Communication device, communication system, display method, and program

Abstract

A technology has been proposed that implements motion parallax, which changes the image of the conversation partner at other locations according to the viewpoint (eye position) of a person in the real space at one location. By displaying the conversation partner on the display at the first location with a person size appropriate to the distance in the virtual space, it is possible to give each user a sense of being in the same room with the conversation partner. However, not all people in the virtual space are necessarily participating in meetings, and some virtual users in the virtual space may not know who is watching them, leading to a lack of security. [Solution] The communication device switches between displaying an image of a subject at another location and a character image related to that subject, depending on the distance between the local location and the other location in the virtual space.

Claims

1. A communication device that makes calls with other communication devices at other locations, The other communication device obtains image data of the other location by photographing the subject at the other location, and the other communication device transmits the image data, and the receiving means receives the image data, A display control means that switches and displays an image of a subject at the other location based on the received image data, and a character image related to that subject, depending on the distance between the local location and the other location in the virtual space. A communication device characterized by having the following features.

2. In the communication device described in claim 1, The image data is the luminance image and depth image data of the other location obtained by the other communication device photographing the subject at the other location in real space. The communication device is characterized in that the display control means switches between displaying a planar image of the subject at the other location based on the received luminance image data and a three-dimensional image of the subject at the other location based on the received luminance image and depth image data, depending on the distance between the local location and the other location in the virtual space.

3. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the display control means switches and displays multiple sizes of the character images according to the distance between the local site and other sites in the virtual space.

4. The communication device according to claim 3, characterized in that the size of the character image is increased and displayed as the distance between the local base and other bases in the virtual space decreases.

5. The communication device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the character image is an avatar or an icon.

6. A communication system comprising a communication device that communicates with other communication devices at other locations, and a communication management server that can communicate with said communication device, The aforementioned communication management server A first receiving means for receiving image data transmitted by the other communication device, which is image data of the other location obtained by the other communication device taking a photograph of the subject at the other location, A transmission means for transmitting the image data to the communication device, Equipped with, The aforementioned communication device is A second receiving means for receiving the image data from the server, A display control means that switches and displays an image of a subject at the other location based on the received image data, and a character image related to that subject, depending on the distance between the local location and the other location in the virtual space. A communication system characterized by having the following features.

7. A display method performed by a communication device that makes a call with another communication device at another location, The other communication device receives image data obtained by photographing a subject at the other location, and transmits the image data from that other location, which is a receiving step; A display control step that switches between displaying an image of a subject at the other location based on the received image data and a character image related to that subject, depending on the distance between the local location and the other location in the virtual space, A display method characterized by performing the following:

8. A program that causes a computer to perform the method described in claim 7.

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