Visibility information acquisition device control method and visibility information acquisition device

Abstract

To enable highly accurate acquisition of information required to generate a virtual space image that provides visibility close to how things look in the real space when a viewpoint moves.SOLUTION: A display control unit 32 of a visibility information acquisition device 1 provided herein displays a first identifier at a first position in front of a subject S and then displays a second identifier at a second position spaced apart from the first position in a front-back direction to cause a viewpoint of the subject S to move from the first position to the second position. The display control unit 32 then controls how the second identifier is displayed according to a transition condition to transition visibility of the second identifier from a standard state to a target state different from the standard state, and an information acquisition unit 34 acquires visibility information of the second identifier during the transition from the subject S.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control method for a visibility information acquisition device and a visibility information acquisition device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a virtual space image providing method for providing a virtual space image visually recognized by a user to a head mounted display (HMD). In this virtual space image providing method, the rotation direction and rotation speed of the HMD are acquired, and blurring is performed on both end areas of the virtual space image in the on-screen direction corresponding to the rotation direction with a range and strength according to the rotation speed, thereby reducing virtual reality (VR) sickness. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-138701 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In vehicle development, etc., an object to be evaluated may be displayed on a virtual space image to evaluate the visibility of the object in real space. In this case, it is necessary to make the appearance of the object displayed on the virtual space image closer to the appearance in real space. For example, in real space, immediately after the user's viewpoint changes or immediately after the arrangement or distance of an object in the field of view changes, the surrounding area of ​​the viewpoint or object appears blurred. The blurring of the surrounding area accompanying such a movement of the viewpoint changes over time depending on the focal adjustment characteristics of the eye, the state of the user, the state around the vehicle, etc. For this reason, when displaying an object on a virtual space image to evaluate visibility, it is desirable to reproduce the temporal change in the blurring in real space as described above.

[0005] However, in the conventional technology as described above, the range and strength of the blurring process applied to the virtual space image are set according to the rotation speed of the HMD, and the time-dependent change in the state of the blurring process applied to the set range is not taken into consideration. Usually, the blurring process of image data is performed at a speed according to the performance of the hardware responsible for the image processing, and image data in a blurred state with a desired strength is generated faster than the eye's focus adjustment speed. For this reason, in the conventional technology, when the HMD is rotated, that is, when the direction of the user's head changes and the viewpoint on the virtual space image moves, the time-dependent change in the blurring of the virtual space image displayed on the HMD becomes different from the appearance of the real space. In order to make the visibility of the object displayed in the virtual space image closer to the appearance of the real space, it is important to acquire information that can accurately grasp the time-dependent change in the blurring in the real space and to reflect the acquired information in the blurring process of the virtual space image.

[0006] The present invention has been made with attention to the above-mentioned points, and aims to provide a control method for a visibility information acquisition device and a visibility information acquisition device that can acquire with high accuracy the information necessary to generate a virtual space image that achieves visibility close to that of real space when the viewpoint moves. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention provides a control method for a visibility information acquisition device that displays a first identifier at a first position in front of a subject and a second identifier at a second position spaced apart in the front-rear direction from the first position, and acquires visibility information of the second identifier when the subject's viewpoint is moved from the first position to the second position. This control method includes a first display step of displaying the first identifier at the first position so that the subject's focus is set to the first position, a second display step of displaying the second identifier at the second position and moving the subject's viewpoint from the first position to the second position, a control step of controlling a display state of the second identifier in accordance with a preset transition condition to transition the visibility of the second identifier from a reference state to a target state different from the reference state, and an acquisition step of acquiring visibility information of the second identifier from the subject during the transition of the visibility of the second identifier from the reference state to the target state. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the control method for the visibility information acquisition device of the present invention, it is possible to acquire with high accuracy the information necessary to generate a virtual space image that achieves visibility close to how real space appears when the subject's viewpoint moves. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a configuration of a visibility information acquisition device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a display unit realized in real space in the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a display unit realized in a virtual space in the embodiment. [Figure 4] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for acquiring visibility information in a case where the viewpoint moves in a direction away from the object in the embodiment. [Diagram 5] 13A is a diagram showing an example of an identifier displayed on the virtual space image when the viewpoint moves away in the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] 13 is a graph showing an example of a change over time in visibility of a second identifier whose display state is controlled according to a transition condition in the embodiment. [Figure 7] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for acquiring visibility information in the case where the viewpoint moves in a direction approaching in the embodiment. [Figure 8] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing an example of an identifier displayed in the virtual space image when the viewpoint moves in a direction approaching in the embodiment. [Figure 9] A figure showing an example in which transition conditions suitable for a driving simulator system are determined based on visibility information acquired by the visibility information acquisition device of the above embodiment, and display control of a virtual space image is performed in accordance with the transition conditions. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a visibility information acquisition device according to one embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the visibility information acquisition device 1 of this embodiment includes, for example, a display unit 2 and an information processing unit 3. The display unit 2 can display a first identifier at a first position in front of a subject S seated at a predetermined position, and can display a second identifier at a second position spaced apart in the front-rear direction from the first position. Each of the first position and the second position includes not only a position in real space, but also a position in virtual space. The display unit 11 according to this embodiment may be realized, for example, by arranging two display devices in real space, or may be realized by setting two display areas in virtual space using a head-mounted display (HMD) or the like.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the display unit 2 realized in real space. In FIG. 2, the display unit 2 has a tablet terminal 21 arranged at a position Pn close to the subject S (hereinafter referred to as the "near position") and a display 22 arranged at a position Pf far from the subject S (hereinafter referred to as the "far position"). The tablet terminal 21 and the display 22 are arranged almost in front of the subject S. The tablet terminal 21 is installed diagonally below the front of the subject S with the screen facing the subject S. The identifier In is displayed in an area located approximately in the center of the screen of the tablet terminal 21. The display 22 is installed at a height that does not overlap with the tablet terminal 21 within the field of view of the subject S. The identifier If is displayed in an area located approximately in the center of the screen of the display 22. In this embodiment, the distance Dn (FIG. 1) from the subject S to the tablet terminal 21 is set to, for example, 0.2 m, and the distance Df (FIG. 1) from the subject S to the display 22 is set to, for example, 5 m. However, the arrangement of the tablet terminal 21 and the display 22 is not limited to the above example.

[0012] In the above display unit 2, when the viewpoint of the subject S is moved from the tablet terminal 21 arranged at the near position Pn to the display 22 arranged at the far position Pf (hereinafter referred to as "moving the viewpoint in the direction away"), the near position Pn, the identifier In, and the tablet terminal 21 correspond to the first position, the first identifier, and the first display device of the present invention, and the far position Pf, the identifier If, and the display 22 correspond to the second position, the second identifier, and the second display device of the present invention. On the other hand, when the viewpoint of the subject S is moved from the display 22 arranged at the far position Pf to the tablet terminal 21 arranged at the near position Pn (hereinafter referred to as "moving the viewpoint in the direction approaching"), the far position Pf, the identifier If, and the display 22 correspond to the first position, the first identifier, and the first display device of the present invention, and the near position Pn, the identifier In, and the tablet terminal 21 correspond to the second position, the second identifier, and the second display device of the present invention.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a display unit 2' realized in a virtual space. In FIG. 3, the display unit 2' is realized on a virtual space image VR displayed on an HMD worn on the head of the subject S. In the virtual space image VR, a first region 21' is formed on the lower side of the center in the left-right direction, and a second region 22' is formed on the upper side of the center in the left-right direction. The first region 21' and the second region 22' are set to be arranged with an interval in the depth direction (front-back direction as seen from the subject S) in the virtual space. The first region 21' is a virtual realization of the screen of the tablet terminal 21 in the real space shown in FIG. 2. Moreover, the second region 22' is a virtual realization of the screen of the display 22 in the real space shown in FIG. 2. Therefore, in the virtual space image VR displayed on the HMD, information corresponding to a near position Pn (distance Dn from the subject S) is set as the depth information of the first region 21', and information corresponding to a far position Pf (distance Df from the subject S) is set as the depth information of the second region 22'. The identifier In is displayed approximately at the center of the first area 21', and the identifier If is displayed approximately at the center of the second area 22'.

[0014] Returning to Fig. 1, the information processing unit 3 includes, as its functional blocks, a storage unit 31, a display control unit 32, a notification unit 33, an information acquisition unit 34, and a condition change unit 35. Although the hardware configuration of the information processing unit 3 is not shown here, it is configured using, for example, a computer system including a processor, a memory, a user input interface, and a communication interface. In other words, the information processing unit 3 realizes the functions of each of the above blocks by the processor of the computer system reading and executing a program stored in the memory.

[0015] The storage unit 31 stores a transition condition for transitioning the visibility of the second identifier (identifier In or If) displayed in the viewpoint peripheral area of ​​the moving destination from a reference state to a target state different from the reference state when the viewpoint of the subject S moves. The reference state of visibility can be set to a desired visibility level, and the visibility level may be adjustable. In this embodiment, an example is described in which the target state of visibility is set to be higher than the reference state. However, the setting of the reference state and the target state of visibility is not limited to the above example, and it is also possible to set a target state lower than the reference state. The transition condition includes, for example, a display time T for continuing the display of the second identifier, a delay time L from the completion of the viewpoint movement of the subject S to the start of the state transition of the visibility of the second identifier, a transition time α required for the transition from the reference state to the target state of the visibility of the second identifier, and a time constant τ for determining a temporal change in the degree of increase when increasing the visibility of the second identifier. The storage unit 31 also stores image data of the identifiers In and If to be displayed on the display unit 2. Furthermore, the storage unit 31 also stores and accumulates visibility information of the second identifier acquired by the information acquisition unit 34. The transition conditions may be stored in advance in the storage unit 31, or the transition conditions received from an external device (not shown) may be temporarily stored in the storage unit 31 and output to the display control unit 32. Details of the transition conditions, image data of the identifiers In and If, and the visibility information of the second identifier will be described later.

[0016] The display control unit 32 displays the second identifier after displaying the first identifier on the display unit 2, and controls the display state of the second identifier according to the transition condition stored in the storage unit 31. Specifically, when visibility information corresponding to a viewpoint movement in a direction away is acquired, the display control unit 32 displays the identifier In on the tablet terminal 21 (or the first area 21' of the display unit 2') of the display unit 2, and then displays the identifier If on the display 22 (or the second area 22' of the display unit 2') of the display unit 2, and controls the display state of the identifier If according to the transition condition. On the other hand, when visibility information corresponding to a viewpoint movement in a direction approaching is acquired, the display control unit 32 displays the identifier If on the display 22 (or the second area 22' of the display unit 2') of the display unit 2, and then displays the identifier In on the tablet terminal 21 (or the first area 21' of the display unit 2') of the display unit 2, and controls the display state of the identifier In according to the transition condition.

[0017] The visibility state of the second identifier is controlled, for example, by applying a blurring process to the image displayed as the second identifier. The blurring process is a process that changes the amount of information in the image data to make the image appear blurred. In other words, the blurring process is an image process that reduces the amount of information that the subject S can visually confirm. Specific examples of the blurring process include a process that reduces the amount of information, a process that reduces the resolution, a process that gradually reduces the display area, a process that gradually increases the display area, or a combination of these processes, for the image displayed as the second identifier. As an example of a combination of processes, a process that gradually increases the display area and a process that gradually reduces the display area are performed in sequence or alternately to easily reproduce an out-of-focus state. Therefore, the reference state of the visibility of the second identifier is, for example, a blurred out-of-focus state after the blurring process is applied, which represents a state in which the amount of information that the user U can visually confirm about the image is small. Furthermore, the target state of visibility of the second identifier is, for example, a focused state before blurring processing is applied, and represents a state in which a large amount of information about the image can be visually confirmed by the user U.

[0018] The notification unit 33 outputs, for example, an alert sound for encouraging the subject S to move the viewpoint from the first position to the second position via a speaker (not shown) provided in the display unit 2, 2' or the information processing unit 3. The notification unit 33 generates the alert sound in cooperation with the display control unit 32. Specifically, the alert sound is output from the notification unit 33 after a predetermined time (for example, 2 to 5 seconds) has elapsed since the first identifier was displayed on the display unit 2 by the display control unit 32. The timing at which the alert sound is output from the notification unit 33 is approximately the same as the timing at which the second identifier is displayed on the display unit 2, 2' by the display control unit 32. Note that the notification means for the subject S by the notification unit 33 is not limited to the alert sound. For example, a character or the like encouraging the subject S to move the viewpoint may be displayed on the image displayed on the display unit 2, 2', or the experiment manager may give a call to encourage the subject S to move the viewpoint. Furthermore, if the subject S is informed of the meaning of the notification content in advance, a notification that does not include information encouraging the subject S to move from the first position to the second position may be performed.

[0019] The information acquisition unit 34 acquires visibility information of the second identifier during the transition from the reference state to the target state of the visibility of the second identifier from the subject S. The visibility information of the second identifier is, for example, information indicating the result of the subject S evaluating the visibility of the second identifier when the visibility transitions from the reference state to the target state, or information indicating the result of detection of the focal position of the subject S by a sensor (not shown) during the transition of the visibility of the second identifier. That is, information indicating the evaluation result of the visibility of the second identifier by the subject S is input to the information acquisition unit 34 via a user input interface (not shown) connected to the information processing unit 3, or an output signal of a sensor (not shown) that detects the focal position of the subject S is input to the information acquisition unit 34, and the input information to the information acquisition unit 34 is acquired as the visibility information of the second identifier. The visibility information acquired by the information acquisition unit 34 is stored in the storage unit 31 in association with the corresponding transition condition.

[0020] The condition change unit 35 changes the transition condition stored in the storage unit 31 based on the visibility information of the second identifier acquired by the information acquisition unit 34. The transition condition changed by the condition change unit 35 is used the next time visibility information is acquired. The condition change unit 35 may be provided as necessary, and may be omitted.

[0021] Next, the operation of the visibility information acquisition device 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Here, the process of acquiring visibility information will be described in detail while giving specific examples for each direction of the viewpoint movement of the subject S (moving away, approaching). Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for acquiring visibility information when the viewpoint moves away from the object, and Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an identifier displayed on the display unit 2' (virtual space image VR) when the viewpoint moves away from the object.

[0022] In the case of a viewpoint movement in a direction away from the subject, in the visibility information acquisition device 1 of this embodiment, first, in step S10 of FIG. 4, the display control unit 32 displays an identifier In (first identifier) ​​on the tablet terminal 21 of the display unit 2 or on the first area 21' on the virtual space image VR of the display unit 2'. As the identifier In displayed at this time, it is preferable to use a fixation index such as "+" that is easy to fix the viewpoint of the subject S to the position. The upper part of FIG. 5 shows a state in which the identifier In using the fixation index "+" is displayed on the first area 21' on the virtual space image VR by the process of step S10. Note that, at the stage of step S10, the identifier If is not displayed on the display 22 of the display unit 2 or on the second area 22' on the virtual space image VR of the display unit 2'. The subject S begins to gaze at the identifier In due to the display of the identifier In, and a state in which the focus of the subject S is adjusted to the near position Pn (first position) is formed.

[0023] In the next step S20, the display control unit 32 displays the identifier If (second identifier) ​​on the display 22 of the display unit 2 or the second area 22' on the virtual space image VR of the display unit 2', and the notification unit 33 outputs an alert sound to prompt the subject S to move the viewpoint. The display of the identifier If and the output of the alert sound in step S20 are preferably performed after waiting for a time of about 2 to 5 seconds to elapse after the completion of the display of the identifier In in the above step S10. By providing such a waiting time, it is possible to reliably create a state in which the focus of the subject S is adjusted to the near position Pn.

[0024] It is preferable to use a random indicator as the identifier If displayed in step S20. The random indicator can be, for example, a number randomly selected from a plurality of numbers, an image of a road sign, an icon, or a character. In this embodiment, a number (random indicator) randomly selected from six numbers from 0 to 5 is used as the identifier If. The middle part of FIG. 5 shows a state in which the identifier If using a random indicator of "0" is displayed in the second area 22' on the virtual space image VR by the process of step S20. However, the display of the identifier If at this stage is in a standard state in which the visibility of the identifier If is in a blurred, out-of-focus state after blurring processing has been applied. By such a process of step S20, the subject S moves the viewpoint from the near position Pn to the far position Pf in response to the alert sound, and visually recognizes the identifier If using the random indicator displayed at the far position Pf.

[0025] In the next step S30, the display control unit 32 controls the display state of the identifier If in accordance with the transition condition stored in the storage unit 31, and transitions the visibility of the identifier If from the reference state to the target state (in-focus state). The lower part of Fig. 5 shows a state in which the identifier If, which has completed the transition of visibility and has reached the target state, is displayed in the second area 22' on the virtual space image VR.

[0026] In step S40, the information acquiring unit 34 acquires visibility information of the identifier If during a transition from a reference state of visibility of the identifier If to a target state from the subject S. The information acquiring unit 34 acquires the visibility information of the identifier If by inputting information indicating an evaluation result of the subject S of how the identifier If appears to the subject S to the information acquiring unit 34 via a user input interface, or by inputting an output signal of a sensor or the like that detects the focus position of the subject S to the information acquiring unit 34.

[0027] Specifically, the subject S may evaluate how the identifier If appears, for example, according to the following six-level evaluation criteria. 6: Very easy to read 5. Easy to read 4: Easy to read 3: A little hard to read, but readable 2: Finally I can read it 1: I can't read While the visibility of the identifier If transitions from the reference state to the target state, the subject S evaluates which of the above six evaluation criteria the visibility of the identifier If corresponds to, and inputs the evaluation result to the information acquisition unit 34. The evaluation result may be input to the information acquisition unit 34 at any timing during the transition of the visibility of the identifier If, when the transition is completed, or between the completion of the transition and the end of the display of the identifier If. However, if the result of evaluating the visibility of the identifier If from the start to at least the completion of the transition is input to the information acquisition unit 34, more accurate visibility information can be acquired by the information acquisition unit 34.

[0028] Here, the transition conditions will be specifically described. As described above, the transition conditions include the display time T for continuing the display of the second identifier, the delay time L from the completion of the viewpoint movement of the subject S until the start of the transition of the visibility of the second identifier, the transition time α required for the transition of the visibility of the second identifier from the reference state to the target state, and the time constant τ for determining the temporal change in the degree of increase when increasing the visibility of the second identifier. The display time T can be set as one of the transition conditions, for example, a time selected from four types of 1.0 seconds, 0.5 seconds, 0.35 seconds, and 0.25 seconds. The delay time L, the transition time α, and the time constant τ can be appropriately set in consideration of the conditions related to the age, sex, eyesight, eye health, eye opening degree, dominant eye, etc. of the subject S, and the conditions related to the environment of the real space or virtual space.

[0029] Fig. 6 is a graph showing an example of a temporal change in visibility of a second identifier (identifier If) whose display state is controlled according to a transition condition when the viewpoint moves away from the subject. The vertical axis of the graph in Fig. 6 represents the state of visibility V, and the horizontal axis represents time t. The state of visibility V on the vertical axis increases the further away from the intersection with the horizontal axis (the origin). The state of visibility V=V0 corresponds to the reference state, and the state of V=V1 corresponds to the target state. Time t=0 indicates the timing when the viewpoint movement of the subject S is completed.

[0030] The solid line in the graph of FIG. 6 represents the change over time in the visibility of the second identifier, the display state of which is controlled according to the transition condition. Here, the graph of FIG. 6 shows an example in which the value of the time constant τ, which is one of the transition conditions, is changed to three different values, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3. The change over time in the visibility of the second identifier is such that the visibility is maintained at the reference state V0 during the period from when the subject S completes the movement of the viewpoint until a predetermined delay time L has elapsed (here, the delay time L=0.2 seconds), and then the visibility begins to increase. After the time t=0.2 seconds, the visibility of the second identifier gradually changes over time and increases to the target state V1. The time required for the transition to the target state V1 to be completed after the delay time L has elapsed is the transition time α.

[0031] Curve C over the transition time α represents the change in visibility of the second identifier over time when the visibility is increased to the target state V1, and the shape of this curve C can be made to conform, for example, to the function shown in the following equation (1), so as to approximate the change in focal length over time due to the focus adjustment function of the subject S's eyes.

number

[0032] The focal length F in the above formula (1) corresponds to the state of visibility V at time t. The time constant τ is set according to the transition conditions, and the length of the transition time α (the shape of the curve C) changes according to the time constant τ. In the example of FIG. 6, the transition time α' when the value of the time constant τ is τ=0.2 is longer than the transition time α when the value of the time constant τ is τ=0.1, and the transition time α'' when τ=0.3 is even longer than the transition time α'. In this way, since the way in which the visibility of the second identifier changes over time changes according to the setting of the transition condition, by acquiring and comparing visibility information of the second identifier for each setting of the transition condition, it becomes possible to determine the transition condition under which the subject S can easily read the second identifier.

[0033] The dashed line in the graph of Fig. 6 represents the change in visibility over time corresponding to the blurring process applied to the virtual space image in the conventional technology described above. In the conventional technology, the blurring process applied to the virtual space image is executed at a speed according to the performance of the hardware that handles the image processing. Therefore, the transition of visibility from the reference state V0 to the target state V1 is completed in a short period of time, almost simultaneously with the movement of the viewpoint.

[0034] In addition to the display time T, delay time L, transition time α, and time constant τ described above, the transition conditions may include, for example, a condition as to whether the visibility information is acquired in a real space as shown in Fig. 2 or in a virtual space as shown in Fig. 3. When the visibility information is acquired in a virtual space, the presence or absence of blurring and the presence or absence of delay time L may be set as one of the transition conditions. In this way, by setting various transition conditions in consideration of the conditions of the expected subject S and the environment, it becomes possible to acquire highly accurate visibility information.

[0035] 4, in step S50, the information acquisition unit 34 associates the acquired visibility information of the identifier If with the corresponding transition condition and stores it in the storage unit 31. As a result, information (visibility information) regarding the appearance of the identifier If when the visibility state of the identifier If is transitioned in accordance with the transition condition is accumulated in the storage unit 31.

[0036] In step S60, the condition change unit 35 changes the transition condition stored in the storage unit 31 based on the visibility information of the identifier If acquired by the information acquisition unit 34. For example, when the visibility information of the identifier If acquired by the information acquisition unit 34 corresponds to the above-mentioned evaluation criterion 2, the change of the transition condition changes the display time T and the delay time L set as the transition condition to different values ​​so that the visibility information acquired next time and thereafter is improved. When the change process of the transition condition by the condition change unit 35 is completed, the process returns to step S10 and the above series of processes are repeatedly executed. Note that, here, an example of changing the transition condition based on the acquired visibility information has been described, but it is also possible to store a plurality of different transition conditions in advance in the storage unit 31 and acquire visibility information while switching the plurality of transition conditions in order.

[0037] Next, the operation of the visibility information acquisition device 1 when the viewpoint moves in the approaching direction will be described. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for acquiring visibility information when the viewpoint moves in the approaching direction. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an identifier displayed on the display unit 2' (virtual space image VR) when the viewpoint moves in the approaching direction.

[0038] In the case of a viewpoint movement in the approaching direction, in the visibility information acquisition device 1 of this embodiment, first, in step S110 of FIG. 7, the display control unit 32 displays the identifier If (first identifier) ​​using a fixation index of "+" on the display terminal 22 of the display unit 2 or the second area 22' on the virtual space image VR of the display unit 2'. The upper part of FIG. 8 shows a state in which the identifier If is displayed in the second area 22' on the virtual space image VR by the processing of step S110. Note that, at the stage of step S110, the identifier In is not displayed on the tablet terminal 21 of the display unit 2 or the first area 21' on the virtual space image VR of the display unit 2'. The subject S begins to gaze at the identifier If due to the display of the identifier If, and a state in which the focus of the subject S is adjusted to the far position Pf (first position) is formed.

[0039] In the next step S120, the display control unit 32 displays the identifier In (second identifier) ​​using a random indicator on the tablet terminal 21 of the display unit 2, or in the first area 21' on the virtual space image VR of the display unit 2', and the notification unit 33 outputs an alert sound to encourage the subject S to move the viewpoint. The display of the identifier In and the output of the alert sound in step S120 are preferably performed after waiting for a time of about 2 to 5 seconds to elapse after the display of the identifier In in step S110 is completed, as in the case of the viewpoint movement in the away direction described above.

[0040] The middle part of Fig. 8 shows a state where the identifier In using a random indicator of "0" is displayed in the first area 21' on the virtual space image VR by the process of step S120. However, the display of the identifier In at this stage is in a standard state of visibility of the identifier In, that is, an out-of-focus blurred state after blurring processing has been applied. By such process of step S120, the subject S moves the viewpoint from the far position Pf to the near position Pn in response to the alert sound, and becomes able to visually recognize the identifier In using a random indicator displayed at the near position Pn.

[0041] In the next step S130, the display control unit 32 controls the display state of the identifier In according to the transition condition stored in the storage unit 31, and transitions the visibility of the identifier In from the reference state to the target state (in-focus state). The lower part of Fig. 8 shows a state in which the identifier In, which has completed the transition of visibility and has reached the target state, is displayed in the first area 21' on the virtual space image VR.

[0042] In step S140, the information acquisition unit 34 acquires visibility information of the identifier In from the subject S during the transition of the visibility of the identifier In from the reference state to the target state. The process of acquiring the visibility information of the identifier In by the information acquisition unit 34 is performed in the same manner as the process of acquiring the visibility information of the identifier If in the viewpoint movement in the moving away direction described above. In the case of the viewpoint movement in the approaching direction, Do in the above-mentioned formula (1) means 1 / Df and Dt means 1 / Dn.

[0043] In step S150, the information acquisition unit 34 associates the acquired visibility information of the identifier In with the corresponding transition condition and stores it in the storage unit 31. As a result, information (visibility information) regarding the appearance of the identifier In when the visibility state of the identifier In is transitioned in accordance with the transition condition is accumulated in the storage unit 31.

[0044] In step S160, the condition change unit 35 changes the transition condition stored in the storage unit 31 based on the visibility information of the identifier In acquired by the information acquisition unit 34. When the condition change unit 35 completes the process of changing the transition condition, the process returns to step S110, and the above series of processes are repeatedly executed.

[0045] It is also possible to alternately execute the series of processes for moving the viewpoint away from the target (steps S10 to S60 in FIG. 4) and the series of processes for moving the viewpoint toward the target (steps S110 to S160 in FIG. 7). Also, a plurality of sets with different transition conditions may be repeatedly executed in a predetermined order or randomly. For example, by alternately executing two sets with different transition conditions, it is possible to obtain visibility information when the viewpoint moves from one set to the other set and visibility information when the viewpoint moves from the other set to the one set, which makes it easier to evaluate the desired transition conditions.

[0046] The visibility information acquired by the visibility information acquisition device 1 of this embodiment as described above and the information related to the transition condition can be utilized for, for example, display control of a virtual space image performed when the user's viewpoint moves in a driving simulator system used for visibility evaluation of various objects in vehicle development such as automobiles and simulated vehicle driving experiences. Fig. 9 shows an example in which a transition condition suitable for the driving simulator system is determined based on the visibility information acquired by the visibility information acquisition device 1 of this embodiment, and the display control of a virtual space image is performed according to the transition condition.

[0047] The virtual space image shown in FIG. 9 is an image displayed on an HMD or the like worn by a user, and expresses a scene in a virtual space that the user can see from the driver's seat of a vehicle. In the illustrated example, the virtual space image includes, as objects representing a vehicle, the top of the steering wheel, the top of the dashboard, the right front pillar, the front end of the roof, the room mirror, and the right side mirror. The number "8" displayed in the center of the bottom of the virtual space image is an object for evaluating the visibility near the top end of the steering wheel. In addition, the virtual space image includes, as objects representing stationary objects outside the vehicle, roads, sidewalks, buildings, and road signs (stop signs).

[0048] In the virtual space image shown in the upper part of FIG. 9, the user's viewpoint (□ mark) is at a near position Pn on an object of the number "8" displayed near the top end of the steering wheel, and the object located inside the viewpoint peripheral area An surrounded by a dashed line in the figure is in focus, while the object located outside the viewpoint peripheral area An is out of focus and blurred. The white arrow in the figure indicates the movement direction of the user's viewpoint, and in this case, the user's viewpoint moves from the near position Pn to a far position Pf on an object of a road sign installed on the left sidewalk in front of the vehicle. Note that the □ mark indicating the user's viewpoint is not displayed in the actual virtual space image.

[0049] When the user's viewpoint moves from a near position Pn to a far position Pf, the display state of the object in the viewpoint peripheral area Af of the destination is controlled according to a transition condition determined based on the visibility information acquired by the visibility information acquisition device 1, and the visibility of the object transitions from a blurred state (reference state) to a focused state (destination state). The virtual space image shown in the lower part of FIG. 9 shows a state in which the transition of visibility is completed. In addition, in the example of FIG. 9, the display state of the object is controlled so that the visibility of the object in the viewpoint peripheral area An of the source transitions from a focused state to a blurred state, opposite to the transition of the visibility of the object in the viewpoint peripheral area Af of the destination.

[0050] As described above, by determining a transition condition based on the visibility information acquired by the visibility information acquisition device 1 of this embodiment and controlling the display of a virtual space image in a driving simulator system according to the transition condition, it becomes possible to accurately evaluate the visibility in real space of an object displayed on a virtual space image in vehicle development, etc. Furthermore, by using the driving simulator system to perform a simulated experience of vehicle driving, it becomes possible to provide a more realistic driving experience to a user.

[0051] As described above, in the visibility information acquisition device 1 of this embodiment, the display control unit 32 displays the first identifier at a first position in front of the subject S, and then displays the second identifier at a second position spaced apart in the front-rear direction from the first position, thereby moving the viewpoint of the subject S from the first position to the second position. Then, the display control unit 32 controls the display state of the second identifier according to the transition condition to transition the visibility of the second identifier from the reference state to the target state, and visibility information of the second identifier during the transition is acquired from the subject S by the information acquisition unit 34. This makes it possible to acquire information necessary for generating a virtual space image that realizes visibility close to how the real space appears when the viewpoint of the subject S (user) moves, with high accuracy.

[0052] In addition, in the visibility information acquisition device 1 of the present embodiment, a series of processes from displaying the first identifier to acquiring visibility information is regarded as one set, and multiple sets are repeatedly executed under different transition conditions. This makes it possible to easily acquire visibility information corresponding to various transition conditions.

[0053] Moreover, in the visibility information acquisition device 1 of this embodiment, the display time T of the second identifier is set to within 1 second. In the eye focus adjustment function, the time required to focus at a new point of view when the viewpoint moves is approximately within 1 second. By setting the display time T of the second identifier in consideration of such characteristics of the eye, a series of processes for acquiring visibility information of the second identifier can be efficiently performed.

[0054] Furthermore, in the visibility information acquisition device 1 of the present embodiment, the transition condition is changed based on the acquired visibility information. This makes it possible to efficiently set a variety of transition conditions, making it easier to acquire a wide range of visibility information.

[0055] In addition, in the visibility information acquisition device 1 of this embodiment, if the first and second identifiers are displayed on the first and second display devices (tablet terminal 21, display 22), there is no need to prepare a virtual space display device such as an HMD, and visibility information can be acquired at low cost. Furthermore, if a notification (output of an alert sound) is issued to prompt the subject S to move his / her viewpoint, the subject S will surely move his / her viewpoint, and it becomes possible to acquire visibility information with higher accuracy.

[0056] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible based on the technical concept of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the visibility of the second identifier is maintained in the reference state during the period from when the subject S completes the viewpoint movement until the delay time L has elapsed, but the display state of the second identifier may be controlled so that the visibility is slightly increased during the delay time L.

[0057] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, an example was shown in which the transition of the visibility of the second identifier from the reference state to the target state is performed according to the function of equation (1). However, the state transition of the visibility of the second identifier may also be performed according to any function, or a map that associates the visibility state with the focal length.

[0058] In the above embodiment, when the state transition of the visibility of the second identifier follows the function shown in equation (1), an example has been shown in which the reciprocals of the distances Dn and Df are used as the diopters Do and Dt in equation (1), but the reciprocal of the distance (focal length) from the subject S to the identifier In displayed at the near position Pn or the reciprocal of the distance (focal length) from the subject S to the identifier If displayed at the far position Pf may be used as the diopters Do and Dt. In addition, it is also possible to change the degree of change in the visibility of the second identifier according to the deviation between the focal length at the start of the viewpoint movement and the focal length at the end of the viewpoint movement.

[0059] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the functions (blocks) of the storage unit 31, the display control unit 32, the notification unit 33, the information acquisition unit 34, and the condition change unit 35 are realized within one information processing unit 3 (computer system). However, the target (control device) for realizing each of the above functions can be a single target or multiple targets (control devices). Also, each of the above functions may be distributed and realized in multiple information processing devices. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1...Visibility information acquisition device 2,2'...Display section 3. Information processing section 21. Tablet device 21'…First area of ​​virtual space image 22…Display 22'…Second area of ​​virtual space image 31...Storage section 32...Display control unit 33…Information Department 34…Information acquisition department 35…Condition change section An, Af: Area around viewpoint L…Delay time Pn…Near position Pf…far position S…Subject V0: Standard visibility state V1: Visibility target state VR: Virtual space images α…Migration time τ…time constant

Claims

1. A control method for a visibility information acquisition device includes displaying a first identifier at a first position in front of a subject, and displaying a second identifier at a second position spaced apart in a front-to-rear direction from the first position, and acquiring visibility information of the second identifier when a viewpoint of the subject is moved from the first position to the second position, comprising: a first display step of displaying the first identifier at the first position so that the subject's focus is on the first position; a second display step of displaying the second identifier at the second position and moving the subject's viewpoint from the first position to the second position; a control step of controlling a display state of the second identifier in accordance with a preset transition condition to transition the visibility of the second identifier from a reference state to a target state different from the reference state; an acquisition step of acquiring visibility information of the second identifier from the subject during a transition of the visibility of the second identifier from a reference state to a target state; A control method for a visibility information acquisition device, comprising:

2. Repeating a plurality of sets of the first display step, the second display step, the control step, and the acquisition step as one set; The control method for a visibility information acquisition device according to claim 1 , wherein the transition conditions in the control step are different for each of the plurality of sets.

3. 3. The method for controlling a visibility information acquisition device according to claim 2, wherein the display time of the second identifier is set to within one second for each of the plurality of sets.

4. 4. The control method for a visibility information acquisition device according to claim 2, further comprising a step of changing the transition condition used in a next set of the control steps based on the visibility information acquired in the acquisition step.

5. The first display step displays the first identifier on a first display device disposed at the first position; A control method for a visibility information acquisition device described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the second display step displays the second identifier on a second display device arranged at the second position and notifies the subject to move his or her viewpoint.

6. 1. A visibility information acquisition device that displays a first identifier at a first position in front of a subject and displays a second identifier at a second position spaced apart in a front-to-rear direction from the first position, and acquires visibility information of the second identifier when a viewpoint of the subject is moved from the first position to the second position, a display unit capable of displaying the first identifier at the first position and the second identifier at the second position; a storage unit that stores a transition condition for transitioning the visibility of the second identifier from a reference state to a target state different from the reference state; a display control unit that causes the display unit to display the first identifier and then the second identifier, and controls a display state of the second identifier in accordance with the transition condition stored in the storage unit; a notification unit that prompts the subject to move his / her viewpoint; an information acquisition unit that acquires visibility information of the second identifier from the subject during a transition of the visibility of the second identifier from a reference state to a target state; A visibility information acquisition device comprising:

7. The visibility information acquisition device according to claim 6, further comprising a condition change unit that changes the transition condition stored in the memory unit based on the visibility information acquired by the information acquisition unit.

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