Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide a server 1 of an embodiment allowing a presenter to clearly explain a content such as a graph displayed on a screen to an audience.SOLUTION: A server 1 of an embodiment comprises a cursor movement control unit 41, a camera image display control unit 42, and an image movement control unit 43. The cursor movement control unit 41 executes control to move a cursor pointing to a predetermined position in the screen in response to a user's operation. The camera image display control unit 42 executes control to display a camera image captured by a web camera 4 in the screen. The image movement control unit 43, for example, arranges the camera image at a lower right position near the cursor, and executes control for moving the camera image to follow the movement of the cursor as follow-up control.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a conventional technique for displaying an image of a web camera on a screen while displaying an object to be explained (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-061527 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional technology described above, the webcam image was fixedly positioned at the four corners or bottom of the screen, so the presenter was forced to provide their explanation from a distance relative to the subject (e.g., a graph) displayed on the screen, which often made it difficult for the presenter to understand their explanation.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a technique that enables a presenter to provide an easy-to-understand explanation to a viewer about a subject displayed on a screen. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, an information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: an object movement control means for executing control to move an object indicating a predetermined position on a screen within the screen in response to a user's operation; an image display control means for controlling the display of an image to be displayed on the screen; an image movement control means for executing a control for arranging the image at a relative position based on the object and moving the image so as to follow the movement of the object as a tracking control; Equipped with.

[0007] An information processing method and a program according to one aspect of the present invention are each an information processing method and a program corresponding to the information processing device according to the aspect of the present invention described above. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique that enables an presenter to provide an easy-to-understand explanation to a viewer about a subject of explanation displayed on a screen. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration of an information processing system including a server of an embodiment of an information processing device according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a server in the information processing system of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 3 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a server having the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of a server having the hardware configuration of FIG. 2 and the functional configuration of FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen (an example of displaying shortcut icons) of a server having the functional configuration of FIG. 3. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a screen in which a controller appears near the mouse cursor immediately after launching the present application from the screen in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a screen when a camera function is activated using the controller of the screen of FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a screen when a menu of camera functions is displayed on the controller of the screen of FIG. 7. [Figure 9]9 is a diagram showing an example of a screen when mouse tracking is enabled in the camera function menu of the controller on the screen of FIG. 8. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen showing a state in which, when mouse tracking is enabled on the screen of FIG. 9 and the mouse is moved, the camera image moves to track the cursor. [Figure 11] 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a screen when selecting a shooting area to be recorded on the presenter terminal of FIG. [Figure 12] 12 is a diagram showing an example of a screen showing a state in which a camera image follows the movement of a cursor while a photographing area is selected on the screen of FIG. 11 and photographed. FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen showing how facial expressions and emotions are conveyed by the camera image following the movement of the cursor on the screen of FIG. 12. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a screen that appears when uploading the captured image using the controller on the screen of FIG. 13 after capturing an image. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, with reference to FIG. 1, a system configuration of an information processing system including a server as an embodiment of an information processing device according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration of an information processing system including a server of an embodiment of an information processing device according to the present invention.

[0011] The information processing system of FIG. 1 is configured to include a server 1, a presenter terminal 2, viewer terminals 3-1 to 3-n, and a web camera 4. The server 1, the presenter terminal 2, and the viewer terminals 3-1 to 3-n are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a predetermined network NW such as the Internet. The form of the network NW is not particularly limited, and for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), Wi-Fi, a Local Area Network (LAN), the Internet, etc. may be adopted.

[0012] The presenter terminal 2 is an information processing device, such as a smartphone, tablet terminal, or personal computer (PC), that is managed by the presenter and has an app for the presenter provided by the service provider installed. The presenter terminal 2 is equipped with a web camera 4 on the side of the display screen and functions as a display device. The presenter terminal 2 can be operated by the presenter, for example, to explain the contents of the materials while displaying explanatory materials such as graphs and a camera image of the presenter himself on the screen of the launched application. The presenter terminal 2 executes various control processes including processes such as disclosure of content to each of the viewer terminals 3-1 to 3-n while appropriately communicating with the viewer terminals 3-1 to 3-n.

[0013] The viewer terminals 3-1 to 3-n are terminals that accept operations by viewers, such as doctors, who are member users of the service, and are information processing devices, such as smartphones, tablet terminals, personal computers (PCs), etc. Apps for viewers provided by the service provider are installed in the viewer terminals 3-1 to 3-n. During a web presentation broadcast live on the Internet by a presenter, the viewer terminals 3-1 to 3-n can display explanatory materials such as graphs provided on the app screen and view the explanation of the graphs while the presenter moves the cursor on the screen by operating the mouse. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the viewer terminals 3-1 to 3-n, they will be collectively referred to as the "viewer terminal 3."

[0014] The web camera 4 is disposed at a location where the presenter is present, and captures an image of the presenter. Specifically, the web camera 4 captures an image of the face of the presenter who is providing explanations facing the display screen of the presenter terminal 2. An image (camera image) of the presenter captured by the web camera 4 is distributed from the presenter terminal 2 through the network NW and the server 1 to each of the viewer terminals 3-1 to 3-n. In this example, the web camera 4 is connected to the presenter terminal 2, but if the camera is network compatible, it may be directly connected to the network NW. Also, if the presenter terminal 2 itself has a built-in camera function, the web camera 4 is not necessary.

[0015] In this embodiment, as an example of collaboration between the viewer terminal 3, the presenter terminal 2, and the server 1, a first method is adopted as a method of "collaboration" in which, for example, a dedicated app provided by a service provider is installed on the viewer terminal 3 and the presenter terminal 2, and the viewer terminal 3 and the presenter terminal 2 execute the processing of the app. However, in addition to this, a second method may also be adopted in which, for example, the viewer terminal 3 and the presenter terminal 2 access a website disclosed by the server 1 and display the website on each terminal.

[0016] According to this first technique, the viewer terminal 3 and the presenter terminal 2 communicate with the server 1 as appropriate and have the server 1 execute the main processing. The method for implementing the present service through cooperation between the server 1, the presenter terminal 2, and the viewer terminal 3 is not limited to the first and second methods. For example, a method that appropriately combines the first method and the second method can be adopted as the "collaboration" method.

[0017] However, for the sake of convenience, the following example will be described assuming that the first method is adopted as the "collaboration" method. That is, in the following example, the server 1 is the subject of processing, but this is merely an example, and the presenter terminal 2, viewer terminal 3, or other information processing device may be the subject of processing as appropriate during implementation.

[0018] In this example, since the server 1 executes the main processes, the hardware configuration and functional configuration of the server 1 will be described below with a focus on the server 1 in the information processing system of FIG.

[0019] First, an example of a hardware configuration of the server 1 in the information processing system of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a server according to an embodiment of the information processing device of the present invention.

[0020] The server 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a bus 14, an input / output interface 15, an output unit 16, an input unit 17, a memory unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20.

[0021] The CPU 11 executes various processes according to a program recorded in the ROM 12 or a program loaded from the storage unit 18 into the RAM 13 . The RAM 13 also stores data and the like necessary for the CPU 11 to execute various processes.

[0022] The CPU 11, ROM 12, and RAM 13 are connected to one another via a bus 14. An input / output interface 15 is also connected to this bus 14. An output unit 16, an input unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20 are connected to the input / output interface 15.

[0023] The output unit 16 is composed of a display such as a liquid crystal display device, a printer, a speaker, etc., and outputs various information. The input unit 17 is configured with input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse, and various information is inputted. The storage unit 18 is configured with a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or the like, and stores various data. The communication unit 19 communicates with other devices via a network NW including the Internet.

[0024] Removable media 21, such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory, is appropriately loaded into the drive 20. A program read from the removable media 21 by the drive 20 is installed in the storage unit 18 as necessary. Further, the removable medium 21 can store various data stored in the storage unit 18 in the same manner as the storage unit 18 . Although the hardware configuration of the server 1 has been described above, the hardware configuration of the presenter terminal 2 and the viewer terminal 3 is also the same, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted.

[0025] Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the functional configuration of the server 1, the presenter terminal 2, and the viewer terminal 3 having the hardware configuration of FIG. 2 will be described. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a server having the hardware configuration of FIG. 2, a presenter terminal, and a viewer terminal. In the following explanation, in order to distinguish between the hardware of the server 1, the hardware of the presenter terminal 2, and the hardware of the viewer terminal 3, the hardware elements of the server 1 will be marked with k, the hardware elements of the presenter terminal 2 will be marked with s, and the hardware elements of the viewer terminal 3 will be marked with r.

[0026] 3, a display instruction receiving unit 51 and a display control unit 52 function in the CPU 11s of the presenter terminal 2. A presentation application program (hereinafter, referred to as an "app") provided by the present service provider is installed in the presenter terminal 2, and a shortcut icon for starting the app is arranged in the menu bar of the screen. In addition, when the shortcut icon is clicked, a browser pre-installed on the terminal may be launched, and the URL of a specific page on the server 1 may be entered from the browser to access the server 1 and display the presentation screen.

[0027] The display instruction receiving unit 51 receives operations by the presenter. For example, it receives an instruction to start an application (such as clicking an icon on the menu bar) by operating a mouse, an instruction for the position and size of content (files such as documents, graphs, slides, etc.) and camera images to be opened on the screen, and an instruction by a selection operation on an operator of a controller 83 (see FIG. 6) displayed on the screen.

[0028] The display control unit 52 executes control to display the processing result according to the accepted instruction on the screen. For example, when an icon click operation is accepted, the display control unit 52 starts an application and displays the result on the presentation screen of the application. In addition, when the shortcut icon is clicked, a browser pre-installed on the terminal may be launched, and the URL of a specific page on the server 1 may be entered from the browser to access the server 1 and display the presentation screen.

[0029] In this service, the apps to be installed are divided into those for the presenter and those for the viewer, and the appropriate apps are installed on each device, but it is also possible to install the same apps on the presenter's terminal and the viewer's terminal, and vary the operation functions of the apps or the displayed presentation screen according to the user's authority. For example, the presenter's authority may allow the user to operate all functions within the presentation screen, while the viewer's authority may only allow the user to display content on the screen.

[0030] A display instruction receiving unit 61 and a display control unit 62 function in the CPU 11r of the viewer terminal 3. An application provided by the service provider is installed in the viewer terminal 3, and a shortcut icon for starting the application is arranged in the menu bar of the screen.

[0031] The display instruction receiving unit 61 receives operations by a viewer, for example, an instruction to start an application (such as clicking an icon on a menu bar) by operating a mouse.

[0032] The display control unit 62 executes control to display on the screen the results of processing in accordance with the instructions received by the display instruction receiving unit 61. For example, when a click operation on an icon is received, an application is started and the results are displayed on a presentation screen of the application. In addition, when the shortcut icon is clicked, a browser pre-installed on the terminal may be launched, and the URL of a specific page on the server 1 may be entered from the browser to access the server 1 and display the presentation screen. In this service, the functions that can be operated in the app or the displayed presentation screen vary depending on the user's authority. The viewer's authority is limited to launching the app and viewing the contents of the displayed presentation screen.

[0033] In addition, in the CPU 11k of the server 1, a cursor movement control unit 41, a camera image display control unit 42, an image movement control unit 43, an operation acceptance unit 44, and a controller display control unit 45 function.

[0034] The cursor movement control unit 41 executes control to move a cursor, which indicates a predetermined position within the screen, within the screen in response to a user's operation. Specifically, the cursor movement control unit 41 executes control to move a cursor using a display (a display device having a camera on the display surface side) of the presenter terminal 2 as a screen.

[0035] The camera image display control unit 42 executes control to display the camera image captured by the web camera 4 on the screens of the presenter terminal 2 and the viewer terminal 3. The control of the camera image includes control of the image captured by the camera as well as control of the camera itself (control of the angle of view and control of the orientation), etc. The camera image display control unit 42 displays on the screen as an image the facial image (captured image) of the presenter obtained as a result of imaging by the web camera 4. As a result, when the cursor is moved, the facial image of the presenter follows it, making it possible to provide an explanation including the presenter's facial expression, making the explanation easier to understand.

[0036] The image movement control unit 43 executes control to position the camera image at the lower right position near the cursor, for example, and move the camera image to follow the movement of the cursor as the tracking control. With this, when the cursor is moved to the position of an object to be explained, such as a graph, with the camera image positioned at the lower right of the cursor, the camera image also moves to follow the movement, so that the presenter can explain the graph to the viewer in an easy-to-understand manner.

[0037] The operation reception unit 44 receives a mouse operation (predetermined operation) at a predetermined position indicated by the cursor while being tracked by the camera image. This allows the mouse to be operated as usual even if the image from the web camera 4 is tracked to the lower right of the cursor. The operation receiving unit 44 allows the execution of the tracking control when a user, for example, a presenter, issues an instruction to follow, and prohibits the execution of the tracking control when a presenter issues an instruction to stop following. Specifically, when an operator (e.g., mouse tracking item 87 among the items in menu 86) located on controller 83 (see Figure 9, etc.) displayed on the screen is selected and activated, operation receiving unit 44 permits the execution of tracking control, and when item 87 is again selected and deactivated, operation receiving unit 44 prohibits the execution of tracking control.

[0038] The controller display control unit 45 displays on the screen a controller 83 including one or more operators (six function icons in this example) each of which performs one or more instructions on at least one of the webcam 4 and the image, and accepts an operation performed by the presenter (user) on any of the six function icons arranged in the controller 83.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 9, one of the six function icons included in the controller 83 is, for example, a camera-related function icon, and when this function icon is clicked, a menu 86 is displayed. Menu 86 contains functions such as "Camera Position," "Corner of Recording Area," "Follow Mouse," "Camera List," "Anmaze Virtual Camera," and "Integrated Camera." By displaying this controller 83, when the presenter needs to switch functions during a presentation, the presenter can smoothly switch functions by operating the controller 83 arranged on the screen, without performing unnecessary operations such as moving the cursor to the task bar or start button at the bottom of the screen.

[0040] Next, the operation of the server 1 having the functional configuration of FIG. 3 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the server having the functional configuration of FIG. When conducting an online briefing, the presenter and viewers launch an app installed on their respective devices, display a presentation screen (hereinafter referred to as the "screen") on each device, and begin communication between the terminals via server 1. When the presenter displays the content to be explained on the screen of the presenter terminal 2 and operates the mouse to move the cursor (object), in step S1, the cursor movement control unit 41 of the server 1 executes control to move the cursor indicating a predetermined position on the screen within the screen in response to the operation of the presenter.

[0041] Furthermore, when the presenter operates the mouse to perform an operation to display a camera image (an image to be displayed) on the screen, in step S2, the camera image display control unit 42 executes control to display the camera image on the screen.

[0042] In step S3, the image movement control unit 43 performs tracking control, for example, by positioning the camera image at a position near the cursor (relative positioning based on the cursor) at the bottom right and moving the camera image to follow the movement of the cursor.

[0043] As described above, according to the information processing system of this embodiment, the camera image is positioned in the lower right position near the cursor, and control is executed to move the camera image in accordance with the movement of the cursor, thereby enabling the presenter to provide the viewer with an easy-to-understand explanation of graphs, etc. displayed on the screen. In addition, the server 1 according to the embodiment can provide the following effects. By having the camera image 85 follow the cursor 82, it becomes very easy for the viewer to understand what part of the screen 80 the presenter is explaining. The element that the presenter wants to explain and his / her facial expression can be recorded and played back in adjacent positions on the screen 80. The viewer watching (viewing) the explanation can check the subject of the explanation and the other person's facial expression at the same time with less eye movement. The movement of the camera image 85 can be easily controlled by mouse operation, so the presenter can easily express and convey his / her own feelings to the viewer. For example, by moving the mouse slowly, the camera image 85 also moves slowly, emphasizing and conveying the main points. By moving the mouse in quick and violent movements, the camera image 85 also moves in quick and violent movements, thereby expressing the presenter's excitement and conveying it to the audience.

[0044] Next, a specific example of the operation in the web briefing will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a screen displayed when the presenter terminal of FIG. 1 is started up. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which a cursor and a controller are displayed on the screen of FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the cursor is moved to the position of the icon of the camera function in the controller in FIG. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a menu that is displayed when the icon in FIG. 7 is clicked. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the "mouse tracking" function item in the menu of FIG. 8 has been selected with the cursor. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing how the camera image follows the cursor when the cursor is moved with the "mouse tracking" function in FIG. 9 enabled.

[0045] In this information processing system, when the presenter terminal 2 is powered on, a home screen of the operating system (OS) is displayed as a screen 80, as shown in FIG. A task bar is provided at the bottom of the screen 80. Shortcut icons 81 are arranged on the task bar. The shortcut icons 81 are icons for starting an application provided by a service provider and installed in the presenter terminal 2.

[0046] Here, when the presenter uses the mouse to click on shortcut icon 81 located on the task bar of screen 80, the application is launched and a cursor 82 and a controller 83 are displayed on screen 80, as shown in FIG. 6. Six function icons (operators) are arranged on the controller 83. One of the six function icons is, for example, a camera-related function icon 84 shown in Fig. 7, and when the presenter operates the mouse to move the cursor 82 to the position of the function icon 84 and clicks it, an image of the presenter's face captured by the webcam 4 (hereinafter referred to as a "camera image") is displayed in a circular window. The concept of a camera image also includes still images, videos, and the like. Here, in order to enable the mouse tracking function of the camera image 85, the presenter moves cursor 82 to the position of the upward arrow symbol immediately to the right of function icon 84, as shown in FIG. 8, and clicks, causing a menu 86 to pop up. Menu 86 contains functions such as "Camera Position," "Corner of Recording Area," "Follow Mouse," "Camera List," "Anmaze Virtual Camera," and "Integrated Camera." By displaying this menu 86, when it becomes necessary to switch functions during an explanation, the presenter can smoothly switch functions (e.g., enable / disable) by displaying the menu 86 in a pop-up display near the cursor 82 and selecting the desired function item.

[0047] Here, the presenter uses the mouse to move cursor 82 to the position of the function item "Follow mouse" 87 in menu 86, as shown in Figure 9, and clicks, thereby enabling the mouse-following function of camera image 85.

[0048] As a result, when the presenter uses the mouse to move cursor 82 on screen 80 along arrow line Y, as shown in Figure 10, camera image 85, which was positioned immediately to the lower right of cursor 82, will follow cursor 82 and move in the same trajectory as cursor 82.

[0049] Next, the operation of the screen recording function of the server 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an operation for selecting a shooting area to be recorded on the presenter terminal of FIG. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing how a camera image follows a cursor when the cursor is pointed at a graph displayed in the shooting area of ​​FIG. 11 while the shooting area is being shot. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing how the camera image follows a cursor that is moved within the photographic area of ​​FIG. 11 while the photographic area is being photographed. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing how photography is completed using an icon on the controller and the photographed content is uploaded. The server 1 of the embodiment has a function of recording a predetermined area of ​​a screen on which a presenter is giving a presentation. In this case, when the user clicks on the “Corner of Recording Area” function item located in the menu 86 shown in FIG. 9, the screen recording function is activated and a cross cursor 88 is displayed on the screen 80, as shown in FIG. 11. Here, the presenter operates the mouse to specify the area to be displayed on the screen 80 as the recording target (photographing area).

[0050] Specifically, the presenter operates the mouse to move the cross cursor 88 to the upper left corner of the desired shooting area and clicks it, and then drags it in the direction of the arrow T to move the cross cursor 88 to the lower right corner of the desired shooting area and clicks it, thereby finalizing the shooting area 89 and starting screen recording of the shooting area 89. At the same time, the pause button on the controller 83 changes to a button indicating that recording is in progress, for example a red "circle" mark 90, and the user can visually confirm that the device is in a recording state.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 12, when content such as a graph 91 is displayed within a shooting area 89 of a screen 80 and an explanatory video is filmed, the presenter operates the mouse to move cursor 82 to an important point on graph 91 while explaining, and the camera image 85 following cursor 82 is also moved close to the important point, so that the facial expression of the presenter shown in camera image 85 can be simultaneously conveyed to the viewer.

[0052] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 13, the camera image 85 moves as indicated by the arrow P, following the cursor 82 which moves within the crosshair cursor 89 to the place the presenter wishes to explain, so that the facial expressions and feelings of the presenter in the camera image 85 can be conveyed well to the viewers.

[0053] When filming is finished, the presenter uses the mouse to move cursor 82 to the position of check mark button 92 on controller 83 displayed on screen 80, as shown in FIG. 14, and clicks check mark button 92, whereupon the recorded (filmed) explanatory video is uploaded to server 1 and a dialog box 93 indicating that uploading is in progress is displayed. In this way, the explanatory video uploaded to the server 1 is stored in the memory unit 18 (see Figure 2), so that the recorded explanatory video can be effectively utilized, for example, during a briefing session, by reading out the explanatory video from the memory unit 18 and playing it again to provide an explanation, or by making it available (distributed) to viewers who were unable to attend the briefing at a later date.

[0054] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications, improvements, etc. within the scope that can achieve the object of the present invention are included in the present invention. In the above embodiment, the function of the "Follow Mouse" item among the functional items arranged on the controller 83 has been mainly described, but in addition to this, the following functions are also implemented in the server 1. For example, the following functions are provided as setting functions related to the camera image 85. A function that allows the size of the camera image 85 that follows the cursor 82 to be adjusted. A function that allows adjustment of the transparency of the camera image 85 that follows the cursor 82. A function for switching the window frame of the camera image 85 that follows the cursor 82 to a specified shape such as a circle or a square. A function for adding a border of any color and thickness to a camera image 85 that follows a cursor 82. A function for setting a virtual background on the camera image 85 that follows the cursor 82. A function that displays the contents of the audio transcription near the camera image 85 that follows the cursor 82. A speed adjustment function for adjusting the speed at which the camera image 85 follows the cursor 82. This speed adjustment function prevents the camera image 85 from moving violently by having the camera wait a short time (delayed tracking) before following the cursor 82 rather than immediately following it, making it easier for the viewer to view the facial expression of the presenter in the camera image 85.

[0055] In the above embodiment, an example in which the imaging region is specified as a rectangle (see FIG. 11) has been shown, but other shapes such as a circle or other shapes may also be used, and any predetermined region will suffice. In the above embodiment, an example was given in which the camera image 85 was placed in the lower right position near the cursor 82, but the relative positional relationship between the cursor 82 and the camera image 85 can be changed by setting conditions. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the camera video has been exemplified as having a circular window shape (see FIG. 7, etc.), but it may have a shape other than this example (for example, a rectangle, an ellipse, or other three-dimensional shapes). In the above embodiment, a graph (see FIG. 12) is shown as an example of content, but other content may also be used as long as it is content. In the above-described embodiment, the system configuration is such that the server 1, the presenter terminal 2, and the viewer terminal 3 are connected via a network NW, but other configurations are also possible. For example, some of the components provided in the server 1 may be arranged in the presenter terminal 2 or the viewer terminal 3, and the functions of the present invention may be realized between these two.

[0056] The functional block diagram shown in Fig. 3 is merely an example and is not particularly limited. In other words, it is sufficient that the information processing system in Fig. 4 is provided with a function capable of executing the above-mentioned series of processes as a whole, and the type of functional block used to realize this function is not particularly limited to the example in Fig. 3.

[0057] Furthermore, the locations of the functional blocks are not limited to the example in FIG. 3 and may be arbitrary. Furthermore, one functional block may be configured as a single piece of hardware, a single piece of software, or a combination of both.

[0058] When the processing of each functional block is executed by software, the program constituting the software is installed into a computer or the like from a network or a recording medium. The computer may be a computer built into dedicated hardware, or may be a computer capable of executing various functions by installing various programs, such as a server, a general-purpose smartphone, or a personal computer.

[0059] A recording medium containing such a program is not only composed of removable media that is distributed separately from the device body in order to provide each user with the program, but also composed of a recording medium that is provided to each user in a state in which it is pre-installed in the device body.

[0060] In other words, it is sufficient for an information processing device to which the present invention is applied to have the following configuration, and various embodiments can be adopted. (1) That is, an information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention (for example, the server 1 in FIG. 3) an object movement control means (e.g., cursor movement control unit 41 in FIG. 3) for executing control to move an object (e.g., cursor 82 in FIG. 10) indicating a predetermined position on a screen within the screen in response to a user's operation; An image display control unit (e.g., the camera image display control unit 42 in FIG. 3) that controls the display of an image to be displayed (here, the image is a camera image (including both still images and moving images) captured by the web camera 4) on the screen; an image movement control means (e.g., image movement control unit 43 in FIG. 3) for executing a control to move the image (e.g., camera image 85 in FIG. 10) following the movement of the object (e.g., cursor 82 in FIG. 10) by locating the image (e.g., camera image 85 in FIG. 10) at a relative position (e.g., a lower right position near cursor 82) based on the object (e.g., cursor 82 in FIG. 10) as a tracking control; Equipped with. As a result, when an image (e.g., camera image 85 in FIG. 10) is placed to the lower right of an object (e.g., cursor 82 in FIG. 10), if the cursor is moved to the position of the subject to be explained (e.g., content such as a graph, slide, document, etc.), the image (e.g., camera image 85 in FIG. 10) also moves in accordance with the movement, allowing the presenter to explain the subject to be explained (e.g., content such as a graph, slide, document, etc.) to the viewer in an easy-to-understand manner, while including the presenter's own facial expressions.

[0061] (2) An information processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention (e.g., server 1 in FIG. 3) an operation receiving unit (e.g., the operation receiving unit 44 in FIG. 3) that receives a predetermined operation (mouse operation) on the predetermined position indicated by the object (e.g., the cursor 82 in FIG. 11) in a state where the image (e.g., the camera image 85 in FIG. 11) is being followed; Further comprising: As a result, even if an image (eg, camera image 85 in FIG. 11) is following the lower right of the object (eg, cursor 82 in FIG. 11), the mouse can be operated as usual.

[0062] (3) The information processing device (for example, server 1 in FIG. 3) The operation reception unit (e.g., the operation reception unit 44 in FIG. 3) permits execution of the following control when a following instruction is given by the user's operation, and prohibits execution of the following control when a following stop instruction is given by the user's operation. This allows you to quickly enable or disable cursor tracking with your controller.

[0063] (4) The information processing device (for example, server 1 in FIG. 3) the object movement control means (e.g., cursor movement control unit 41 in FIG. 3 ) executes control to move the object (e.g., cursor) using a display surface of a display device (e.g., presenter terminal 2) equipped with a camera (e.g., web camera 4 in FIG. 3 ) on the side of the display surface as the screen, The image display control means (e.g., the camera image display control unit 42 in FIG. 3) displays a captured image (e.g., a facial image of the presenter, etc.) obtained as a result of capturing an image by the camera on the screen as the image. Therefore, when an object (e.g., cursor 82 in FIG. 10) is moved, the captured image (e.g., an image of the presenter's face) follows, making it possible to include the presenter's facial expression in the explanation, and the explanation can be made easier for the viewer to understand by using voice and facial expressions.

[0064] (5) The information processing device (for example, server 1 in FIG. 3) a controller display control means (e.g., controller 83 in FIG. 6) that displays on the screen a controller including at least one operator for performing one or more instructions for at least one of the camera and the image, and that accepts an operation performed by the user on any of the one or more operators (e.g., controller display control unit 45 in FIG. 3); Further comprising: This makes it possible to smoothly give instructions for the explanation without performing unnecessary operations such as returning to the menu bar during the explanation.

[0065] (6) An information processing method executed by an information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention includes the steps of: An information processing method executed by an information processing device, an object movement control step (e.g., image display step S1 in FIG. 4) for executing control to move an object (e.g., cursor 82 in FIG. 10) indicating a predetermined position on a screen within the screen in response to a user's operation; an image display control step (e.g., image display control step S2 in FIG. 4) for executing control to display an image to be displayed (e.g., camera image 85 in FIG. 10) on the screen; an image movement control step (e.g., image movement control step S3 in FIG. 4) for executing a control for moving the image (e.g., camera image 85 in FIG. 10) following the movement of the object (e.g., cursor 82 in FIG. 10) by placing the image (e.g., camera image 85 in FIG. 10) at a relative position (e.g., a lower right position near cursor 82) based on the object (e.g., cursor 82 in FIG. 10) as a tracking control; Including, It is possible.

[0066] (7) A program according to one embodiment of the present invention, On the computer, an object movement control step (e.g., image display step S1 in FIG. 4) for executing control to move an object (e.g., cursor 82 in FIG. 10) indicating a predetermined position on a screen within the screen in response to a user's operation; an image display control step (e.g., image display control step S2 in FIG. 4) for executing control to display an image to be displayed (e.g., camera image 85 in FIG. 10) on the screen; an image movement control step (e.g., image movement control step S3 in FIG. 4 ) of executing a control for moving the image (e.g., camera image 85 in FIG. 10 ) in a relative position (e.g., a lower right position near cursor 82) based on the object (e.g., cursor 82 in FIG. 10 ) as a tracking control, the image (e.g., camera image 85 in FIG. 10 ) being moved in accordance with the movement of the object (e.g., cursor 82 in FIG. 10 ); It is possible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1 server, 2 presenter terminal, 3, 3-1 to 3-n viewer terminal, 11 CPU, 12 ROM, 13 RAM, 14 bus, 15 input / output interface, 16 output section, 17 input section, 18 storage section, 19 communication section, 20 drive, 41 cursor movement control section, 42 camera image display control section, 43 image movement control section, 44 operation reception section, 45 controller display control section, 51, 61 display instruction reception section, 52, 62 display control section, NW network

Claims

1. an object movement control means for executing control to move an object indicating a predetermined position on a screen within the screen in response to a user's operation; an image display control means for controlling the display of an image to be displayed on the screen; an image movement control means for executing a control for arranging the image at a relative position based on the object and moving the image so as to follow the movement of the object as a tracking control; An information processing device comprising:

2. an operation receiving means for receiving a predetermined operation for the predetermined position indicated by the object in a state where the image is being followed; The information processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

3. the image movement control means permits execution of the tracking control when a tracking instruction is given by an operation of the user, and prohibits execution of the tracking control when a tracking stop instruction is given by an operation of the user; The information processing device according to claim 1 .

4. the object movement control means executes control to move the object using a display surface of a display device having a camera on the side of the display surface as the screen; The image display control means displays an image captured by the camera on the screen as the image. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. a controller display control means for displaying on the screen a controller including at least one operator for performing one or more instructions for at least one of the camera and the image, and for accepting an operation of any of the one or more operators when the user operates the controller; The information processing device according to claim 4 , further comprising:

6. An information processing method executed by an information processing device, an object movement control step of executing control for moving an object indicating a predetermined position on a screen within the screen in response to a user's operation; an image display control step of executing control to display an image to be displayed on the screen; an image movement control step of performing a control for arranging the image at a relative position based on the object and moving the image so as to follow the movement of the object as a tracking control; An information processing method comprising:

7. On the computer, an object movement control step of executing control for moving an object indicating a predetermined position on a screen within the screen in response to a user's operation; an image display control step of executing control to display an image to be displayed on the screen; an image movement control step of performing a control of arranging the image at a relative position based on the object and moving the image so as to follow the movement of the object as a tracking control; A program that executes control processing including:

Images