Virtual space control system and virtual space control method

Abstract

A control unit provided in a virtual space control system 1 detects the presence of a user of an information terminal device 10 in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10, and changes the form of an information sharing range around an avatar corresponding to the user, on the basis of the presence or absence of the user.

Description

Virtual space control system and virtual space control method

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

[0002] In a virtual office (virtual office) configured in a virtual space, each user uses an avatar to perform work within the virtual office. There is known a technique for enabling each avatar to hear each other's voices when the avatars are close to each other in the virtual space or when they are in the same space (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-071314

[0004] Because each avatar user displays a virtual space on the screen of their respective information terminal device, there are cases where they do not check the screen displaying the virtual space or are unable to check it depending on the nature of their work, etc. In such a situation, if a user continues speaking without noticing that another user's avatar is approaching, there is a risk that the user's speech will be overheard by the user of another avatar, even though they do not intend for their speech to be overheard.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to appropriately set conditions for sharing information with users of other avatars around one's own avatar.

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the virtual space control system of the present disclosure is a virtual space control system that displays a virtual space on an information terminal device and displays an avatar corresponding to a user of the information terminal device in the virtual space, and a control unit provided in the virtual space control system detects the presence of the user of the information terminal device in front of the display screen of the information terminal device, and changes the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user based on the presence or absence of the user.

[0007] The virtual space control method of the present disclosure is a virtual space control method executed by a virtual space control system that displays a virtual space on an information terminal device and displays an avatar corresponding to a user of the information terminal device in the virtual space, wherein the virtual space control system detects the presence of the user of the information terminal device in front of the display screen of the information terminal device, and changes the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user based on the presence or absence of the user.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to appropriately set conditions for sharing information with users of other avatars around one's own avatar.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a virtual space control system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information terminal device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a server device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the display screen of the information terminal device. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the display screen of a virtual office displayed on the display screen of the information terminal device. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the display screen of a virtual office displayed on the display screen of the information terminal device. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another example of the display screen of a virtual office displayed on the display screen of the information terminal device. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another example of the display screen of a virtual office displayed on the display screen of the information terminal device. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a virtual space control method according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing another example of the virtual space control method according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence between the time when a user is not present and the size of the information sharing range.

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A virtual space control system and a virtual space control method according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0011] [First embodiment] (Virtual space control system) Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a virtual space control system according to a first embodiment. The virtual space control system 1 controls a virtual office configured in a virtual space. In the following embodiment, a virtual office will be described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to virtual offices and can also be applied to various services that use avatars for communication in a virtual space.

[0012] In the following description, a "user" may be referred to as a "first user" and an "other user" may be referred to as a "second user." Furthermore, an information terminal device used by a first user to log in to a virtual office may be referred to as a first information terminal device, and an information terminal device used by another user, a second user, to log in to a virtual office may be referred to as a second information terminal device. A first information terminal device is any information terminal device that is logged in to a virtual office, and a second information terminal device is any information terminal device that is different from the first information terminal device and that is logged in to the same virtual office as the first information terminal device.

[0013] An overview of the virtual office controlled by the virtual space control system 1 will be described. A user uses an information terminal device 10 to come to work (log in) to the virtual office using their own account and perform their work. In the virtual office, an avatar associated with the user is set. When a user logs in to the virtual office using their own information terminal device 10 (described later), the avatar moves to any seat in the virtual office or to a predetermined seat, and the user operates and displays the avatar to sit down. The user can operate the avatar to move around the virtual office. In the virtual office, for example, when avatars are close to each other in the virtual office or when avatars are located in the same space, such as a conference room, they can share information such that they can hear each other's voices.

[0014] However, each user may not always be able to check the virtual office display screen on the display screen of the information terminal device 10 they use, or may not be able to pay attention to the virtual office display screen due to other tasks. For example, a user may be away from the information terminal device 10 while using the virtual office. In such cases, the user may not notice that another user's avatar has entered, or is likely to enter, the user's information sharing range. For example, while a user is having a highly confidential conversation with a user of a second avatar who is in the information sharing range of a first avatar, the user may not notice that another user's avatar, whose conversation should not be overheard, has entered, or is likely to enter, the user's information sharing range.

[0015] In this embodiment, the virtual space control system 1 changes the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user based on whether the user is present in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10 .

[0016] The virtual space control system 1 includes an information terminal device 10 that each user uses for business purposes and logs into the virtual office, and a server device 30 .

[0017] The control unit provided in the virtual space control system 1 is a conceptual control unit realized by cooperation of either or both of the terminal control devices 20 of the multiple information terminal devices 10 used in the virtual office and the server control device 40 of the server device 30. Either the terminal control device 20 of the information terminal device 10 or the server control device 40 of the server device 30 may be the control unit provided in the virtual space control system 1, or the terminal control device 20 of the information terminal device 10 and the server control device 40 of the server device 30 may be the control unit provided in the virtual space control system 1.

[0018] (Information Terminal Device) Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information terminal device according to the first embodiment. The information terminal device 10 is a terminal device used by a user who performs work in a virtual office. The information terminal device 10 is a terminal device on which the user executes a virtual office application. The information terminal device 10 is a terminal device through which the user logs in to the virtual office using their own account when logging in to the virtual office.

[0019] The information terminal device 10 is, for example, an information terminal device such as a general-purpose personal computer, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal. The information terminal device 10 is connected to the server device 30 via a network so as to be able to communicate data with the server device 30.

[0020] The information terminal device 10 logs in to the virtual office based on the account information of the user who is logged in to the information terminal device 10 .

[0021] The information terminal device 10 includes a camera 11 , a microphone 12 , an operation unit 13 , a display unit 17 , an audio output unit 18 , a communication unit 19 , and a terminal control device 20 .

[0022] The camera 11 captures an image in a direction facing the information terminal device 10. The camera 11 is disposed at a position where it captures an image in a direction facing the display unit 17 of the information terminal device 10. In other words, the camera 11 captures an image in a direction where a user using the information terminal device 10 is present. The camera 11 is disposed, for example, near the display unit 17. The camera 11 outputs the captured image to the image acquisition unit 21 of the terminal control device 20.

[0023] The microphone 12 picks up sounds around the information terminal device 10. The microphone 12 may pick up sounds facing the display unit 17 of the information terminal device 10, or may be provided in a headset connected to the information terminal device 10. In other words, the microphone 12 picks up sounds spoken by the user using the information terminal device 10 and sounds from the surrounding area. The microphone 12 outputs audio information related to the picked-up sounds to the audio acquisition unit 22 of the terminal control device 20.

[0024] The operation unit 13 is an input device capable of inputting various operations to the information terminal device 10. The operation unit 13 outputs an operation signal corresponding to the received input operation to the terminal control device 20. The operation unit 13 includes, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel overlaid on the display unit 17, buttons, switches, etc. The operation unit 13 can accept, for example, a key input operation, a click operation, or a touch operation.

[0025] The operation unit 13 can accept operations such as moving an avatar corresponding to the user in the virtual office in any direction on the display screen of the display unit 17. For example, the operation unit 13 accepts operations such as overlapping or placing the user's avatar in the virtual office next to another avatar on the display screen of the display unit 17.

[0026] By performing an operation such as superimposing one's avatar on another or placing it adjacent to another avatar, communication such as a video call or a voice call can be initiated between users in the virtual office application. Whether a video call or a voice call will be conducted may be set in advance or may be set by the user's operation.

[0027] The display unit 17 displays various types of video including text and images. The display unit 17 is, for example, a display including a liquid crystal display, an organic electroluminescence (EL) display, etc. The display unit 17 displays a video of a virtual office, etc. In this embodiment, when a video call becomes possible, the display unit 17 outputs a video of the user of another avatar with whom the video call is being made, in other words, a video captured by the camera 11 of the information terminal device 10 used by the user of the other avatar. The display on the display unit 17 is controlled by the display control unit 27.

[0028] The audio output unit 18 is an audio output device that outputs audio from the virtual office. In this embodiment, when the user is using the virtual office, the audio output unit 18 outputs audio around the user's avatar in the virtual office. When a voice call or video call becomes possible, the audio output unit 18 also outputs the audio of the user of another avatar making the voice call or video call, in other words, the audio picked up by the microphone 12 of the information terminal device 10 used by the user of the avatar. The audio output of the audio output unit 18 is controlled by an audio output control unit 28.

[0029] The communication unit 19 is a communication unit for performing wired communication or wireless communication. The communication unit 19 performs communication using a communication method such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or a mobile phone line, and is connected to an intranet or the Internet. The communication of the communication unit 19 is controlled by a communication control unit 29. The communication unit 19 communicates data such as video and audio, or application operation information, with the server device 30. The communication unit 19 communicates data such as account information of a user logged in to the information terminal device 10 and application operation status information with the server device 30.

[0030] (Terminal Control Device) The terminal control device 20 controls each unit of the information terminal device 10. The terminal control device 20 has, for example, a control device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and a storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory). The terminal control device 20 executes a program that controls the operation of the information terminal device 10 according to the present disclosure. The terminal control device 20 may be realized by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA. The terminal control device 20 loads a stored program into memory and executes instructions included in the program. The terminal control device 20 includes an internal memory such as the RAM described above, which is used for temporary storage of data in the terminal control device 20. The terminal control device 20 may be realized by a combination of hardware and software.

[0031] The terminal control device 20 has functional blocks realized by circuits and executed programs, including a video acquisition unit 21, an audio acquisition unit 22, an operation reception unit 23, an application control unit 24, a detection unit 25, a memory unit 26, a display control unit 27, an audio output control unit 28, and a communication control unit 29.

[0032] The video acquisition unit 21 acquires video captured by the camera 11. More specifically, the video acquisition unit 21 acquires video captured by the camera 11 of a user facing the information terminal device 10, etc. The video data acquired by the camera 11 is a moving image.

[0033] The voice acquisition unit 22 acquires the voice detected by the microphone 12. The voice acquisition unit 22 acquires voice such as the voice spoken by a user present in the vicinity of the information terminal device 10.

[0034] The operation reception unit 23 acquires an operation signal corresponding to an operation on the operation unit 13 from the operation unit 13. The operation reception unit 23 outputs a control signal corresponding to the acquired operation signal to each unit.

[0035] The operation accepting unit 23 accepts operations on the display screen of the display unit 17. For example, the operation accepting unit 23 accepts an operation to move the user's own avatar in the virtual office on the display screen of the display unit 17. For example, the operation accepting unit 23 accepts an operation to overlap or place the user's own avatar in the virtual office next to another avatar on the display screen of the display unit 17.

[0036] The application control unit 24 controls the operation of various applications executed on the information terminal device 10. The applications executed by the application control unit 24 may cooperate with a virtual office control unit 42 of the server device 30, which will be described later, to control the various applications.

[0037] The application control unit 24 causes a display control unit 27 (described later) to display on the display unit 17 a display related to an application running on the information terminal device 10. The display related to the application is a display screen such as a window or an icon that shows the display related to the application to the user of the information terminal device 10.

[0038] When the user of the information terminal device 10 is logged in to the virtual office, the application control unit 24 makes the virtual office executed by the virtual office control unit 42 of the server device 30 available to the information terminal device 10 .

[0039] When a virtual office application is being executed on the information terminal device 10, the application control unit 24 shares information using the display control unit 27 and the audio output control unit 28 based on an information sharing range set around an avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10. Furthermore, when a video call with an avatar corresponding to another user is started while the virtual office application is being executed on the information terminal device 10, the application control unit 24 performs the video call using the display control unit 27 and the audio output control unit 28.

[0040] The application control unit 24 displays on the display screen of the information terminal device 10 not only a display screen (window) of the virtual office application but also display screens (windows) of applications other than the virtual office application.

[0041] The application control unit 24 arbitrarily changes the display size and display position of these display screens based on user operations. The application control unit 24 detects the size of the display screen of the virtual office application and transmits the detected size of the display screen to the server device 30.

[0042] The application control unit 24 arbitrarily changes the position of the avatar displayed on the display screen of the virtual office based on the user's operation.

[0043] When a video call becomes possible, the application control unit 24 causes the first information terminal device 10 in which the first user is logged in to the virtual office and the second information terminal device 10 in which the second user is logged in to the virtual office to mutually display images of faces, etc. More specifically, the application control unit 24 of the terminal control device 20 of the first information terminal device 10 causes the display unit 17 of the first information terminal device 10 to output the image of the second user captured by the camera 11 of the second information terminal device 10. Similarly, the application control unit 24 of the terminal control device 20 of the second information terminal device 10 causes the display unit 17 of the second information terminal device 10 to output the image of the first user captured by the camera 11 of the first information terminal device 10.

[0044] When the video call is stopped, the application control unit 24 stops the video sharing between the first user and the second user.

[0045] The detection unit 25 detects the presence of the user of the information terminal device 10 in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10. More specifically, while the virtual office application is running, the detection unit 25 performs person detection on the image captured by the camera 11 of the information terminal device 10, particularly the camera capturing an image of the user, and determines whether the user is present in front of the display screen of the display unit 17 of the information terminal device 10.

[0046] The method of detecting a person can be any known method and is not limited to this. For person detection, the face parameters of the user may be registered in advance in the storage unit 26.

[0047] The detection of a person by the detection unit 25 may be determined to indicate the presence of a user of the information terminal device 10 when a person's face is detected. Alternatively, the detection may be determined to indicate the presence of a user of the information terminal device 10 when a person's face is detected and the detected face matches face parameters of the user of the information terminal device 10 that have been registered in advance.

[0048] Furthermore, the detection unit 25 may determine whether or not the user of the information terminal device 10 is present based on the size of the person in the image detected from the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 21. For example, if the size of the person or the person's face detected from the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 21 corresponds to the size of the person being present at a distance of 3 to 5 meters or more from the camera 11, the detection unit 25 may determine that the user is not present in front of the display screen of the display unit 17 of the information terminal device 10. In other words, if the size of the person or the person's face detected from the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 21 corresponds to the size of the person being present at a distance of less than 3 to 5 meters from the camera 11, the detection unit 25 may determine that the user is present in front of the display screen of the display unit 17 of the information terminal device 10.

[0049] Furthermore, the detection unit 25 may determine whether or not the user of the information terminal device 10 is present based on the position of the person in the image detected from the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 21. For example, if the camera 11 is an ultra-wide-angle camera and a person or a person's face is detected at the edge of the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 21, the detection unit 25 may determine that the user is not present in front of the display screen of the display unit 17 of the information terminal device 10. In other words, if a person or a person's face detected from the image captured by the ultra-wide-angle camera acquired by the image acquisition unit 21 is detected in a range other than the edge of the image, the detection unit 25 may determine that the user is present in front of the display screen of the display unit 17 of the information terminal device 10.

[0050] The detection unit 25 may detect that the information terminal device 10 is in a state where the user's speech can be output in the virtual office. For example, when the detection unit 25 detects that voice input via the microphone 12 is turned on in a virtual office application executed by the application control unit 24 of the information terminal device 10, the detection unit 25 detects that the information terminal device 10 is in a state where the user's speech can be output in the virtual space. For example, when the detection unit 25 detects that a voice input / output device such as a wired or wireless headset is connected to the information terminal device 10 and is available for use in the virtual office application, the detection unit 25 detects that the information terminal device 10 is in a state where the user's speech can be output in the virtual space.

[0051] The detection unit 25 transmits the detection result to the server device 30 .

[0052] The storage unit 26 stores information such as the calculation contents and programs of the terminal control device 20. The storage unit 26 is configured with, for example, a RAM, a main storage device such as a ROM, and a storage device such as an SSD or HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

[0053] The storage unit 26 stores programs and setting information relating to applications used in the information terminal device 10, such as a virtual office application.

[0054] The following describes the information sharing range and information sharing set for avatars in a virtual office. In the virtual office, an information sharing range is set around each avatar. The information sharing range is the range in which information can be shared with users of other avatars, and is the range in which information can be shared between multiple users who are included in the information sharing range. One example of information sharing in the information sharing range is mutual sharing of audio. In other words, the information sharing range is the range in which audio, such as the voice of a user of each avatar, can be heard by users of other avatars. Furthermore, the information sharing range is the range in which audio, such as the voice of a user of each avatar, can be heard by users of other avatars. Information that can be shared in the information sharing range is not limited to audio, but also includes other information such as video and text. In this embodiment, the information sharing range is described as an example in which audio is shared.

[0055] For example, when a second avatar enters the information sharing range of a first avatar, the second user of the second avatar can hear the voice of the first user of the first avatar. Furthermore, when a second avatar enters the information sharing range of a first avatar and a first avatar enters the information sharing range of the second avatar, two-way voice sharing is performed, allowing each user to sense the other's presence and to converse without any special operations. Therefore, the information sharing range can also be referred to as the voice sharing range. Specifically, when a first avatar and a second avatar are within each other's information sharing range, the voice acquired by the voice acquisition unit 22 of the information terminal device 10 used by the first user of the first avatar can be heard in the information terminal device 10 used by the second user, and the voice acquired by the voice acquisition unit 22 of the information terminal device 10 used by the second user of the second avatar can be heard in the information terminal device 10 used by the first user.

[0056] It is also possible to set up a space that allows information sharing among all avatars within a specific range, such as a conference room set up in a virtual office. Outside of such a set space, the information sharing range is set for each avatar.

[0057] The information sharing range is displayed when operating an avatar. The size and shape of the information sharing range for each avatar are set to initial values ​​when starting to use the virtual office. The size and shape of the information sharing range for each avatar may be changeable by user operation.

[0058] The initial shape of the information sharing range is, for example, a circle with the target avatar at the center, and the initial size of the information sharing range is set to, for example, a size that includes two or three virtual desks for two to four people in a virtual office.

[0059] The display control unit 27 controls the display of various images on the display unit 17. The display control unit 27 controls the display of an image of the virtual office on the display unit 17. In this embodiment, when the information to be shared includes an image or text, the display control unit 27 outputs the image or text to the display unit 17. Furthermore, when a video call becomes possible, the display control unit 27 outputs an image of the user's avatar in the virtual office to the display unit 17.

[0060] The display control unit 27 changes the display mode of the virtual office display screen based on information indicating the change in the type of information sharing range received from the server device 30 (described later).

[0061] The audio output control unit 28 controls the output of audio in the audio output unit 18. When information sharing is taking place, the audio output control unit 28 causes the audio output unit 18 to output the speech and the like of the user of another avatar who is present within the information sharing range in the virtual office. Furthermore, when a video call becomes possible, the audio output control unit 28 causes the audio output unit 18 to output the speech and the like of the user who is the other party in the video call.

[0062] The communication control unit 29 controls the communication unit 19 to transmit and receive data such as video and audio to and from the server device 30, and to transmit and receive operation status information of the application. More specifically, the communication control unit 29 controls, for example, the communication unit 19 to receive video and audio of the virtual office from the server device 30. The communication control unit 29 controls, for example, the communication unit 19 to transmit to the server device 30, video and audio of the user facing the display unit 17 of the information terminal device 10, acquired by the video acquisition unit 21 and the audio acquisition unit 22. The operation status information of the application includes, for example, in the case of a virtual office application, the operation of the avatar by the operation unit 13, the operation of starting and ending a video call, etc. The communication control unit 29 also transmits information indicating the detection result by the detection unit 25 to the server device.

[0063] (Server Device) Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a server device according to the first embodiment. The server device 30 is a server device of a company to which the users of the information terminal devices 10 belong, or a server device of a business entity that provides a virtual office service, and may be a general-purpose server device, including a distributed type. The server device 30 constructs and controls a virtual space such as a virtual office. The server device 30 includes a communication unit 31 and a server control device 40.

[0064] The communication unit 31 is a communication unit for performing wired communication or wireless communication. The communication unit 31 performs communication using a communication method such as Wi-Fi or a mobile phone line, and is connected to an intranet or the Internet. The communication of the communication unit 31 is controlled by the communication control unit 41. The communication unit 31 communicates data such as video, audio, and application operation status information with multiple information terminal devices 10.

[0065] (Server control device) The server control device 40 controls each unit of the server device 30. The server control device 40 has, for example, a control device such as a CPU or MPU, and a storage device such as a RAM or ROM. The server control device 40 may be realized by, for example, an integrated circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA. The server control device 40 may be realized by a combination of hardware and software. The server control device 40 executes a program that controls the operation of the server device 30 according to the present disclosure.

[0066] The server control device 40 includes a communication control unit 41, a virtual office control unit 42, and a storage unit 49 as functional blocks realized by circuits and programs to be executed.

[0067] The communication control unit 41 controls the communication unit 31 to transmit and receive data including video and audio to and from the information terminal device 10, and to transmit and receive operation status information of applications, etc. The communication control unit 41, for example, controls the communication unit 31 to receive from the information terminal device 10 video captured by the camera 11 of the information terminal device 10 and audio collected by the microphone 12 of the information terminal device 10. The communication control unit 41, for example, controls the communication unit 31 to transmit video and audio of the virtual office to the information terminal device 10. The operation status information of the application is, for example, configuration information of the virtual office application.

[0068] The virtual office control unit 42 controls the operation of various applications running on the server device 30. For example, the virtual office control unit 42 controls the operation of a virtual office application. For example, the virtual office control unit 42 controls the operation of an application used for online communication.

[0069] The virtual office control unit 42 transmits the configuration of the application running on the server device 30 to the information terminal device 10 that is executing the application via the communication control unit 41. Specifically, the application control unit 43 transmits information indicating the configuration of the virtual office running on the server device 30 to the information terminal device 10 that is logged in to the virtual office.

[0070] The virtual office control unit 42 detects the positions of a first avatar corresponding to a first user and a second avatar corresponding to a second user in the virtual office. More specifically, the virtual office control unit 42 detects, for example, the first avatar that has entered the information sharing range of the second avatar in the virtual office. The virtual office control unit 42 detects, for example, the first avatar that has left the information sharing range of the second avatar in the virtual office.

[0071] The virtual office control unit 42 detects avatars of other users who are communicating with the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10 and who are present within the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user.

[0072] The virtual office control unit 42 changes the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user based on whether the user is present in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10. The virtual office control unit 42 transmits the details of the change in the form of the information sharing range to the information terminal device 10.

[0073] The virtual office control unit 42 changes the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user based on the presence or absence of the user when the user's speech can be output in the virtual space in the information terminal device 10. More specifically, the virtual office control unit 42 determines that the user's speech can be output in the virtual space when the microphone for the virtual office in the information terminal device 10 is ON, in other words, when the microphone 12 is ON.

[0074] When the user is not present in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10, the virtual office control unit 42 narrows the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user. In this case, the user is unlikely to notice that another avatar is approaching the information sharing range. Therefore, narrowing the information sharing range reduces the possibility that the user's speech will be unintentionally overheard.

[0075] Narrowing the information sharing range does not necessarily mean reducing the area of ​​the information sharing range to zero. In other words, it means narrowing the range while maintaining the state in which information can be shared.

[0076] The virtual office control unit 42 further narrows the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user when the user is not present in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10 and is having a conversation with a user of another avatar.

[0077] The virtual office control unit 42 changes the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user based on whether the user of the information terminal device 10 is present in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10 so as to avoid the range through which other avatars pass.

[0078] The range through which the other avatars pass is, for example, a corridor in the virtual office through which the other avatars are moving, or a corridor in the virtual office through which the other avatars are expected to move.

[0079] The change in the form of the information sharing range is not limited to reduction, but also includes modifications such as avoiding or reducing the range through which other avatars pass, for example, the range where the virtual desks are spaced apart.

[0080] The storage unit 49 stores information such as the contents of calculations and programs of the server control device 40. The storage unit 49 is configured with, for example, a RAM, a main storage device such as a ROM, and a storage device such as an SSD or HDD.

[0081] The storage unit 49 stores information indicating a virtual office configured in a virtual space. For each user who logs in to the virtual office, the storage unit 49 stores information indicating an avatar, the information terminal device 10 associated with the avatar, and the account user of the information terminal device 10. The storage unit 49 stores information indicating the layout of objects that configure the virtual office, such as the sections that configure the virtual office and virtual desks.

[0082] The virtual office display screen displayed on the display unit of the information terminal device will be described using Figures 4 to 8. Figure 4 shows an example of the display screen of the information terminal device. In Figure 4, the display unit 17 of the information terminal device 10 displays, for example, a display screen W1 that displays a virtual office using a virtual office application, and a display screen W2 related to another application.

[0083] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a virtual office display screen displayed on the display screen of an information terminal device. For ease of explanation, FIG. 5 illustrates only the information sharing range C1 of the first avatar A1, omitting the information sharing ranges of the other avatars. The information sharing range defines the range within which information can be shared and may or may not be displayed on the display screen of the information terminal device. This also applies to the following figures. A virtual desk D is also arranged in the virtual office. FIG. 5 illustrates an example in which the display screen W1 displaying the virtual office shows the information sharing range C1 of the first avatar A1 set to its default size. In FIG. 5, a second avatar A2 corresponding to a second user is moving within the virtual office, and there is a possibility that the second avatar A2 may enter the information sharing range of the first avatar A1 corresponding to the first user during the movement.

[0084] As shown in Figure 5, when a user of an information terminal device is present in front of a display screen displaying a virtual office, the information sharing range of the first avatar A1, which is the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device, is set to an initial size.

[0085] 6 is a diagram showing another example of a display screen of a virtual office displayed on the display screen of an information terminal device. In the display screen W1 showing the virtual office, the information sharing range of the first avatar is reduced in the radial direction.

[0086] As shown in Figure 6, when the user of the information terminal device is not present in front of the display screen displaying the virtual office, the information sharing range of the first avatar A1, which is the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device, is set to a radially reduced size; in other words, the information sharing range of the first avatar A1 is changed to a narrower size.

[0087] 7 is a diagram showing another example of a virtual office display screen displayed on the display screen of an information terminal device. When there are avatars of other users communicating with the user, the information sharing ranges of the avatars corresponding to the user and the avatars of the other users remain overlapped, while the information sharing ranges of the avatars are reduced. Specifically, on the display screen W1 displaying the virtual office, the information sharing range of the first avatar A1 is reduced to an oval shape that includes the first avatar A1 and the third avatar A3. In other words, the information sharing range of the first avatar A1 is reduced while the information sharing ranges of the first avatar A1 and the third avatar A3 are included in each other's information sharing ranges.

[0088] FIG. 8 shows another example of a virtual office display screen displayed on the display screen of an information terminal device. The information sharing range C1 of the first avatar A1 has been reduced to avoid the area where other avatars pass through. In FIG. 9 , the virtual desks D are spaced farther apart below the first avatar A1 and above the second avatar A2, creating an area where other avatars pass through, in other words, an aisle within the virtual office. The information sharing range C1 of the first avatar A1 shown in FIG. 9 has been changed to a shape that avoids the area where other avatars pass through and also includes the third avatar A3 and the fourth avatar A4, which were included in the information sharing range in the initial state shown in FIG. 5 , in other words, a shape that maintains information sharing.

[0089] When a second avatar enters the information sharing range of a first avatar, the virtual office control unit 42 enables the second user to share the voice of the first user. Furthermore, when the second avatar is within the information sharing range of the first avatar and the first avatar is within the information sharing range of the second avatar, the second user can share the voice of the first user, and the first user can share the voice of the second user. In other words, the first and second users can share voice, enabling them to have a conversation via voice. More specifically, when voice sharing is enabled, the virtual office control unit 42 enables the information terminal device 10 used by the first user corresponding to the first avatar and the second information terminal device 10 used by the second user corresponding to the second avatar, logged in to the virtual office, to hear each other's voices. More specifically, the virtual office control unit 42 causes the voice of the second user picked up by the microphone 12 of the second information terminal device 10 to be output from the voice output unit 18 of the first information terminal device 10, and causes the voice of the first user picked up by the microphone 12 of the first information terminal device 10 to be output from the voice output unit 18 of the second information terminal device 10.

[0090] When the first avatar and the second avatar are no longer included in the information sharing range due to, for example, the movement of the avatar, the virtual office control unit 42 stops the voice sharing between the first user and the second user.

[0091] (Virtual space control method) The virtual space control method will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the virtual space control method according to the first embodiment. The processing shown in Fig. 9 is executed while the virtual office is provided by the virtual space control system 1. The processing shown in Fig. 9 is executed by the terminal control device 20 of the information terminal device 10 and the server control device 40 of the server device 30 of the virtual space control system 1.

[0092] The terminal control device 20 starts displaying the virtual office when the application control unit 24 starts running the virtual office application (step S101). More specifically, when the application control unit 24 starts the virtual office application through a user operation or automatic startup, the display control unit 27 displays an image showing the virtual office screen on the display unit 17 of the information terminal device 10. After executing step S101, the process proceeds to step S102.

[0093] The terminal control device 20 starts person detection, which is detection of the user of the information terminal device 10 in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10, by the detection unit 25 (step S102). More specifically, person detection starts from the video captured by the camera 11 and acquired by the video acquisition unit 21. After executing step S102, the process proceeds to step S103.

[0094] The terminal control device 20 uses the detection unit 25 to determine whether a user has been detected in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10, and transmits the detection result to the server device 30 (step S103). If the server control device 40 determines using the virtual office control unit 42 based on the detection result acquired from the terminal control device 20 that a user has been detected in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10 (Yes in step S103), the process proceeds to step S105. If the server control device 40 does not determine using the virtual office control unit 42 based on the detection result acquired from the terminal control device 20 that a user has been detected in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10 (No in step S103), the process proceeds to step S104.

[0095] If it is not determined that a user is detected in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10 (No in step S103), the server control device 40 reduces the information sharing range of the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10 (step S104). More specifically, the server control device 40 reduces the size of the information sharing range of the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10 using the virtual office control unit 42. After executing step S104, the process proceeds to step S107.

[0096] When it is determined that a user has been detected in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10 (Yes in step S103), the server control device 40 determines, via the virtual office control unit 42, whether the size of the information sharing range is at its initial value (step S105). When the server control device 40 determines, via the virtual office control unit 42, that the size of the information sharing range is at its initial value (Yes in step S105), the process proceeds to step S107. In other words, the size of the information sharing range is maintained at its initial value. When the server control device 40 determines, via the virtual office control unit 42, that the size of the information sharing range is not at its initial value (No in step S105), the process proceeds to step S106.

[0097] If it is not determined that the size of the information sharing range is the initial value (No in step S105), the server control device 40 returns the information sharing range of the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10 to the initial value (step S106). More specifically, the server control device 40 causes the virtual office control unit 42 to return the size of the information sharing range of the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10 to the initial value. After executing step S106, the process proceeds to step S107.

[0098] The terminal control device 20 determines whether to terminate use of the virtual office (step S107). The terminal control device 20 determines to terminate use of the virtual office, for example, when it detects an operation to terminate use of the virtual office, when the information processing terminal 10 is disconnected from a network that allows use of the virtual office, or when an operation to turn off the power of the information processing terminal 10 is performed. If the terminal control device 20 determines to terminate use of the virtual office (Yes in step S107), it terminates the processing of this flowchart. If the terminal control device 20 does not determine to terminate use of the virtual office (No in step S107), it executes the processing of step S103 again.

[0099] Another example of the virtual space control method will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing another example of the virtual space control method according to the first embodiment. The processes of step S201, steps S203 to S205, and steps S207 to S209 in Fig. 10 are similar to the processes of step S101, steps S102 to S104, and steps S105 to S107 in the flowchart in Fig. 9.

[0100] The terminal control device 20 determines, via the application control unit 24, whether the microphone for the virtual office is ON (step S202). More specifically, if the application control unit 24 detects that voice input via the microphone 12 is ON in the virtual office application, the terminal control device 20 determines that the microphone for the virtual office is ON. If the application control unit 24 determines that the microphone for the virtual office is ON (Yes in step S202), the terminal control device 20 proceeds to step S203. If the application control unit 24 or virtual office control unit 42 does not determine that the microphone for the virtual office is ON (No in step S202), the terminal control device 200 proceeds to step S206.

[0101] If it is not determined that the microphone for the virtual office is ON (No in step S202), the terminal control device 20 stops the person detection, which is the user detection of the information terminal device 10, by the detection unit 25 in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10 (step S206). After executing step S206, the process proceeds to step S207.

[0102] (Effects) As described above, in this embodiment, the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user of the information terminal device 10 can be changed based on whether or not the user is present in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10. In this way, according to this embodiment, it is possible to appropriately set the information sharing conditions with users of other avatars around one's own avatar.

[0103] In this embodiment, when a user's speech can be output in a virtual space, the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user can be changed based on the presence or absence of the user. This embodiment reduces the risk of the speech content being unintentionally heard by users of other avatars.

[0104] In this embodiment, when a user is not present in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10, the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user can be narrowed. This embodiment reduces the risk of the content of speech being unintentionally heard by users of other avatars.

[0105] In this embodiment, when a user is having a conversation with a user of another avatar without being present in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10, the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user can be narrowed. According to this embodiment, the information sharing range can be narrowed while maintaining the current communication.

[0106] A case where a conversation with a user of another avatar is taking place without the user being present in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10 refers to a case where the user's speech can be output in the virtual office without the user being present in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10. Specifically, this refers to a case where audio output is turned on so that the user's speech and other sounds are output in the virtual office, or a case where the user can hear the speech and other sounds of other users in the virtual office, specifically, a case where audio input is turned on, or a case where both are turned on.

[0107] A case where a conversation with a user of another avatar is taking place in a state where the user is not present in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10 means a state where the user's speech can be output in the virtual office and the user can hear the speech of other users in the virtual office in a state where the user is not present in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10, and a conversation is taking place between the user and another user. Detection of a conversation between the user and another user is a state where the inclusion of speech is detected based on speech recognition results using phoneme models or the like for the input speech of both users.

[0108] In this embodiment, the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user can be changed to avoid the range through which other avatars pass, based on the presence or absence of the user in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10. According to this embodiment, the information sharing conditions with users of other avatars around the user's avatar can be appropriately set.

[0109] Second Embodiment A virtual space control system 1 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 11. Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the time when a user is not in front of the display screen of an information terminal device 10 and the size of the information sharing range. In the following description, components similar to those in the virtual space control system 1 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same or corresponding reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The virtual space control system 1 differs from the first embodiment in the processing performed by the detection unit 25 of the terminal control device 20 of the information terminal device 10 and the virtual office control unit 42 of the server control device 40 of the server device 30.

[0110] The detection unit 25 detects a period during which the user of the information terminal device 10 is not present in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10. More specifically, the detection unit 25 performs person detection on the camera 11 of the information terminal device 10, particularly on the image of the camera capturing an image of the user, during the period during which the virtual office application is running, and detects a period during which no person is detected in front of the display screen of the display unit 17 of the information terminal device 10, in other words, a period during which the user is not present.

[0111] The longer the period during which the user is not present in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10, the narrower the virtual office control unit 42 changes the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user.

[0112] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of the relationship between a period when a user is not present and the size of the information sharing range. FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b) illustrate examples in which the size of the information sharing range changes depending on the period when a user is not present. In FIG. 11(a), when the period when a user is not present is equal to or greater than a threshold value th1, the size of the information sharing range is reduced. In FIG. 11(b), when the period when a user is not present is less than a first threshold value th1, the size of the information sharing range is maintained at a constant size. When the period when a user is not present is equal to or greater than the first threshold value th1 but less than a second threshold value th2, the size of the information sharing range changes linearly. When the period when a user is not present is equal to or greater than the second threshold value th2, the size of the information sharing range is reduced and maintained at a constant size. In the case of FIG. 11(a), when the period when a user is not present is equal to or greater than a threshold value t1, the information sharing range is reduced as shown in FIG. 6. In the case of Figure 11 (b), when a user is communicating with other users and the period during which the user is not present exceeds the second threshold value th2, the information sharing range is reduced while maintaining information sharing with other users with whom the user is communicating, as shown in Figures 7 and 8.

[0113] The threshold (first threshold) th1 is, for example, 3 minutes, and the second threshold th2 is, for example, 10 minutes.

[0114] (Effect) As described above, in this embodiment, the longer the period during which the user is not present in front of the display screen of the information terminal device 10, the narrower the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user can be changed. According to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the risk that the content of an utterance will be unintentionally overheard by users of other avatars.

[0115] The components of the virtual space control system shown in the figure are conceptual and functional, and do not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown. In other words, the specific form of each device is not limited to that shown, and all or part of them may be functionally or physically distributed or integrated in any unit depending on the processing load and usage status of each device.

[0116] The configuration of the virtual space control system is realized, for example, as software, by a program loaded into memory. In the above embodiment, the functional blocks are described as being realized by the cooperation of these hardware and software. In other words, these functional blocks can be realized in various forms, using only hardware, only software, or a combination of both.

[0117] The components described above include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art and those that are substantially the same. Furthermore, the configurations described above can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the configurations are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0118] The virtual space control system and virtual space control method of the present disclosure can be used, for example, in a communication system that performs communication using avatars in a virtual space such as a virtual office.

[0119] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Virtual space control system 10 Information terminal device 11 Camera 12 Microphone 13 Operation unit 17 Display unit 18 Audio output unit 19 Communication unit 20 Terminal control device (control unit) 21 Video acquisition unit 22 Audio acquisition unit 23 Operation acceptance unit 24 Application control unit 25 Detection unit 26 Storage unit 27 Display control unit 28 Audio output control unit 29 Communication control unit 30 Server device 31 Communication unit 40 Server control device (control unit) 41 Communication control unit 42 Virtual office control unit 49 Storage unit

Claims

1. A virtual space control system that causes an information terminal device to display a virtual space and displays an avatar corresponding to a user of the information terminal device in the virtual space, wherein a control unit provided in the virtual space control system detects the presence of the user of the information terminal device in front of the display screen of the information terminal device, and changes the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user based on the presence or absence of the user.

2. The virtual space control system of claim 1, wherein the control unit changes the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user based on the presence or absence of the user when the user's speech can be output in the virtual space on the information terminal device.

3. The virtual space control system described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit narrows the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user when the user is not present in front of the display screen of the information terminal device.

4. The virtual space control system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit narrows the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user the longer the period of time that the user is not in front of the display screen of the information terminal device.

5. The virtual space control system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit narrows the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user when the user is not present in front of the display screen of the information terminal device and a conversation with a user of another avatar is taking place.

6. A virtual space control method executed by a virtual space control system that causes an information terminal device to display a virtual space and displays an avatar corresponding to a user of the information terminal device in the virtual space, the virtual space control method executed by the virtual space control system comprising: detecting the presence of the user of the information terminal device in front of the display screen of the information terminal device; and changing the form of the information sharing range around the avatar corresponding to the user based on the presence or absence of the user.

Images