Patents Assigned to Dwango Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20230007331
    Abstract: The present disclosure has a configuration in which a distributor who performs a separate distribution that is different from this live content, or a viewer who views this separate distribution can participate in a virtual space and express intent or participate in visual recognition through the commitment of a virtual item.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2022
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Applicant: DWANGO Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuo KAWAKAMI, Shinnosuke IWAKI, Takashi KOJIMA, Toshihiro SHIMIZU, Hiroaki SAITO
  • Patent number: 11531401
    Abstract: A data replacement apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes an acquisition unit, a determination unit, and a replacement unit. The acquisition unit acquires first control data having a value based on the position of a first device which can be mounted on a user's head and the position of a second device which can be gripped by a user. The determination unit determines whether or not a prescribed condition is satisfied. The replacement unit replaces the first control data with second control data when it is determined that the condition is satisfied. The second control data has a value not based on the position of the first device and/or the position of the second device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: DWANGO Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuo Kawakami, Kentarou Matsui, Shinnosuke Iwaki, Takashi Kojima, Naoki Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20220385878
    Abstract: In a recording device configured to record a motion of an object in a virtual space, a data structure of data related to the motion of the object recorded by the recording device is used for a process of reproducing the motion of the object in the reproduction device. The recording device includes a controller and a storage. The controller causes the storage to store, in association with the object, the data related to the motion of the object and data related to available functions for a process of moving the object. The data related to the available functions for the process of moving the object is stored in the storage so that the reproduction device is able to specify a function class that is reproducible by the reproduction device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicant: DWANGO Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinnosuke IWAKI
  • Publication number: 20220375358
    Abstract: A class system for taking a class conducted in an immersive virtual space by connecting a communication class server and a student terminal. The communication class server includes a delivery unit that delivers, to the student terminal, a class content for viewing a class being conducted in the virtual space, and a transmission unit that transmits, to the student terminal, a display signal, a non-display signal, an operation permission signal, and an operation prohibition signal respectively set according to the progress of the class. The student terminal includes a VR function unit that disposes, in the virtual space, an avatar of a student that uses the student terminal and controls the avatar, receives the class content, and displays the class content from the avatar's point of view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: DWANGO Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroki SHIMOMURA, Emiko YOSHIHARA, Satoshi IGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20220377435
    Abstract: To provide a content generating device, content streaming server, content generating method, and content generating program for generating highly interesting video content. A content generating device according to an embodiment comprises: an acquiring portion (25) for requesting, from an accumulating portion that accumulates a plurality of video data, video data that satisfies a prescribed condition, to acquire a plurality of video data that satisfies the condition; a starting frame identifying portion (26) for identifying starting frames wherein prescribed actions start, in the video playback of the plurality of video data acquired by the acquiring portion (25); and a generating portion (27) for generating multi-video data by combining a plurality of video data with the timings of the identified starting frames synchronized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2020
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: DWANGO Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi KOJIMA, Kazuomi NIWA
  • Publication number: 20220360827
    Abstract: A content distribution system according to one embodiment acquires content data of existing content representing a virtual space, analyzes the content data to dynamically set at least one scene in the content as at least one candidate position for cueing in the content, and sets one of the at least one candidate position as a cueing position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: DWANGO Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuo KAWAKAMI
  • Publication number: 20220351651
    Abstract: A display medium with a substrate provided with a plurality of virtual cells C, and, on the cell C, a partition P having a plurality of surfaces respectively formed on a plane that intersects with the substrate and exposed when the display medium is viewed from a plurality of directions. A portion exposed when the display medium is viewed from a predetermined direction among the plurality of directions is given the color of a content corresponding to the predetermined direction. The display medium displays different contents in the plurality of directions, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2020
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Applicant: DWANGO Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kaisei SAKURAI
  • Publication number: 20220353575
    Abstract: Provided is a content distribution server which is able to establish restrictions on the public disclosure of an object displayed in virtual space at the convenience of the distributor. The content distribution server comprises: a distribution unit that distributes live content for synthesizing video in virtual space using information from the distributor as virtual character information; and a first setting receiving unit that receives from the distributor terminal used by the distributor public disclosure restriction settings for establishing restrictions on objects present in virtual space displayed on the distributor terminal that can be viewed on a viewer terminal used by a viewer to view live content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2022
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Applicant: DWANGO Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuo KAWAKAMI, Kentarou MATSUI, Shinnosuke IWAKI, Takashi KOJIMA, Naoki YAMAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20220343783
    Abstract: A content control system with at least one processor. The at least one processor specifies a motion of a target virtual object in a virtual space showing a class scene, determines a language expression corresponding to the specified motion with reference to a storage unit that stores a language expression rule, and outputs expression data corresponding to the determined language expression.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Applicant: DWANGO Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroki SHIMOMURA, Emiko YOSHIHARA, Satoshi IGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20220343604
    Abstract: Provided is a program executable in a computer for viewing content. The computer includes a processor and a memory. The program causes the processor to execute a first step of generating a virtual space in response to an operation by a first user to designate content and setting a virtual viewpoint corresponding to the first user in the virtual space, a second step of starting reproduction of the content designated in the virtual space, and a third step of arranging, in the virtual space, at least one of an object pre-associated with the content or a second object corresponding to a second user who has viewed the content in the past, When the first user views the content, the object pre-associated or the second object is arranged in the third step at a position not related to a position of the virtual viewpoint of the second user in the virtual space or a position of the object pre-associated, when the second user viewed the content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Applicant: DWANGO Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuo KAWAKAMI
  • Publication number: 20220345782
    Abstract: A gift system comprising a control server for controlling a gift giving request submitted by a user in a live performance or live broadcast, and a user terminal that is held by the user. The control server comprises: a receiving portion for receiving a gift giving request that is transmitted in response to a user operation; an evaluating portion for evaluating whether not to accept the gift giving request based on a target during the performance; and a controlling portion for accepting the gift giving request in exchange for payment depending on the evaluation result by the evaluating portion. The user terminal 40 comprises a detecting portion for detecting a vibration, and a transmitting portion for transmitting a gift giving request when the detecting portion detects the vibration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Applicant: DWANGO Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi KOJIMA, Kazuomi NIWA
  • Publication number: 20220335145
    Abstract: An object management system according to one embodiment receives, from a user terminal, inquiry data indicating a combination of a target virtual object and a target parent object, refers to a database storing object relationship data indicating a hierarchical relationship between a plurality of objects, and allows the user terminal arrangement of the target virtual object in the virtual space when the combination indicated by the inquiry data is registered in the object relationship data, and disallows the arrangement of the user terminal when the combination is not registered in the object relationship data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Applicant: DWANGO Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinnosuke IWAKI
  • Patent number: 11477507
    Abstract: The present disclosure has a configuration in which a distributor who performs a separate distribution that is different from this live content, or a viewer who views this separate distribution can participate in a virtual space and express intent or participate in visual recognition through the commitment of a virtual item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: DWANGO Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuo Kawakami, Shinnosuke Iwaki, Takashi Kojima, Toshihiro Shimizu, Hiroaki Saito
  • Publication number: 20220293020
    Abstract: This display medium is formed of a sheet member that transmits light, is provided with a point group formed of one or more points, and includes a plurality of layers which at least partially overlap. The display medium displays a plurality of contents respectively corresponding to a first direction D1 and a second direction D2, on the basis of respective parts where each of light emitted in the first direction D1 and light emitted in the second direction D2 passes through each of the plurality of layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Applicant: DWANGO Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kaisei SAKURAI
  • Publication number: 20220270302
    Abstract: Content distribution systems for displaying a virtual space to user terminals, content distribution methods executed by a content distribution system including at least one processor, and non-transitory computer-readable media storing a content distribution program are disclosed. An example system according to the disclosure includes at least one processor that detects when an avatar corresponding to a first user performs a predetermined action in a virtual space, and displays a content image of the virtual space on a user terminal of a second user among the plurality of user terminals. The predetermined action is invisible in the content image when the processor detects that the avatar performs the predetermined action.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Applicant: DWANGO Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinnosuke IWAKI
  • Publication number: 20220262058
    Abstract: A terminal is a display control device for displaying a virtual space including an avatar that is operated by a user wearing a head-mounted display, the terminal being provided with: an avatar control unit which generates control data of the avatar corresponding to the movement of the user; a computation unit which, when the avatar and an object have collided with each other, computes physical behaviors of the avatar and the object that correspond to the collision; a VR space management unit which applies the result of the computation made by the computation unit to the virtual space; and a rendering unit which renders, as an image to be supplied to the head-mounted display, the avatar the behavior of which corresponding to the collision is kept within a predetermined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Applicant: DWANGO Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinnosuke IWAKI
  • Publication number: 20220237651
    Abstract: A benefit distribution system configured to distribute benefits related to products and services of a specific advertiser comprising: a benefit awarding unit configured to allows a user who watches specific content to acquire a benefit, the benefit being associated with at least a real store or a virtual store in a network making the benefit available; a notification unit configured to notify the user terminal of the user of proximity information indicating the proximity to a store when the user is within a predetermined proximity to a store at which the benefit is available in either real space or virtual space; and a presentation unit configured to presents to the user content information related to the content that triggered acquisition of the benefit when the user uses the benefit at the store
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Applicant: DWANGO Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi KOJIMA, Kazuomi NIWA
  • Patent number: 11399212
    Abstract: A terminal device application program, a terminal device control method, a terminal device, and a live-broadcast distribution server program that can distribute content such as a questionnaire without delaying the progress of the distribution of a live-broadcast program even when an assistant cannot be provided next to [a distributor] are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: DWANGO Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junya Oe, Takashi Kojima
  • Publication number: 20220232191
    Abstract: There is provided a content distribution device including a virtual character arrangement acquisitor that acquires an arrangement in a virtual space of each of a plurality of virtual characters respectively corresponding to a plurality of participants in accordance with an operation of a corresponding participant, a trigger detector that detects a first trigger and thereafter detects a second trigger, and a display control data distributor that generates and distributes display control data for displaying at least a part of the virtual space in which the plurality of virtual characters is arranged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2020
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Applicant: DWANGO Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuo KAWAKAMI, Takashi KOJIMA, Hiroaki SAITO, Toshihiro SHIMIZU
  • Patent number: 11369884
    Abstract: Provided is a distribution server and the like that distributes a gameplay screen of an online game, and displays a comment posted by a viewer in a display mode according to a gameplay status. A distribution server 100 distributes a gameplay screen of an online game. The distribution server 100 includes. a status obtainer 141 configured to obtain a gameplay status; a comment receiver 142 configured to receive a comment posted by a viewer; a distribution unit 143 configured to distribute a distribution screen containing the gameplay screen and the comment having been received by the comment receiver 142, and a display mode controller 144 configured to control a display mode of the comment, according to the gameplay status obtained by the status obtainer 141.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Dwango Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuomi Niwa, Takashi Kojima