US-12625563-B2 - Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program

Abstract

An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present technology includes a hold determination unit. The hold determination unit determines, in a case where a rate of decrease of a distance between a first hold-side object and a second hold-side object that set a virtual object as a pinch-and-hold target becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value, that the virtual object has been held by the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object. Accordingly, a high-quality virtual experience can be achieved.

Inventors

• KEIJIROH NAGANO
• Tsuyoshi Ishikawa
• Shin Shiroma
• Daisuke Tajima

Assignees

• Sony Group Corporation

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20250226

Priority Date

20210708

Claims (20)

1. 1 . An information processing apparatus comprising processing circuitry configured to: determine, in a case where a rate of decrease of a distance between a first hold-side object and a second hold-side object that set a virtual object as a pinch-and-hold target becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value, that the virtual object has been held by the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object, wherein the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object are not in contact.
2. 2 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the virtual object is an object with a predetermined width.
3. 3 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein a distance between the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object is greater than the width of the virtual object.
4. 4 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein a distance between the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object is same with the width of the virtual object.
5. 5 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage configured to store a distance between the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object when the processing circuitry determines that the virtual object has been held, as a hold determination distance, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine whether or not the hold of the virtual object by the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object has been cancelled on a basis of the stored hold determination distance.
6. 6 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine that the hold has been cancelled in a case where the distance between the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object becomes larger than a distance obtained by adding a predetermined threshold value to the hold determination distance.
7. 7 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first hold-side object is one or more predetermined fingers of a user, and the second hold-side object is one or more other fingers different from the one or more predetermined fingers of the user.
8. 8 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to set two objects which attempt to pinch and hold the virtual object as the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object.
9. 9 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to set, in a case where a user has directed a finger pad of each of two fingers towards the virtual object, the two fingers as the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object, respectively.
10. 10 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to set, in a case where a user has directed portions of two adjacent fingers, which face each other, towards the virtual object, the two fingers as the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object, respectively.
11. 11 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to set two objects whose distance to the virtual object is smaller than the predetermined threshold value as the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object, respectively.
12. 12 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to set two objects determined to have collided with the virtual object as the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object, respectively.
13. 13 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to set the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object on a basis of at least one of a shape or a size of the virtual object.
14. 14 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to set a thumb finger of a user and one or more other fingers of a same hand as the thumb finger as the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object.
15. 15 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to execute, in a case where a plurality of fingers is set as the first hold-side object or the second hold-side object, hold determination of the virtual object by using a position of a center of weight of the plurality of fingers as a reference.
16. 16 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to notify a user of at least one of that the virtual object has been held by the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object or that the hold of the virtual object by the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object has been cancelled.
17. 17 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to execute notification by at least one of presentation of a sense of touch, display of a virtual image, or output of a sound.
18. 18 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to initiate display, in a case where the first hold-side object or the second hold-side object which holds the virtual object is spaced apart from the virtual object when the processing circuitry determines that the virtual object has been held, of a virtual image of the hold-side object spaced apart from the virtual object in such a manner that the virtual image is in contact with the virtual object.
19. 19 . An information processing method to be executed by a computer system, comprising: determining, in a case where a rate of decrease of a distance between a first hold-side object and a second hold-side object that set a virtual object as a pinch-and-hold target becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value, that the virtual object has been held by the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object, wherein the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object are not in contact.
20. 20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a program, which when executed by at least one processor of a computer system causes the computer system to execute a method, the method comprising: determining, in a case where a rate of decrease of a distance between a first hold-side object and a second hold-side object that set a virtual object as a pinch-and-hold target becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value, that the virtual object has been held by the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object, wherein the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object are not in contact.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATION This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/571,510 (filed on Dec. 18, 2023), which is a National Stage Patent Application of PCT International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2022/010069 (filed on Mar. 8, 2022) under 35 U.S.C. § 371, which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-113612 (filed on Jul. 8, 2021), which are all hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present technology relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program that can be applied to creation of a virtual space such as a virtual reality (VR) space and an augmented reality (AR) space. BACKGROUND ART Patent Literature 1 has disclosed a technology that enables a user to make an intuitive operation on an object in a virtual reality space and enables reduction of a necessary amount of calculation for achieving such an operation. CITATION LIST Patent Literature Patent Literature 1: WO 2017/204120 DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION Technical Problem It is thus desirable to provide a technology capable of achieving a high-quality virtual experience. In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, it is an objective of the present technology to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program that are capable of achieving a high-quality virtual experience. Solution to Problem In order to accomplish the above-mentioned objective, an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present technology includes a hold determination unit. The hold determination unit determines, in a case where a rate of decrease of a distance between a first hold-side object and a second hold-side object that set a virtual object as a pinch-and-hold target becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value, that the virtual object has been held by the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object. In this information processing apparatus, it is determined that the virtual object has been held in a case where the rate of decrease of the distance between the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object becomes smaller than the predetermined threshold value. Accordingly, a high-quality virtual experience can be achieved. The information processing apparatus may further include a storage unit and a cancel determination unit. The storage unit stores a distance between the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object when the hold determination unit determines that the virtual object has been held, as a hold determination distance. The cancel determination unit determines whether or not the hold of the virtual object by the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object has been cancelled on the basis of the stored hold determination distance. The cancel determination unit may determine that the hold has been cancelled in a case where the distance between the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object becomes larger than a distance obtained by adding a predetermined threshold value to the hold determination distance. The first hold-side object may be one or more predetermined fingers of a user. In this case, the second hold-side object is one or more other fingers different from the one or more predetermined fingers of the user. The hold determination unit may set two objects which attempt to pinch and hold the virtual object as the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object. The hold determination unit may set, in a case where a user has directed a finger pad of each of two fingers towards the virtual object, the two fingers as the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object, respectively. The hold determination unit may set, in a case where a user has directed portions of two adjacent fingers, which face each other, towards the virtual object, the two fingers as the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object, respectively. The hold determination unit may set two objects whose distance to the virtual object is smaller than the predetermined threshold value as the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object, respectively. The hold determination unit may set two objects determined to have collided with the virtual object as the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object, respectively. The hold determination unit may set the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object on the basis of at least one of a shape or a size of the virtual object. The hold determination unit may set a thumb finger of a user and one or more other fingers of the same hand as the thumb finger as the first hold-side object and the second hold-side object. The hold determination unit executes, in a case where a plurality of fingers is set as the first hold-side object or the second hold-side object, hold determination of the virtual object by using a position of a center of weight of