer terminal 12 is also provided with a keyboard 12-4.

FIG. 7 shows a situation in which a comment 12-1r is displayed in the display panel 12-1 of the viewer terminal 12 shown in FIG. "I know this place.", "I've been there before.", "Tell me the name of the hotel you stayed at!?" , and "I would like to upload a picture of the dish," etc. 12-1r Appears from the right end of the display panel 12-1, scrolls to the left end, and disappears. Since the range in which these comments 12-1r are displayed is set so as to protrude beyond the video display area 12-1a that displays the live content video, viewers will not be able to see these comments 12-r if they are the original contents of the content. You can clearly understand that it was posted by a different contributor.

[Distribution and viewing of content]
Next, the signal flow graph in FIG. 7 and the first viewer terminal in FIG. , and the diagrams of rendering results seen from each viewpoint in FIG. 10, respectively.

A distributor who hosts and intends to distribute live content applies for content distribution to the server 2 using the first distributor terminal (step S101). When the server 2 approves the distribution, the server 2 notifies the first distributor terminal 12 of the approval (step S102), and the server 2 posts the content that can be viewed on an appropriate page of the distribution service site. (Step S103).

Since the distribution is permitted, the first distributor terminal 11 transmits, as live content, motion data regarding the display of the avatar of the first distributor among the virtual items in the first virtual space shown in FIG. Rendered image of the first virtual space seen from the avatar of the first distributor (FIG. 10(A). In the first virtual space seen from the first avatar 12-1b). (This is also the case below.), and the first virtual space with an angle of view θ1 (either a fixed angle of view or a zoomable angle of view) placed in the first virtual space. Transmission of the rendered image (FIG. 10(B)) viewed from the virtual camera 1 to the server 2 is started (step S104). The virtual camera does not necessarily have to be placed in the center as shown in the figure, and the place of installation is arbitrary. Moreover, you may add from the middle of a live content. The virtual camera can also be installed or moved by viewers of the live content, other distributors performing joint distribution, and viewers of other jointly distributed content. The operation of these virtual cameras is common to other parts of this specification, but in order to avoid complication in the following description, only one virtual camera is used in each virtual space.

A viewer who has learned of the existence of the live content being broadcast from the list applies to the server 2 to view the live content from the first viewer terminal 12 (step S105), and as a result, the first viewing is performed from the server 2. Rendered image of the first virtual space seen from the avatar of the first distributor (FIG. 10(A)) and rendered image seen from the first virtual camera (FIG. 10(B)) are sent to the user terminal 12. ) are continuously transmitted as moving images, and the viewer can select, display, and view a desired image by an operation. In addition to the data of the rendered video as described above, the server 2 also transmits the motion data of the avatar 12-1b of the first distributor to the first viewer terminal 12 for rendering. may be performed at the first viewer terminal 12 . Such variations are possible elsewhere in the specification as well.

In addition, the live content distributed by the first distributor terminal 11 is not limited to the first viewer terminal 12, and other users who use this video distribution system can also apply and view it. .

The above-described operations for distributing live content and starting viewing are exactly the same for the second distributor terminal 21 and the second viewer terminal 22 belonging to the second distribution group 20. FIG. 11 shows a second virtual space 40 used by the second distributor terminal 21 to distribute live content, a background 41, a traffic light 43 as a virtual item, and a second virtual camera 42 having an angle of view of θ2. , the avatar display 12-1c of the second distributor is included, and FIG. (B) shows the rendered image from the viewpoint of the second virtual camera 42 .

[Throwing virtual items into virtual space]
Next, the first viewer terminal 12 viewing the live content being distributed by the first distributor terminal 11 shows the appearance of the ribbon for the purpose of showing the approval and praise of the live content. The operation of throwing the first virtual item 12-1d will be described with reference to FIGS. 13, 14 and 15. FIG.

First, a viewer who intends to throw in a virtual item 12-1d performs an item throwing application and item data transmission from the first viewer terminal 12 to the server 2 (step S201). The item data includes, for example, ribbon-shaped appearance data, such as the first virtual item 12-1d shown in FIG.

The server 2 stores the received item data in the same manner as the motion data of the first distributor avatar 12-1b, that is, using the same configuration as the same storage means or transmission means, and stores the received item data in the first distributor terminal. 11 (step S202). As a result, the first distributor terminal 11 can render the virtual space 30 using the data of the thrown virtual item 12-1d in addition to the data of the first distributor avatar 12-1b. Therefore, the live content distributed by the first distributor terminal 11 will be the rendered video seen from the viewpoint of the first distributor avatar 12-1b shown in FIG. ), the image of the first virtual item 12-1d is added to the live content, like the rendered image seen from the viewpoint of the second virtual camera (step S203). can be viewed by all viewers (including the first distributor), so that all viewers can understand the feelings of approval and admiration that the viewers wanted to show (step S204).

[Execution of joint delivery]
Next, while the first viewer terminal 12 is viewing the live content distributed by the first distributor terminal 11 as described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10, the second distributor terminal 21 Each operation for joint delivery will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 to 18. FIG.

In this embodiment, as an example, joint distribution is permitted in advance by the first distributor terminal 11. Therefore, the application for joint distribution is made from the second distributor terminal 21 to the server 2. (step S401).

The server 2 that has accepted the application transmits a joint distribution inquiry to the first distributor terminal 11 that is currently distributing the target live content (step S402). If permission is obtained (step S403), the server 2 notifies the second distributor terminal 21 of the permission (step S404). If there is a broadcaster avatar 12-1c and a viewer avatar in the live content being delivered from the second broadcaster terminal, or if there is a throw-in virtual item, all of these data are stored in the above-described avatar. The motion data or appearance data is sent to the server 2 using a method similar to the transmission and storage of the motion data or appearance data, that is, using common storage means and transmission means (step S405). The server 2 transmits the received data to the first distributor terminal 11 in the same manner as the motion data of the avatar, that is, using common storage means and transmission means (step S406). The first distributor terminal 11 that receives them can handle them in the same way as avatar motion data and render the first virtual space 30. As a result, the conceptual diagram of the first virtual space shown in FIG. The first virtual space 30 is changed as follows. The first distributor terminal 11 renders video viewed from the viewpoints of the first distributor avatar 12-1b and the second distributor avatar 12-1c shown in FIG. , the rendered image viewed from the viewpoint of the first virtual camera 32 is transmitted to the server 2 (step S407), and thereafter, the server 2 views the live content distributed from the first distributor terminal 11 until then. 18 are distributed as live content to all viewers who have been watching live content and all viewers who have been watching the live content distributed from the second distributor terminal 21 until then (step S408).

Here, it is important that joint distribution is started based on the will of each distributor who has distributed each live content. Viewers of each live content will see new avatars or participate in viewing new live content based on decisions that are different from their own will. It is unexpected and interesting in terms of production, and has the advantage of expanding the range of people who can approve and praise it. Also, from the standpoint of each distributor, there is an advantage that the number of viewers and viewership of the live content that they host will increase.

[Execution of virtual item throwing after joint delivery]
Next, as described above with reference to FIGS. 16 to 18, the avatar of the live content distributed by the second distributor terminal 21 participates in the live content distributed by the first distributor terminal 11. The operation of throwing in a virtual item during joint distribution will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 to 24. FIG.

When the first viewer terminal 12 throws in the live content being jointly distributed, the first viewer terminal 12 sends the server 2 the item throwing (throwing application and item data ) is performed (step S501), and the item data is transmitted from the server 2 to the first distributor terminal 11 (step S502). Rendering of the first virtual space 30 is performed including the virtual item 12-1d, and images rendered from the viewpoint of the first distributor avatar 12-1c and the viewpoint of the second distributor avatar 12-1c. (FIG. 21(A)), video rendered from the viewpoint of the first virtual camera 32 (FIG. 21(B)) is distributed to all jointly distributed viewer terminals and distributor terminals (step S503, S504).

As a result, the viewership of live content expands, so it is possible to show viewers' approval and admiration for live content that they did not have the opportunity to view based on their own intentions and information, and throw in virtual items. The results of endorsement and admiration by the audience expanded to a wider audience and the number of viewers, and the effect of throwing in virtual items was very large.

22 to 24 show the virtual item throwing operation from the second viewer terminal 22, and the second virtual item 33 representing a commemorative shield used for throwing has the shape of the first 12-1d, it is possible for other viewers to understand, for example, which viewer threw the virtual item, and to enjoy the originality of the shape of the virtual item itself.

[Modification 1 ~ About arbitrariness of arrangement of each configuration]
In the description of the present embodiment above, rendering of each viewpoint video in the virtual space sponsored by the distributor is performed by the distributor terminal of the distributor. However, such a configuration is neither essential nor essential for implementing the present invention. That is, this rendering may be performed by the server, or may be performed by other distributor terminals performing joint distribution, or by each viewer terminal viewing this live content. In order to perform such rendering, the background of the virtual space, the data of the placed virtual items, the data of each avatar, and the data of the throw-in virtual items must be sent in advance to the server or terminal where rendering is to be performed. A detailed configuration or procedure is clear from the configuration of the present embodiment described above.

[Modified Example 2 - Concerning Diversity of Forms in the Case of Joint Delivery]
Similarly, in the description of the present embodiment above, when joint distribution is performed, the virtual space 30 of the side to which the joint distribution is applied is utilized to maintain the background and the existence of the virtual items, while maintaining the presence of each avatar and the thrown-in virtual item. is shared between the virtual space 30 and the virtual space 40 . However, this configuration is also not essential or essential, and for example, the background or virtual items on the side of the virtual space 40 may be used, or the background of the virtual space that the viewer was watching before the joint distribution, or the virtual item. Rendering may be done to bring virtual items to life. In order to perform such rendering, the background of the virtual space, the data of the placed virtual items, the data of each avatar, and the data of the throw-in virtual items must be sent in advance to the server or terminal where rendering is to be performed. It is also the same that the detailed configuration or procedure is clear from the configuration of the present embodiment described above.

[Modification 3 ~Utilization of throwing virtual items with action information added]
As explained earlier, the virtual items thrown into the virtual space are transmitted and stored in the same procedure and configuration as the motion data (operation information) of the avatar (agent) of the broadcaster or viewer. Thus, the system 1 of this embodiment is configured.

Therefore, it is possible to give the virtual item used for throwing motion information (position information, movement direction/speed information, attitude information, sound information, vibration information, etc.) in the same manner as the avatar.

By using a virtual item for throwing to which such action information is added, it is possible to perform various effects that increase the interest of the user.

For example, the schematic diagram shown in FIG. 25A represents an effect in which a virtual item 12-1d thrown into the virtual space 30 falls from top to bottom and lands on the ground in the virtual space. Throwing in items has similarities with, for example, the feeling of throwing a "ohineri" on the stage at a theater or throwing a bouquet at a wedding ceremony.

Similarly, in the schematic diagram shown in FIG. 25(B), when the item throwing target is determined to be, for example, the first distributor 12-1b and a predetermined operation is performed in such a manner, a virtual item 12-1d thrown into the virtual space is displayed. is an effect of moving in the virtual space toward the first distributor 12-1b who is the target of the throw. It can be a natural production from the example of "Ohineri" explained earlier.

Similarly, in FIG. 26A, a virtual item 12-1d thrown into the virtual space moves (including jumps around) in the automatic virtual space, or moves in the virtual space according to the operation of the thrower. It is a moving performance. Compared to the case where the virtual item after being thrown is stationary in the virtual space, the effect is very conspicuous, and it is useful for appealing the throwing.

FIG. 26(B) is a schematic diagram showing that when a large number of virtual items 12-1d are thrown by a large number of viewers, or when the same person throws a large number of items, these thrown items are once It is a production that collapses after piling up. It is expected that virtual items will concentrate on popular live content, popular scenes, and popular performers.

[Modified example 4 ~Ingenuity in production when throwing virtual items]
Including the points that have already been explained, if you want to give a desirable idea for the production when throwing virtual items, first, in addition to the live content as a whole, you can throw in after deciding the target such as a specific performer. is a good method. Items thrown with a specific target may be placed near the target, or may have the target's name written on it.

It is also desirable to place the thrown item within the field of view of the virtual camera.

Further preferred embodiments for throwable items are described below.

[Further preferred embodiments for throwing items]
An example of the virtual item 12-1d that is thrown in this embodiment is a symbol that indicates the approval or praise of the viewer or distributor. (A)), a grass object growing from the ground or from below the virtual space (FIG. 27(B)), and a display of fireworks rising from the bottom to the top of the virtual space. Also, sound effects, vibration effects, animation effects, and the like accompanying the effects of these objects may be added. The sound production may be, for example, the sound of fireworks being launched, the sound of wine glasses touching each other, or the sounds of ainotes and shouts used in Kabuki. good. At this time, if an operation such as setting the inserted virtual item to be transparent is performed, it is also possible to produce an effect in which only the sound is inserted as the virtual item. Similarly, when a virtual item is inserted, a signal for activating the vibration function may be transmitted to the distributor terminal and/or the viewer terminal, and a vibration effect may be added to the insertion of the virtual item.

Physics calculations may be used to control these virtual items. pops out, throwing wine glasses pile up to complete a wine glass tower, falling virtual items collide with blowing virtual items, holding, manipulating, and throwing virtual items using avatars. Various effects are possible.

Another example of a virtual item is not just a symbol, but a type that has a special function or effect and is used for a specific purpose. As an example of the function, for example, when a virtual item having an explosive function such as a bomb is thrown, it explodes after a certain period of time or by a predetermined trigger, blowing away or disappearing other virtual items, objects, avatars, etc. or a function that pushes away other virtual items, objects, avatars, etc. or causes interaction when a virtual item with a moving function such as a living thing or machine is inserted. And so on.

Further, other examples of virtual items may be clothes, vehicles, buildings, backgrounds, small spaces occupying part of the virtual space, and the like. , the effect of putting on the avatar, the effect of entering the avatar in the thrown building, the effect of displaying the inserted background as the background of the virtual space or part of it, or the background such as special photos or decorations such as photo frames By inserting a small space (not limited to three dimensions, but including planes, curved surfaces, and line segments) as a virtual item, and entering the avatar in the frame, the avatar will appear in the video from a different angle of view cut out from a different video. It is possible to perform a production as if it were being distributed.

Further, as another example of the virtual item, instead of a virtual item having a predetermined format, the item may reflect the content set in advance by the person who puts the item in, or when the item is put in. The setting contents include, for example, the contents of characters written in the virtual item, the color or pattern of the virtual item, the shape of a part or the whole of the virtual item, the contents of the movement of the dynamic virtual item, and the function of the virtual object having the function. , combination contents of single virtual items in a virtual item group that can be put in as a set of a plurality of virtual items, and the like. In addition, these setting contents may be changed by the input person's operation or a predetermined trigger, and furthermore, virtual items that have already been input in the program or virtual items that have been input in the past video can be appropriately authorized. The contents of the setting may change depending on the operation of the device having the , or a predetermined condition.

Further, as another example of the virtual item, additional information such as information of the person who put the item in or various numerical data included in the item data may be displayed. The additional information includes, for example, the user information of the person who entered the virtual item, the number of points required to obtain the entered virtual item, and the number of points given to the broadcaster or the program when the virtual item is entered. , evaluations of the entered virtual item or the person who entered the virtual item from other viewers or distributors. In addition, as a display position of these additional information, for example, the surface or the vicinity of the inserted virtual item, an arbitrary place inside or outside the virtual space so as to be associated with the inserted virtual item, another tag or another window There can be inside. In addition, various numerical data may be numerical values related to input of each virtual item, or numerical values related to input of multiple virtual items belonging to an arbitrary category (including, for example, total sum, average, ranking, etc.). good.

Another example of the virtual item may be one that has a counting function such as voting. For example, in broadcasting with a plurality of distributors, there is a popularity vote between distributors, which is performed by viewers inputting virtual items to their favorite distributors. In such broadcasting, voting results can be obtained by summarizing the total number of virtual items input to each distributor or the total value of various numerical data as additional information of virtual items. Also, as a method for the viewer to specify which distributor to put the virtual item into, for example, when the virtual item is put in, or in advance to which distributor to put the virtual item in or in such a way that virtual items exclusive to each streamer are available, and the input of these dedicated virtual items is counted as the input of virtual items to the corresponding streamer. good. Furthermore, the person who throws in the virtual item may specify the throwing position, movement direction, trajectory, etc. of the virtual item himself, and as a result of the virtual item moving in the virtual space according to these designations, the avatar that comes in contact It may be a method of judging that a vote has been made.

Further, as another example of the virtual item, it may have a function of accepting the purchase of the actual product based on the acquisition or input record of the virtual item corresponding to the actual product.

In addition, as an example of the method of inserting a virtual item, a method in which the person inserting the virtual item specifies the position, movement direction, trajectory, etc. of the virtual item by himself/herself has been described. A position, a moving method, a trajectory, etc., to which each virtual item can be thrown may be determined in advance. For example, virtual items that require more points to obtain may be preferentially thrown into the central area of the virtual space.

Also, as an example of the effect of the virtual item, the inserted virtual item may change after a certain period of time or according to a predetermined trigger. For example, the virtual items may shrink 10 seconds after being thrown, collapse and become smaller when piled up, gradually become transparent and disappear, or disintegrate into small pieces when a certain amount or more accumulates. According to such a presentation, for example, when a large number of virtual items or large virtual items are introduced, the avatar operated by the distributor is hidden by the virtual items, which reduces the fun of the distribution. can be avoided.

In addition, as an example of the production of virtual items, it is a production in which the inserted virtual item is displayed on some distributor terminals and/or viewer terminals, and is not displayed on other distributor terminals and/or viewer terminals. may For example, a virtual item inserted by a viewer may be displayed on the terminal of the viewer who inserted the virtual item, but may not be displayed on the terminals of other viewers. According to such a presentation, for example, it is possible to meet the request of a viewer who wants to check the virtual item he or she has put in, but who wants to avoid the distributor's avatar becoming invisible due to being buried in the virtual item. Further, it is also possible to provide an effect in which the virtual item input by the viewer is displayed on the distributor's terminal but not displayed on all the viewer's terminals. According to such a presentation, for example, it is possible to meet the demand of viewers who want to express their admiration to the distributor, but who want to avoid the collapse of program characteristics due to a large number of virtual items. In addition, the settings for such effects may be determined before the program is broadcast, or may be determined and changed during the broadcast. In addition, the setting of such effects may be operated on the distributor terminal or may be operated on the viewer terminal.

Further, as an example of virtual item control, the control may be such that the number of virtual items to be introduced is limited. For example, there may be an upper limit on the number of virtual items that can be introduced in one program broadcast. Also, even after the upper limit number of virtual items has been thrown, virtual items that can be thrown in again may be filled after a certain period of time has passed or a specific condition has been met. According to such control, for example, it is possible to avoid the biased introduction of only one type of virtual item to one program, and it is possible to create an environment in which a wide variety of virtual items are evenly introduced. can.

Further, as an example of the control of the virtual item, the control may be such that the time in which the virtual item can be inserted or the area in the virtual space in which the virtual item can be inserted is limited. For example, if the elapsed time counted from the start of the broadcast of the program is within a predetermined elapsed time range, the control may prohibit or partially restrict the insertion of virtual items. Further, for example, control may be such that the insertion of virtual items is temporarily prohibited or partially restricted based on the operation of an authorized person. Further, the number of virtual items introduced into the program, the total area occupied by the virtual items, or other parameters may be referred to, and if it is determined that these parameters exceed a predetermined threshold, the introduction of the virtual items may be prohibited or , may be partially restricted. Also, for example, the virtual space is divided into arbitrary areas, the number of virtual items placed in each area, the total area occupied by the virtual items, or other parameters are referenced, and it is determined that these parameters exceed a predetermined threshold. In this case, the control may prohibit or partially restrict the insertion of virtual items in the area. Also, if the above-described parameters of the virtual items inserted throughout the program exceed a predetermined threshold, no more virtual items can be inserted in a certain area in the virtual space (for example, the area where the avatar is present). Control may be such that virtual items are allowed to be thrown into other areas (for example, areas where there are no avatars) after that. According to such control, it is possible to prevent programability from being disrupted due to the introduction of a large amount of virtual items.

Further, as an example of the control of the virtual item, the control may be such that the virtual item does not hit the avatar. For example, the virtual item may be set to physically interact with other objects, and may be set to pass through only the avatar (FIG. 29(A)). In addition, for example, there is a transparent wall around the avatar, and since virtual items thrown in hit the transparent wall and bounce back, it is also possible to set the avatar so that the virtual item does not hit the avatar (Fig. 29(B)). According to such control, it is possible to avoid disruption of the programability due to the virtual item hitting the avatar.

In addition, including points that partially overlap with the previous description, an embodiment in which the presentation of the virtual item to be thrown is further devised will be described.

Considering again the configuration of throwing virtual items into the three-dimensional virtual space in the system 1 of the present embodiment, the method implemented by this system is to transmit the three-dimensional virtual space as a drawing transmission target to an unspecified viewing terminal. 1. A method for broadcasting moving images from the Internet via a network, comprising the step of performing the drawing in which a drawing unit of a server throws a virtual object into a three-dimensional virtual space based on a request from a viewing terminal, wherein the virtual object Also, the action of throwing in the virtual object has the following performance characteristics.

(A) A presentation in which the thrown-in virtual object interacts with any virtual object in the three-dimensional virtual space, mimicking the physical action between real objects in the real space (Fig. 30 (A) , FIG. 30(B)). . . . For example, when the virtual object is a rubber ball, the effect is that the rubber ball thrown into the virtual space hits the ground in the virtual space and bounces. Alternatively, virtual objects may collide with each other, elastically rebound after collision, or deform or destroy virtual objects due to collision. Viewers can enjoy a realistic feel.

(B) An effect in which a human avatar object in a three-dimensional virtual space is brought into contact with a virtual object into which it is thrown.・・・In the example of the rubber ball mentioned above, the virtual object, the rubber ball, hits the avatar in the virtual space and bounces, and the avatar kicks the rubber ball, which also gives a sense of realism. can be done.

(C) An effect in which the thrown-in virtual object is an image frame in which an image is drawn, and a human avatar is drawn in a three-dimensional space (FIG. 30(C)). . . . If the target performer or the like that you have thrown into the picture frame is shown, the target performer will be close-up, and the effect that the performer and the viewers who cast the image will be very conspicuous. You can put text inside the frame.

(D) An effect of displaying the ranking information of the viewer terminal that throws the ball on the display screen of the viewing terminal.・・・In part of the video broadcast screen, the viewers who had many throws in this program and the performers who were often the target of throwing in were displayed, giving a so-called "general election" feeling of exhilaration and throwing in. It is a production that increases the motivation to perform.

(E) An effect of throwing in a new virtual object that causes other virtual objects that have already been thrown in to disappear on the display screen of the moving image broadcast. . . . Since the casting is also a popularity vote, there is a possibility that the casting will be concentrated on popular video programs, popular corners and scenes in the programs, and popular performers. In that case, as shown in FIG. 28(C), the moving image broadcast screen is filled with thrown virtual items, making it impossible to enjoy the original broadcast screen. Therefore, for example, a bomb-type virtual item is thrown into the game, exploded, and other virtual items are added to the effect. It has elements of surprise and battle, and appeals to entertainment.

(F) An effect in which the thrown-in virtual object moves away from the viewpoint in the three-dimensional virtual space (FIG. 30(A)). . . . As described above, it is a production that uses the fact that it is a three-dimensional space to give a realistic feeling and a sense of immersion. Conversely, a configuration in which virtual items pop out from the back to the front is also conceivable.

(G) The virtual object to be thrown in is pre-associated with each target person related to the broadcast, and the display or attribute changes for each target person by throwing in the object. . . . For example, the performer is an idol group, and different items are prepared for each member of the group, and the viewer selects the member's exclusive item that he/she likes. It is a kind of popular vote, and you can enjoy the competitive spirit and game feeling. It also has the advantage of facilitating the distribution of gifts among group members when the throw-in items are accompanied by actual gifts.

(H) An effect in which a voice is displayed according to the execution of the throwing or the movement of the virtual object after the throwing. . . . If the virtual object is a firework, a bursting sound is produced, or a sound is produced when the virtual item hits the ground. If it is an animal type item, it is also possible to make a cry.

(I) An effect in which each virtual item that can be used for throwing is displayed in advance on the display screen of the broadcast. There are multiple types of virtual items, and they are displayed as menus on the side of the broadcast screen so that they can be selected in a menu format. If the type of virtual item changes for each program, changes on a daily basis, or changes at random, the game will come out.

(J) A presentation in which the virtual item that can be used for the throw-in symbolizes the product, and the purchase of the product is established by the throw-in.・・・In the first place, the throwing in of virtual items began with the endorsement and admiration of programs and performers (so-called “Ohineri”), but it is possible to use this mechanism and system to provide higher value-added services. Conceivable. In this production, like online shopping, you select a product on the broadcast screen and throw in the selected virtual item as a sign of your intention to purchase it. You can also explain the product in , and it can be a high value-added business.

(K) An effect in which character information specified by the viewer who throws the item is displayed on the virtual item to be thrown.・・・Comments are already posted on moving image programs, but this is developed into a virtual item throwing service. Since it is character information, the intention of the thrower can be expressed, and the sense of game and participation is enhanced.

(L) Rendering in which the thrown-in virtual item has the shape of a letter (FIG. 30(D)).・・・It is interesting that the letters themselves fall from above.

(M) Effect of changing the virtual object that can be thrown in according to the program in which the moving image broadcast is performed. ...By creating virtual items that match the content of the program, the program itself will become more exciting.

(O) A rendering in which the virtual item to be thrown is a daily commodity.・・・Since throwing items is a form of endorsement or praise, in general, gifts such as flowers and trophies are often used, as well as famous buildings and landmark towers. many. On the other hand, if daily necessities such as washing machines and refrigerators are used as articles with unexpectedness that should not be used for such purposes, they are unexpected and lead to excitement and appeal.

(P) An effect having an upper limit on the number of throwable items for each thrown virtual item.・・・I explained that there may be a concentration of throwing in popular programs, etc., but setting an upper limit on the amount of throwing can prevent excessive concentration, and it is possible to maintain motivation to throw in from a sense of scarcity.

(Q) An effect of grasping a virtual object into which a human avatar object in the three-dimensional virtual space is thrown (FIG. 30(B)). . . . If the avatar grabs and moves the virtual item thrown in, the performer can feel as if the performer has received the "twist", so the player can feel a sense of accomplishment.

(R) An effect in which the thrown-in virtual item disappears after a predetermined time has elapsed after the throw-in.・・・In addition to preventing excessive concentration on throwing as described above, it also leads to motivation to continuously throw.

(S) An effect in which the position in which the thrown-in virtual item appears in the three-dimensional virtual space and/or the performance after the appearance is changed according to the attribute of the viewer who throws in the item.・・・Members of video distribution (broadcasting) services are divided into paid members and free members, and items thrown in by these members in order to give preferential treatment to paid members or premium members appear in front of them in the virtual space. or appear close to the performer, or have a slow fall speed.

(T) A moving image broadcasting system that broadcasts a moving image from a server to each viewing terminal via a network, with a three-dimensional virtual space as an object of rendering transmission, wherein the three-dimensional space is based on a request from the viewer terminal. A drawing unit that draws a new virtual object by throwing it into the virtual space. A simulation calculation unit that simulates a physical interaction assuming that it is a real object in space, and reflects the result of the simulation in the drawing. . . . As explained above, the thrown virtual item may collide with an existing virtual item and elastically rebound (bound), or inelastically one or both of the items may be deformed. , may be depicted as being destroyed. Alternatively, while the two items are not in contact with each other, they may repel each other as if by the action of a magnetic field or an electric field, and change their trajectory in space.

(U) A moving image broadcasting system that broadcasts a moving image from a server to each viewing terminal via a network, with a three-dimensional virtual space as an object of drawing transmission, wherein the three-dimensional A drawing unit that draws by throwing a new virtual object into the virtual space, and an operation instruction for performing a throwing operation using a viewer terminal for a virtual object that can be thrown, and/or each viewer terminal Display of information based on the results of each throw that has already been made using the user interface.・・・There is a method in which virtual items that can be thrown in by the viewer are displayed in a list on the side of the display screen, etc., and selected. There is also a method of inviting throwing by presenting information, and if the name and handle name of the viewer with the highest number of throws and points are displayed on the side of the screen as a ranking of the items that have already been thrown, it can be used as an incentive. can become

(V) A moving image broadcasting system that broadcasts a moving image from a server to each viewing terminal via a network, with a three-dimensional virtual space as an object of drawing transmission, wherein the three-dimensional space is drawn and transmitted based on requests from the viewer terminals Pre-given to at least one of a drawing unit that draws a new virtual object by throwing it into the virtual space, a viewing terminal that is used for the throw, a viewer that throws the object, and a virtual object that is used for the throw. The attribute determination unit changes at least one of the propriety of throwing, the mode of throwing, and the mode of display after throwing according to the attribute, and reflects it in the drawing.・・・For example, in a video distribution service where participation is basically free, only paid premium members can throw items, or items that are different from free members can be thrown, or virtual space If the item can be thrown in such a way that the item is displayed in the front most conspicuous position on the display screen, the motivation to join the premium membership will be improved and the business profit of the video distribution service can be contributed. This kind of differentiation can be done with the account of the video distribution service, the unique number of the registered terminal (personal computer, smartphone, tablet terminal), etc., the number of the communication end (IP address, etc.) good too. Also, for virtual objects, for example, an item that is recommended to be thrown into each program, or conversely, an item that is prohibited from being thrown into the program may be set to smoothly proceed with the program. In addition, in the case of different control according to attributes such as the viewer, viewer terminal, type of virtual item, etc. as above, in addition to the propriety of inserting items, the difference in the place that appears on the screen as the behavior of the item after inserting , the difference in how it flies in the virtual space, the difference in the length of time it continues to appear, and the like.

(W) a distribution unit that distributes live content that allows viewer intervention, a storage unit that stores information for implementing viewer intervention, and a transmission unit that transmits information to the viewer's terminal; , a receiving unit that receives an intervention implementation request from a terminal, a display control unit that synthesizes and displays an electronic item with a video of live content based on the implementation request when the intervention implementation request is received, and a display control unit , a server that limits viewer intervention if a predetermined condition is reached. . . . As described above, when the number of virtual items thrown reaches a predetermined limit, the method prohibits further throwing, or limits the time during which virtual items can be thrown.

Here, with reference to FIG. 31, which describes the configuration of the content distribution server 2, etc., the configuration for realizing various effects of the thrown-in virtual item as described above will be described again.

As described above, each virtual item used for throwing has a unique appearance and performs a unique action. Also, some virtual items perform coordinated actions such as contact with avatars, other virtual items, and other items in the virtual space. Therefore, these virtual items have various advantages if they are configured for data storage and rendering in the same manner as the avatars described above.

As an example, information about virtual items is stored in the virtual item storage unit 53 of the content distribution server 2, and a virtual item selected by operating the viewer terminal 56 is received by the input reception unit 52 of the server 2. Upon receiving the signal, the signal (appearance and action) of the selected virtual item is sent to the distributor terminal 57 via the action data transmission unit 55, and the distributor terminal 57 receives the signal along with other item and avatar information. Rendering is performed and sent to the viewer terminal 56 via the video data receiving unit 50 and the video data transmitting unit 51 of the server 2 for viewing of the moving image program.

As another method, when the viewer wants to insert his or her own original virtual item, information on the virtual item is prepared in the viewer terminal 56 in advance, and is sent to the distributor terminal 57 via the server 2. Rendering may be done.

Alternatively, the distributor terminal 57 may be provided with virtual item information.

Rendering may be performed by the distributor terminal 57 or by the viewer terminal 56 or the server 2 .

(Explanation of the effects of the invention)
According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a virtual item that is a symbol of support for live content from a wider range of target audiences, not limited to target viewers of the live content, and at the same time, the viewers of this live content. It is possible to provide a content distribution system, a content distribution method, and a program that can broaden the circle of support for live content by making the virtual item, which is a symbol of support, visible to a wider range of target users. can.

The present invention can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are intended to be included in the invention described in the claims and their equivalents as well as included in the scope and gist of the invention.

1 content distribution receiving system 2 content distribution server 2a input/output interface 2b control unit 2c motion information storage unit 2d content distribution unit 2e joint distribution reception unit 2f program storage unit 2g user management unit 2h throw-in item reception unit 2i bus line 3 Internet communication network 7-1 Appearance data of avatar 7-2 Motion data of avatar (action data, action information)
7-2a Motion data node 7-2b Motion data branch 7-3 Avatar rendering data 10 First content distribution group 11 First distributor terminal 11a Input/output interface 11b Control unit 11c Avatar operation unit 11d Motion information Reception unit 11e Rendering unit 11f Display unit 11g Operation unit 11h Program storage unit 11i Data storage unit 11j Throwing item posting unit 11k Comment posting unit 11m Bus line 12 First viewer terminal 12a Input/output interface 12b Control unit 12c Avatar operation unit 12e Avatar posting unit 12f Display unit 12g Operation unit 12h Program storage unit 12i Data storage unit 12j Throwing item posting unit 12k Comment posting unit 12m Bus line 12-1 Display panel 12-1a Video display area 12-1b Avatar of the first distributor 12-1c Second streamer avatar 12-1d First thrown item 12-1e Home button display 12-1f Playback stop button display 12-1g Pause button display 12-1h Playback button display 12-1i Comment posting button display 12-1j Item throw button display 12-1k Seek bar display 12-1m Seek button display 12-1n Tree 12-1o House 12-1r Comment 12-2 Mouse cursor 12-3 Mouse pointer 12-4 Keyboard 20 Second content delivery Group 21 Second broadcaster terminal 22 Second viewer terminal 30 First virtual space 31 Background 32 First virtual camera 33 Second throw-in item 40 Second virtual space 41 Background 42 Second virtual space camera 43 traffic light

Claims (7)

A computer program for implementing joint distribution from a second distributor into a virtual space used for distribution by the first distributor, comprising:
The computer program comprises:
accepting an application for joint distribution from the second distributor;
storing at least first avatar information of said first distributor and second avatar information of said second distributor;
first avatar information, said second avatar information, and information of said virtual space used for distribution by said first distributor in response to said application for joint distribution from said second distributor; delivering data containing and causing the
The computer program causes the computer to:
receiving item-throwing information including the item-throwing application and item data from the viewer terminal, wherein the item-throwing information is included in the distributed data and distributed;
computer program. 2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein each of the first avatar information and the second avatar information includes at least one of motion data or appearance data regarding the avatar. The data including the distributed first avatar information, the second avatar information, and the information of the virtual space used by the first distributor for distribution is rendered on a viewer terminal, 3. A computer program according to claim 1 or 2. Responding to the offer for joint distribution from the second distributor comprises:
sending a joint delivery inquiry to the first distributor;
Obtaining permission from the first distributor;
Notifying the second distributor of the consent;
The computer program according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising executing the the item data includes appearance data of the thrown virtual item;
A computer program according to any one of claims 1-4. A content distribution method by a content distribution server that performs joint distribution from a second distributor into a virtual space used for distribution by a first distributor,
accepting an application for joint distribution from the second distributor;
storing at least first avatar information of said first distributor and second avatar information of said second distributor;
In response to the application for joint distribution by the second distributor, the first avatar information, the second avatar information, and the information of the virtual space used for distribution by the first distributor are transferred. distributing data including
The content distribution method includes:
further comprising: receiving item-throwing information including an application for casting and item data from the viewer terminal, wherein the item-throwing information is included in the data to be distributed;
Content delivery method. A content distribution server that performs joint distribution from a second distributor into a virtual space used for distribution by a first distributor,
a joint distribution reception unit that receives an application for joint distribution from the second distributor;
a storage unit that stores at least first avatar information of the first distributor and second avatar information of the second distributor;
In response to the application for joint distribution by the second distributor, the first avatar information, the second avatar information, and the information of the virtual space used for distribution by the first distributor are transferred. a content distribution unit that distributes data including
The content distribution server is
It further comprises a throw-in item reception unit that receives throw-in item information including a throw-in application and item data from the viewer terminal, and the item throw-in information is included in the distributed data and distributed.
Content distribution server.

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