Virtual space control system and virtual space control method

Abstract

To revitalize communication within virtual space. [Solution] The control unit of the virtual space control system 1 detects when the positions of multiple avatars in the virtual space become close together, enabling communication between the multiple avatars, and when this state of communication between the multiple avatars continues for a predetermined time or longer. The control unit then estimates the content of the communication between the detected multiple avatars and presents information based on the estimated content of the communication between the multiple avatars to users of other avatars located outside the range where communication between the detected multiple avatars is possible.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Services using virtual spaces have become widespread, and communication via avatars within virtual spaces has also become common. For example, within a virtual space, when the distance between avatars is close, communication such as voice between the users of the avatars can be carried out without any special operations. There is a known technique for making it possible for voices and the like to be heard mutually when the distance between avatars in a virtual space is short or when they are within the same space (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a virtual space, it is easy to communicate with a person who is far away in the real space or a person with whom there is no opportunity to communicate normally. However, matching between the side wishing to communicate and the side accepting the communication becomes an issue.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to activate communication within a virtual space.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the virtual space control system according to this disclosure is a virtual space control system that causes an information terminal device to display a virtual space and displays an avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device in the virtual space, wherein the control unit of the virtual space control system detects that the positions of a plurality of avatars in the virtual space are close together, that a state has been reached where communication between the plurality of avatars is possible, and that the state in which communication between the plurality of avatars is possible has continued for a predetermined time or longer, estimates the content of the communication between the detected plurality of avatars, and presents information based on the estimated content of communication between the plurality of avatars to the users of other avatars that are located outside the range in which communication between the detected plurality of avatars is possible.

[0007] The virtual space control method relating to this disclosure is a virtual space control method performed by a virtual space control system that causes an information terminal device to display a virtual space and displays an avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device in the virtual space, wherein the virtual space control system detects that the positions of a plurality of avatars in the virtual space are close together, that a state has been reached where communication between the plurality of avatars is possible, and that the state in which communication between the plurality of avatars is possible has continued for a predetermined time or longer, estimates the content of the communication between the detected plurality of avatars, and presents information based on the estimated content of communication between the plurality of avatars to the users of other avatars that are located outside the range in which communication between the detected plurality of avatars is possible. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, it is possible to revitalize communication within virtual space. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example configuration of a virtual space control system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2]Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of an information terminal device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a server device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of the display screen of a virtual office as shown on the display screen of an information terminal device. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows another example of the virtual office display screen displayed on the information terminal device's display screen. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a virtual space control method according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of the display screen of a virtual office as displayed on the display screen of an information terminal device. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows another example of the virtual office display screen displayed on the information terminal device's display screen. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows another example of the virtual office display screen displayed on the information terminal device's display screen. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows another example of the virtual office display screen displayed on the information terminal device's display screen. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a virtual space control method according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the virtual space control system and virtual space control method according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

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

[0012] In the following explanation, "user" may be referred to as the "first user," and "other users" may be referred to as the "second user." Furthermore, the information terminal device used by the first user to log into the virtual office may be referred to as the first information terminal device, and the information terminal device used by the other user (the second user) to log into the virtual office may be referred to as the second information terminal device. The first information terminal device is any information terminal device logged into the virtual office, while the second information terminal device is a different information terminal device from the first information terminal device, but is any information terminal device logged into the same virtual office as the first information terminal device.

[0013] This section describes the overview of the virtual office controlled by the virtual space control system 1. Users log in to the virtual office using their own account via an information terminal device 10 to perform their duties. In the virtual office, an avatar is set up that corresponds to the user. When a user logs into the virtual office using the information terminal device 10 (described later), the system prompts the user to move their avatar to any seat in the virtual office, or a predetermined seat, and sit down. Users can move around the virtual office by manipulating their avatar. In the virtual office, for example, if avatars are close to each other in the virtual office, or if avatars are located in the same space, such as a conference room, they can share information by hearing each other's voices and other sounds.

[0014] In this embodiment, when it is detected that the state in which communication between a plurality of avatars is possible has continued for a predetermined time or longer, the virtual space control system 1 presents information based on the estimated communication content between the plurality of avatars to the user of another avatar existing outside the range in which communication between the plurality of avatars is possible.

[0015] The virtual space control system 1 includes an information terminal device 10 used by each user for business or the like and for logging in to a virtual office, and a server device 30.

[0016] The control unit included in the virtual space control system 1 is a conceptual control unit realized by the cooperation of either one or both of the terminal control device 20 of the plurality of 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 used as the control unit included in the virtual space control system 1, or both the terminal control device 20 of the information terminal device 10 and the server control device 40 of the server device 30 may be used as the control unit included in the virtual space control system 1. In this embodiment, the control unit included in the virtual space control system 1 will be described as being the virtual office control unit 42 of the server control device 40 of the server device 30.

[0017] (Information Terminal Device) FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the information terminal device according to the embodiment. The information terminal device 10 is a terminal device used by a user who conducts business in a virtual office. The information terminal device 10 is a terminal device on which the user executes an application of the virtual office. The information terminal device 10 is a terminal device on which the user logs in to the virtual office with his / her own account when logging in to the virtual office.

[0018] 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. The information terminal device 10 is connected to the server device 30 via a network so as to be capable of data communication.

[0019] The information terminal device 10 logs into the virtual office based on the account information of the user logged into the information terminal device 10.

[0020] 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.

[0021] Camera 11 captures images in the direction facing the information terminal device 10. Camera 11 is positioned to capture images in the direction facing the display unit 17 of the information terminal device 10. In other words, camera 11 captures images in the direction where the user using the information terminal device 10 is located. Camera 11 is positioned, for example, around the display unit 17. Camera 11 outputs the captured image to the image acquisition unit 21 of the terminal control device 20.

[0022] The microphone 12 picks up sounds from the vicinity of the information terminal device 10. The microphone 12 may also pick up sounds coming from the direction opposite to the display unit 17 of the information terminal device 10, and may be provided on a headset connected to the information terminal device 10. In other words, the microphone 12 picks up the voice spoken by the user using the information terminal device 10 and the surrounding sounds. The microphone 12 outputs audio information related to the picked-up voice to the audio acquisition unit 22 of the terminal control device 20.

[0023] The operation unit 13 is an input device capable of receiving various operations for the information terminal device 10. The operation unit 13 outputs an operation signal to the terminal control device 20 corresponding to the received input operation. The operation unit 13 includes, for example, a keyboard, mouse, touch panel arranged on top of the display unit 17, buttons, switches, etc. The operation unit 13 can receive, for example, key input operations, click operations, or touch operations.

[0024] The operation unit 13 can accept operations such as moving the 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 can accept operations such as overlapping or placing the user's own avatar in the virtual office next to another avatar on the display screen of the display unit 17.

[0025] By overlaying one's own avatar onto another's avatar, or by positioning them adjacent to each other, users can initiate communication such as video calls or voice calls within the virtual office application. Whether to use video or voice calls may be pre-configured or can be set by the user.

[0026] The display unit 17 displays various types of images, including text and images. The display unit 17 is a display including, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The display unit 17 displays images of a virtual office, etc. In this embodiment, when a video call becomes possible, the display unit 17 outputs the image of the other avatar user making the video call, in other words, the image captured by the camera 11 of the information terminal device 10 used by the other avatar user. The display of the display unit 17 is controlled by the display control unit 27.

[0027] The audio output unit 18 is an audio output device that outputs audio from the virtual office, etc. In this embodiment, when using the virtual office, the audio output unit 18 outputs the audio surrounding the user's avatar in the virtual office. Also, when voice or video calls become possible, the audio output unit 18 outputs the audio of the other avatar user making the voice or video call, in other words, the audio picked up by the microphone 12 of the information terminal device 10 used by the avatar user. The audio output of the audio output unit 18 is controlled by the audio output control unit 28.

[0028] The communication unit 19 is a communication unit for wired or wireless communication. The communication unit 19 communicates using communication methods such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or mobile phone lines, and connects to an intranet or the internet. The communication unit 19 is controlled by the 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 also communicates data such as user account information and application operating status information of users logged into the information terminal device 10 with the server device 30.

[0029] (Terminal control device) The terminal control device 20 controls various parts of the information terminal device 10. The terminal control device 20 includes, for example, a control device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and a storage device such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM (Read Only Memory). The terminal control device 20 executes a program that controls the operation of the information terminal device 10 according to this disclosure. The terminal control device 20 may be implemented by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA. The terminal control device 20 loads the stored program into memory and executes the instructions contained in the program. The terminal control device 20 includes internal memory such as the aforementioned RAM, and the internal memory is used for temporary storage of data in the terminal control device 20. The terminal control device 20 may be implemented by a combination of hardware and software.

[0030] The terminal control device 20 includes, as functional blocks realized by circuits and executed programs, a video acquisition unit 21, an audio acquisition unit 22, an operation reception unit 23, an application control unit 24, a storage unit 26, a display control unit 27, an audio output control unit 28, and a communication control unit 29.

[0031] The video acquisition unit 21 acquires the video captured by the camera 11. More specifically, the video acquisition unit 21 acquires the video captured by the camera 11, which shows a user facing the information terminal device 10. The video data acquired by the camera 11 is a moving image.

[0032] The voice acquisition unit 22 acquires the sound detected by the microphone 12. The voice acquisition unit 22 acquires sounds such as the voice spoken by a user in the vicinity of the information terminal device 10.

[0033] The operation reception unit 23 acquires an operation signal from the operation unit 13 corresponding to the operation performed on the operation unit 13. The operation reception unit 23 outputs a control signal corresponding to the acquired operation signal to each unit.

[0034] The operation reception unit 23 receives operations on the display screen of the display unit 17. For example, the operation reception unit 23 receives operations to move the user's avatar in the virtual office on the display screen of the display unit 17. For example, the operation reception unit 23 receives operations to overlap or place the user's avatar in the virtual office next to another avatar on the display screen of the display unit 17.

[0035] The application control unit 24 controls the operation of various applications running on the information terminal device 10. The applications running on the application control unit 24 may be controlled in cooperation with the virtual office control unit 42 of the server device 30, which will be described later.

[0036] The application control unit 24 causes the display unit 17 to display information related to the application running on the information terminal device 10, via the display control unit 27, which will be described later. Application-related displays include display screens such as windows and icons that show information related to the application to the user of the information terminal device 10.

[0037] When a user of the information terminal device 10 is logged into the virtual office, the application control unit 24 makes the virtual office running in the server device 30's virtual office control unit 42 available to the information terminal device 10.

[0038] When video calls become available, the application control unit 24 ensures that the faces and other images of the first user are displayed to each other on the first information terminal device 10, where the first user is logged into the virtual office, and on the second information terminal device 10, where the second user is logged into the virtual office. 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 the 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 the image of the first user captured by the camera 11 of the first information terminal device 10.

[0039] The application control unit 24 stops video sharing between the first user and the second user if the video call is stopped.

[0040] The memory unit 26 stores information such as the calculation contents and programs of the terminal control device 20. The memory unit 26 is composed of, for example, RAM, a main memory such as ROM, an SSD, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and other storage devices.

[0041] The memory unit 26 stores programs and configuration information related to applications used in the information terminal device 10, such as virtual office applications.

[0042] This section describes the information sharing range and information sharing that are set for avatars in a virtual office. In a 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 it is the range in which information can be shared among multiple users that are mutually included in the information sharing range. One example of information sharing within the information sharing range is the sharing of voices. In other words, the information sharing range is the range in which the voices of users of other avatars can be heard by users of other avatars. Also, the information sharing range is the range in which users of other avatars can hear the voices of users of other avatars. The information that can be shared within the information sharing range is not limited to voice, but also includes other information such as video and text. In this embodiment, the information sharing range will be described as an example of sharing voices.

[0043] For example, if the second avatar enters the information sharing range of the first avatar, the second user of the second avatar can hear the voice of the first user of the first avatar. Also, if the second avatar enters the information sharing range of the first avatar, and the first avatar enters the information sharing range of the second avatar, two-way voice sharing occurs, allowing them to sense each other's presence and enabling conversation without any special operation. Therefore, the information sharing range can also be called the voice sharing range. Specifically, when the first and second avatars are mutually included in 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 becomes audible on 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 becomes audible on the information terminal device 10 used by the first user.

[0044] Furthermore, it is possible to create spaces that enable information sharing among all avatars within a specific range, such as a meeting room set up in a virtual office. Outside of such spaces, the information sharing range is set individually for each avatar.

[0045] The information sharing scope is displayed when operating an avatar, etc. The initial size and shape of the information sharing scope for each avatar are set when the virtual office is first used. The size and shape of the information sharing scope for each avatar may be changeable through user operation.

[0046] The initial shape of the information sharing area is, for example, a circle centered on the target avatar. The initial size of the information sharing area is set to, for example, a size that can accommodate two or three virtual desks for two to four people in a virtual office.

[0047] The display control unit 27 controls the display of various types of video on the display unit 17. The display control unit 27 controls the display of video of the virtual office on the display unit 17. In this embodiment, if the information being shared includes video or text, the display control unit 27 outputs the video or text to the display unit 17. Also, when a video call becomes possible, the display control unit 27 outputs the video of the virtual office avatar user, etc., to the display unit 17.

[0048] The audio output control unit 28 controls the audio output of 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 of other avatar users within the information sharing range of the virtual office. Also, when video calls become possible, the audio output control unit 28 causes the audio output unit 18 to output the speech of the user who will be making the video call.

[0049] The communication control unit 29 controls the communication unit 19 to control the transmission and reception of data such as video and audio, and the transmission and reception of application operation status information between the communication control unit 29 and the server device 30. More specifically, the communication control unit 29 controls the communication unit 19 to receive video and audio from the virtual office from the server device 30. The communication control unit 29 controls the communication unit 19 to transmit to the server device 30 the video and audio of the user facing the display unit 17 of the information terminal device 10, which have been acquired by the video acquisition unit 21 and the audio acquisition unit 22. Application operation status information includes, for example, in the case of a virtual office application, the operation of the avatar by the operation unit 13, and the operation of starting and ending video calls.

[0050] (Server device) Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a server device according to the embodiment. The server device 30 is a server device of a company to which the users of each information terminal device 10 belong, or a server device of a business entity that provides virtual office services, 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 comprises a communication unit 31 and a server control device 40.

[0051] The communication unit 31 is a communication unit for wired or wireless communication. The communication unit 31 communicates using methods such as Wi-Fi or mobile phone lines and connects to an intranet or the internet. The communication unit 31 is controlled by the communication control unit 41. The communication unit 31 communicates data such as video, audio, and application operating status information with multiple information terminal devices 10.

[0052] (Server control unit) The server control device 40 controls various parts 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 RAM or ROM. The server control device 40 may be implemented by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA. The server control device 40 may be implemented 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 this disclosure.

[0053] The server control device 40 comprises a communication control unit 41, a virtual office control unit 42, and a storage unit 49, as functional blocks realized by circuits and programs.

[0054] The communication control unit 41 controls the communication unit 31 to control the transmission and reception of data, including video and audio, and the transmission and reception of application operation status information between the information terminal device 10 and the communication control unit 41. For example, the communication control unit 41 controls the communication unit 31 to receive video captured by the camera 11 and audio picked up by the microphone 12 of the information terminal device 10. For example, the communication control unit 41 controls the communication unit 31 to transmit video and audio of the virtual office to the information terminal device 10. Application operation status information includes, for example, configuration information of the virtual office application.

[0055] 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 virtual office applications. For example, the virtual office control unit 42 controls the operation of applications used for online communication.

[0056] The virtual office control unit 42 transmits the configuration of the application running on the server device 30 to the information terminal device 10 running 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 into the virtual office.

[0057] The virtual office control unit 42 detects the location of avatars corresponding to users who are present in the virtual office. More specifically, the virtual office control unit 42 detects avatars that are within the information sharing range in the virtual office. The virtual office control unit 42 also detects avatars that have left the information sharing range in the virtual office.

[0058] The virtual office control unit 42 detects that the positions of multiple avatars in the virtual space are close together, making communication between the multiple avatars possible, and that this state of communication between the multiple avatars continues for a predetermined period of time or longer. The virtual office control unit 42 then estimates the content of the communication between the multiple avatars that satisfy the above conditions. The virtual office control unit 42 then presents information based on the estimated content of the communication between the multiple avatars to users of other avatars that are located outside the range where communication between the multiple avatars that satisfy the above conditions is possible.

[0059] A state of being able to communicate is one in which the information sharing range of one avatar overlaps with the information sharing range of another avatar, allowing the avatars to communicate with each other via voice.

[0060] The predetermined time is, for example, about 1 to 3 minutes, and is set to a duration that clearly indicates that communication between multiple avatars is continuing.

[0061] The virtual office control unit 42 displays information to be presented to other avatar users, for example, as a speech bubble image on the virtual office display screen. The virtual office control unit 42 also displays information to be presented to other avatar users, for example, as a band-shaped image on the periphery of the virtual office display screen. The virtual office control unit 42 displays information to be presented to other avatar users at an arbitrary position, such as outside the range where communication between multiple avatars is possible.

[0062] The virtual office control unit 42 may display information to other avatar users on an information terminal device 10 whose display screen shows the range within which communication between multiple avatars is possible. The virtual office control unit 42 may display information to users of avatars located near the range within which communication between multiple avatars is possible on an information terminal device 10 used by such users. The virtual office control unit 42 may display information to other avatar users on an information terminal device 10 used by users of avatars located within the range within which communication between multiple avatars is possible, in other words, users of multiple avatars that are in a communication-enabled state.

[0063] The virtual office control unit 42 may, when it obtains permission from users of multiple avatars, present information based on the estimated communication content between the multiple avatars. More specifically, the virtual office control unit 42 may, when it obtains permission from all or some of the users of the multiple avatars, present information based on the estimated communication content between the multiple avatars.

[0064] The virtual office control unit 42 estimates information to present to other avatar users from the content of recent communication between multiple avatars. For example, the virtual office control unit 42 estimates keywords that summarize the main topic from the content of recent communication between multiple avatars as information to present to other avatar users. The virtual office control unit 42 may, for example, perform speech recognition on the content of recent communication between multiple avatars and estimate frequently occurring words as keywords. For example, the virtual office control unit 42 may perform speech recognition on the content of recent communication between multiple avatars and estimate words enclosed in double parentheses that are spoken before and after predetermined phrases enclosed in parentheses, such as "About '○○○'", "Do you know '○○○'?", or "Have you heard about '○○○'?" as keywords.

[0065] When communication between multiple avatars consists of casual conversation, the topics change over time. Therefore, the information to be presented to other avatar users is estimated from the most recent communication content between multiple avatars.

[0066] The virtual office control unit 42 recognizes the utterances of the users of multiple avatars once communication between them becomes possible, and estimates the content of communication between the users of multiple avatars, such as information topics related to the user, such as internal company information, and topics based on external news media, based on the frequency of words contained in the utterances detected by language models and the most frequent words.

[0067] The virtual office control unit 42 detects when multiple avatars are in close proximity in the virtual space within a recommended area that encourages communication between avatars in the virtual space, thereby enabling communication between multiple avatars, and when this state of being able to communicate between multiple avatars continues for a predetermined period of time or longer. The recommended area in the virtual office is an area excluding the vicinity of virtual desks and meeting rooms installed in the virtual office, and is an area that does not overlap with the information sharing range of avatars working at virtual desks or meeting rooms. Preferably, the recommended area in the virtual office is an area that any avatar can use for movement or for casual conversation within the virtual office. The virtual office control unit 42 may also set a participation request area as an area outside the range where communication between multiple avatars is possible, but within a predetermined range from the range where communication between multiple avatars is possible.

[0068] The participation request area is, for example, an area outside the information sharing range of each avatar, with a radius approximately twice that of the information sharing range. The participation request area may be set to be outside the range where communication between multiple avatars is possible, and in a way that increases the likelihood of other avatars passing through while moving in the recommended area.

[0069] The memory unit 49 stores information such as the calculation contents and programs of the server control device 40. The memory unit 49 is composed of, for example, RAM, a main memory such as ROM, and a storage device such as an SSD or HDD.

[0070] The memory unit 49 stores information indicating the virtual office to be configured in the virtual space. For each user who logs into the virtual office, the memory unit 49 stores information indicating the avatar, the information terminal device 10 associated with the avatar, and the account user of the information terminal device 10. The memory unit 49 also stores information indicating the arrangement of objects that make up the virtual office, such as the sections and virtual desks that make up the virtual office.

[0071] (Virtual space control method) The virtual space control method will be explained using Figure 6. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the virtual space control method according to the first embodiment. The process shown in Figure 6 is executed while the virtual office is provided by the virtual space control system 1. The process shown in Figure 6 is executed by the server control device 40 of the server device 30 of the virtual space control system 1.

[0072] The server control device 40 determines, based on the virtual office control unit 42, whether multiple avatars have entered a communication-enabled state in the recommended area (step S101). More specifically, the server control device 40 determines that multiple avatars have entered a communication-enabled state if the virtual office control unit 42 detects that multiple avatars have entered a mutual information sharing range in the recommended area of ​​the virtual office. If the server control device 40 determines, based on the virtual office control unit 42, that multiple avatars have entered a communication-enabled state in the recommended area (step S101; Yes), it proceeds to step S102. If the server control device 40 does not determine, based on the virtual office control unit 42, that multiple avatars have entered a communication-enabled state in the recommended area (step S101; No), it terminates the processing of this flowchart.

[0073] After a "Yes" determination is made in S101, the server control device 40, with the virtual office control unit 42, begins estimating the communication content.

[0074] If the server control unit 40 determines that multiple avatars have entered a communication-enabled state in the recommended area (step S101; Yes), the server control unit 40, in turn, has the virtual office control unit 42 determine whether the communication-enabled state has continued for a predetermined time or longer (step S102). If the server control unit 40 determines, in turn, that the communication-enabled state has continued for a predetermined time or longer (step S102; Yes), the process proceeds to step S103. If the server control unit 40 does not determine, in turn, that the communication-enabled state has continued for a predetermined time or longer (step S102; No), the process of this flowchart ends.

[0075] If the server control unit 40 determines that the communication-enabled state has continued for a predetermined time or longer (step S102; Yes), the server control unit 40, via the virtual office control unit 42, presents information based on the estimated communication content to the user of the other avatar (step S103). More specifically, the server control unit 40, via the virtual office control unit 42, estimates the information to be presented to the user of the other avatar from the most recent communication content between multiple avatars. The server control unit 40, via the virtual office control unit 42, presents the information to be presented to the user of the other avatar on the virtual office display screen as a speech bubble image or the like. The server control unit 40 proceeds to step S104.

[0076] After step S101 is determined to be Yes, the process may include a determination of whether or not there are utterances from users of multiple avatars that are in a communicative state. Furthermore, it may be determined whether or not the utterances from users of multiple avatars that are in a communicative state are sufficient to allow estimation of the content of the communication. If step S101 is determined to be Yes, the process begins to estimate the content of the communication from the utterances of the users of multiple avatars.

[0077] The server control device 40 determines, based on the virtual office control unit 42, whether the communication-enabled state has ended (step S104). More specifically, the server control device 40 determines that the communication-enabled state for multiple avatars has ended if the virtual office control unit 42 detects that multiple avatars have moved out of the information sharing range in the recommended area of ​​the virtual office. If the server control device 40 determines, based on the virtual office control unit 42, that the communication-enabled state has ended (step S104; Yes), it terminates the processing of this flowchart. If the server control device 40 does not determine, based on the virtual office control unit 42, that the communication-enabled state has ended (step S104; No), it executes step S104 again.

[0078] If the multiple avatars that became communicative in step S101 are designated as the first avatar and the second avatar, then after step S103, other avatars other than the first and second avatars that became communicative in step S101 will be positioned to be mutually included within the information sharing range of the first and second avatars, thereby enabling communication between the first and second avatars.

[0079] Figure 4 shows an example of the virtual office display screen shown on the display screen of an information terminal device. Avatars A1, A2, and A3 correspond to users U1, U2, and U3, respectively. The hatched areas indicate recommended areas. Figure 4 is an example of the virtual office display on the information terminal device 10 used by user U1 of avatar A1, when Yes is selected in step S101, specifically when avatars A1 and A2 are in close proximity and able to communicate. The information sharing areas C1 for avatar A1 and C2 for avatar A2 do not necessarily have to be displayed. The same applies to the following figures. Avatar A3 is moving around in the virtual space due to operations by user U3, etc. In Figure 4, the area around the virtual desk is, for example, a work area or a departmental area. Since the area around the virtual desk is where avatars perform their work and stay for relatively long periods of time, it is preferable not to include it in the recommended area.

[0080] When the answer to step S101 is Yes, the virtual office control unit 42 recognizes the utterances of users U1 and U2, who are the users of avatars A1 and avatar A2, and estimates the content of communication between users U1 and U2, such as information topics related to internal company information, and topics based on external news media, based on the frequency of words contained in the utterances detected by the language model and the most frequent words.

[0081] Figure 5 shows another example of the display screen of the virtual office as shown on the display screen of the information terminal device. Figure 5 shows an example of the display of the virtual office on the information terminal device 10 used by user U3 of avatar A3 when the answer to step S102 is Yes.

[0082] If the answer in step S102 is Yes, information based on the estimated communication content is displayed near the information sharing range C1 of avatar A1 and the information sharing range C2 of avatar A2.

[0083] As shown in Figure 5, the virtual office screen displayed on the information terminal device 10 shows, outside the information sharing range of avatar A1 or avatar A2, and within the recommended area, the content of the information estimated based on the communication content of users U1 and U2 since the answer "Yes" in step S101 is displayed as text in speech bubble-shaped images. If user U3 is interested in the presented information and wishes to join the conversation, they can move avatar A3 to the vicinity of avatars A1 and A2 to join the conversation.

[0084] (effect) As described above, in this embodiment, if it is detected that a state in which communication between multiple avatars is possible continues for a predetermined period of time or longer, information based on the content of the communication between the multiple avatars can be presented to the users of other avatars that are outside the range in which communication between the multiple avatars is possible. In this embodiment, other avatars can consider whether or not to participate in the communication based on the presented information. According to this embodiment, other users who wish to communicate can smoothly join a conversation between multiple avatars that are already in a state where communication is possible. According to this embodiment, communication within the virtual space can be revitalized.

[0085] In this embodiment, information to be presented to other avatar users can be estimated from the content of recent communication between multiple avatars.

[0086] In this embodiment, if it is detected that communication between multiple avatars has been possible in the recommended area for a predetermined period of time or longer, a participation request area can be set outside the range where communication between multiple avatars is possible. According to this embodiment, a participation request area can be appropriately set to request participation in a conversation between multiple avatars that are already in a communication-enabled state.

[0087] [Second Embodiment] The virtual space control system 1 according to the second embodiment will be described using Figures 7 to 11. Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the display screen of a virtual office displayed on the display screen of an information terminal device. Figure 8 is a diagram showing another example of the display screen of a virtual office displayed on the display screen of an information terminal device. Figure 9 is a diagram showing another example of the display screen of a virtual office displayed on the display screen of an information terminal device. Figure 10 is a diagram showing another example of the display screen of a virtual office displayed on the display screen of an information terminal device. Figure 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 of the virtual space control system 1 of the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals or corresponding reference numerals, and their detailed descriptions 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.

[0088] The virtual office control unit 42 sets a predetermined range as the participation request area, which is outside the range where communication between multiple avatars is possible, and which also exceeds the range where communication between multiple avatars is possible, satisfying the same conditions as in the first embodiment. The virtual office control unit 42 then presents information based on the estimated communication content between multiple avatars to users of other avatars who are present in the participation request area or to users who have entered the participation request area.

[0089] The area to which participation is requested may be set excluding areas such as the vicinity of virtual desks in a virtual office. In other words, the area to which participation is requested is set to be limited to the recommended area.

[0090] The virtual space control method will be explained using Figure 11. Steps S201, S202, and S207 perform the same processes as steps S101, S102, and S104 in the flowchart shown in Figure 6.

[0091] If the server control unit 40 determines that the communication-enabled state has continued for a predetermined time or longer (step S202; Yes), the server control unit 40 sets up a participation request area using the virtual office control unit 42 (step S203). More specifically, the server control unit 40, using the virtual office control unit 42, sets up a participation request area outside the information sharing range of each avatar, for example, with a radius approximately twice that of the information sharing range. The server control unit 40 then proceeds to step S204.

[0092] The server control unit 40 starts estimating the communication content based on the virtual office control unit 42 (step S204). More specifically, the server control unit 40 estimates the information to be presented to other avatar users based on the recent communication content between multiple avatars, based on the virtual office control unit 42. The server control unit 40 then proceeds to step S205.

[0093] The server control device 40, based on the virtual office control unit 42, determines whether or not another avatar has entered the participation request area (step S205). More specifically, the server control device 40, based on the virtual office control unit 42, determines whether or not another avatar other than the avatar that is in a communication-ready state has entered the participation request area. If the server control device 40 determines, based on the virtual office control unit 42, that another avatar has entered the participation request area (step S205; Yes), it proceeds to step S206. If the server control device 40 does not determine, based on the virtual office control unit 42, that another avatar has entered the participation request area (step S205; No), it proceeds to step S207.

[0094] If the server control unit 40 determines that another avatar has entered the participation request area (step S205; Yes), the server control unit 40, via the virtual office control unit 42, presents information based on the estimated communication content to the user of the other avatar that has entered the participation request area (step S206). More specifically, the server control unit 40, via the virtual office control unit 42, estimates the information to be presented to the user of the other avatar that has entered the participation request area from the recent communication content between multiple avatars. The server control unit 40, via the virtual office control unit 42, presents the information to be presented to the user of the other avatar as a speech bubble image on the virtual office display screen. The server control unit 40 then proceeds to step S207.

[0095] Figure 7 shows an example of the virtual office display on the information terminal device 10 used by user U1 of avatar A1 when the answer in step S202 is Yes. If Yes is determined in step S202, a participation request area r is set outside the information sharing range C1 of avatar A1 and the information sharing range C2 of avatar A2.

[0096] Figure 8 shows a modified version of the participation request area r in the state shown in Figure 7. The participation request area is set to be limited to the recommended area.

[0097] Figure 9 shows an example of the virtual office display on the information terminal device 10 used by user U3 of avatar A3, when the answer to step S205 is Yes. On the information terminal device 10 used by user U3, the content of the information handled by the information terminal device 10 is displayed as text in a speech bubble image near avatar A1. If user U3 is interested in the presented information and wishes to join the conversation, they can move avatar A3 to the vicinity of avatars A1 and A2 to join the conversation.

[0098] Figure 10 shows that when user U3 of avatar A3 manipulates avatar A3 to move it near avatars A1 and A2, avatar A3, along with avatars A1 and A2, is included in the mutual information sharing range, making communication possible. The information sharing range of avatar A3 is indicated by information sharing range C3. In this case, the participation request area r is set outside the information sharing ranges C1 of avatar A1, C2 of avatar A2, and C3 of avatar A3, so its area is larger than the participation request area r shown in Figure 7.

[0099] (effect) As described above, in this embodiment, information based on the estimated communication content between multiple avatars can be presented to users of other avatars present in the participation request area. According to this embodiment, other avatars in the participation request area can consider whether or not to participate in the communication based on the presented information. area

[0100] The components of the illustrated virtual space control system are functionally conceptual 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 of each device.

[0101] The configuration of the virtual space control system is implemented, for example, as software, such as a program loaded into memory. In the above embodiment, these were described as functional blocks implemented through the cooperation of hardware or software. That is, these functional blocks can be implemented in various forms using hardware alone, software alone, or a combination thereof.

[0102] The components described above include those that are easily conceivable by those skilled in the art, and those that are substantially identical. Furthermore, the components described above can be combined as appropriate. In addition, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0103] 1. Virtual Space Control System 10 Information terminal device 11 Cameras 12 microphones 13 Control section 17 Display 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 Unit 26 Memory section 27 Display Control Unit 28 Audio Output Control Unit 29 Communication Control Unit 30 Server Devices 31 Communications Department 40 Server control unit (control unit) 41 Communication Control Unit 42 Virtual Office Control Unit 49 Memory section

Claims

1. 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, The control unit of the virtual space control system is: The system detects that the positions of multiple avatars in the virtual space are close together, that communication between the multiple avatars is possible, and that this state of communication between the multiple avatars continues for a predetermined period of time or longer. The content of communication between the detected multiple avatars is estimated, To the users of other avatars located outside the range where communication between the detected multiple avatars is possible, information based on the estimated communication content between the multiple avatars is presented. Virtual space control system.

2. The control unit, If the detected multiple avatars are outside the range where communication between them is possible, and a predetermined range is set as a participation request area from within the range where communication between the multiple avatars is possible, then information based on the estimated communication content between the multiple avatars is presented to users of other avatars located within the set participation request area. The virtual space control system according to claim 1.

3. The control unit, The information to be presented to the user of the other avatar is estimated from the content of recent communication between the multiple avatars. The virtual space control system according to claim 1.

4. The control unit, In a recommended area that encourages communication between avatars in the virtual space, it is detected that the positions of the multiple avatars in the virtual space are close together, making communication between the multiple avatars possible, and that this state of communication between the multiple avatars continues for a predetermined period of time or longer. The recommended area, which is outside the range where communication between the multiple avatars is possible, and within a predetermined range from the range where communication between the multiple avatars is possible, is set as the participation request area. The virtual space control system according to claim 1.

5. 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, The system detects that the positions of multiple avatars in the virtual space are close together, that communication between the multiple avatars is possible, and that this state of communication between the multiple avatars continues for a predetermined period of time or longer. The content of communication between the detected multiple avatars is estimated, To present information based on the estimated communication content between the multiple detected avatars to users of other avatars that are outside the range where communication between the multiple detected avatars is possible. A virtual space control method performed by a virtual space control system.

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