Information display terminal

Abstract

This information display terminal receives information indicating a first experience region set for experience of content being executed by another device existing in the same real space, and when it is determined that a second experience region selected by a user does not overlap the first experience region, compares the size of a required experience region required for experience of content selected by the user with the size of the second experience region. Then, if the size of the second experience region is greater than or equal to the size of the required experience region, the information display terminal sets the second experience region as a region for experience of the selected content.

Description

Information display terminal

[0001] The present invention relates to an information display terminal.

[0002] A user may wear an information display terminal such as a head-mounted display (HMD) and experience content. Here, the user may set an area to be used for experiencing the content. This area (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the experience area) is an area related to real space, and it is conceivable that the user will move and / or perform actions within this area while experiencing the content, for example.

[0003] Patent document 1 also states that "A head-mounted display (HMD) 1, which is operated by gesture movements of a user 3, is equipped with a distance image acquisition means 106 that detects gesture movements, a position information acquisition means 103 that acquires position information of the HMD 1, and a communication means 2 that communicates with other HMDs 1'. The control unit 205 sets and displays an operation space 600 in which the gesture movements of the user 3 are valid, and exchanges position information and operation space information with other HMDs 1 via the communication means 2, and adjusts the operation space of its own HMD so that the operation spaces 600, 600' do not overlap. Alternatively, if the distance image acquisition means 106 detects a nearby person 4, the operation space is adjusted so that the position of the detected person does not overlap with the operation space 600."

[0004] International Patent Publication No. 2019 / 038875

[0005] Information display devices such as HMDs are expected to be used in a variety of ways, not only by user gestures but also depending on the content being executed, such as when the user operates the device while seated or while moving around in real space. Due to these usage patterns, the area required for a user to experience the content is not fixed. Therefore, when multiple information display devices exist in a real space of limited size, such as a single room, it is necessary to take into account the content being executed and other circumstances in order to appropriately set the experience area.

[0006] Note that Patent Document 1 discloses adjusting an operation space for a user to perform gesture operations with other devices, but does not take into consideration adjusting the space according to the content being executed.

[0007] According to the present invention, as one example, the following information display terminal is provided. The information display terminal receives information indicating a first experience area set for experiencing content executed on another device present in the same real space, and if it determines that a second experience area selected by a user does not overlap with the first experience area, it compares the size of an experience request area required for experiencing the content selected by the user with the size of the second experience area. Then, if the size of the second experience area is equal to or greater than the size of the experience request area, the information display terminal sets the second experience area as an area for experiencing the selected content.

[0008] The present invention also provides an information processing method executed on an information display terminal, and an information processing system including an information display terminal and a server or a content distribution device.

[0009] According to the present invention, a technology for appropriately setting an experiential area of ​​content is provided. Note that problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0010] 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of an HMD. FIG. 9 is an external view illustrating an example of the structure of an HMD. FIG. 10 is an external view illustrating an example of the structure of an information display terminal. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a situation in which VR content is experienced. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a VR experience area set by user B in a real space where user A exists. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method for setting a VR experience area. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display on an HMD 1B when setting a VR experience area. FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a VR experience area setting process according to the first embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram visually showing an example of a VR experience area set by the HMD in the process of FIG. 7. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen for performing a process of acquiring information from another device. FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process of acquiring information from another device. FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen for performing a process of providing information to another device. FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process of providing information to another device. FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of information transmitted and received by an HMD. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a VR experience area setting process according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram for visually explaining an example of a change of the experience area. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process in an HMD that receives a change request from another device. FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a VR experience area setting process according to the third embodiment. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating examples of VR experience areas before and after synthesis.

[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiments are merely examples for explaining the present invention, and appropriate omissions and simplifications have been made for clarity of explanation. The present invention can be implemented in various other forms. Unless otherwise specified, each component may be singular or plural. The position, size, shape, and range of each component shown in the drawings may not represent the actual position, size, shape, and range in order to facilitate understanding of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the position, size, shape, and range disclosed in the drawings. While various types of information may be described using terms such as "table," "list," and "queue," various types of information may also be expressed using other data structures. For example, various types of information such as "XX table," "XX list," and "XX queue" may also be referred to as "XX information." When describing identification information, terms such as "identification information," "identifier," "name," "ID," and "number" are used, but these terms are interchangeable. When there are multiple components having the same or similar functions, they may be described using the same reference numeral with different subscripts. Furthermore, when it is not necessary to distinguish between these multiple components, the subscripts may be omitted.

[0012] In some embodiments, processing performed by executing a program will be described. Here, a computer executes the program using a processor (e.g., a CPU or a GPU) and performs processing defined by the program using storage resources (e.g., memory) and interface devices (e.g., communication ports). Therefore, the entity performing the processing by executing the program may be the processor. A processor includes transistors and other circuits and is considered to be circuitry or processing circuitry. Similarly, the entity performing the processing by executing the program may be a controller, device, system, computer, or node having a processor. The entity performing the processing by executing the program may be any computing unit and may include a dedicated circuit that performs specific processing. Here, the dedicated circuit may be, for example, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device).

[0013] A program may be installed on a computer from a program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a computer-readable storage medium. When the program source is a program distribution server, the program distribution server may include a processor and storage resources for storing the program to be distributed, and the processor of the program distribution server may distribute the program to be distributed to other computers. In addition, in an embodiment, two or more programs may be realized as one program, or one program may be realized as two or more programs.

[0014] In the embodiment, a technology for appropriately setting an experience area for each user of virtual reality (VR) content deployed in a virtual space, in which multiple users wear information display terminals in the same real space, and experience the content, is described. Here, the experience area is an area in the real space used to experience the content, and is an area in which the user is permitted to move and / or perform actions while experiencing the content. If the user leaves this experience area, the information display terminal displays an area departure warning to the user and requests the user to return to the experience area, thereby providing a safe content experience.

[0015] First, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, an example will be described in which the information display terminal is configured as an HMD that is worn on the user's head.

[0016] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an HMD 1. The HMD 1 includes a camera 10, a distance measurement sensor 11, a display 12, a speaker 13, a microphone 14, a sensor group 15, a control unit 16, an internal bus 17, a communication unit 20, a processor 21, a memory 22, a storage 23, a basic operation program 24, a VR viewing program 25, and an approach transmission program 26.

[0017] The processor 21 is configured using a CPU, etc., and the memory 22 is configured from a RAM, etc. The storage 23 is configured from a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash ROM, and stores a basic operation program 24, a VR viewing program 25, and an approaching transmission program 26. The basic operation program 24, the VR viewing program 25, and the approaching transmission program 26 are expanded in the memory 22 and executed by the processor 21. Note that in FIG. 1, the basic operation program 24, the VR viewing program 25, and the approaching transmission program 26 are each shown as separate programs. However, this is not limiting, and a single program may include the basic operation function, the VR viewing function, and the approaching transmission function and provide these functions. Alternatively, different divided programs may provide the above functions.

[0018] When a user wears the HMD 1 and watches VR content using the VR viewing program 25, the camera 10 captures the real space in front of the HMD 1. If the camera 10 is equipped with multiple cameras, it may capture images of the 360-degree surroundings of the HMD 1. If the camera 10 is equipped with a 360-degree camera, it may capture images of the 360-degree surroundings of the HMD 1 using the 360-degree camera.

[0019] The processor 21 can detect real objects (e.g., furniture, people) from images captured by the camera 10, for example. The ranging sensor 11 acquires the distance to the detected real object, and the processor 21 can acquire position information of the detected object using, for example, data from the ranging sensor 11. The use of the ranging sensor 11 also makes it possible to generate a distance image and spatially grasp the distance to surrounding objects. The processor 21 may also acquire position information of the object using images captured by the camera 10. Here, the position information may be world coordinate system information based on real space, or may be local coordinate system information based on the position of the HMD 1.

[0020] The display 12 displays images of the VR content, and the speaker 13 outputs the sound of the VR content. The microphone 14 acquires the user's voice as needed. The sensor group 15 performs various sensing operations, such as sensing the user's up / down, forward / backward, left / right movements, and rotational movements that accompany changes in the direction of the user's line of sight.

[0021] The sensor group 15 includes sensors that perform various types of sensing, and may include, for example, a gaze sensor, a GNSS sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, and a sensor that uses Wi-Fi (registered trademark) signals. The sensor group 15 may also include sensors of different types than those described above. Furthermore, the sensor group 15 may be configured such that some of the above sensors are omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the sensor group 15 may be omitted from the HMD 1.

[0022] The gaze sensor may include a left eye gaze sensor that detects the gaze of the left eye, and a right eye gaze sensor that detects the gaze of the right eye, and can detect the movement and direction of the left and right eyes to capture the user's viewpoint, which is the direction of the gaze.

[0023] The GNSS sensor is a device that receives signals from GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellites in the sky and detects the current position of the HMD 1. This makes it possible to detect the position of the user wearing the HMD 1. Furthermore, distance and position detection may be performed from the reception timing between devices using FTM (Fine Timing Measurement) using Wi-Fi signals, or distance and position detection may be performed using CSI (Channel State Information) within a Wi-Fi area.

[0024] The acceleration sensor detects acceleration, which is a change in speed per unit time, and can detect movement, vibration, shock, etc. The acceleration sensor can detect the tilt and orientation of the HMD 1 worn by the user. The gyro sensor detects angular velocity in the rotational direction and can detect vertical, horizontal, and diagonal orientations. Therefore, the acceleration sensor and gyro sensor can be used to detect the orientation of the HMD 1, such as the tilt and orientation. The geomagnetic sensor detects the Earth's magnetic force and detects the direction in which the HMD 1 is facing. A three-axis type sensor that detects geomagnetic fields in the up-down direction in addition to the front-back and left-right directions can be used to detect the movement of the HMD 1 by capturing changes in geomagnetic field in response to the movement of the HMD 1. These sensors make it possible to detect the posture of the user wearing the HMD 1.

[0025] The camera 10 may be equipped with an infrared camera or infrared illumination to improve infrared sensitivity in consideration of photographing in dark areas. Furthermore, the distance measurement sensor 11 may be configured to perform three-dimensional measurement of real space using laser light, such as LiDAR, in order to improve detection accuracy.

[0026] The communication unit 20 (communication interface in FIG. 1) has multiple communication protocols, such as LAN communication, Internet communication, and short-range communication, and uses them depending on the purpose. The processor 21 receives VR content from a server capable of distributing VR content and transmits and receives data via Internet communication using the VR viewing program 25, for example.

[0027] Furthermore, the processor 21 can directly communicate with other information display terminals via Bluetooth (registered trademark) or LAN communication, for example, to send and receive data. The processor 21 may also directly connect to a content distribution device, for example, to receive VR content and send and receive data. Here, the content distribution device is, for example, a computer such as a personal computer, a home game console, a portable game console, or a smartphone.

[0028] The arithmetic processing of the processor 21 may be partly or entirely executed by a server, or partly or entirely executed by a content distribution device or the like.

[0029] 2 is an external view showing an example of the structure of an HMD. In this example, the HMD 1 is a fully immersive HMD. In FIG. 2, the same components as those shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0030] In the example of Fig. 2, the display 12 includes a plurality of display elements for the left and right eyes, and displays an image for the left eye and an image for the right eye, allowing the user to perceive a three-dimensional image. Note that the display 12 is capable of three-dimensional display and may be configured to use another method. Furthermore, the speakers 13a and 13b correspond to the speaker 13 in Fig. 1. The HMD 1 is formed with wearing housings 18a and 18b.

[0031] The information display terminal is not limited to an HMD, but may be a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone. Furthermore, as shown in the example of Fig. 3, the information display terminal may be a combination of a head-mounted device 31 and a mobile information terminal 32. In the example of Fig. 3, the head-mounted device 31 can be used with the mobile information terminal 32 inserted.

[0032] 3, the camera 10, the distance measurement sensor 11, and the display 12 are provided in the portable information terminal 32. This simplifies the configuration of the head-mounted device 31. However, this is not limitative, and the camera 10 and the distance measurement sensor 11 may be provided in the head-mounted device 31. Furthermore, components such as the speaker 13, the microphone 14, and the sensor group 15, which are not shown, may be mounted on the portable information terminal 32 or may be provided in the head-mounted device 31. Furthermore, the above configuration may be complemented by combining components mounted on the portable information terminal 32 and the head-mounted device 31.

[0033] An insertion port 31a for the portable information terminal 32 is formed on a side of the head-mounted device 31, and the portable information terminal 32 inserted through the insertion port 31a is held in a storage section 31b inside the head-mounted device 31. Here, a terminal 31c for connecting the portable information terminal 32 to the head-mounted device 31 may be formed on the side opposite the insertion port 31a. Data may be transmitted and received between the portable information terminal 32 and the head-mounted device 31 via this terminal 31c. Furthermore, for example, a battery (not shown) may be provided in the head-mounted device 31, and power may be supplied between the portable information terminal 32 and the head-mounted device 31 via this terminal 31c.

[0034] In this example, when the portable information terminal 32 is inserted, an opening 31d used for photographing by the camera 10 of the portable information terminal 32 and for distance measurement by the distance measurement sensor 11 is formed on the front side of the head-mounted device 31. However, the opening used for photographing by the camera 10 and the opening used for distance measurement by the distance measurement sensor 11 may be formed separately on the front side of the head-mounted device 31. Note that if the head-mounted device 31 is equipped with the camera 10, the opening for photographing may be omitted. Also, if the head-mounted device 31 is equipped with the distance measurement sensor 11, the opening for distance measurement may be omitted.

[0035] Furthermore, the control unit 16 (not shown) may be configured using a processor mounted on the portable information terminal 32, or may be provided in the head-mounted device 31. Alternatively, the control unit 16 may be configured such that a portion of the control unit 16 is configured using a device mounted on the portable information terminal 32, and the remaining portion is provided in the head-mounted device 31. Alternatively, the head-mounted device 31 may be provided with a device used for data processing, such as a processor and memory, and the control unit 16 may be configured to execute data processing in a distributed manner using the device mounted on the portable information terminal 32 and the device provided in the head-mounted device 31.

[0036] Next, with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, an example of a situation in which VR content is experienced using an information display terminal will be described.

[0037] 4 shows a scene in which a third party, such as a family member, enters a room (real space S) in which a player is experiencing VR content. The figure shows a user A experiencing the VR content, an HMD 1A used by user A, a controller 41A held by user A, a content distribution device 42 (in this example, a stationary computer device) that is a computer device capable of distributing VR content, and a router 43. Note that a third party, user B, is not currently wearing an information display terminal and is not experiencing the VR content.

[0038] The controller 41A can communicate with the HMD 1A and is used, for example, by the user A to perform a predetermined operation on the VR content. The controller 41A can also communicate with the content distribution device 42 and may receive a predetermined operation on the VR content via the content distribution device 42. The input interface through which the user A performs the operation is not limited to the controller 41A, but may be provided separately from the controller 41A in the HMD 1A. For example, the HMD 1A may be provided with buttons and a touch panel, and the user may input by operating the buttons or the touch panel. The camera 10 may detect the user's gesture operation, or an eye tracking sensor may be included in the sensor group 15 to detect the user's gaze operation. The router 43 is configured to relay communications. For example, a wireless LAN environment may be constructed using the router 43.

[0039] The HMD 1A worn by user A receives VR content distributed from a server via, for example, an access point or a network, and user A can view the VR content. The network is not limited to the Internet, but may be an intranet. The HMD 1A may receive VR content distributed from a content distribution device 42. Furthermore, the VR content may be downloaded to the HMD 1A in advance from a server or content distribution device 42, and the VR content stored in the memory 22 of the HMD 1A may be executed.

[0040] P1 in the figure shows an example of a VR experience area set by user A who is experiencing VR content. The VR experience area is an area used to experience VR content, and is an area in which the user moves and / or performs actions while experiencing the VR content. The VR experience area is set to avoid real objects in the real space S. Here, real objects are objects that should be avoided while experiencing the VR content, such as a shelf, a television, or a router 43, but the type of real object is not particularly limited, and other real objects such as a sofa, a table, or a wall may also be used.

[0041] If user A moves out of the VR experience area P1 while experiencing the VR content, the HMD 1A attempts to avoid a collision by, for example, interrupting viewing of the VR content. In addition, just before user A moves out of the VR experience area P1, the HMD 1A prompts user A to avoid departing from the area by switching to a VR image (such as a message display or a boundary display of the experience area) to alert the user (or a user) or an image of the surrounding real space captured by the camera 10, or by superimposing such an image on the VR content.

[0042] 4 shows a VR experience area P1, but user B cannot see the VR experience area P1 set by user A within the real space S. Therefore, user B cannot tell whether he or she is inside or outside the VR experience area P1, and must be careful to avoid contact.

[0043] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a VR experience area set by user B in a real space where user A exists. When user B wears HMD 1B on his / her head to experience VR content, a VR experience area P2 is set. User B can set the VR experience area P2 using, for example, a controller 41B. Here, the controller 41B is capable of communicating with the HMD 1B and is used, for example, to perform predetermined operations on the VR content. In this example, the HMD 1A and HMD 1B have the same configuration, but this is not limiting. The HMD 1A and HMD 1B may also be information display terminals with different configurations.

[0044] If user B does not know the VR experience area P1 set by user A when setting the VR experience area P2, the VR experience area P2 will be set so that it overlaps with the VR experience area P1, resulting in the problem of an overlapping area of ​​the VR experience areas (overlapping area OS), as shown in Fig. 5. This overlapping area OS is an area where both user A and user B may be present at the same time, and therefore presents a high risk of collision.

[0045] Here, an example of a method for setting a VR experience area will be described with reference to Figures 6A and 6B. When user B operates controller 41B, control unit 16 controls, in response to the operation, to superimpose an augmented reality line on display 12 displaying an image captured by camera 10. Figure 6B is a diagram showing an example of a display on HMD 1B when setting a VR experience area. An image I captured by camera 10 of HMD 1B is displayed on display 12, and user B operates controller 41B to superimpose a line R. According to this example, the user can set the VR experience area while viewing the augmented reality line.

[0046] In this way, if the VR experience areas of other users can be known in advance, the user can operate the controller to set his / her own VR experience area so as to avoid the VR experience areas of the other users. In the example of Figure 6, the VR experience area P1 of user A is displayed on the display 12 of the HMD 1B, and user B can understand the VR experience area P1 of user A. This allows user B to draw a line R to avoid the VR experience area P1 and set his / her own VR experience area so as not to create an overlapping area OS. Note that, not only when the controller 41B is used, but also when user B uses another input interface, the occurrence of an overlapping area OS can be prevented by displaying the VR experience area P1 of user A.

[0047] Hereinafter, the technology for setting the VR experience area will be described in detail in the first to third embodiments.

[0048] First Embodiment In a first embodiment, an HMD can acquire information about a VR experience area set by another device, and can then adjust its own VR experience area.

[0049] 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for setting a VR experience area. This process is executed by the processor 21 and starts automatically, for example, when the HMD 1B in FIG. 5 is started. Alternatively, this process may be started by, for example, user B visually observing user A using another device and user B inputting a command to start the process into the HMD 1B via an input interface.

[0050] First, the HMD 1 acquires information about another device (an information display terminal used by a third party currently experiencing VR content in real space) (S701). Here, the information acquired by the HMD 1 includes, for example, information about the VR experience area of ​​the other device, location information, and information about the VR content currently being executed. Note that in the first embodiment, the location information and VR content information may be omitted from the acquired information, or other information, such as information indicating the planned usage schedule of the user of the other device, may be included.

[0051] The HMD 1 superimposes the acquired VR experience area of ​​the other device on the display 12 together with the camera image acquired by the camera 10 (S702). The superimposed display is performed by converting the coordinate system of the VR experience area of ​​the other device into the coordinate system of the HMD 1 based on the acquired information. The coordinate conversion may be calculated from the acquired coordinate data, or a VPS (Visual Positioning System) that identifies position information from feature point information of the camera image may be used. Then, the HMD 1 sets its own VR experience area based on, for example, an area selected by the user operating the controller (S703).

[0052] Here, the HMD 1 determines whether the VR experience area set in S703 overlaps with the VR experience area of ​​another device (S704). The HMD 1 makes this determination by, for example, comparing the VR experience area of ​​the other device acquired in S701 with the VR experience area set in S703.

[0053] If it is determined that there is an overlap with the VR experience area of ​​another device (YES in S704), the HMD 1 notifies the user to select whether or not to end the VR content experience. If the user selects not to end (NO in S708), the HMD 1 returns to the processing of S703, and when the user selects an area, the HMD 1 sets the VR experience area again based on the user's selection.

[0054] On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no overlap with the VR experience area of ​​another device (S704-NO), the HMD 1 notifies the user to select the VR content to be experienced, and sets the VR content selected by the user (S705). Note that if the VR content has multiple play modes, the HMD 1 may also prompt the user to select the play mode of the VR content to be experienced.

[0055] The play mode indicates a play style for experiencing VR content. VR content play modes include, for example, a seated mode in which the user experiences (plays) while sitting in a chair, a standing mode in which the user experiences (plays) while standing, and a room mode in which the user experiences (plays) within a predetermined area. In the standing mode, the user is expected to experience (play) while standing in a predetermined position without moving. In the room mode, the user is expected to move within the experience area during the experience (play).

[0056] The HMD 1 then compares the size of the VR experience area set in S703 with the size of the VR experience request area (S706). Here, the VR experience request area is an area in which VR content can be experienced. That is, when the user experiences the selected VR content, the VR experience request area is an area required as a mandatory area for experiencing the VR content, or an area recommended for experiencing the VR content. Note that, when a play mode of the VR content is selected, the VR experience request area is an area in which the VR content can be experienced in the selected play mode. Information about this VR experience request area may be included as part of the VR content. Alternatively, information about the VR experience request area corresponding to the VR content may be obtained from a server or content distribution device or read from the memory 22, separately from the VR content. Furthermore, the information about the VR experience request area may include not only area information about the area, but also information about the shape, volume information about the area including height information, and the like. In S706, the size is compared with the VR experience area set by the user based on this information.

[0057] If it is determined that the size of the VR experience area is equal to or larger than the size of the VR experience request area (S706-YES), a VR experience area large enough for the user to experience the VR content selected by the user has been secured, and the HMD 1 starts executing the VR content selected by the user (S707) and ends the processing. If the VR experience request area is recommended, it may be determined that a VR experience area large enough for the user to experience the VR content has been secured if a preset area fill rate (e.g., 80% or more) has been secured.

[0058] On the other hand, if it is determined that the size of the VR experience area is smaller than the size of the VR experience request area (S706—NO), the HMD 1 notifies the user to select whether or not to stop experiencing the VR content. If the user selects not to stop the experience (S709—NO), the HMD 1 notifies the user to reset the VR experience area and the content (S710, S711). If the user selects resetting the VR experience area (S710—YES), the process returns to S703. Note that even during resetting, it is desirable for the HMD 1 to superimpose the VR experience area of ​​another device on the display 12. Then, the HMD 1 performs the determination of S704 again based on the reset VR experience area. Furthermore, if the user selects resetting the VR content to be experienced (S711—YES), the process returns to S705. Then, the HMD 1 performs the determination of S706 again based on the VR experience request area of ​​the reset VR content.

[0059] If the user selects to stop experiencing the VR content in S708 or S709, the HMD 1 ends the processing. Note that the processing may also end if the user does not select whether to end the experience or reset the area within a predetermined time. Furthermore, if the planned use schedule information has been obtained in S701, the HMD 1 may notify the user of the planned end of other devices before ending the processing.

[0060] Note that if the user selects content reconfiguration (S711—YES) and processing returns to S705, VR content or play modes with a VR experience request area larger than the VR experience area set in S703 may be set to be unselectable. In this case, processing in S706 can be omitted. Alternatively, when the user selects content in S705, the size of the currently set VR experience area may be taken into consideration from the beginning, and unplayable content may be made unselectable, or only playable content may be displayed. This makes it possible to prevent repeated content reselections. Furthermore, for unplayable content, information regarding the missing area of ​​the VR experience area (missing area size, sufficiency rate of the VR experience request area) may be displayed, making it possible to know the area size required to reconfigure the VR experience area.

[0061] Even if the VR experience area of ​​the device is set so as not to overlap with the VR experience area of ​​another device, the set area may not be suitable for experiencing VR content. As in this example, by comparing the VR experience area set with the VR experience request area of ​​the VR content selected by the user in addition to checking whether the set VR experience area overlaps with the VR experience area of ​​another device, it is possible to determine that the area allows the user to appropriately experience the VR content, and then start execution of the VR content.

[0062] 8 is a diagram visually illustrating an example of a VR experience area set by an HMD in the processing of FIG. 7 . In this example, the HMD 1B worn by user B sets a VR experience area P2 based on the operation of user B in the same real space S as user A so as not to overlap with the VR experience area P1 of the HMD 1A worn by user A (S703). At this time, the HMD 1B displays a line indicating the VR experience area P1 superimposed on the image of the real space S captured by the camera 10 based on the information on the VR experience area P1 of the HMD 1A acquired in S701. By displaying the VR experience area P1 in this way, user B can select an area to set as his / her own VR experience area P2 so as not to overlap with the VR experience area P1 of another user, user A, when selecting an area, for example, by operating the controller.

[0063] 8, the size of the VR experience area P2 set by user B may be smaller than the area required for the VR content that user B wants to experience. In other words, the size of the VR experience area P2 set in S703 may be smaller than the area required by the VR content selected in S705 (VR experience request area P2R).

[0064] Therefore, in S706, it is determined whether the size of the VR experience area P2 is equal to or larger than the size of the VR experience request area P2R. If the size is not appropriate for executing the VR content, measures such as resetting the VR experience area or reselecting the VR content to be experienced are taken. As a result, the HMD 1B can adjust the size of the VR experience area to a size appropriate for experiencing the VR content. For example, if the size of the VR experience area P2 is smaller than the VR experience request area P2R, by prompting user B to reset the size in S710, it is possible to expand the VR experience area P2 to a size that satisfies the size of the VR experience request area P2R without overlapping with user A's VR experience area P1.

[0065] Note that the HMD 1 may display information for confirming the size of the VR experience request area when setting the VR experience area. Furthermore, when a play mode is set for the VR content, the HMD 1 may display information for confirming the size of the VR experience request area in the play mode selected by the user. For example, the HMD 1 may superimpose a line indicating the VR experience request area on an image of the real space S captured by the camera 10. Furthermore, the HMD 1 may display the size and fulfillment rate of the VR experience request area using characters, numbers, symbols, etc.

[0066] 9A and 9B are diagrams for explaining an example of a process for acquiring information from another device, for example, a process performed when the HMD 1B shown in FIG. 5 requests information from the HMD 1A, which is another device.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 9A , the HMD 1 displays a setting screen 91 for information acquisition processing on the display 12. In this example, the setting screen 91 includes multiple screen areas. When the setting 92 for automatic information acquisition from other devices is set to ON, the HMD 1 automatically acquires information for which the setting 93 for acquired information content is set to ON. For example, when acquiring information from another device again, since the setting 92 for automatic information acquisition is set to ON, the HMD 1 automatically acquires again the information for which the setting 93 for acquired information content is set to ON. This can simplify user operations. Note that the setting 92 for automatic information acquisition may be initially set to ON.

[0068] On the other hand, when the automatic information acquisition setting 92 is set to OFF, the user manually selects ON / OFF whether to acquire each piece of information in the acquisition information content setting 93, and the HMD 1 acquires the information that is set to ON. Here, for example, when acquiring information again from another device, if the automatic information acquisition setting 92 is set to OFF, the user manually sets the acquisition information content setting 93 again, and the HMD 1 acquires the information based on the re-set acquisition information content 93. In other words, when the automatic information acquisition setting 92 is OFF, the user has an opportunity to check the acquisition information content setting 93 each time information is requested and change the information to be acquired according to the situation. Note that setting information such as information indicating whether to automatically acquire information from another device based on the automatic information acquisition setting 92 and the acquisition information content 93, and information indicating the content of the information to be acquired, is stored in, for example, the memory 22. In addition to selecting ON / OFF of the acquired information via the setting screen, for information that is set to OFF in setting 93, a message regarding whether or not to acquire the information may be displayed on the display 12 of HMD 1, allowing the user to make a selection.

[0069] The processing will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 9B. Note that this flowchart corresponds to the processing in S701 in Fig. 7. The HMD 1 determines whether the automatic information acquisition setting 92 is ON (S901). If the automatic information acquisition setting 92 is ON (S901-YES), the HMD 1 requests information from another device based on the acquisition information content setting 93 (S904). If information is received from another device (S905-YES), the HMD 1 stores the information in the memory 22 (S906).

[0070] On the other hand, if the automatic information acquisition setting 92 is OFF (S901-NO), the HMD 1 notifies the user to select whether or not to request information from another device (S902). If the user selects to request information (S902-YES), the HMD 1 accepts the setting contents of the acquisition information content setting 93, which has been manually selected ON / OFF by the user (S903). The HMD 1 then requests information based on the acquisition information content accepted in S903 (S904). The information request may be transmitted via short-range communication to a device located within a predetermined range, or may be transmitted to a device previously registered by the user or selected from a list of surrounding devices.

[0071] If the user selects not to request information from another device (S902-NO), or if information is not received from another device within a predetermined time (S905-NO), this process ends. Although not shown, if information is not received from another device within a predetermined time, the information may be requested again a predetermined number of times.

[0072] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining an example of a process for providing information to another device, for example, a process performed when the HMD 1A in FIG. 5 receives a request for information from the HMD 1B, which is another device.

[0073] 10A , the HMD 1 displays a setting screen 96 on the display 12 for selecting whether or not to provide information. In this example, the setting screen 96 includes multiple screen areas. When the setting 97 for automatic information transmission to other devices is set to ON, the HMD 1 automatically transmits information for which the setting 98 for the content of transmitted information is set to ON. For example, when transmitting information to another device again, the setting 97 for automatic information transmission is set to ON, so that the HMD 1 can again automatically transmit the information for which the setting 98 for the content of transmitted information is set to ON.

[0074] Note that when the setting 97 for automatic information transmission is set to ON and the setting 99 for whether to confirm each time information is transmitted is set to ON, the HMD 1 notifies the user that information has been transmitted each time information is automatically transmitted. This notification may include the content set in the setting 98 for the content of transmitted information. On the other hand, when the setting 99 for whether to confirm each time information is transmitted is set to OFF, the HMD 1 does not notify the user during automatic transmission. For example, in a situation where information is transmitted to a limited number of information display terminals within a home, not notifying the user even in the case of automatic transmission can avoid interfering with the user's content experience.

[0075] Note that when the automatic information transmission setting 97 is set to ON, it is desirable to initially set the setting 99 for whether to confirm each time information is transmitted to ON. By setting it to ON in this manner, even if the user accidentally turns on the automatic information transmission setting 97, the user can be given an opportunity to notice that information is being transmitted to another device. Furthermore, information indicating the location where the HMD 1 is normally used, such as the home address or latitude and longitude, may be registered. Even if the setting 99 for whether to confirm each time information is transmitted is set to OFF, a notification may be sent when the HMD 1 moves a predetermined distance from that location. Multiple normally used locations may be registered. Furthermore, even if the automatic information transmission setting 97 is set to ON, when the HMD 1 moves a predetermined distance from the normal use location, a notification may be sent prompting the user to select whether to transmit information without automatic transmission. Furthermore, when using a line shared by an unspecified number of users, such as a public network, or an unencrypted line, a notification may be sent prompting the user to select whether to transmit information, or information transmission may not be performed at all. This prevents information from being transmitted to unintended devices under unusual usage conditions.

[0076] On the other hand, when the automatic information transmission setting 97 is OFF, in response to an information request from another device, the HMD 1 notifies the user that an information request has been received. Then, when the user manually sets the information that may be transmitted to ON in the transmission information content setting 98, the HMD 1 transmits the information that has been set to ON. In this way, when the automatic information transmission setting 97 is OFF, the user has an opportunity to check the transmission information content setting 98 and change the information to be transmitted according to the situation each time information is transmitted to another device. Note that the automatic information acquisition setting 92 may be initially set to ON. This prevents the user's own information from being transmitted to another device unintentionally.

[0077] The processing will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 10B. When the HMD 1 receives an information request from another device (S1001-YES), it determines whether the automatic information transmission setting 97 is ON (S1002). If the automatic information transmission setting 97 is ON (S1002-YES), the HMD 1 transmits information to the requesting device based on the transmission information content setting 98 (S1006). Note that information may be transmitted to a device located within a predetermined range from the HMD 1 via short-range communication.

[0078] On the other hand, if the automatic information transmission setting 97 is OFF (S1002-NO), the HMD 1 notifies the user that there is an information request from another device. Here, the HMD 1 displays information indicating the content requested from the other device based on the acquired information content setting 93 on the display 12 (S1003). If the user selects to comply with the information request (S1004-YES), the HMD 1 accepts the transmission information content setting 98, which has been manually turned ON or OFF by the user (S1005). Then, the HMD 1 transmits information based on the transmission information content setting 98 (S1006).

[0079] 11 is a diagram showing an example of the types of information transmitted and received by the HMD. The HMD 1 transmits and receives, for example, content information 101, player position information 102, and play area information 103. Other types of information may also be transmitted and received as other information 104.

[0080] The content information 101 is information about VR content that is planned to be experienced or is currently being experienced. The content information 101 may include, for example, the content name, content genre, supported play modes, the number of supported players, supported platforms, content progress information, and the like.

[0081] The content name is information indicating the name (e.g., title) of the VR content. The content genre is information indicating the genre of the VR content. If the VR content is a game, the content genre may be information indicating the game genre, such as action, sports, RPG (role-playing game), SLG (simulation game), shooting, racing, etc.

[0082] The corresponding play mode is information indicating the play mode of the VR content. As described above, play modes for VR content include, for example, seated mode, standing mode, and room mode. It may also include information regarding the size of the area used in the play mode. In the case of content that can be experienced by multiple people in the same real space, it may include information regarding the size of the area required for the number of people who can experience it.

[0083] The number of compatible players is information regarding the number of people who can experience the VR content, and may include, for example, information regarding the number of people currently experiencing the VR content or the number of people who can experience the VR content. The number of players includes not only the number of people experiencing the VR content in an online environment, but also the number of people experiencing the VR content in a local environment. The respective numbers of people experiencing the VR content may be set together or separately.

[0084] The support platform is information about a platform that distributes VR content. The platform that distributes VR content is, for example, a content distribution device such as a computer device or a portable computer device placed in real space, or a server that can distribute VR content. If multiple platforms are supported, information about each supported platform may be included.

[0085] The content progress information is information about the progress of the VR content being experienced by the user while being executed with the HMD 1. The content progress information is information about, for example, the player level, the player rank, etc. The content progress information may also include information about the current stage, the current scene, the current phase, the number of turns currently elapsed, the current quest, the current event, the current task, the currently owned items, etc. The content progress information may also include information about the area, field, map, etc. being played or movable within the content.

[0086] The player position information 102 is information regarding the position of the HMD 1 that is scheduled to execute or is currently executing VR content. The player position information 102 is position information acquired by the HMD 1 through calculation using, for example, a GNSS signal received by a GNSS sensor included in the sensor group 15. The player position information 102 may also be position information obtained by the HMD 1 estimating its own position from feature points in real space. That is, the player position information 102 may be position information based on V-SLAM (Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping). The player position information 102 may also be position information acquired by the HMD 1 using, for example, a position information service. The player position information 102 may also be position information acquired using Wi-Fi CSI or other known methods.

[0087] The play area information 103 is information indicating a VR experience area set up for a user to experience VR content. The play area information 103 can be expressed, for example, using coordinates corresponding to vertices. For example, a rectangular VR experience area may be set up using four coordinate positions, or a different polygonal VR experience area may be set up by increasing or decreasing the coordinate positions. The coordinate positions may use a local coordinate system with the user as the origin, or a world coordinate system with a specific position in the real space S as the origin.

[0088] The other information 104 may include, for example, information regarding the age and physique of the user experiencing the VR content, information regarding the amount charged for the VR content, priority information regarding the setting of a play area with other users (setting of a VR experience area), and information regarding the user's planned usage schedule for experiencing the content. For example, the priority determines which user's experience area is to be set with priority in overlapping areas. In this case, in overlapping areas, the VR experience area of ​​a user with a higher priority is set with priority over the VR experience area of ​​a user with a lower priority. Furthermore, the planned usage schedule may be expressed, for example, by the date, time, etc. when the user plans to experience the VR content. The age, physique, amount charged, priority, planned usage schedule, etc. can be set in advance.

[0089] As described above, according to this embodiment, by adjusting the VR experience area of ​​one's own device taking into consideration the VR experience area of ​​other devices as well as the VR experience request area of ​​the content, it is possible to appropriately set the experience area even when other devices are present in a real space of limited size, such as a single room.

[0090] In the above description, the process of setting the VR experience area, the process of acquiring information from other devices, and the process of providing information to other devices are performed by an information display terminal such as an HMD, but this is not limited to this. For example, an information display terminal such as the HMD 1A or HMD 1B may pre-register with a server or content distribution device information such as whether to request information from other devices, the information to be acquired, whether to respond to information requests from other devices, and the information to be transmitted, and at least some of the processes shown in FIGS. 7, 9B, and 10B may be performed by the server or content distribution device. For example, when the HMD 1A is started up, it connects to the server, and the HMD 1A transmits information about the set VR experience area and content. After that, when the HMD 1B is started up and connected to the server, the server determines whether the HMD 1A and the HMD 1B exist in the same real space. If it is determined that the HMD 1A and the HMD 1B exist in the same real space, the server may start processing such as transmitting information about the VR experience area of ​​the HMD 1A to the HMD 1B to execute S702, or executing the processing of S704, S706, and S901 to S906. Note that if the HMD 1A or HMD 1B is connected to a content distribution device via short-range communication or the like, the content distribution device may start processing without determining whether the two information display terminals exist in the same space. In this way, by performing part of the processing in the server or the content distribution device, it is possible to reduce the processing load on the information display terminal and reduce the range of information directly provided to other devices.

[0091] From the description of the first embodiment, the following information display terminal is provided as an example. The information display terminal includes a display, a communication interface, an input interface used for user input operations, and a processor. The processor communicates with another device present in the same real space as the information display terminal via the communication interface, receives information indicating a first experience area set for experiencing content running on the other device, and determines whether a second experience area selected by the user via the input interface overlaps with the first experience area. If the processor determines that the second experience area does not overlap with the first experience area, it displays a message on the display prompting the user to select content they wish to experience using the information display terminal, and compares the size of the second experience area with the size of the experience request area required for experiencing the content selected by the user via the input interface. If the size of the second experience area is equal to or larger than the size of the experience request area, the processor controls to set the second experience area as an area for experiencing the content selected by the user. Also provided are an information processing method executed by the information display terminal, and an information processing system including the information display terminal and a server or a content distribution device.

[0092] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. Note that the description of the same configurations and processes as those in the first embodiment will be omitted or will be described briefly. In the second embodiment, the HMD adjusts the experience area with other devices.

[0093] 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the VR experience area setting process. As in the first embodiment, this process is executed by the processor 21, and may be started automatically, for example, when the HMD 1B in FIG. 5 is started. Alternatively, this process may be started when user B visually observes user A who is using another device and user B inputs a command to start the process into the HMD 1B via an input interface.

[0094] 7, the HMD 1 acquires information about the other device (S1201) and superimposes the acquired VR experience area of ​​the other device on the camera image acquired by the camera 10 (S1202). Then, the HMD 1 sets the VR experience area based on the area selected by the user (S1203). Here, the information acquired by the HMD 1 includes, for example, information about the VR experience area of ​​the other device (i.e., play area information 103), position information (i.e., player position information 102), and information about the VR content being executed (i.e., content information 101).

[0095] The HMD 1 displays a message prompting the user to select the VR content to be experienced and accepts the user's selection (S1204). If the VR content has multiple play modes, the HMD 1 also prompts the user to select a play mode for the VR content and accepts the selection. Although not shown, in S1203, similar to S704 in FIG. 7, it may be determined whether the set VR experience area overlaps with the VR experience area of ​​another device, and the process may proceed to S1204 only if it is determined that there is no overlap.

[0096] 7, the HMD 1 then compares the size of the VR experience area set in S1203 with the size of the VR experience request area corresponding to the VR content and play mode selected by the user in S1204 (S1205). If it is determined that the size of the VR experience area is equal to or larger than the size of the VR experience request area (YES in S1205), a VR experience area large enough for the user to experience the VR content selected by the user has been secured, and the HMD 1 begins executing the VR content (S1214). Then, the process ends.

[0097] On the other hand, if it is determined that the size of the VR experience area is smaller than the size of the VR experience request area (S1205—NO), the HMD 1 notifies the user to select whether or not to stop experiencing the VR content (S1206). If the user selects not to stop experiencing the VR content (S1206—NO), the HMD 1 executes the process of S1207. On the other hand, if the user selects to stop experiencing the VR content (S1206—YES), the HMD 1 ends the process.

[0098] In S1207, the HMD 1 notifies the user to select whether or not to adjust the VR experience area with other devices. If the user selects not to adjust with other devices (S1207-NO), the HMD 1 receives the user's input and returns the process to S1203 to reset the VR experience area and VR content.

[0099] Note that even during the resetting in S1203, the HMD 1 may superimpose the VR experience area of ​​the other device on the display. Furthermore, the HMD 1 may calculate a proposed VR experience area using measurement information of the real space acquired by the camera 10 or the ranging sensor 11 and the VR experience area information of the other device acquired in S1201, and display the calculated proposed VR experience area on the display 12. Note that when calculating the proposed VR experience area, the HMD 1 controls the sum of the size of the VR experience area of ​​the other device and the size of the proposed VR experience area so that it does not exceed the size of the real space. Furthermore, the VR experience area may be set according to the calculated proposed VR experience area without the user selecting an area. Furthermore, during the resetting in S1204, it may be set so that VR content or play modes with a VR experience request area larger than the VR experience area set in S1203 cannot be selected.

[0100] Note that even if the VR experience area of ​​the user's device is reset in S1203 or S1204, if the VR experience area of ​​the user's device cannot be set so as not to overlap with the VR experience area of ​​another device and so as to be equal to or larger than the size of the VR experience request area (NO in S1205), the process returns to S1206 or S1207. For example, as shown in Fig. 13, a situation may be assumed in which user A and user B are in the same real space S, such as the same room, and a VR experience area P1 of HMD 1A has already been set, and when HMD 1B attempts to expand the VR experience area P2 to fill the VR experience request area P2R, an overlapping area OS occurs.

[0101] On the other hand, in S1207, if the user selects to perform adjustment with another device (S1207-YES), the HMD 1 performs area adjustment including negotiation with another device, which will be described below.

[0102] First, in adjusting the area with other devices, the HMD 1 calculates, with respect to its own VR experience area, a change area required to experience the VR content selected by the user in S1204 (S1208). That is, the HMD 1 calculates an area that is the difference between the VR experience request area and the VR experience area.

[0103] The HMD 1 also calculates the VR experience request area of ​​the other device using the VR content information of the other device obtained in S1201 (S1209). Note that instead of calculating the VR experience request area of ​​the other device, the HMD 1 may obtain information about the VR experience request area as part of the VR content information in S1201. The HMD 1 then determines whether the area obtained by subtracting the changed area determined in S1208 from the VR experience area of ​​the other device obtained in S1201 is equal to or larger than the size of the VR experience request area of ​​the other device (S1210). That is, the HMD 1 determines whether the user of the other device can continue experiencing the VR content even if the area determined in S1208 is reduced.

[0104] If the size of the VR experience request area is still equal to or larger than the size of the VR experience area even after the reduction by the changed area, and the user of the other device can continue experiencing the VR content (S1210-YES), the HMD 1 transmits a request to the other device to reduce the size of the VR experience area by the changed area calculated in S1208 (S1211). For example, as shown in Fig. 13, if the VR experience area P1 of the HMD 1A is set larger than the VR experience request area P1R, and it is determined that the user A can continue experiencing the VR content even if the size is reduced, the HMD 1B transmits a request to the HMD 1A. Note that the HMD 1 may also transmit the result calculated in S1209 when transmitting the request.

[0105] The HMD 1 then receives a determination result from the other device as to whether to accept the area change (S1212). The determination result transmitted from the other device may be a result of manual operation by a user of the other device, or may be a result of processing by a processor of the other device without user input. For example, conditions such as whether to accept the area change and an upper limit of the change may be set in advance, and the processor determines whether to accept the area change request based on the set conditions. In this way, if the processor is controlled to make a determination based on the set conditions without requiring user input, the user's sense of immersion during the VR content experience can be maintained. If the other device transmits a determination result indicating that the area change will be accepted without user input, the other device may notify the user that the area change has occurred, for example, at the end of the content. The other device may change whether or not to notify the user of the area change depending on the size of the area change.

[0106] If the received determination result indicates that the user of the other device accepts the change (S1212—YES), the HMD 1 changes its own VR experience area based on the change area calculated in S1208 (S1213). Then, the HMD 1 starts executing the VR content set in S1204 (S1214) and ends the process. On the other hand, if the determination result transmitted from the other device indicates that the other device does not accept the change, or if the determination result cannot be received even after a predetermined time has passed (S1212—NO), the HMD 1 returns to the process of S1203. Although not shown, if the information is not received from the other device within a predetermined time, the HMD 1 may request information again a predetermined number of times.

[0107] In S1210, if it is determined that reducing the VR experience area of ​​the other device by the change area will result in a size smaller than the VR experience request area of ​​the other device (S1210—NO), the HMD 1 determines whether the VR content being executed on the other device supports multiple play modes based on the content information of the other device acquired in S1201 (S1215).If multiple play modes are supported (S1215—YES), the HMD 1 notifies the user to select whether to request a change of play mode from the other device (S1216).

[0108] In S1215, it is desirable that the HMD 1 not only determine whether there are multiple play modes, but also determine whether there is a play mode among the multiple play modes that allows the user of the other device to experience VR content even if the VR experience area of ​​the other device is reduced by the changed area calculated in S1208. In this case, in S1215, as in S1210, even if the changed area is reduced from the VR experience area of ​​the other device, it is determined whether the size of the reduced area is equal to or larger than the size of the VR experience request area corresponding to the play mode.

[0109] If the user selects to request a play mode from another device (YES in S1216), the HMD 1 transmits a request to change the play mode to the other device (S1217). Then, as described above, depending on the determination result received from the other device, the HMD 1 either changes the VR experience area and starts executing the VR content (S1213 to S1214), or returns to S1203. On the other hand, if the user selects not to make a request to the other device (NO in S1216), the HMD 1 returns to S1203.

[0110] In S1215, if it is determined that the VR content being executed on the other device does not support multiple play modes, or if it is determined that there is no play mode in which the VR content can be experienced when the VR experience area is reduced by the amount of the change area (S1215-NO), the HMD1 notifies the user to select whether or not to request a change of the VR content from the other device (S1218).

[0111] If the user selects to make a request to another device (YES in S1218), the HMD 1 transmits a request to change the VR content being executed to the other device (S1219). As described above, depending on the determination result received from the other device, the HMD 1 either changes the VR experience area and starts executing the VR content (S1213 to S1214), or returns to S1203. On the other hand, if the user selects not to make a request to the other device (NO in S1218), the HMD 1 returns to S1203.

[0112] As with the determination of whether an area can be changed, the determination result of whether a play mode or VR content can be changed transmitted from another device may be a result of manual operation by a user of the other device, or may be a result of processing by a processor of the other device without user input. For example, conditions such as whether to accept the change, the play modes that can be changed, and the VR content that can be changed may be set in advance, and the processor determines whether to accept the change request based on the set conditions. If a determination result that the play mode change will be accepted without user input is transmitted, the other device may notify the user that the play mode has been changed, for example, at the end of the content. Furthermore, if a determination result that the VR content change will be accepted without user input is transmitted, it is desirable for the other device to notify the user of the VR content change before switching the VR content.

[0113] Furthermore, when a notification is sent prompting the user to select whether to adjust the VR experience area with other devices in S1207, whether to request a change of play mode from other devices in S1216, or whether to request a change of VR content from other devices in S1218, at least some of the information included in the other information obtained in S1201, such as priority, planned use schedule, charge amount, age, and physique, may be presented. This allows the user to use this information as a reference when deciding whether to make a request, for example, not to request a change if their own priority is low or if the end time of another user is approaching. Furthermore, instead of sending a notification prompting the user, the HMD 1 may use other information to determine whether to adjust with other devices or send a request.

[0114] 14 is a flowchart showing an example of processing in an HMD that receives a change request from another device. For example, when the HMD 1A shown in FIG. 5 receives a change request (S1211, S1217, or S1219 in FIG. 12) from another device, the HMD 1B, the processing is executed by the processor 12 of the HMD 1A. This processing may be started when the HMD 1A is started, or may be started when the presence of another device in the vicinity is detected by the camera 10 or by short-range communication.

[0115] 10B, the HMD 1 transmits information about its own VR experience area, location information, and information about the VR content being executed to another device (S1401). When the HMD 1 receives a change request from another device (S1402), it evaluates the received request (S1403 to S1405). It should be noted that the HMD 1 may also receive information about the VR experience area of ​​the other device, location information, and information about the VR content to be executed along with the change request. Although not shown, when the HMD 1 detects the presence of another device in the vicinity and starts the process of FIG. 14, it may obtain VR experience area information, etc. from the other device regardless of whether or not a change request has been received from the other device.

[0116] If the change request is to reduce the VR experience area (S1403-YES), the HMD 1 determines whether the change is permitted (S1411). The user can set the permission or prohibition setting in advance, thereby maintaining the user's sense of immersion while experiencing the VR content. Furthermore, in order to determine whether the reduction in the area will affect the user's VR content experience in S1413, the change may be permitted as the initial setting. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and in S1411, a notification may be displayed prompting the user to select whether to permit the change.

[0117] If the change is permitted (S1411—YES), the HMD 1 calculates an area change proposal for changing the VR experience area (S1412). That is, the HMD 1 calculates, as the area change proposal, the size of the VR experience area after the area change, the shape of the VR experience area after the area change, the position of the center of gravity of the VR experience area after the area change due to the movement of the VR experience area, and the like. Note that if the HMD 1 receives data on the changed area calculated by another requesting device, for example, in S1208 of FIG. 12, along with the change request in S1402, the HMD 1 may calculate the area change proposal using that data. Then, when the VR experience area is changed based on the calculated area change proposal, the HMD 1 determines whether the size of the changed VR experience area is equal to or larger than the size of the VR experience request area of ​​the currently executing VR content (S1413). In this example, only a comparison between the VR experience area and the VR experience request area is described, but if there is an unused area in the real space that is not being used as a VR experience area by any device, the use of the unused area may also be taken into consideration when determining whether or not to change the area of ​​the VR experience area.

[0118] If the HMD 1 determines that changing the VR experience area will be larger than the VR experience request area and will not affect the user's VR content experience (S1413—YES), it changes the VR experience area based on the area change plan (S1414). For example, in the case shown in FIG. 13 , the HMD 1A may change the VR experience area P1 so that it is smaller than the VR experience request area P1R, or may change it to a VR experience area P11, which is a smaller area only in the direction in which the overlap area OS is located. The VR experience area is not limited to a rectangle, and may be changed to another shape, such as a hexagon, to remove only the overlap area OS. Furthermore, after changing the size and shape of the VR experience area P1, it may be moved away from the VR experience area of ​​the HMD 1B to create an interference area. If the VR experience areas of each user are adjacent to each other, there is a high possibility of a collision occurring due to the user departing from the VR experience area. Therefore, it is desirable to provide an interference area between the VR experience areas to separate each area. Regarding this interference area, a distance of a predetermined value may be secured, or a distance may be secured using a value set by the user. Note that when moving the VR experience area, adjusting it so that it includes the user's current location allows content playback to continue. Furthermore, the VR experience area may be adjusted in stages multiple times to increase the distance between users.

[0119] The HMD 1 then transmits the change results to the other device that made the request (S1406). Note that the change results in S1406 may be transmitted to a device located within a predetermined range from the HMD 1 via short-range communication. Note that before changing the VR experience area in S1414, the HMD 1 may notify the user of information regarding the reduction or movement of the area. For example, if the reduction rate of the changed VR experience area, the amount of movement of the center of gravity of the VR experience area, or the like changes by more than a predetermined threshold, it is desirable for the HMD 1 to notify the user. Furthermore, if the center of gravity position of the changed VR experience area is away from the user's position by more than a predetermined distance, a notification may be sent to alert the user.

[0120] On the other hand, if the change is not permitted (S1411—NO), the HMD 1 transmits a result to the other requesting device that the VR experience area cannot be changed (S1441).Furthermore, if it is determined that the size of the VR experience area after the change is smaller than the size of the VR experience request area of ​​the VR content being executed and that the area change will affect the user's experience of the VR content (S1413—NO), the HMD 1 similarly transmits a result to the requesting device that the VR experience area cannot be changed (S1441).

[0121] 14, if it is determined that changing the area will affect the user's experience of the VR content (S1413-NO), the process may proceed to S1421 or S1432 described below, and the play mode or content may be changed, depending on the pre-settings, regardless of the content of the change request from another device. In this case, the HMD 1 may inform the user by video or audio whether to change the play mode or content.

[0122] If it is determined in S1402 that the request received is a play mode change (S1404-YES), the HMD 1 determines whether there is another play mode that can be changed to for the VR content being executed (S1421).

[0123] If it is determined that the VR content can be experienced in another play mode (YES in S1421), the HMD 1 notifies the user that a request to change the play mode of the VR content has been received (S1422). At this time, the HMD 1 may include specific details of the change, such as changing from room mode to standing mode, in the notification, along with a message prompting the user to select whether or not to change the play mode. The HMD 1 notifies the user by displaying a message on the display 12, for example.

[0124] If the user inputs permission to change the play mode (YES in S1423), the HMD 1 changes the play mode (S1424) and transmits the change result to the device that issued the request. After receiving notification of the receipt of the play mode change request in S1422, the user may input permission to change and also input a play mode different from the current play mode in S1423. In this case, based on the determination result of S1421, it is desirable to display a list including only candidate play modes whose VR experience request area is smaller than the VR experience request area of ​​the current play mode, or to set the HMD 1 so that play modes other than the candidate play modes cannot be selected. Furthermore, as in S1414, before changing the VR experience area in S1424, the HMD 1 may notify information regarding the reduction of the area.

[0125] The HMD 1 changes the play mode in S1424 and also controls the VR experience area to be changed so as to correspond to the VR experience request area required for the changed play mode. The area change plan is calculated in S1421, for example.

[0126] On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no changeable play mode for the running VR content (S1421-NO), the HMD 1 transmits a result indicating that the play mode cannot be changed to the requesting device (S1441).Furthermore, if the user inputs that the play mode cannot be changed (S1423-NO), the HMD 1 similarly transmits a result indicating that the play mode cannot be changed to the requesting device (S1441).

[0127] 14, if it is determined that there is no changeable play mode for the running VR content (S1421-NO), the process may proceed to the processing of S1432 described below and change the content, depending on the pre-settings, regardless of the content of the change request from another device. In this case, the HMD 1 may present to the user by video or audio whether to change the content.

[0128] Similarly to S1411, the setting of permission to change the play mode may be performed by initial setting or advance user setting, and the processes of S1422 to S1423 may be omitted. In this case, the user's immersive feeling while experiencing the VR content can be maintained.

[0129] If it is determined in S1402 that the request received is a content change (S1405-YES), the HMD 1 notifies the user that a request to change the content being experienced has been received (S1431). For example, the HMD 1 displays on the display 12 a message indicating that a content change request has been received, along with a message prompting the user to select whether or not to change the content.

[0130] If the user inputs permission to change the content (S1432-YES), the HMD 1 changes the content (S1433) and transmits the change result to the requesting device (S1406).

[0131] The HMD 1 changes the content to be executed in S1433 and controls the VR experience area to be changed to correspond to the VR experience request area required for the changed content. The notification in S1431 may include a notification prompting the user to select other content, and in S1432, the user may input permission for the change and select content different from the current content. In this case, it is desirable to display a list in the notification in S1431 that includes only candidate content for change that has a VR experience request area smaller than the VR experience request area of ​​the currently executed content, or to set the display so that content other than the candidate content for change cannot be selected.

[0132] Furthermore, if the user inputs that the content cannot be changed (S1432-NO), the HMD 1 transmits to the requesting device that the content cannot be changed (S1441).

[0133] Also, although not shown in Figure 14, if the execution of VR content on HMD1 has already ended when a change request is received in S1402, it is desirable to control the device that made the request to notify the device that execution of the VR content has ended without performing processing from S1403 onwards.

[0134] As described above, according to the second embodiment, by using experience area information and content information of the own device and other devices to adjust areas with other devices, even if the own device alone is unable to set an appropriate VR experience area, it is possible to obtain an opportunity to set a VR experience area appropriate for the user's content experience.

[0135] In the above description, the process of setting the VR experience area, the process of acquiring information from other devices, and the process of providing information to other devices are performed by an information display terminal such as an HMD, but this is not limited to this. As in the first embodiment, at least some of the processes shown in FIGS. 12 and 14 may be performed by a server or a content distribution device using content information, location information, etc. transmitted from an information display terminal such as the HMD 1A or HMD 1B. For example, when the server or content distribution device selects whether to adjust the VR experience area with other devices in S1207, whether to request other devices to change the play mode in S1216, or whether to request other devices to change the VR content in S1218, the server or content distribution device may use information such as priority, planned use schedule, charge amount, age, and physique obtained from the HMD 1A or HMD 1B. In this case, a change request may not be sent to an information display terminal with a high priority or a high charge amount from the user, and a change request may not be refused by an information terminal with a low priority or a low charge amount. Furthermore, the server or content distribution device may perform the determinations in S1205, S1210, and S1413 using a value obtained by reducing the VR experience request area according to age, physique, etc. If a usage plan has been input in advance, the priority of the input user may be set high, or a threshold such as two hours per day may be set for the time a user experiences VR content, and an information display terminal exceeding the threshold may be set low in priority.

[0136] The second embodiment provides an example of an information display terminal. The information display terminal includes a display, a communication interface, an input interface used for input operations by a user of the information display terminal, a camera for capturing images of a real space, and a processor. The processor communicates with another device present in the same real space as the information display terminal via the communication interface, receives information indicating a first experience area set for experiencing a first content item being executed on the other device, and, when a user selects an area via the input interface, uses the received information to display the first experience area on the display, superimposed on an image of the real space captured by the camera. The processor also receives information indicating a second experience area selected by the user and a second content item selected by the user via the input interface, and compares the size of the second experience area with the size of a second experience request area corresponding to the second content item. If the size of the second experience area is smaller than the size of the second experience request area, the processor controls the display to display a message prompting the user to select whether to perform coordination with the other device. Also provided are an information processing method executed by the information display terminal, and an information processing system including the information display terminal and a server or a content distribution device.

[0137] [Third Embodiment] Next, a third embodiment will be described. Note that descriptions of configurations and processes similar to those of the first or second embodiment will be omitted or will be described briefly. In the third embodiment, an HMD combines the experience areas of its own device and other devices and resets the experience area. For example, HMD 1B in FIG. 5 combines the experience area with other devices such as HMD 1A.

[0138] 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the VR experience area setting process. As in the first and second embodiments, this process is executed by the processor 21. For example, the process may be started automatically when the HMD 1B in FIG. 5 is started, or may be started by an operation by the user B.

[0139] 7 and S1201 to S1203 of FIG. 12, the HMD 1 acquires information about the other device (S1501) and superimposes the acquired VR experience area of ​​the other device on the camera image acquired by the camera 10 (S1502). Then, the HMD 1 sets the VR experience area based on the area selected by the user (S1503). Here, the information acquired by the HMD 1 includes, for example, information about the VR experience area of ​​the other device (i.e., play area information 103), position information (i.e., player position information 102), and information about the VR content being executed (i.e., content information 101).

[0140] The HMD 1 displays a message prompting the user to select the VR content to be experienced and accepts the user's selection (S1504). If the VR content has multiple play modes, the HMD 1 also prompts the user to select a play mode for the VR content and accepts the selection. Although not shown, in S1503, similar to S704 in FIG. 7, it may be determined whether the set VR experience area overlaps with the VR experience area of ​​another device, and the process may proceed to S1504 only if it is determined that there is no overlap.

[0141] Next, the HMD 1 uses the content information acquired in S1501 to determine whether the VR content received in S1504 is the same as the VR content being executed on the other device (S1505). If it is determined that the VR content is the same (S1505-YES), the HMD 1 notifies the user to select whether or not to experience the VR content together with other users (S1506).

[0142] If the user of the HMD 1 selects to experience the content together with other users (S1506—YES), the HMD 1 determines whether multiplay, in which VR content is executed in cooperation with other devices, is possible (S1507). The HMD 1 determines whether multiplay is possible based on whether the condition for the number of compatible players is met, for example, using content information for the HMD 1's own device and content information for the other devices acquired in S1501. The HMD 1 may also determine whether multiplay is possible based on whether the difference in the progress status of the content between the HMD 1's own device and the other devices is within a predetermined range, using content progress information included in the content information. The HMD 1 may also determine whether content execution in cooperation with other devices is possible based on information for each user, such as player level, stage information, and the area in the content where the user is playing.

[0143] If the HMD 1 determines that content execution is possible in cooperation with other devices (S1507-YES), it transmits a request for content execution cooperation to the other devices (S1508). Note that the order of S1506 and S1507 may be reversed, and if the HMD 1 determines that content execution is possible in cooperation with other devices, it may notify the user to select whether or not to experience VR content together with other users.

[0144] When the other device receives the request transmitted from the HMD 1, it notifies the user of the device to select whether or not to experience the VR content together with the other user. When the user inputs a selection, the selection result is transmitted to the HMD 1 that originated the request.

[0145] When a selection result indicating that content execution is possible in cooperation with another device is received (S1509—YES), the HMD 1 combines its own VR experience area with the VR experience area of ​​the other device (S1510). For example, as shown in FIG. 16 , a combined VR experience area P31 may be set that includes the VR experience area P2 of the HMD 1B and the VR experience area P1 of the HMD 1A and maximizes the combined area within the real space S. Alternatively, as shown in VR experience area P32, the VR experience areas P1 and P2 may be combined by connecting them with a connection area having a predetermined width and shape. It is desirable to set the width and shape of the connection area to allow a user to pass through. Alternatively, as shown in VR experience area P33, the VR experience areas P1 and P2 may be combined by connecting them so that the angle of the vertex of the connection between the VR experience areas P1 and P2 is not less than 90 degrees. Furthermore, like the VR experience area P34, the VR experience area may be set to satisfy the recommended area required for multiplayer play, regardless of the position or shape of the VR experience area P1 or the VR experience area P2. For example, if the lengths of two sides of the recommended area are 3 m x 3 m, the VR experience area P34 is set to encompass 3 m x 3 m. Note that, because setting the VR experience area to a complex shape makes it difficult for the user to understand, when combining VR experience areas, it is preferable to set the VR experience area to a polygon with as few vertices as possible, with no more than four vertices. Furthermore, if there are obstacles such as a television or table, or people other than user A and user B, in the real space S, it is preferable to combine the VR experience area so as not to include those areas.

[0146] In S1511, the HMD 1 determines whether the combined VR experience area is equal to or larger than the VR experience request area required for multiplay of the selected VR content. If it is determined that the size of the combined VR experience area satisfies the VR experience request area for multiplay (S1511—YES), the HMD 1 changes the VR experience area to correspond to the combined VR experience area (S1512). After changing the VR experience area, the HMD 1 starts executing the content (S1513).

[0147] In S1512, the HMD 1 transmits data about the combined VR experience area to the other device. If the play modes of the HMD 1 and the other device are different, they may be changed to the same play mode, or the user may be notified that the play modes will be changed to the same play mode, and then a process of changing to the same play mode may be performed. Alternatively, instead of changing to the same play mode, multiplay may be performed between the HMD 1 and the other device while maintaining different play modes depending on the real space or the user's reasons.

[0148] If it is determined that the size of the combined VR experience area is smaller than the size of the multiplayer VR experience request area (S1511—NO), the HMD 1 determines whether there is an area in the real space that can be modified (S1521) using measurement information of the real space acquired by the camera 10 or the distance sensor 11. For example, if the HMD 1 determines that there is an area in the real space that is not being used as a VR experience area and that there is an area in which the VR experience area can be expanded (S1521—YES), the HMD 1 modifies and resets the VR experience area (S1522) and starts execution of the content (S1513). The owner of the content progress in the VR experience area is the user who previously played the content, and users who join later follow the owner's play. Ownership authority may be transferred by an authorized user to another user, or may be determined using information such as priority, planned usage schedule, charge amount, age, and physique obtained from the HMD 1A or HMD 1B. For example, a user with a high priority or a user who has paid a high fee may be preferentially set as the owner who controls the progress of the content.

[0149] Although not shown in FIG. 15 , if it is determined that the size of the combined VR experience area is smaller than the size of the multiplayer VR experience request area (S1511-NO), the play mode of the VR content may be automatically changed or the play mode may be changed in response to user input to reduce the multiplayer VR experience request area. Also, although not shown in FIG. 15 , if a user selects the combined VR experience area while playing the content, the combined VR experience area may be divided again to set a new VR experience area that can be experienced by each user. In this case, it is desirable to divide the combined VR experience area equally. Alternatively, the division of the VR experience area may be determined using information such as priority, planned use schedule, charge amount, age, and physique obtained from the HMD 1A and HMD 1B.

[0150] If the results are NO in S1505, NO in S1506, NO in S1507, NO in S1509, and NO in S1521, the HMD 1 ends the process.

[0151] By performing the processing shown in FIG. 15, a VR experience area for multiplay with other devices can be set. The processing is not limited to the illustrated processing, and may be performed by combining parts of FIGS. 12 and 15, for example. For example, when adjustment with other devices is selected in S1207 of FIG. 12, the HMD 1 may perform processing from S1505 onward instead of processing from S1208 onward. Furthermore, when the determination result transmitted from the other devices in S1212 indicates that the other devices do not accept the change, the HMD 1 may perform processing from S1505 onward instead of returning to S1203. Furthermore, when the results of S1505-NO, S1506-NO, S1507-NO, S1509-NO, and S1521-NO are satisfied, instead of terminating the processing, the HMD 1 may perform processing from S1203 onward to adjust the VR experience area with other devices.

[0152] As described above, according to the third embodiment, the experience areas of the user's own device and other devices can be combined to set an appropriate VR experience area when multiple users experience the same content.

[0153] In the above description, the VR experience area setting process is performed by an information display terminal such as an HMD, but this is not limited to this. As in the first and second embodiments, some or all of the process in FIG. 15 may be performed by a server or a content distribution device. For example, information regarding conditions for experiencing content together with other users may be transmitted from an information display terminal such as HMD 1A or HMD 1B and registered in advance in the server or content distribution device. Then, when the server or content distribution device determines that the HMD 1A or HMD 1B exists in the same real space, it may determine whether to combine the VR experience areas without prompting or notifying the user of the information display terminal to make a selection, and may control the HMD 1A or HMD 1B to change the VR experience area according to the determination result, or may transmit information for the change.

[0154] In accordance with the third embodiment, the following information display terminal is provided as an example. The information display terminal includes a display, a communication interface, an input interface used for input operations by a user of the information display terminal, a camera for capturing images of real space, and a processor. The processor communicates with another device present in the same real space as the information display terminal via the communication interface, receives information indicating a first content being executed on the other device and information indicating a first experience area set up for experiencing the first content, and, when an area is selected by the user via the input interface, displays the first experience area on the display, superimposed on an image of real space captured by the camera, using the received information. The processor also receives information indicating a second experience area selected by the user and a second content selected by the user via the input interface, and compares the first content with the second content. If the first content and the second content are the same content, the processor determines whether the content can be executed in cooperation with the other device, and, if the content can be executed in cooperation with the other device, sends a cooperation request to the other device via the communication interface. Also provided are an information processing method executed by the information display terminal, and an information processing system including the information display terminal and a server or a content distribution device.

[0155] Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes various modifications and equivalent configurations within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to configurations including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, for example, some of the configurations of the embodiments may be added, deleted, or replaced with other configurations. For example, when changing or combining a VR experience area, the experience area may be adjusted by gradually changing the experience area. Furthermore, the information display terminal may notify the user of the information display terminal by audio, display, or the like. Furthermore, the information display terminal may be equipped with, for example, a vibrator for vibration notification. Furthermore, the experience area may be adjusted using position information of the information display terminal, attitude (orientation) information of the information display terminal, or the like.

[0156] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Head-mounted display 10 Camera 11 Distance measurement sensor 12 Display 13 Speaker 14 Microphone 15 Sensor group 16 Control unit 17 Internal bus 20 Communication unit 21 Processor 22 Memory 23 Storage 24 Basic operation program 25 VR viewing program 26 Approach transmission program

Claims

1. An information display terminal comprising: a display; a communication interface; and a processor, wherein the processor communicates via the communication interface with another device existing in the same real space as the information display terminal, receives information indicating a first experience area which is an area set for experiencing content being executed on the other device, determines whether a second experience area which is an area selected by a user of the information display terminal overlaps with the first experience area, and, if it is determined that the second experience area does not overlap with the first experience area, compares the size of the experience request area required for experiencing the content selected by the user with the size of the second experience area, and, if the size of the second experience area is equal to or larger than the size of the experience request area, controls to set the second experience area as an area for experiencing the content selected by the user.

2. An information display terminal as described in claim 1, wherein, when the processor determines that the second experience area does not overlap with the first experience area, the processor controls the display to display a message prompting the user to select content that the user wishes to experience using the information display terminal.

3. An information display terminal according to claim 2, wherein the processor controls the display to display, when the size of the second experience area is smaller than the size of the experience request area, a message urging the user to reselect an area larger than the second experience area, or a message urging the user to reselect content different from the content.

4. An information display terminal according to claim 3, wherein when a message prompting the user to reselect content different from the content is displayed on the display, the processor controls the display so that content requiring an area larger than the second experience area is not selected by the user.

5. An information display terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a camera for capturing images of real space and an input interface used for input operations by the user, wherein when an area is selected by the user via the input interface, the processor uses the received information to control the display so that a first experiential area is displayed superimposed on an image of real space captured by the camera.

6. An information display terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a memory, wherein the memory stores setting information including information indicating whether to automatically acquire information and information indicating the content of the information to be acquired, and the processor transmits an information request to the other device via the communication interface based on the setting information stored in the memory.

7. An information display terminal comprising: a display; a communication interface; a camera that captures images of a real space; and a processor, wherein the processor communicates via the communication interface with another device that exists in the same real space as the information display terminal, receives information indicating a first experience area that is an area set up for experiencing a first content being executed on the other device, and when an area is selected by a user of the information display terminal, uses the received information to display the first experience area on the display, superimposed on an image of the real space captured by the camera, receives information indicating a second experience area that is the area selected by the user and a second content selected by the user, compares the size of the second experience area with the size of a second experience request area corresponding to the second content, and, when the size of the second experience area is smaller than the size of the second experience request area, controls the display to display a message prompting the user to select whether or not to perform coordination with the other device.

8. An information display terminal according to claim 7, wherein, when the user selects to perform coordination with the other device, the processor transmits, via the communication interface, to the other device at least one change request to change the first experience area, change the play mode of the first content, or change the one content.

9. An information display terminal as described in claim 7, wherein the processor, when the user selects to perform adjustment with the other device, calculates a change area which is the difference between the size of the second experience request area and the size of the second experience area, and when the size obtained by reducing the change area from the first experience area is equal to or larger than the size of the first experience request area corresponding to the first content, transmits a change request for the first experience area to the other device via the communication interface.

10. An information display terminal according to claim 7, wherein the processor receives information indicating at least one of a planned use schedule, priority, charge amount, and age from the other device via the communication interface, and controls the display to include the received information in a message prompting the user to select whether or not to perform coordination with the other device.

11. The information display terminal according to claim 7, further comprising an input interface used for input operations by the user.

12. An information display terminal comprising: a display; a communication interface; a camera that captures images of real space; and a processor, wherein the processor communicates with another device existing in the same real space as the information display terminal via the communication interface, receives information indicating a first content being executed on the other device and information indicating a first experience area that is an area set up for experiencing the first content, and when an area is selected by a user of the information display terminal, uses the received information to display the first experience area on the display, superimposed on an image of real space captured by the camera, accepts information indicating a second experience area that is the area selected by the user and a second content selected by the user, compares the first content and the second content, and when the first content and the second content are the same content, determines whether the content can be executed in cooperation with the other device, and when the content can be executed in cooperation with the other device, sends a cooperation request to the other device via the communication interface.

13. An information display terminal as described in claim 12, wherein the processor, when receiving a result from the other device via the communication interface indicating that cooperation is possible, sets an experience area that is a combination of the first experience area and the second experience area.

14. An information display terminal as described in claim 12, wherein the processor compares the size of the experience request area corresponding to content execution in cooperation between the information display terminal and the other device with the size of the synthesized experience area, and if the size of the synthesized experience area is equal to or larger than the size of the experience request area, controls to start execution of the first content.

15. The information display terminal according to claim 12, further comprising an input interface used for input operations by the user.

Images