Virtual space display system

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD [Detailed description of the invention]

【0001】

[Industrial application field]

The present invention provides 3D computer graphics of a predetermined object at a predetermined position in a virtual space for each user terminal connected to the network and a service using communication provided on the network. The present invention relates to a communication system using a virtual space display, which is displayed as an image.

【0002】

[Conventional technology]

As a system in which multiple users enter into a common virtual space from each terminal through a network to communicate and collaborate, the multi-person remote real-time multimedia conference system of IBM Japan, Ltd. (The 47th Information Processing Society (Heisei)) (Late 5 years) National Convention 2E-5), SIMNET of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), communication game "Habitato" provided by Fujitsu Limited on a computer communication network, Nippon Electric Co., Ltd. ) Network-compatible virtual reality system (Shinohara "3D shape manipulation in virtual workspace" Information Processing Society Kyushu Symposium, December 1991).

【0003】

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

In these traditional virtual space display systems, the virtual space is displayed as the user interface of a specific application such as a CAD application, battle simulation, e-mail system, electronic conferencing system, etc. Since the selection method and the display formation of the communication content on the screen are different, only the communication service provided in the corresponding application is possible, and it is not possible to select and use any service with the same user interface.

【0004】

【0005】

An object of the present invention is to provide a virtual space display system in which arbitrary objects can acquire their own communication paths and directly communicate with each other.

【0006】

【0007】

[Means for solving problems]

In the virtual space display system of the present invention, a plurality of users connect each virtual space display terminal to a virtual space control device installed in a center via a communication line, and each user is on each terminal. The image of the virtual space viewed from the viewpoint position specified by is displayed, and in the virtual space, an object symbolizing a user using the virtual space or an object symbolizing a service provided on the virtual space is displayed. In the virtual space display system in which is arranged, the virtual space control device defines connection conditions when setting a communication path for an object including an object symbolizing a user and / or an object symbolizing the service. Communication between a connection control table, a communication path setting means that sets a communication path between both objects when the mutual relationship between objects matches the connection conditions specified in the connection control table, and communication between a plurality of objects in the virtual space. When setting a route, it has a transmission means for transmitting data other than the virtual space data among the data transmitted from each object to the virtual space control device to the plurality of objects connected by the communication path. ..

【0008】

【0009】

【0010】

【0011】

[Action]

When a specific connection condition is satisfied between a plurality of objects, a switch or a line accommodating device is requested to set a communication path for directly connecting the objects, the communication path is set, and the communication is further set. Direct communication between objects is realized by directly distributing data (audio data, video data) other than virtual space data (data such as the position, direction, and state of objects) between the objects using a road.

【0012】

Therefore, when the user tries to have a conversation using voice or video with an arbitrary object in the virtual space displayed on the terminal, the communication between the two is performed by instructing the object of the other terminal on the screen. A road is set, and both users can have a conversation by means such as voice and video.

【0013】

[Example]

Next, examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

【0014】

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a virtual space display system according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of virtual space display terminals 4-1, 4-2, and FIG. 3 is virtual with users 3-1, 3-2. A diagram showing the relationship between the spaces 10 and FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of the virtual space control device 1.

【0015】

As shown in FIG. 1, the virtual space control device 1 accommodates the virtual space display terminals 4-1, 4-2 of each user 3-1, 3-2 via the communication line 2. As shown in FIG. 2, each virtual space display terminal 4-1 and 4-2 has an audio input / output device 5, a photographing device 6, a display device 7, a video synthesizer 8, and an operator 9. As shown in Fig. 3 (1), the user 3-1 uses the joystick or other controller 9 of his / her terminal 4-1 to move from position 11-1 to the right with respect to his / her viewpoint in the virtual space 10. When the movement was instructed to 2, the image synthesizer 8 displayed the image 13-1 of the virtual space 10 seen from the viewpoint position 11-1 on the display device 7 (Fig. 3 (2)), but the movement instruction was given. Along with this, the image 13-2 of the virtual space 10 seen from the new viewpoint position 11-2 is generated and displayed on the display device 7 (Fig. 3 (3)), and the new viewpoint position 11-2 is displayed on the communication line 2. Is transmitted to the virtual space control device 1. Object 12-1 representing user 3-1 in virtual space 10 is not displayed in its own field of view image 13-1. In this embodiment, the object 12-2 representing another user 3-2 is displayed in the visual field image 13-2 at the viewpoint position 11-2. The line control unit 14 of the virtual space control device 1 collects all the virtual space data received from the terminals 4-1 and 4-2 via the communication line 2, that is, the information of each viewpoint position 11-1, 11-2. The information is sent back to terminals 4-1 and 4-2 and the corresponding information is sent to the connection control device 15. Each terminal 4-1 and 4-2 updates the position of the object corresponding to the terminal based on the received viewpoint position information, and generates and displays a new virtual space image. The connection control device 15 refers to the entry of the corresponding object type (which may be the corresponding object) in the connection control table 16 for the objects 12-1 and 12-2 symbolizing each user terminal 4-1 and 4-2. When each condition becomes true, the line control unit 14 is requested to set the communication path between the two. In this embodiment, the coordinates of the objects 12-1, 12-2 in each virtual space 10 are (x1, y1), (x2,² = (x1-x2)² + (Y1-y2)² The condition is true when <400. Also, if object 12-1 is not a user terminal but a symbol indicating service A, the distance is the same.² <100, vector (x2-x1, y2-y1) = A, vector indicating the line-of-sight direction of object 12-1, B, definition value in the front direction (range of deviation allowed from the true front direction) If φ, then the condition is true when (AB / | A | · | B |)> cosφ holds. Of the data received from terminals 4-1 and 4-2 via line 2, the line control unit 14 uses data other than virtual space data, that is, the audio input / output devices 5 and shooting of terminals 4-1 and 4-2. The audio data and video data input by the device 6 are mutually distributed to the terminal 4-2 for the data received from the terminal 4-1 and to the terminal 4-1 for the data received from the terminal 4-2. The terminal 4-1 outputs the audio data from the terminal 4-2 obtained via the line control unit 14 from the audio input / output device 5, and currently displays the video data from the terminal 4-2 by the video synthesizer 8. It is combined with the virtual space image inside and output to the display device 7. Terminal 4-2 similarly outputs audio data and video data from terminal 4-1. Here, the line control unit 14, the connection control device 15, and the connection control table 16 constitute a communication path setting means, and the line control unit constitutes a transmission means.

【0016】

In this embodiment, the case of connecting terminals to each other has been described, but the same applies to the case of connecting terminals and service providing nodes that provide various services.

【0017】

Further, in this embodiment, the case of connecting voice communication and video communication between terminals has been described, but the same applies to the case of data communication.

【0018】

【0019】

【0020】

【0021】

【0022】

【0023】

【0024】

【0025】

【0026】

【0027】

[Effect of the invention]

As described above, the present invention has the following effects.

【0028】

【0029】

The present invention requests an exchange or a line accommodating device to set a communication path for directly connecting the objects when a specific connection condition is satisfied among a plurality of objects, and sets the communication path. Furthermore, by directly distributing data other than virtual space data between the corresponding objects using the communication path, direct communication between the objects is realized, and communication is performed as if the call was made directly to the other party. There is an effect that can be done.

[Simple explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1]

It is a block diagram of the virtual space display system of one Example of this invention.

[Figure 2]

It is a block diagram of virtual space display devices 4-1 and 4-2.

[Fig. 3]

It is a figure which shows the relationship between the user 3-1, 3-2 and the virtual space 10.

[Fig. 4]

It is a block diagram of the virtual space control device 1.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Virtual space controller 2 communication line 3-1,3-2 users 4-1,4-2 Virtual space display terminal 5 Audio input / output device 6 Imaging equipment 7 Display device 8 Video synthesizer 9 Manipulator 10 virtual space 11-1 First viewpoint position 11-2 New viewpoint position 12-1 Object representing user 3-1 of virtual space 10 12-2 Object representing user 3-2 of virtual space 10 13-1 View image of user 3-1 13-2 View image of user 3-2 14 Line control unit 15 Connection controller 16 Connection control table