Virtual space control system and virtual space control method

Abstract

To enable appropriate setting of conditions for sharing information with other avatar users in the surroundings of one's own avatar.SOLUTION: A control unit of a virtual space control system 1 disclosed herein is configured to measure elapsed time since an operation on a virtual space displayed on a display screen of an information terminal device or an operation on an avatar corresponding to a user in the virtual space was performed by the information terminal device, and changes the form of an information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device according to the elapsed time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a virtual space control system and a virtual space control method. [Background technology]

[0002] In a virtual office (virtual office) configured in a virtual space, each user uses an avatar to perform work within the virtual office. There is known a technique that allows each avatar to hear each other's voices when they are close to each other in the virtual space or when they are in the same space (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-071314 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Because each avatar user displays a virtual space on the screen of their respective information terminal device, there are cases where they do not check the screen displaying the virtual space or are unable to check it depending on the nature of their work, etc. In such a situation, if a user continues speaking without noticing that another user's avatar is approaching, there is a risk that the user's speech will be overheard by the user of another avatar, even though they do not intend for their speech to be overheard.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to appropriately set conditions for sharing information with users of other avatars around one's own avatar. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the virtual space control system of the present disclosure is a virtual space control system that displays a virtual space on an information terminal device and displays an avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device in the virtual space, and a control unit provided in the virtual space control system measures the elapsed time since an operation on the virtual space displayed on the display screen of the information terminal device was performed by the information terminal device or an operation on an avatar corresponding to the user in the virtual space, and changes the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device based on the elapsed time.

[0007] The virtual space control method of the present disclosure is a virtual space control method executed by a virtual space control system that displays a virtual space on an information terminal device and displays an avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device in the virtual space, wherein the virtual space control system measures the elapsed time since an operation on the virtual space displayed on the display screen of the information terminal device was performed by the information terminal device or an operation on an avatar corresponding to the user in the virtual space, and changes the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device based on the elapsed time. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to appropriately set conditions for sharing information with users of other avatars around one's own avatar. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a virtual space control system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information terminal device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a server device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of the information terminal device. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a virtual office displayed on the display screen of an information terminal device. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a virtual office displayed on the display screen of an information terminal device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another example of the display screen of the virtual office displayed on the display screen of the information terminal device. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another example of the display screen of the virtual office displayed on the display screen of the information terminal device. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence between the time elapsed after the operation of the virtual office and the size of the information sharing range. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a virtual space control method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a virtual space control method according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a virtual space control method according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A virtual space control system and a virtual space control method according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0011] [First embodiment] (Virtual space control system) 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a virtual space control system according to a first embodiment. The virtual space control system 1 controls a virtual office configured in a virtual space. In the following embodiment, a virtual office is used as an example for explanation, but the present invention is not limited to virtual offices and can also be applied to various services that use avatars for communication in a virtual space.

[0012] In the following description, a "user" may be referred to as a "first user" and an "other user" may be referred to as a "second user." Furthermore, an information terminal device used by a first user to log in to a virtual office may be referred to as a first information terminal device, and an information terminal device used by another user, a second user, to log in to a virtual office may be referred to as a second information terminal device. A first information terminal device is any information terminal device that is logged in to a virtual office, and a second information terminal device is any information terminal device that is different from the first information terminal device and that is logged in to the same virtual office as the first information terminal device.

[0013] An overview of the virtual office controlled by the virtual space control system 1 will be described. A user uses an information terminal device 10 to come to work (log in) to the virtual office using their own account and perform work. In the virtual office, an avatar associated with the user is set. When a user logs in to the virtual office using their own information terminal device 10 (described later), the avatar moves to any seat in the virtual office or to a predetermined seat and the user operates and displays the avatar to sit down. The user can operate the avatar to move around the virtual office. In the virtual office, for example, when avatars are close to each other in the virtual office or when avatars are located in the same space, such as a conference room in the virtual office, they can share information in a way that allows them to hear each other's voices.

[0014] However, while logged in to a virtual office, each user may not always be able to check the virtual office display screen on the display screen of their information terminal device 10, or may be distracted by other tasks. For example, even when the virtual office is displayed, a user may not be paying attention to the display screen of the virtual space if they are not operating their information terminal device 10, or if they are not operating the virtual space, their own avatar in the virtual space, or other operations. In such cases, a user may not notice that another user's avatar has entered, or is likely to enter, the information sharing range of their avatar. For example, while having a highly confidential conversation with a user of a second avatar who is in the information sharing range of their first avatar, the user may not notice that another user's avatar, whose conversation should not be overheard, has entered, or is likely to enter, the information sharing range of their avatar.

[0015] In this embodiment, the virtual space control system 1 measures the elapsed time from when an operation is performed on the information terminal device 10 to when no operation is performed on the information terminal device 10 for the virtual office displayed on the display screen of the information terminal device 10, and changes the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10 based on the elapsed time.

[0016] The virtual space control system 1 includes an information terminal device 10 that each user uses for business purposes and logs into the virtual office, and a server device 30.

[0017] The control unit provided in the virtual space control system 1 is a conceptual control unit realized by the cooperation of either or both of the terminal control devices 20 of the multiple information terminal devices 10 used in the virtual office and the server control device 40 of the server device 30. Either the terminal control device 20 of the information terminal device 10 or the server control device 40 of the server device 30 may be the control unit provided in the virtual space control system 1, or the terminal control device 20 of the information terminal device 10 and the server control device 40 of the server device 30 may be the control unit provided in the virtual space control system 1.

[0018] (Information terminal device) 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information terminal device according to the first embodiment. The information terminal device 10 is a terminal device used by a user who performs work in a virtual office. The information terminal device 10 is a terminal device on which the user executes a virtual office application. The information terminal device 10 is a terminal device through which the user logs in to the virtual office using their own account when logging in to the virtual office.

[0019] The information terminal device 10 is, for example, an information terminal device such as a general-purpose personal computer, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal, etc. The information terminal device 10 is connected to the server device 30 via a network so as to be able to communicate data with it.

[0020] The information terminal device 10 logs in to the virtual office based on the account information of the user who is logged in to the information terminal device 10.

[0021] The information terminal device 10 includes a camera 11 , a microphone 12 , an operation unit 13 , a display unit 17 , an audio output unit 18 , a communication unit 19 , and a terminal control device 20 .

[0022] Camera 11 captures an image in the direction facing information terminal device 10. Camera 11 is disposed at a position where it captures an image in the direction facing display unit 17 of information terminal device 10. In other words, camera 11 captures an image in the direction where a user using information terminal device 10 is located. Camera 11 is disposed, for example, near display unit 17. Camera 11 outputs the captured image to image acquisition unit 21 of terminal control device 20.

[0023] The microphone 12 picks up sounds around the information terminal device 10. The microphone 12 may pick up sounds from the direction facing the display unit 17 of the information terminal device 10, and may be provided in a headset connected to the information terminal device 10. In other words, the microphone 12 picks up sounds spoken by the user using the information terminal device 10 and sounds from the surrounding area. The microphone 12 outputs audio information related to the picked-up sounds to the audio acquisition unit 22 of the terminal control device 20.

[0024] The operation unit 13 is an input device capable of inputting various operations to the information terminal device 10. The operation unit 13 outputs an operation signal corresponding to the received input operation to the terminal control device 20. The operation unit 13 includes, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel arranged over the display unit 17, buttons, switches, etc. The operation unit 13 can receive, for example, a key input operation, a click operation, or a touch operation.

[0025] The operation unit 13 can accept operations such as moving an avatar corresponding to the user in the virtual office in any direction on the display screen of the display unit 17. For example, the operation unit 13 accepts operations such as overlapping or placing the user's avatar in the virtual office next to another avatar on the display screen of the display unit 17.

[0026] By performing an operation such as superimposing one's avatar on another or placing it adjacent to another avatar, communication such as a video call or a voice call can be initiated between users in the virtual office application. Whether a video call or a voice call will be conducted may be set in advance or may be set by the user's operation.

[0027] The display unit 17 displays various types of video including text and images. The display unit 17 is, for example, a display including a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, etc. The display unit 17 displays a video of a virtual office, etc. In this embodiment, when a video call becomes possible, the display unit 17 outputs a video of the user of another avatar with whom the video call is being made, in other words, a video captured by the camera 11 of the information terminal device 10 used by the user of the other avatar. The display of the display unit 17 is controlled by the display control unit 27.

[0028] The audio output unit 18 is an audio output device that outputs audio from the virtual office. In this embodiment, when the user is using the virtual office, the audio output unit 18 outputs the audio around the user's avatar in the virtual office. When a voice call or video call becomes possible, the audio output unit 18 outputs the audio of the user of another avatar with whom the user is making the voice call or video call, in other words, the audio picked up by the microphone 12 of the information terminal device 10 used by the user of the avatar. The audio output of the audio output unit 18 is controlled by the audio output control unit 28.

[0029] The communication unit 19 is a communication unit for performing wired communication or wireless communication. The communication unit 19 performs communication using a communication method such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or a mobile phone line, and is connected to an intranet or the Internet. The communication of the communication unit 19 is controlled by a communication control unit 29. The communication unit 19 communicates data such as video and audio or application operation information with the server device 30. The communication unit 19 communicates data such as account information of a user logged in to the information terminal device 10 and application operation status information with the server device 30.

[0030] (Terminal Control Device) The terminal control device 20 controls each part of the information terminal device 10. The terminal control device 20 has, for example, a control device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and a storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory). The terminal control device 20 executes a program that controls the operation of the information terminal device 10 according to the present disclosure. The terminal control device 20 may be realized by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA. The terminal control device 20 loads a stored program into memory and executes instructions included in the program. The terminal control device 20 includes an internal memory such as the RAM described above, and the internal memory is used for temporary storage of data in the terminal control device 20. The terminal control device 20 may be realized by a combination of hardware and software.

[0031] The terminal control device 20 has functional blocks realized by circuits and executed programs, including a video acquisition unit 21, an audio acquisition unit 22, an operation reception unit 23, an application control unit 24, a detection unit 25, a memory unit 26, a display control unit 27, an audio output control unit 28, and a communication control unit 29.

[0032] The video acquisition unit 21 acquires video captured by the camera 11. More specifically, the video acquisition unit 21 acquires video captured by the camera 11 of a user facing the information terminal device 10, etc. The video data acquired by the camera 11 is a moving image.

[0033] The voice acquisition unit 22 acquires the voice detected by the microphone 12. The voice acquisition unit 22 acquires voice such as the voice spoken by a user present in the vicinity of the information terminal device .

[0034] The operation reception unit 23 acquires operation signals corresponding to various operations of the information terminal device 10 in response to operations on the operation unit 13 from the operation unit 13. The operation reception unit 23 outputs control signals corresponding to the acquired operation signals to each unit. The operation reception unit 23 acquires operation signals corresponding to operations on the virtual office application and other applications.

[0035] The operation acceptance unit 23 accepts operations on the display screen of the display unit 17. The operation acceptance unit 23 accepts operations related to the virtual office displayed on the display unit 17. For example, the operation acceptance unit 23 accepts an operation to move the user's own avatar in the virtual office on the display screen of the display unit 17. For example, the operation acceptance unit 23 accepts an operation to overlap or place the user's own avatar in the virtual office next to another avatar on the display screen of the display unit 17.

[0036] The application control unit 24 controls the operation of various applications executed on the information terminal device 10. The applications operated by the application control unit 24 may be controlled in cooperation with a virtual office control unit 42 of the server device 30, which will be described later.

[0037] The application control unit 24 causes a display control unit 27, which will be described later, to display on the display unit 17 a display related to an application running on the information terminal device 10. The display related to the application is a display screen such as a window or an icon that shows the display related to the application to the user of the information terminal device 10.

[0038] When the user of the information terminal device 10 is logged in to the virtual office, the application control unit 24 makes the virtual office executed by the virtual office control unit 42 of the server device 30 available to the information terminal device 10 .

[0039] When a virtual office application is being executed on the information terminal device 10, the application control unit 24 shares information using the display control unit 27 and the audio output control unit 28 based on an information sharing range set around an avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10. Furthermore, when a video call with an avatar corresponding to another user is started while the virtual office application is being executed on the information terminal device 10, the application control unit 24 performs the video call using the display control unit 27 and the audio output control unit 28.

[0040] The application control unit 24 displays on the display screen of the information terminal device 10 not only a display screen (window) of the virtual office application but also display screens (windows) relating to applications other than the virtual office application.

[0041] The application control unit 24 arbitrarily changes the display size and display position of these display screens based on user operations. The application control unit 24 detects the size of the display screen of the virtual office application and transmits the detected size of the display screen to the server device 30.

[0042] The application control unit 24 arbitrarily changes the position of the avatar displayed on the display screen of the virtual office based on the user's operation.

[0043] When a video call becomes possible, the application control unit 24 causes the first information terminal device 10 in which the first user is logged in to the virtual office and the second information terminal device 10 in which the second user is logged in to the virtual office to mutually display images of faces, etc. More specifically, the application control unit 24 of the terminal control device 20 of the first information terminal device 10 causes the display unit 17 of the first information terminal device 10 to output an image of the second user captured by the camera 11 of the second information terminal device 10. Similarly, the application control unit 24 of the terminal control device 20 of the second information terminal device 10 causes the display unit 17 of the second information terminal device 10 to output an image of the first user captured by the camera 11 of the first information terminal device 10.

[0044] When the video call is stopped, the application control unit 24 stops the video sharing between the first user and the second user.

[0045] The detection unit 25 detects the elapsed time during which no operation is being performed on the information terminal device 10 after an operation is performed on the information terminal device 10, based on the operation signal received by the operation reception unit 23. The operation referred to here is an operation performed by the user of the information terminal device 10 using the operation unit 13. The elapsed time during which no operation is being performed on the information terminal device 10 after an operation is performed on the information terminal device 10 refers to the time during which no operation is being performed on the information terminal device 10 after an arbitrary operation is performed on the information terminal device 10. In other words, the detection unit 25 detects the elapsed time during which no operation is being performed on the information terminal device 10 after an operation is performed on the information terminal device 10. The operation on the information terminal device 10 may be any operation on the information terminal device 10, and includes various operations such as an operation on any application that can be used on the information terminal device 10. In particular, it is preferable that the operation is an operation that involves a display on the display unit 17 provided in the information terminal device 10.

[0046] The detection unit 25 detects, as an operation on the information terminal device 10, the elapsed time from when an operation on the virtual office displayed on the display screen of the information terminal device 10 is performed until no operation on the virtual office is performed. An operation on the virtual office may be an operation on the virtual office display screen, or an operation on one's own avatar in the virtual office. An operation on the virtual office display screen includes various operations, such as an operation to change the display position or display form of the virtual office display screen displayed on the display unit 17, and an operation to check various locations within the virtual office.

[0047] The detection unit 25 detects, as an operation on the information terminal device 10, the elapsed time during which no operation is made on the user's own avatar after an operation is made on the user's own avatar in the virtual office displayed on the display screen of the information terminal device 10. The detection unit 25 detects the elapsed time during which no operation is made on the user's own avatar after an operation is made on the user's own avatar by the information terminal device 10. The operation on the user's own avatar by the information terminal device 10 includes various operations such as an operation to move the user's own avatar within the virtual office and an operation to communicate with users of other avatars using the user's own avatar.

[0048] The detection unit 25 transmits the detection result to the server device 30.

[0049] The storage unit 26 stores information such as the calculation contents and programs of the terminal control device 20. The storage unit 26 is configured with, for example, a RAM, a main storage device such as a ROM, and a storage device such as an SSD or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

[0050] The storage unit 26 stores programs and setting information relating to applications used in the information terminal device 10, such as a virtual office application.

[0051] The following describes the information sharing range and information sharing set for avatars in a virtual office. In the virtual office, an information sharing range is set around each avatar. The information sharing range is the range in which information can be shared with users of other avatars, and is the range in which information can be shared between multiple users who are included in the information sharing range. One example of information sharing in the information sharing range is mutual sharing of audio. In other words, the information sharing range is the range in which audio, such as the voice of a user of each avatar, can be heard by users of other avatars. Furthermore, the information sharing range is the range in which audio, such as the voice of a user of each avatar, can be heard by users of other avatars. Information that can be shared in the information sharing range is not limited to audio, but also includes other information such as video and text. In this embodiment, the information sharing range is described as an example in which audio is shared.

[0052] For example, when a second avatar enters the information sharing range of a first avatar, the second user of the second avatar can hear the voice of the first user of the first avatar. Furthermore, when a second avatar enters the information sharing range of a first avatar and a first avatar enters the information sharing range of the second avatar, two-way voice sharing occurs, allowing each user to sense the other's presence and to converse without any special operations. Therefore, the information sharing range can also be referred to as the voice sharing range. Specifically, when a first avatar and a second avatar are within each other's information sharing range, the voice acquired by the voice acquisition unit 22 of the information terminal device 10 used by the first user of the first avatar can be heard in the information terminal device 10 used by the second user, and the voice acquired by the voice acquisition unit 22 of the information terminal device 10 used by the second user of the second avatar can be heard in the information terminal device 10 used by the first user.

[0053] It is also possible to set up a space that allows information sharing among all avatars within a specific range, such as a conference room set up in a virtual office. Outside of such a set space, the information sharing range is set for each avatar.

[0054] The information sharing range is displayed when operating an avatar. The size and shape of the information sharing range for each avatar are set to initial values ​​when starting to use the virtual office. The size and shape of the information sharing range for each avatar may be changeable by user operation.

[0055] The initial shape of the information sharing range is, for example, a circle with the target avatar at the center, and the initial size of the information sharing range is set to, for example, a size that includes two or three virtual desks for two to four people in a virtual office.

[0056] The display control unit 27 controls the display of various images on the display unit 17. The display control unit 27 controls the display of an image of a virtual office on the display unit 17. In this embodiment, when the information to be shared includes an image or text, the display control unit 27 outputs the image or text to the display unit 17. Furthermore, when a video call becomes possible, the display control unit 27 outputs an image of the user's avatar in the virtual office to the display unit 17.

[0057] The display control unit 27 changes the display mode of the virtual office display screen based on information indicating the change in the form of the information sharing range received from the server device 30, which will be described later.

[0058] The audio output control unit 28 controls the output of audio in the audio output unit 18. When information sharing is taking place, the audio output control unit 28 causes the audio output unit 18 to output the speech and the like of the user of another avatar who is present within the information sharing range in the virtual office. Furthermore, when a video call becomes possible, the audio output control unit 28 causes the audio output unit 18 to output the speech and the like of the user who is the other party in the video call.

[0059] The communication control unit 29 controls the communication unit 19 to transmit and receive data such as video and audio to and from the server device 30, and to transmit and receive operation status information of the application. More specifically, the communication control unit 29 controls, for example, the communication unit 19 to receive video and audio of the virtual office from the server device 30. The communication control unit 29 controls, for example, the communication unit 19 to transmit to the server device 30, video and audio of the user facing the display unit 17 of the information terminal device 10, acquired by the video acquisition unit 21 and the audio acquisition unit 22. The operation status information of the application includes, for example, in the case of a virtual office application, the operation of the avatar by the operation unit 13, the operation of starting and ending a video call, etc. The communication control unit 29 also transmits information indicating the detection result by the detection unit 25 to the server device.

[0060] (Server device) FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a server device according to the first embodiment. The server device 30 is a server device of a company to which the users of the information terminal devices 10 belong, or a server device of a business entity that provides a virtual office service, and may be a general-purpose server device including a distributed type. The server device 30 constructs and controls a virtual space such as a virtual office. The server device 30 includes a communication unit 31 and a server control device 40.

[0061] The communication unit 31 is a communication unit for performing wired communication or wireless communication. The communication unit 31 performs communication using a communication method such as Wi-Fi or a mobile phone line, and is connected to an intranet or the Internet. The communication of the communication unit 31 is controlled by a communication control unit 41. The communication unit 31 communicates data such as video, audio, and application operation status information with multiple information terminal devices 10.

[0062] (Server control device) The server control device 40 controls each unit of the server device 30. The server control device 40 includes, for example, a control device such as a CPU or MPU, and a storage device such as a RAM or ROM. The server control device 40 may be realized by, for example, an integrated circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA. The server control device 40 may be realized by a combination of hardware and software. The server control device 40 executes a program that controls the operation of the server device 30 according to the present disclosure.

[0063] The server control device 40 includes a communication control unit 41, a virtual office control unit 42, and a storage unit 49 as functional blocks realized by circuits and programs that are executed.

[0064] The communication control unit 41 controls the communication unit 31 to transmit and receive data including video and audio to and from the information terminal device 10, and to transmit and receive operation status information of applications, etc. The communication control unit 41, for example, controls the communication unit 31 to receive from the information terminal device 10 video captured by the camera 11 of the information terminal device 10 and audio collected by the microphone 12 of the information terminal device 10. The communication control unit 41, for example, controls the communication unit 31 to transmit video and audio of the virtual office to the information terminal device 10. The operation status information of the application is, for example, configuration information of the virtual office application.

[0065] The virtual office control unit 42 controls the operation of various applications running on the server device 30. For example, the virtual office control unit 42 controls the operation of a virtual office application. For example, the virtual office control unit 42 controls the operation of an application used for online communication.

[0066] The virtual office control unit 42 transmits the configuration of the application running on the server device 30 to the information terminal device 10 that is executing the application via the communication control unit 41. Specifically, the application control unit 43 transmits information indicating the configuration of the virtual office running on the server device 30 to the information terminal device 10 that is logged in to the virtual office.

[0067] The virtual office control unit 42 detects the position of a first avatar corresponding to a first user and the position of a second avatar corresponding to a second user in the virtual office. More specifically, the virtual office control unit 42 detects, for example, a first avatar that has entered an information sharing range of a second avatar in the virtual office. The virtual office control unit 42 detects, for example, a first avatar that has left an information sharing range of a second avatar in the virtual office.

[0068] The virtual office control unit 42 detects avatars of other users who are communicating with the user and who exist within the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10.

[0069] The virtual office control unit 42 measures the elapsed time during which no operation is being performed on the information terminal device 10 after an operation is performed on the information terminal device 10. More specifically, the virtual office control unit 42 acquires the period during which the information terminal device 10 is operating and no operation is being performed on the information terminal device 10, starting from the time when an operation is received on the information terminal device 10 that is logged in to the virtual office. The virtual office control unit 42 may also measure the elapsed time during which no operation is being performed on the virtual office after an operation is performed on the virtual office by the information terminal device 10. More specifically, the virtual office control unit 42 acquires the period during which the virtual office application is running on the information terminal device 10 and no operation is being performed on the virtual office application, starting from the time when an operation on the virtual office application is received on the information terminal device 10 that is logged in to the virtual office. Furthermore, the virtual office control unit 42 may also measure the elapsed time during which no operation is being performed on the user's avatar in the virtual office after an operation is performed on the user's avatar by the information terminal device 10. More specifically, the virtual office control unit 42 obtains the period during which the virtual office application is running on the information terminal device 10 and no operations are being performed on the user's own avatar, from the time when the virtual office application is accepted by the information terminal device 10 that is logged in to the virtual office, and during which no operations are being performed on the user's own avatar.

[0070] The virtual office control unit 42 changes the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10, based on the elapsed time since an operation was performed on the information terminal device 10 and no operation has been performed on the information terminal device 10. The virtual office control unit 42 reflects the change in the form of the information sharing range and transmits the change to the information terminal device 10. The change in the form of the information sharing range means, for example, narrowing the width of the information sharing range. In other words, reducing the size of the information sharing range.

[0071] The virtual office control unit 42 narrows the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user as the elapsed time period during which no operation has been performed on the information terminal device 10 increases after an operation on the information terminal device 10. If a long period of time has passed since an operation on the information terminal device 10 was performed and no operation has been performed on the information terminal device 10, the user is more likely to be absent from the vicinity of the information terminal device 10 in a state where conversation using the virtual office is possible, to be distracted from the virtual office display screen, or to not be looking at the virtual office display screen, making it difficult for the user to notice that another avatar is approaching the information sharing range of their avatar. Therefore, narrowing the information sharing range reduces the possibility of their speech being unintentionally overheard.

[0072] The virtual office control unit 42 changes the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10 based on the elapsed time from when an operation on the virtual office was performed until no operation on the virtual office was performed. The virtual office control unit 42 reflects the change in the form of the information sharing range and transmits the change to the information terminal device 10.

[0073] The virtual office control unit 42 narrows the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user as the elapsed time from when an operation on the virtual office was performed on the information terminal device 10 to when no operation on the virtual office is performed increases. If a long period of time has passed since an operation on the virtual office was performed and no operation on the virtual office is performed, the user is more likely to be diverting their attention from the virtual office display screen or not looking at the virtual office display screen, making it difficult for the user to notice that another avatar is approaching the information sharing range of their avatar. Therefore, narrowing the information sharing range reduces the possibility of their speech being unintentionally overheard.

[0074] Narrowing the information sharing range does not necessarily mean reducing the area of ​​the information sharing range to zero. In other words, it means narrowing the range while maintaining the state in which information can be shared.

[0075] The virtual office control unit 42 narrows the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user in the information terminal device 10 as the elapsed time from when an operation was performed on the avatar corresponding to the user to when no operation was performed on the avatar corresponding to the user increases. If a long period of time has passed since an operation was performed on the avatar and no operation was performed on the avatar, the user is more likely to be diverting their attention from the avatar or not looking at the virtual office display screen, making it difficult for the user to notice that another avatar is approaching the information sharing range of their avatar. Therefore, narrowing the information sharing range reduces the possibility of their speech being unintentionally overheard.

[0076] Furthermore, when an avatar of another user communicating with the user is present within the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10, the virtual office control unit 42 narrows the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user when the information sharing ranges of the avatar corresponding to the user and the avatar of the other user overlap.

[0077] The virtual office control unit 42 changes the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user so as to avoid the range through which other avatars pass, based on the elapsed time since an operation on the information terminal device 10, an operation on the virtual office, an operation on one's own avatar, etc. was performed and these operations were not performed.

[0078] The range through which the other avatars pass is a range in which the other avatars can move, such as a corridor in the virtual office through which the other avatars are moving, or a corridor in the virtual office through which the other avatars are expected to move.

[0079] The change in the form of the information sharing range is not limited to reduction, but also includes modifications such as avoiding or reducing the range through which other avatars pass, for example, the range where the virtual desks are spaced apart.

[0080] The storage unit 49 stores information such as the contents of calculations and programs of the server control device 40. The storage unit 49 is configured with, for example, a RAM, a main storage device such as a ROM, and a storage device such as an SSD or HDD.

[0081] The storage unit 49 stores information indicating a virtual office configured in a virtual space. For each user who logs in to the virtual office, the storage unit 49 stores information indicating an avatar, an information terminal device 10 associated with the avatar, and an account user of the information terminal device 10. The storage unit 49 stores information indicating the layout of objects that configure the virtual office, such as the sections that configure the virtual office and virtual desks.

[0082] The virtual office display screen displayed on the display unit of the information terminal device will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 8. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the display screen of the information terminal device. In Figure 4, the display unit 17 of the information terminal device 10 displays, for example, a display screen W1 that displays a virtual office using a virtual office application, and a display screen W2 related to another application.

[0083] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a virtual office display screen displayed on the display screen of an information terminal device. For ease of explanation, FIG. 5 shows only the information sharing range C1 of the first avatar A1, and omits the information sharing ranges of the other avatars. The information sharing range defines the range within which information can be shared and may or may not be displayed on the display screen of the information terminal device. This also applies to the following figures. A virtual desk D is also arranged in the virtual office. FIG. 5 shows an example in which the display screen W1 displaying the virtual office shows the information sharing range C1 of the first avatar A1 set to its default size. In FIG. 5, a second avatar A2 corresponding to a second user is moving within the virtual office, and there is a possibility that the second avatar A2 may enter the information sharing range of the first avatar A1 corresponding to the first user during the movement.

[0084] As shown in Figure 5, a state in which the information sharing range of the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device is set to the initial size is a state in which the user of the information terminal device is performing an operation on the information terminal device 10, performing an operation on the virtual office, or performing an operation on their own avatar in the virtual office, and further, a state in which the elapsed time since performing these operations during which no operation has been performed on each of them is less than the first threshold value t1 described below.

[0085] 6 is a diagram showing another example of a display screen of a virtual office displayed on the display screen of an information terminal device. On the display screen W1 displaying the virtual office, the information sharing range of the first avatar A1 is reduced in the radial direction.

[0086] As shown in Figure 6, a state in which the information sharing range of the first avatar A1, which is the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10, is reduced from its initial size means that the elapsed time since the user of the information terminal device 10 performed an operation on the information terminal device 10, an operation on the virtual office, and an operation on their own avatar in the virtual office without performing any operation on each of them is equal to or greater than the first threshold value t1 described below.

[0087] 7 is a diagram showing another example of a virtual office display screen displayed on the display screen of an information terminal device. When there are avatars of other users communicating with the user, the information sharing ranges of the avatars corresponding to the user and the avatars of the other users remain overlapped, while the information sharing ranges of the avatars are reduced. Specifically, on the display screen W1 displaying the virtual office, the information sharing range of the first avatar A1 is reduced to an oval shape that includes the first avatar A1 and the third avatar A3. In other words, the information sharing range of the first avatar A1 is reduced, while the information sharing ranges of the first avatar A1 and the third avatar A3 are included in each other's information sharing ranges.

[0088] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another example of a virtual office display screen displayed on the display screen of an information terminal device. The information sharing range C1 of the first avatar A1 has been reduced to avoid the area through which other avatars pass. In FIG. 8, the virtual desks D are spaced farther apart below the first avatar A1 and above the second avatar A2, so the area is the area through which other avatars pass, in other words, the passageway within the virtual office. The information sharing range C1 of the first avatar A1 shown in FIG. 8 has been changed to a shape that avoids the area through which other avatars pass, and also to a shape that includes the third avatar A3 and the fourth avatar A4, which were included in the information sharing range in the initial state shown in FIG. 5, in other words, a shape that maintains information sharing.

[0089] 9A and 9B are diagrams showing an example of the relationship between the size of the information sharing range and the elapsed time during which no operation is performed on the information terminal device 10 after an operation on the information terminal device 10 has been performed, while the user is logged in to the virtual office. FIGS. 9A and 9B show an example in which the size of the information sharing range changes depending on the elapsed time during which no operation is performed on the information terminal device 10 after an operation on the information terminal device 10 has been performed. In FIG. 9A, when the elapsed time during which no operation is performed on the information terminal device 10 after an operation on the information terminal device 10 is less than a threshold value t1, the size of the information sharing range is set to the initial value, and when the elapsed time during which no operation is performed on the information terminal device 10 after an operation on the information terminal device 10 has been performed becomes equal to or greater than the threshold value t1, the size of the information sharing range is reduced. 9(b), when the elapsed time during which no operation is performed on the information terminal device 10 after an operation on the information terminal device 10 is less than a first threshold t1, the size of the information sharing range is set to an initial value, and when the elapsed time during which no operation is performed on the information terminal device 10 after an operation on the information terminal device 10 is equal to or greater than the first threshold t1 and less than a second threshold t2, the size of the information sharing range changes linearly so as to decrease over time, and when the elapsed time during which no operation is performed on the information terminal device 10 after an operation on the information terminal device 10 is equal to or greater than the second threshold t2, the size of the information sharing range is reduced and maintained at a constant size. As shown in FIG. 9, when the elapsed time during which no operation is performed on the information terminal device 10 after an operation on the information terminal device 10 is equal to or greater than the threshold t1, the information sharing range is reduced as shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8.

[0090] The threshold (first threshold) t1 is, for example, 5 minutes, and the second threshold t2 is, for example, 10 minutes.

[0091] An example of the size of the information sharing range shown in Figure 9 is the size of the information sharing range for the elapsed time after an operation is performed on the virtual office and no operation is performed on the virtual office, and the size of the information sharing range for the elapsed time after an operation is performed on one's own avatar and no operation is performed on one's own avatar.

[0092] When a second avatar enters the information sharing range of a first avatar, the virtual office control unit 42 enables the second user to share the voice of the first user. Furthermore, when the second avatar is within the information sharing range of the first avatar and the first avatar is within the information sharing range of the second avatar, the second user can share the voice of the first user, and the first user can share the voice of the second user. In other words, the first and second users can share voice, enabling them to have a conversation via voice. More specifically, when voice sharing is enabled, the virtual office control unit 42 enables the information terminal device 10 used by the first user corresponding to the first avatar and the second information terminal device 10 where the second user corresponding to the second avatar is logged in to the virtual office to hear each other's voices. More specifically, the virtual office control unit 42 causes the voice of the second user picked up by the microphone 12 of the second information terminal device 10 to be output from the voice output unit 18 of the first information terminal device 10, and causes the voice of the first user picked up by the microphone 12 of the first information terminal device 10 to be output from the voice output unit 18 of the second information terminal device 10.

[0093] When the first avatar and the second avatar are no longer included in the information sharing range due to, for example, the movement of the avatar, the virtual office control unit 42 stops the voice sharing between the first user and the second user.

[0094] (Virtual space control method) A virtual space control method will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a virtual space control method according to the first embodiment. The processing shown in Fig. 10 is executed while a virtual office is provided by the virtual space control system 1. The processing shown in Fig. 10 is executed by the terminal control device 20 of the information terminal device 10 and the server control device 40 of the server device 30 of the virtual space control system 1.

[0095] The terminal control device 20 starts displaying the virtual office when the application control unit 24 starts operation of the virtual office application (step S101). More specifically, when the application control unit 24 starts the virtual office application by user operation or automatic startup, the display control unit 27 causes the display unit 17 of the information terminal device 10 to display an image showing the virtual office screen. After executing step S101, the process proceeds to step S102.

[0096] The terminal control device 20 starts detecting, by the detection unit 25, the time that has elapsed since an operation was performed on the information terminal device 10 and no operation has been performed on the information terminal device 10 (step S102). More specifically, the detection unit 25 starts detecting the time that has elapsed since the user of the information terminal device 10 operated the information terminal device 10 using the operation unit 13 and no operation has been performed on the information terminal device 10. The terminal control device 20 transmits the detection result of the detection unit 25 to the server device 30. After executing step S102, the process proceeds to step S103.

[0097] The server control device 40 determines, via the virtual office control unit 42, whether or not the elapsed time during which no operation has been performed on the information terminal device 10 since an operation was performed on the information terminal device 10 has reached or exceeded a threshold value t1, that is, whether or not the time during which no operation has been performed on the information terminal device 10 since an operation was performed on the information terminal device 10 has reached or exceeded a threshold value t1 (step S103). More specifically, the server control device 40 detects, via the virtual office control unit 42, that an operation has been performed on the information terminal device 10 by operating the operation unit 13 of the information terminal device 10, and determines whether or not the time during which no operation has been performed on the information terminal device 10 since the operation was performed on the information terminal device 10 has reached or exceeded a threshold value t1. If the server control device 40 determines, via the virtual office control unit 42, that the time during which no operation has been performed on the information terminal device 10 since an operation was performed on the information terminal device 10 has reached or exceeded a threshold value t1 (Yes in step S103), the process proceeds to step S104. If the server control device 40 does not determine that the elapsed time since an operation was performed on the information terminal device 10 and no operation has been performed on the information terminal device 10 is greater than or equal to the threshold value t1 (No in step S103), the server control device 40 proceeds to step S105.

[0098] If it is determined that the elapsed time since an operation was performed on the information terminal device 10 and no operation has been performed on the information terminal device 10 is equal to or longer than threshold t1 (Yes in step S103), the information sharing range of the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10 is reduced (step S104). More specifically, the server control device 40 reduces the size of the information sharing range of the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10 by using the virtual office control unit 42. After executing step S104, the process proceeds to step S108.

[0099] If the terminal control device 20 does not determine that the elapsed time during which no operation has been performed on the information terminal device 10 since the operation on the information terminal device 10 was performed is equal to or longer than the threshold value t1 (No in step S103), the terminal control device 20 determines whether the detection unit 25 has detected that an operation has been performed on the information terminal device 10 (step S105). If the detection unit 25 determines that an operation has been performed on the information terminal device 10 (Yes in step S105), the terminal control device 20 proceeds to step S106. If the detection unit 25 does not determine that an operation has been performed on the information terminal device 10 (No in step S105), the terminal control device 20 proceeds to step S103.

[0100] The server control device 40 determines whether the size of the information sharing range is the initial value using the virtual office control unit 42 (step S106). If the server control device 40 determines that the size of the information sharing range is the initial value using the virtual office control unit 42 (Yes in step S106), the process proceeds to step S108. If the server control device 40 does not determine that the size of the information sharing range is the initial value using the virtual office control unit 42 (No in step S106), the process proceeds to step S107.

[0101] If it is not determined that the size of the information sharing range is the initial value (No in step S106), the information sharing range of the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10 is returned to the initial value (step S107). More specifically, the server control device 40 causes the virtual office control unit 42 to return the size of the information sharing range of the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10 from the reduced state to the initial value. After executing step S107, the process proceeds to step S108.

[0102] The terminal control device 20 determines whether to terminate use of the virtual office (step S108). The terminal control device 20 determines to terminate use of the virtual office, for example, when it detects an operation to terminate use of the virtual office, when the information processing terminal 10 is disconnected from a network that allows use of the virtual office, or when an operation to turn off the power of the information processing terminal 10 is performed. When the terminal control device 20 determines to terminate use of the virtual office (Yes in step S108), it terminates the processing of this flowchart. When the terminal control device 20 does not determine to terminate use of the virtual office (No in step S108), it executes the processing of step S103 again.

[0103] (effect) As described above, the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10 can be changed based on the elapsed time from when an operation was performed on the information terminal device 10 until no operation was performed on the information terminal device 10. In this way, according to this embodiment, it is possible to appropriately set the information sharing conditions with users of other avatars around one's own avatar.

[0104] In this embodiment, the size of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user can be narrowed as the elapsed time after an operation on the information terminal device 10 has been performed and no operation on the information terminal device 10 has been performed increases. According to this embodiment, when a long time has elapsed after an operation on the information terminal device 10 has been performed and there is a possibility that a user using the virtual office may continue speaking without noticing that another user's avatar is approaching, it is possible to reduce the risk that the content of the speech will be unintentionally overheard by the user of the other avatar.

[0105] In this embodiment, if the information sharing range includes an avatar of another user communicating with the user, the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user can be narrowed when the information sharing ranges of the avatar corresponding to the user and the avatar of the other user communicating with the user overlap. According to this embodiment, the information sharing range can be changed while maintaining the current communication.

[0106] [Second embodiment] A virtual space control system 1 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a virtual space control method according to the second embodiment. In the following description, components similar to those in the virtual space control system 1 of the first embodiment are given the same or corresponding reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The virtual space control system 1 differs from the first embodiment in the processing in the virtual office control unit 42 of the server control device 40 of the server device 30.

[0107] The virtual office control unit 42 changes the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user based on the elapsed time since an operation was performed on the virtual office displayed on the display screen of the information terminal device 10 as an operation on the information terminal device 10, during which no operation was performed on the virtual office. The virtual office control unit 42 reflects the change in the form of the information sharing range and transmits the change content to the information terminal device 10. The change in the form of the information sharing range means, for example, narrowing the width of the information sharing range. In other words, reducing the size of the information sharing range.

[0108] The virtual office control unit 42 narrows the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user as the time that has elapsed since an operation was performed on the virtual office displayed on the display screen of the information terminal device 10 as an operation on the information terminal device 10, and the longer the time that has elapsed since no operation was performed on the virtual office.

[0109] The virtual office control unit 42 changes the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user based on the elapsed time since an operation was performed on the avatar corresponding to the user in the virtual office displayed on the display screen of the information terminal device 10 as an operation on the virtual office. The virtual office control unit 42 reflects the change in the form of the information sharing range and transmits the change content to the information terminal device 10. The change in the form of the information sharing range means, for example, narrowing the width of the information sharing range. In other words, reducing the size of the information sharing range.

[0110] The virtual office control unit 42 narrows the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user as the elapsed time from when an operation corresponding to the virtual office is performed on the avatar corresponding to the user in the virtual office displayed on the display screen of the information terminal device 10, to when no operation is performed on the avatar.

[0111] The virtual space control method will be described with reference to Fig. 11. The processing shown in Fig. 11 is executed while the virtual office is provided by the virtual space control system 1. The processing shown in Fig. 11 is executed by the terminal control device 20 of the information terminal device 10 and the server control device 40 of the server device 30 of the virtual space control system 1. The processing in steps S201, S204, and S206 to S208 is the same as that in steps S101, S104, and S106 to S108 of the flowchart shown in Fig. 10.

[0112] The terminal control device 20 starts detecting, by the detection unit 25, the time that has elapsed since an operation on the virtual office was performed by the information terminal device 10 (step S202). More specifically, the detection unit 25 starts detecting the time that has elapsed since the user of the information terminal device 10 performed an operation on the virtual office by the operation unit 13, during which no operation on the virtual office has been performed. The terminal control device 20 transmits the detection result of the detection unit 25 to the server device 30. After executing step S202, the process proceeds to step S203.

[0113] The server control device 40 determines, via the virtual office control unit 42, whether the time elapsed since the information terminal device 10 performed an operation on the virtual office is equal to or greater than a threshold value t1, i.e., whether or not a time equal to or greater than the threshold value t1 has elapsed since the operation on the virtual office was performed (step S203). More specifically, the server control device 40 detects, via the virtual office control unit 42, that an operation on the virtual office has been performed by operating the operation unit 13 of the information terminal device 10, and determines whether or not the time elapsed since the information terminal device 10 performed an operation on the virtual office is equal to or greater than the threshold value t1. If the server control device 40 determines, via the virtual office control unit 42, that the time elapsed since the information terminal device 10 performed an operation on the virtual office is equal to or greater than the threshold value t1 (Yes in step S203), the process proceeds to step S204. If the server control device 40 does not determine, via the virtual office control unit 42, that the time elapsed since the information terminal device 10 performed an operation on the virtual office is equal to or greater than the threshold value t1 (No in step S203), the process proceeds to step S205.

[0114] If the terminal control device 20 does not determine that the elapsed time since an operation on the virtual office was performed during which no operation on the virtual office has been performed is equal to or longer than threshold t1 (No in step S203), the terminal control device 20 determines whether the detection unit 25 has detected that an operation on the virtual office has been performed (step S205). If the detection unit 25 determines that an operation on the information terminal device 10 has been performed (Yes in step S205), the terminal control device 20 proceeds to step S206. If the detection unit 25 does not determine that an operation on the virtual office has been performed (No in step S205), the terminal control device 20 proceeds to step S203.

[0115] In the process shown in FIG. 11, operations on the virtual office can be replaced with operations on an avatar corresponding to a user in the virtual office.

[0116] (effect) As described above, the type of information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10 can be changed based on the time that has elapsed since an operation on the virtual office was performed by the information terminal device 10. In this way, according to this embodiment, it is possible to appropriately set the information sharing conditions with users of other avatars around one's own avatar.

[0117] In this embodiment, the longer the time that has elapsed since an operation was performed on the virtual office, the narrower the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user can be changed. According to this embodiment, if a long time has elapsed since an operation was performed on the virtual office and a user using the virtual office may continue speaking without noticing that another user's avatar is approaching, the risk of the user of the other avatar unintentionally overhearing the content of the speech can be reduced.

[0118] In this embodiment, the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user can be changed based on the elapsed time since an operation was performed on the virtual office, so as to avoid areas through which other avatars pass. According to this embodiment, the information sharing conditions with users of other avatars around the user's avatar can be appropriately set.

[0119] [Third embodiment] A virtual space control system 1 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of a virtual space control method according to the third embodiment. The virtual space control system 1 differs from the first embodiment in the processing performed by the detection unit 25 of the terminal control device 20 of the information terminal device 10 and the virtual office control unit 42 of the server control device 40 of the server device 30.

[0120] The detection unit 25 detects, for example, based on an operation signal received by the operation reception unit 23, that an operation on another application has been performed after an operation on the virtual office has been performed by the information terminal device 10. Specifically, the detection unit 25 detects an elapsed time in which an operation on the virtual office has been performed by the information terminal device 10, and an operation on another application has been performed during a period in which no operation on the virtual office has been performed. The other application is an application other than the virtual office application that is executed on the information terminal device 10 in which the virtual office application is being executed. The other application is an application operated by the user of the information terminal device 10, or an application that presents information to the user of the information terminal device 10, etc.

[0121] When the information terminal device 10 performs an operation on the virtual office and then an operation on another application, the virtual office control unit 42 narrows the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user based on the elapsed time. When an operation on the virtual office is performed and then an operation on another application is performed, the user is likely to be distracted from the virtual office, making it difficult for the user to notice that another avatar is approaching the information sharing range. Therefore, narrowing the information sharing range reduces the possibility of the user's speech being unintentionally overheard.

[0122] The virtual office control unit 42 detects, based on an operation signal received by the operation receiving unit 23 of the information terminal device 10, that an operation has been performed on another application after an operation on the virtual office has been performed by the information terminal device 10.

[0123] (Virtual space control method) The virtual space control method will be described with reference to Fig. 12. The processes of steps S301, S302, S304 to S309 in Fig. 12 are the same as those of steps S101, S102, S103 to S108 in Fig. 10.

[0124] The server control device 40 determines, via the virtual office control unit 42, whether or not an operation has been performed on another application after the information terminal device 10 has performed an operation on the virtual office (step S303). If the server control device 40 determines, via the virtual office control unit 42, that an operation on another application has been performed after the information terminal device 10 has performed an operation on the virtual office (Yes in step S303), the process proceeds to step S304. If the server control device 40 does not determine, via the virtual office control unit 42, that an operation on another application has been performed after the information terminal device 10 has performed an operation on the virtual office (No in step S303), the process proceeds to step S303.

[0125] (effect) As described above, in this embodiment, if an operation related to another application is performed after an operation related to the virtual office, the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user can be narrowed based on the elapsed time. According to this embodiment, if an operation related to another application is performed after an operation related to the virtual office, and a user using the virtual office may continue speaking without noticing that another user's avatar is approaching, the risk of the user's speech being unintentionally overheard by the user of the other avatar can be reduced.

[0126] The components of the virtual space control system shown in the figure are conceptual and functional, and do not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown. In other words, the specific form of each device is not limited to that shown, and all or part of them may be functionally or physically distributed or integrated in any unit depending on the processing load and usage status of each device.

[0127] The configuration of the virtual space control system is realized, for example, as software, by a program loaded into memory. In the above embodiment, the functional blocks are described as being realized by the cooperation of these hardware and software. In other words, these functional blocks can be realized in various forms, using only hardware, only software, or a combination of both.

[0128] The components described above include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the configurations described above can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the configurations are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0129] 1 Virtual space control system 10 Information terminal device 11 Camera 12 microphones 13 Control section 17 Display section 18 Audio output section 19 Communications Department 20 Terminal control device (control unit) 21 Video acquisition unit 22 Voice acquisition unit 23 Operation reception section 24 Application control section 25 Detector 26 Memory section 27 Display control unit 28 Audio output control unit 29 Communication control section 30 Server device 31 Communications Department 40 Server control device (control unit) 41 Communication control unit 42 Virtual Office Control Unit 49 Memory section

Claims

1. A virtual space control system that causes an information terminal device to display a virtual space and displays an avatar corresponding to a user of the information terminal device in the virtual space, The control unit of the virtual space control system includes: measuring an elapsed time from when an operation is performed on the information terminal device to when no operation is performed on the information terminal device, and changing the form of the information sharing range around an avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device based on the elapsed time; Virtual space control system.

2. The control unit the longer the elapsed time in a state in which no operation has been performed on the information terminal device since the operation on the information terminal device, the narrower the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user is changed. The virtual space control system according to claim 1 .

3. The control unit changing a form of an information sharing range around an avatar corresponding to the user based on an elapsed time from when an operation on the virtual space displayed on a display screen of the information terminal device is performed to when no operation on the virtual space is performed; The virtual space control system according to claim 1 .

4. The control unit changing a form of an information sharing range around an avatar corresponding to the user based on an elapsed time during which no operation is performed on the avatar in the virtual space displayed on the display screen of the information terminal device after the operation on the virtual space is performed on the avatar; The virtual space control system according to claim 3 .

5. The control unit When an operation related to another application is performed after an operation on the virtual space, the size of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user is narrowed based on an elapsed time in a state where no operation on the virtual space is performed.

5. The virtual space control system according to claim 3 or 4.

6. The control unit When an avatar of another user who is communicating with the user is present in an information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user, the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user is narrowed in a state where the information sharing ranges of the avatar corresponding to the user and the avatar of the other user overlap. The virtual space control system according to claim 1 .

7. The control unit changing the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user so as to avoid a range through which other avatars pass, based on the elapsed time from when an operation was performed on the information terminal device until when no operation was performed on the information terminal device; The virtual space control system according to claim 1 .

8. 1. A virtual space control method executed by a virtual space control system that causes an information terminal device to display a virtual space and displays an avatar corresponding to a user of the information terminal device in the virtual space, comprising: measuring an elapsed time from when an operation is performed on the information terminal device until no operation is performed on the information terminal device, and changing an information sharing range around an avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device based on the elapsed time; The virtual space control system executes the virtual space control method.

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