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 detect voice of a user of an information terminal device 10, and changes the form of an information sharing range around an avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10 according to the manner of voice of the user.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 detects the voice of the user of the information terminal device and changes the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device based on the manner of the user's voice.

[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 detects the voice of the user of the information terminal device and changes the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device based on the manner of the user's voice. [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 a virtual office displayed on the display screen of an information terminal device. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 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 6]FIG. 6 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 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 flowchart showing an example of a virtual space control method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a virtual space control method according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the information sharing range between avatars and the orientation of the avatars. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of the information sharing range between avatars and the orientation of the avatars. [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, each user may not always be able to check the virtual office display screen on the display screen of the information terminal device 10 they use, or may be distracted by other tasks. For example, the display screen (window) displaying the virtual office may be minimized, or another display screen may be displayed so that it overlaps the display screen displaying the virtual office. 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 own avatar. For example, while having a highly confidential conversation with a user of a second avatar who is in the information sharing range of a 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 own avatar.

[0015] In this embodiment, the virtual space control system 1 detects the voice of the user 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 manner of the user's voice.

[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 a server device 30 via a network so as to be able to communicate data with the server device 30.

[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] When the voice acquisition unit 22 acquires a voice from the microphone 12, the voice acquisition unit 22 may temporarily store the voice in a voice buffer until the voice is output. This is because the voice is output after a determination process by the detection unit 25, which will be described later.

[0035] The operation reception unit 23 acquires an operation signal corresponding to an operation on the operation unit 13 from the operation unit 13. The operation reception unit 23 outputs a control signal corresponding to the acquired operation signal to each unit.

[0036] The operation accepting unit 23 accepts operations on the display screen of the display unit 17. For example, the operation accepting 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 accepting 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.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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 .

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[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 manner of speech of the user of the information terminal device 10. The detection unit 25 detects, for example, the content of speech of the user of the information terminal device 10. The detection unit 25 converts the speech of the user of the information terminal device 10 into text data and detects predetermined words contained in the text data. Known methods can be used for converting speech into text data and for detecting predetermined words contained in the text data, and are not limited thereto.

[0046] The predetermined phrase is a phrase that is often uttered together with a confidential statement. The predetermined phrase is, for example, the name of a specific individual. The predetermined phrase is, for example, the name of an organization such as a department, section, or team. The predetermined phrase is, for example, a word that is often used when talking about something highly confidential, such as "Actually," "Just between us," "Secret," "Top Secret," and "Don't Tell Me." The predetermined phrase is stored in advance in the memory unit 26.

[0047] The predetermined phrases may be weighted. The heavier the weight, the more confidential the phrase. For example, the weight of an individual's name may be heavier than the weight of an organization's name. For example, the phrase "confidential" may be weighted more heavily than other phrases. In this case, the detection unit 25 detects the predetermined phrases and their weights contained in the text data converted from the user's voice.

[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 storage unit 26 stores data of predetermined phrases used in the detection unit 25.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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.

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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.

[0058] The display control unit 27 changes the display mode of the virtual office display screen based on information indicating the voice mode of the user of the information terminal device 10 received from the server device 30, which will be described later.

[0059] 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.

[0060] The audio output control unit 28 may wait for the detection process in the detection unit 25 and the process of setting the information sharing range according to whether confidentiality is required in the virtual office control unit 42 of the server device 30, and then output the audio from the audio buffer after the form of the information sharing range has been changed based on the confidentiality of the audio. In this case, there is a slight time lag between the audio acquisition unit 22 acquiring the audio and the audio output control unit 28 outputting the audio. The time lag corresponds to the processing time between the detection process in the detection unit 25 and the process of setting the information sharing range according to whether confidentiality is required in the virtual office control unit 42, and is therefore short, on the order of a few seconds.

[0061] The audio output control unit 28 may output audio in real time, without waiting for the detection process in the detection unit 25 and the process of setting the information sharing range depending on whether confidentiality is required in the virtual office control unit 42 of the server device 30. In this case, audio output begins before the type of information sharing range is changed. However, as soon as the process of setting the information sharing range depending on whether confidentiality is required in the virtual office control unit 42 of the server device 30 is completed, the type of information sharing range is changed in a short time of about a few seconds. For this reason, even if the audio output before the information sharing range is changed can be heard, if the information sharing range narrows midway and the audio can no longer be heard, it is presumed that the entire content of the speech cannot be understood.

[0062] 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.

[0063] (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.

[0064] 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.

[0065] (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.

[0066] 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.

[0067] 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.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] The virtual office control unit 42 detects the voice of the user of the information terminal device 10 and, based on the manner of the user's voice, changes the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10. More specifically, the virtual office control unit 42 changes the form of the information sharing range around the avatar based on the detection result indicating the manner of the voice of the user of the information terminal device 10, received from the information terminal device 10. The virtual office control unit 42 transmits the details of the change in the form of the information sharing range to the information terminal device 10.

[0073] When the virtual office control unit 42 determines that the content of the utterance is confidential (in other words, highly confidential) based on a predetermined phrase included in the text data converted from the user's voice, it narrows the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10. When the virtual office control unit 42 detects a predetermined phrase in the text data converted from the user's voice based on the detection result obtained from the information terminal device 10 by the detection unit 25, it determines that the content of the utterance is confidential.

[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] When a predetermined phrase is detected from the user's speech based on the detection result of the detection unit 25 obtained from the information terminal device 10, the virtual office control unit 42 may narrow the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10 according to the weight of the predetermined phrase. The virtual office control unit 42 may narrow the information sharing range as the weight increases. For example, the virtual office control unit 42 may narrow the information sharing range stepwise or linearly as the weight increases.

[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] Based on the display state of the virtual office on the display screen of the information terminal device 10, 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 an area through which other avatars pass.

[0078] The range through which the other avatars pass is, for example, 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] When the content of the utterance is determined to be confidential, the virtual office control unit 42 continues to change the information sharing range until the confidential content of the utterance comes to an end. When the content of the utterance is determined to be confidential, the virtual office control unit 42 cancels the change in the information sharing range and returns to the initial value after the confidential content of the utterance comes to an end.

[0081] A segment is an utterance by a user that is recognized as a single word or a single sentence. For example, a segment may be a segment in which the user's speech continues for a predetermined period of time and then stops. A segment may be arbitrarily set by the user, for example, until the user finishes speaking a predetermined word that the user has set in advance.

[0082] 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.

[0083] 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.

[0084] A virtual office display screen displayed on the display unit of an information terminal device will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the virtual office display screen displayed on the display screen of an information terminal device. For the sake of explanation, FIG. 4 shows only the information sharing range C1 of the first avatar A1, and the information sharing ranges of the other avatars are omitted. The information sharing range defines the range in 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. 4 shows an example in which the information sharing range C1 of the first avatar A1 is set to an initial size on the display screen W1 displaying the virtual office. FIG. 5 shows a situation in which a second avatar A2 corresponding to a second user is moving within the virtual office and may enter the information sharing range of the first avatar A1 corresponding to the first user during the movement.

[0085] If the user corresponding to avatar A1 has not made any confidential statements, the information sharing range of first avatar A1, which is the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device, is set to an initial size, as shown in FIG.

[0086] When the user corresponding to avatar A1 makes a confidential statement, as shown in Figures 5 to 7, the information sharing range of the first avatar A1, which is the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device, is set to a radially reduced size; in other words, the information sharing range of the first avatar A1 is narrowed.

[0087] 5 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.

[0088] 6 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.

[0089] FIG. 7 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. 7, 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. 7 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. 4, in other words, a shape that maintains information sharing.

[0090] 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.

[0091] 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.

[0092] (Virtual space control method) A virtual space control method will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a virtual space control method according to the first embodiment. The processing shown in Fig. 8 is executed while a virtual office is provided by the virtual space control system 1. The processing shown in Fig. 8 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.

[0093] 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.

[0094] The terminal control device 20 starts detecting the content of the speech of the user of the information terminal device 10 using the detection unit 25 (step S102). More specifically, the terminal control device 20 converts the speech of the user of the information terminal device 10 into text data using the detection unit 25, and detects predetermined words included in the text data. 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.

[0095] The server control device 40 determines whether the content of the utterance is confidential or not based on the detection result of the detection unit 25 using the virtual office control unit 42 (step S103). More specifically, the server control device 40 determines that the content of the utterance is confidential if the virtual office control unit 42 detects a predetermined phrase from the text data converted from the user's voice. If the virtual office control unit 42 determines that the content of the utterance is confidential (Yes in step S103), the server control device 40 proceeds to step S104. If the virtual office control unit 42 does not determine that the content of the utterance is confidential (No in step S103), the server control device 40 proceeds to step S105.

[0096] If it is determined that the content of the utterance is confidential (Yes in step S103), the server control device 40 causes the virtual office control unit 42 to reduce the size of the information sharing range of the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10 (step S104). More specifically, the server control device 40 causes the virtual office control unit 42 to reduce the size of the information sharing range of the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10. After executing step S104, the process proceeds to step S107.

[0097] If it is not determined that the content of the utterance is confidential (No in step S103), the virtual office control unit 42 determines whether the size of the information sharing range of the avatar in the virtual office is the initial value (step S105). More specifically, if the virtual office control unit 42 has reduced the size of the information sharing range of the avatar in the virtual office, the server control unit 40 determines that it is not the initial value. If the virtual office control unit 42 determines that the size of the information sharing range is the initial value (Yes in step S105), the server control unit 40 proceeds to step S107. In other words, the size of the information sharing range is maintained at the initial value. If the virtual office control unit 42 does not determine that the size of the information sharing range is the initial value (No in step S105), the server control unit 40 proceeds to step S106.

[0098] If it is not determined that the size of the information sharing range is the initial value (No in step S105), the information sharing range of the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10 is returned to the initial value (step S106). 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 to the initial value. After executing step S106, the process proceeds to step S107.

[0099] The terminal control device 20 determines whether to terminate use of the virtual office (step S107). 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 S107), 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 S107), it executes the processing of step S103 again.

[0100] (effect) As described above, in this embodiment, the voice of the user of the information terminal device 10 is detected, and 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 manner of the user's voice. Thus, according to this embodiment, the type of information sharing range is changed, so that confidential speech can be continued even if another avatar enters the information sharing range. According to this embodiment, even if a user using a virtual office may continue speaking without noticing that another user's avatar is approaching, the risk of the content of the speech being unintentionally overheard by the user of another avatar can be reduced. Thus, this embodiment allows appropriate setting of information sharing conditions with users of other avatars around the user's avatar.

[0101] In this embodiment, the presence or absence of confidentiality is determined based on predetermined wording contained in text data converted from the user's voice, and if confidentiality is determined to be present, the information sharing range around the avatar can be narrowed. According to this embodiment, the type of information sharing range is narrowed, so confidential statements can be continued even if another avatar enters the information sharing range.

[0102] In this embodiment, the higher the confidentiality of the predetermined wording, the narrower the information sharing range around the avatar can be changed. According to this embodiment, the higher the confidentiality of the speech content of a user using the virtual office, the narrower the information sharing range around the avatar can be changed. In this embodiment, for example, the heavier the weight of the predetermined wording, the narrower the information sharing range can be changed in stages or linearly. According to this embodiment, the higher the confidentiality of the speech content, the narrower the information sharing range is changed, thereby reducing the risk of the speech content being unintentionally heard by users of other avatars.

[0103] 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.

[0104] In this embodiment, the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user can be changed based on the display state of the virtual office on the display screen of the information terminal device 10 so as to avoid the area through which other avatars pass. The form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user may also be changed so as to avoid the information sharing range of other avatars passing by. According to this embodiment, the information sharing conditions with users of other avatars around the user's avatar can be appropriately set.

[0105] [Second embodiment] A virtual space control system 1 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 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 of 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 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.

[0106] The detection unit 25 detects a change in the volume of the voice of the user of the information terminal device 10. The detection unit 25 detects a change in the volume of the voice in the middle of a segment of speech by the user. The detection unit 25 detects a decrease in the volume of the voice in the middle of a segment of speech by the user or in the middle of a predetermined period of speech.

[0107] For example, if the volume of the current segment of speech decreases by a predetermined percentage or more compared to the average volume of a normal user's speech, the volume of the user's voice is detected as having decreased. For example, if the volume of the current segment of speech decreases by a predetermined percentage or more compared to the volume of the immediately preceding segment of speech, the volume of the user's voice may be detected as having decreased. For example, if the volume of the current segment of speech is equal to or less than a preset soft voice threshold, the volume of the user's voice may be detected as having decreased.

[0108] When speaking about something that requires secrecy, it is common to lower the volume of one's voice, so if the volume of one's voice decreases, it is determined that there is secrecy.

[0109] If the volume of the user's voice decreases during speech, the virtual office control unit 42 determines that confidentiality is required and narrows the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10.

[0110] (Virtual space control method) The virtual space control method will be described with reference to Fig. 9. The processes of step S201, step S204 to step S207 in Fig. 9 are the same as those of step S101, step S104 to step S107 in Fig. 8.

[0111] The terminal control device 20 starts detecting the voice volume of the user of the information terminal device 10 using the detection unit 25 (step S202). More specifically, the terminal control device 20 detects the voice volume of the user of the information terminal device 10 using the detection unit 25. 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.

[0112] The server control device 40 determines, via the virtual office control unit 42, based on the detection result of the detection unit 25, whether the voice volume of the user of the information terminal device 10 has decreased (step S203). If the server control device 40 determines via the virtual office control unit 42 that the voice volume of the user of the information terminal device 10 has decreased (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 voice volume of the user of the information terminal device 10 has decreased (No in step S203), the process proceeds to step S205.

[0113] (effect) As described above, in this embodiment, the volume of the user's voice is detected, and if the volume of the user's voice decreases during speech, it is determined that confidentiality is necessary. According to this embodiment, when a user using a virtual office is likely to be making a highly confidential speech, it is possible to reduce the risk that the speech content will be unintentionally overheard by other avatar users.

[0114] [Third embodiment] A virtual space control system 1 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 10 to 12. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the information sharing range between avatars and the orientation of the avatars. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing another example of the information sharing range between avatars and the orientation of the avatars. 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.

[0115] In this embodiment, the virtual space control system 1 detects the voice of the user of the information terminal device 10 and, based on the content of the user's speech, changes the manner of the voice output to users other than the conversation partner in the information sharing range of the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10. In this embodiment, in addition to changing the manner of the voice, the form of the information sharing range around the avatar may also be changed, as in the first and second embodiments.

[0116] The process of detecting the content of the speech in the detection unit 25 is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0117] The detection unit 25 further detects the orientation of the avatar in the virtual office.

[0118] The virtual office control unit 42 detects the voice of the user of the information terminal device 10 and, based on the content of the user's speech, changes the manner of the voice output to users other than the interlocutor within the information sharing range of the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10.

[0119] If the virtual office control unit 42 determines that the content of the utterance is confidential based on specified wording contained in the text data converted from the user's voice, it changes the manner of the voice output to users other than the interlocutor within the information sharing range of the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10.

[0120] Changing the manner of voice means making the user's voice difficult to recognize for people other than the conversation partner. Changing the manner of voice means, for example, lowering the volume, muting the voice, or masking the voice with a mechanical sound such as a beep before outputting the voice. Changing the manner of voice means, for example, outputting a dummy voice of the user with non-confidential utterance content that has been stored in advance in a storage unit.

[0121] When the virtual office control unit 42 determines that the content of the speech of the user of the information terminal device 10 is confidential, if the orientation of the avatar corresponding to the user within the information sharing range of the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10 includes the position of the avatar, there is another user who is speaking, and the orientation of the avatar corresponding to the other user includes the position of the avatar corresponding to the user, the virtual office control unit 42 may determine that the other avatar is the interlocutor and change the manner of the voice output to persons other than the interlocutor.

[0122] Using Figures 10 and 11, we will explain how the manner of voice output varies depending on the information sharing range between avatars and the orientation of the avatars. In both Figures 10 and 11, the orientations of the first avatar A1, the second avatar A2, and the third avatar A3 are indicated by shaded sectors. It is assumed that the first user corresponding to the first avatar A1, the second user corresponding to the second avatar A2, and the third user corresponding to the third avatar A3 are each making an utterance. The first avatar A1 is located within the information sharing range C2 of the second avatar A2, and the second avatar A2 is located within the information sharing range C1 of the first avatar A1. The orientation of the first avatar A1 includes the position of the second avatar A2, and the second user is making an utterance. Furthermore, the orientation of the second avatar A2 includes the position of the first avatar A1. In this case, the second avatar A2 is determined to be the conversation partner. Therefore, the manner of voice output to the third avatar A3, which is other than the second avatar A2, is changed as necessary.

[0123] In Fig. 10, the third avatar A3 is moving in the direction of the arrow while speaking. The third avatar A3 shown in Fig. 10 passes through the information sharing area of ​​the first avatar A1 and the second avatar A2, but the first avatar A1 and the second avatar A2 are not facing the third avatar A3. Therefore, the manner of the voice of the third avatar A3 output to the first avatar A1 and the second avatar A2, which are determined to be other than the third avatar A3's conversation partners, is changed.

[0124] In Fig. 11, the third avatar A3 is speaking and facing the direction of the first avatar A1. The third avatar A3 shown in Fig. 11 is facing the direction of the first avatar A1. However, the third avatar A3 is not facing the direction of the first avatar A1. Therefore, in Fig. 11, the first avatar A1 is determined to be other than the conversation partner of the third avatar A3, and the manner in which the voice of the third avatar A3 is output to the first avatar A1 is changed.

[0125] When it is determined that the content of the utterance of the user of the information terminal device 10 is confidential, the virtual office control unit 42 changes the volume of the sound output around the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10 and outputs the sound to other users determined to be other than the conversation partner. The virtual office control unit 42 decreases the volume of the sound output around the avatar and outputs the sound to other users determined to be other than the conversation partner.

[0126] When a predetermined phrase is detected from the user's speech based on the detection result of the detection unit 25 obtained from the information terminal device 10, the virtual office control unit 42 may reduce the volume of the sound output around the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10 in accordance with the weight of the predetermined phrase. The virtual office control unit 42 may reduce the volume as the weight increases. For example, the virtual office control unit 42 may reduce the volume of the sound output around the avatar in a stepwise or linear manner as the weight increases.

[0127] When the utterance content is determined to be confidential, the virtual office control unit 42 continues to change the voice mode until the confidential utterance content reaches a certain point. When the utterance content is determined to be confidential, the virtual office control unit 42 cancels the change in the voice mode and returns to the initial value after the confidential utterance content reaches a certain point.

[0128] (Virtual space control method) The virtual space control method will be described with reference to Fig. 12. The processes of steps S301 to S303 and S307 in Fig. 12 are the same as those of steps S101 to S103 and S107 in Fig. 8. In the description of the flowchart in Fig. 12, the volume will be reduced as an example of changing the manner of audio.

[0129] If it is determined that the content of the utterance is confidential (Yes in step S303), the server control device 40 reduces the volume of the sound output to parties other than the conversation partner using the virtual office control unit 42 (step S304). More specifically, the server control device 40 determines a user as a conversation partner when the orientation of the avatar corresponding to the user includes the position of the avatar, the user is speaking, and the orientation of the avatar corresponding to the other user includes the position of the avatar corresponding to the user. The server control device 40 reduces the volume of the sound output to parties other than the conversation partner using the virtual office control unit 42. After executing step S304, the process proceeds to step S307.

[0130] If it is not determined that the spoken content is confidential (No in step S303), the virtual office control unit 42 determines whether the volume of sound output to parties other than the conversation partner is at the initial value (step S305). More specifically, if the virtual office control unit 42 has set the volume of sound output to parties other than the conversation partner to be lower than the initial value, the server control unit 40 determines that the volume is not at the initial value. If the server control unit 40 determines that the volume of sound output to parties other than the conversation partner is at the initial value (Yes in step S305), the server control unit 40 proceeds to step S307. In other words, the volume of sound output to parties other than the conversation partner is maintained at the initial value. If the server control unit 40 does not determine that the volume of sound output to parties other than the conversation partner is at the initial value (No in step S305), the server control unit 40 proceeds to step S306.

[0131] If it is not determined that the volume output to parties other than the conversation partner is the initial value (No in step S305), the volume output to parties other than the conversation partner is returned to the initial value (step S306). More specifically, the server control device 40 causes the virtual office control unit 42 to return the volume output to parties other than the conversation partner to the initial value. After executing step S306, the process proceeds to step S307.

[0132] (effect) As described above, in this embodiment, the voice of the user of the information terminal device 10 is detected, and based on the content of the user's utterance, the manner of the voice output to users other than the conversation partner in the information sharing range of the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10 can be changed. As described above, according to this embodiment, the form of the information sharing range is changed, so that confidential statements can be continued even if another avatar enters the information sharing range. According to this embodiment, even if a user using a virtual office may continue speaking without noticing that another user's avatar is approaching, the risk of the content of the utterance being unintentionally heard by the user of the other avatar can be reduced.

[0133] In this embodiment, the higher the confidentiality of the predetermined wording, the narrower the information sharing range around the avatar can be changed. According to this embodiment, the higher the confidentiality of the speech content of a user using the virtual office, the lower the volume of the voice output to users other than the conversation partner in the information sharing range of the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10. In this embodiment, for example, the heavier the weight of the predetermined wording, the lower the volume of the voice output to users other than the conversation partner can be changed in a stepwise or linear manner. According to this embodiment, the higher the confidentiality of the speech content, the lower the volume, thereby reducing the risk of the speech content being unintentionally heard by users of other avatars.

[0134] 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.

[0135] 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.

[0136] 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]

[0137] 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: detecting a voice of a user of the information terminal device, and changing a form of an information sharing range around an avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device based on a manner of the voice of the user; Virtual space control system.

2. The control unit converting the user's voice into text data, determining whether or not confidentiality is required based on predetermined wording included in the text data, and narrowing the information sharing range around an avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device if confidentiality is required; The virtual space control system according to claim 1 .

3. The control unit Furthermore, the volume of the user's voice is detected, and if the volume of the user's voice decreases during the utterance, it is determined that confidentiality is required.

3. The virtual space control system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. 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: detecting a voice of a user of the information terminal device, and changing a form of an information sharing range around an avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device based on a manner of the voice of the user; The virtual space control system executes the virtual space control method.

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