US-12625593-B2 - Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program

US12625593B2US 12625593 B2US12625593 B2US 12625593B2US-12625593-B2

Abstract

An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present technology includes an acquisition unit and a reproduction control unit. The acquisition unit acquires avoidance region information about an avoidance region where at least one of entrance of a target person who is a target to whom virtual content is reproduced or entrance of a virtual object for the target person that is displayed to the target person is a target to be avoided, the avoidance region information being generated on the basis of at least one of a position of another object different from the target person or a position of a virtual object for the other object displayed to the other object. The reproduction control unit controls reproduction of the virtual content to the target person on the basis of the acquired avoidance region information.

Inventors

KEIJIROH NAGANO
Shingo Utsuki
Mari Saito

Assignees

Sony Group Corporation

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20220210
Priority Date: 20210316

Claims (19)

1 . An information processing apparatus, comprising: circuitry configured to acquire avoidance region information about an avoidance region where at least one of entrance of a target person who is a target to whom virtual content is reproduced or entrance of a virtual object for the target person that is displayed to the target person is a target to be avoided, the avoidance region information being generated based on at least one of a position of another object different from the target person or a position of a virtual object for the other object displayed to the other object, and control reproduction of the virtual content to the target person based on the acquired avoidance region information, wherein the circuitry determines whether to control reproduction of the virtual content according to a comparison between a priority for reproduction of the virtual content calculated for the circuitry and a priority for reproduction of the virtual content calculated for another processing apparatus that reproduces the virtual content.
2 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry controls the reproduction of the virtual content by controlling at least one of display of the virtual object for the target person or output of a virtual sound to the target person.
3 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry controls the reproduction of the virtual content by executing at least one of reproduction of the virtual content for avoiding the entrance of the target person to the avoidance region or reproduction of the virtual content for avoiding the entrance of the virtual object for the target person to the avoidance region.
4 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry controls the reproduction of the virtual content by moving the position of the virtual object for the target person outward from the avoidance region.
5 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry controls the reproduction of the virtual content by reproducing the virtual content for guiding a gaze of the target person so that the virtual object for the target person included in the avoidance region departs from an effective field of view of the target person.
6 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to generate the avoidance region information based on periphery information about a periphery of the target person.
7 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the circuitry generates the avoidance region information based on at least one of a motion of the other object or a motion of the virtual object for the other object.
8 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the circuitry generates the avoidance region information including a region of a predetermined range as the avoidance region, the predetermined range using the position of the other object as a basis.
9 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the other object includes another target person who is a target to whom the other information processing apparatus reproduces the virtual content.
10 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to generate avoidance region information for the other target person based on at least one of a position of the target person or a position of the virtual object for the target person.
11 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to set an avoidance requirement level with respect to an avoidance region included in the avoidance region information for the other target person, and wherein the circuitry is further configured to send the set avoidance requirement level to the other information processing apparatus.
12 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to send avoidance region information for the other target person to the other information processing apparatus.
13 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to calculate the priority for reproduction of the virtual content based on the avoidance region information.
14 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to send the calculated priority to the other information processing apparatus.
15 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to compare the priority calculated by the circuitry with the priority of the other target person sent from the other information processing apparatus and the circuitry controls reproduction of the virtual content based on the avoidance region information sent from the other information processing apparatus in a case where the priority of the other target person is higher.
16 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to compare the priority calculated by the circuitry with the priority of the other target person sent from the other information processing apparatus and the circuitry does not control reproduction of the virtual content based on the avoidance region information sent from the other information processing apparatus in a case where the priority of the other target person is lower.
17 . The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to set an avoidance requirement level indicating how much avoidance is required with respect to an avoidance region included in the avoidance region information, and wherein the circuitry controls reproduction of the virtual content based on the avoidance requirement level.
18 . An information processing method, executed by a computer system, the method comprising: acquiring avoidance region information about an avoidance region where at least one of entrance of a target person who is a target to whom virtual content is reproduced or entrance of a virtual object for the target person that is displayed to the target person is a target to be avoided, the avoidance region information being generated based on at least one of a position of another object different from the target person or a position of a virtual object for the other object displayed to the other object; and controlling reproduction of the virtual content to the target person based on the acquired avoidance region information, wherein it is determined whether to control reproduction of the virtual content according to a comparison between a priority for reproduction of the virtual content calculated for the computer system and a priority for reproduction of the virtual content calculated for another processing apparatus that reproduces the virtual content.
19 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, which when executed by a computer system causes the computer system to execute a method, the method comprising: acquiring avoidance region information about an avoidance region where at least one of entrance of a target person who is a target to whom virtual content is reproduced or entrance of a virtual object for the target person that is displayed to the target person is a target to be avoided, the avoidance region information being generated based on at least one of a position of another object different from the target person or a position of a virtual object for the other object displayed to the other object; and controlling reproduction of the virtual content to the target person based on the acquired avoidance region information, wherein it is determined whether to control reproduction of the virtual content according to a comparison between a priority for reproduction of the virtual content calculated for the computer system and a priority for reproduction of the virtual content calculated for another processing apparatus that reproduces the virtual content.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATION This application is a National Stage Patent Application of PCT International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2022/005318 (filed on Feb. 10, 2022) under 35 U.S.C. § 371, which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-042141 (filed on Mar. 16, 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 an augmented reality (AR) space. BACKGROUND ART Patent Literature 1 has disclosed a technology capable of achieving an operation of an AR virtual object without interfering with user's immersion in the AR space. CITATION LIST Patent Literature Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2012-212345 DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION Technical Problem It is thus desirable to provide a technology capable of achieving a high-quality AR 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 AR 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 an acquisition unit and a reproduction control unit. The acquisition unit acquires avoidance region information about an avoidance region where at least one of entrance of a target person who is a target to whom virtual content is reproduced or entrance of a virtual object for the target person that is displayed to the target person is a target to be avoided, the avoidance region information being generated on the basis of at least one of a position of another object different from the target person or a position of a virtual object for the other object displayed to the other object. The reproduction control unit controls reproduction of the virtual content to the target person on the basis of the acquired avoidance region information. In this information processing apparatus, the reproduction of the virtual content to the target person is controlled on the basis of the avoidance region information about the avoidance region where the at least one of the entrance of the target person who is the target to whom the virtual content is reproduced or the entrance of the virtual object for the target person that is displayed to the target person is the target to be avoided. This can achieve a high-quality AR experience. The reproduction control unit may control at least one of display of the virtual object for the target person or output of a virtual sound to the target person. The reproduction control unit may execute at least one of reproduction of the virtual content for avoiding the entrance of the target person to the avoidance region or reproduction of the virtual content for avoiding the entrance of the virtual object for the target person to the avoidance region. The reproduction control unit may move the position of the virtual object for the target person outward from the avoidance region. The reproduction control unit may reproduce the virtual content for guiding a gaze of the target person so that the virtual object for the target person included in the avoidance region departs from an effective field of view of the target person. The information processing apparatus may further include a generation unit that generates the avoidance region information on the basis of periphery information about a periphery of the target person. The generation unit may generate the avoidance region information on the basis of at least one of a motion of the other object or a motion of the virtual object for the other object. The generation unit may generate the avoidance region information including a region of a predetermined range as the avoidance region, the predetermined range using the position of the other object as a basis. The other object may be another target person who is a target to whom another information processing apparatus reproduces the virtual content. The generation unit may generate avoidance region information for the other target person on the basis of at least one of a position of the target person or a position of the virtual object for the target person. The information processing apparatus may further include a sending control unit that sends avoidance region information for the other target person to the other information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus may further include a priority calculation unit that calculates a priority for reproduction of the virtual content based on the avoidance region information. The sending control unit may send the calculated priority to the other information processing apparatus. The reproduction control unit may compare the priority calculated by the