Abstract: A video content distribution system including a user terminal on which contents are viewable and a content management server. The user terminal includes a first reception unit configured to receive field-of-view video data. The user terminal includes a display control unit configured to display a field-of-view video. The user terminal includes a viewpoint switch request signal generating unit for requesting a switch from a first viewpoint to a second viewpoint in the field-of-view video. The user terminal includes a first transmission unit configured to transmit the viewpoint switch request signal to the content management server. The content management server includes a second reception unit configured to receive the viewpoint switch request signal. The content management server includes a second transmission unit configured to transmit the field-of-view video data. The content management server further includes a switch count updating unit configured to update a count of switches to the second viewpoint.

Abstract: A head-mounted display system includes an inclination detector for detecting an inclination of a head-mounted display. The head-mounted display system further includes a display controller for generating an application image in accordance with the detected inclination for display on the head-mounted display. The display controller is configured to superimpose a menu image on the application image for display on the head-mounted display in response to a determination that the detected inclination exceeding a first threshold value.

Abstract: A method includes defining a virtual space including a 360-degree moving image. The method includes playing back the 360-degree moving image. The method includes detecting a motion of a head-mounted device (HMD). The method includes defining a visual field in the 360-degree moving image based on the detected motion. The method includes detecting an emotion of a first user. The method includes comparing the detected emotion with a first condition. The method includes identifying a playback time of the 360-degree moving image at a timing of satisfaction of the first condition. The method includes identifying a direction indicated by the first user at the timing of satisfaction of the first condition. The method includes identifying a first region including a part of the 360-degree moving image corresponding to the identified direction. The method includes changing an evaluation value of the first region in response to satisfaction of the first condition.

Abstract: A method includes defining a virtual space including includes a first avatar object associated with a first user. The first avatar object includes a first part and a second part. The method includes moving the first avatar object in response to a first input from the first user. The first input includes a first motion information for identifying a motion of a part of a body of the first user, and the first part of the first avatar object is moved in accordance with the first motion information. The method includes acquiring supplementary information, independent of a detected movement of the first user, for defining a motion of the second part. The method includes moving the second part based on the supplementary information. The method includes identifying a visual field in the virtual space of a second user different from the first user. The method includes generating a visual-field image.

Abstract: A method of providing a 360 degree virtual space to a head mounted display (HMD). The method includes defining the 360 degree virtual space including sections. The method further includes generating synthetic content by synthesizing a main content and sub-content, the main content to be played in the 360 degree virtual space as a 360 degree movie in accordance with a predetermined timeline, and the sub-content to be displayed in a part of a display region of the main content at a temporal position defined by the timeline, the display region is specified by one or more sections of the 360 degree virtual space. The method further includes adapting the synthetic content to the 360 degree virtual space. The method further includes determining a line of sight of a user. The method further includes specifying a field-of-view region based on the line of sight.

Abstract: A method includes defining a virtual space including a virtual point of view associated with a first user and, a first and second object. The method includes defining a field of view based on a position of the virtual point of view and a detected motion of the user. The method includes generating a field-of-view image corresponding to the field of view. The method includes displaying the first object in a first mode; and displaying the second object in a second mode. The method includes detecting a position of gaze of the first user. The method includes detecting contact between the position of gaze and the first object. The method includes displaying the first or second object in a third mode in response to detection of the contact. The method includes moving the position of the virtual point of view to the first object in response to detection of the contact.

Abstract: A method includes generating virtual space data defining a virtual space including a self-avatar, a first object capable of exerting a predetermined effect on the self-avatar, and a second object. The method includes identifying a visual field based on a detected movement of a head-mounted display. The method includes generating a visual-field image for display on the head-mount display. The method includes identifying a relative positional relationship between the first object and the self-avatar in response to a determination that the self-avatar is likely to receive the predetermined effect from the first object. The method includes setting a position of the second object based on the identified relative positional relationship. The method includes outputting predetermined sound data based on the set position of the second object. The method includes outputting a sound corresponding to the predetermined sound data from a sound outputting unit.

Abstract: A communication load is reduced in a virtual-reality-space sharing system. An image generation device for generating a virtual reality space image includes a memory for storing an instruction and a processor coupled to the memory for executing the instruction. The instruction, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to acquire, from a second terminal sharing a virtual reality space with a first terminal used by a first user, line-of-sight information including a position and a line-of-sight direction of a second user using the second terminal in the virtual reality space, generate a virtual reality space image to be displayed on the first terminal based on the line-of-sight information acquired from the second terminal, and supply the generated virtual reality space image to the first terminal.

Abstract: A visual-field information collection method is capable of collecting visual-field information of a user wearing a head mounted display without applying a large calculation load to a processor. The visual-field information collection method to be executed by a processor includes arranging, in a virtual space in which a user wearing an HMD is immersed, a virtual camera that defines a visual axis for specifying a visual field of the user. The method includes determining the visual axis in accordance with one of a movement of the HMD and a line-of-sight direction of the user. The method includes determining whether or not the visual axis is moved from a predetermined first position to a predetermined second position. The method includes generating movement information representing that the visual axis is moved when the visual axis is moved from the predetermined first position to the predetermined second position.

Abstract: A display control method with which a captioned image can be displayed in the visual field of a user irrespective of a change in the line-of-sight direction of the user. The display control method includes a step of generating visual-field image data, which represents a visual-field image, based on the line-of-sight direction of a user and 360-degree space image data. The method further includes a step of receiving captioned image data, which represents a captioned image. The method further includes a step of displaying on an HMD a composite image of the visual-field image and from the captioned image, based on the visual-field image data and the captioned image data. The composite image is displayed is displayed at a given place in the visual-field image irrespective of a change in the line-of-sight direction of the user.

Abstract: A method includes generating a visual field image to be visually recognized by a user within a virtual space image, the virtual space image forming a virtual space within which the user is immersed. The method also includes generating a transitional image to be visually recognized by the user during a transitional period, the visual field image being updated during the transitional period. The method further includes displaying the visual field image and the transitional image using a head mounted display. Generating the transitional image includes one or more of updating the visual field image in synchronization with a movement of the head mounted display; or updating the visual field image without synchronization with the movement of the head mounted display by generating a transitional image having a reduced information amount to be visually recognized by the user.

Abstract: A method includes defining a virtual space. The virtual space includes a viewpoint associated with a first user, a first object, and a map object. At least one location option is associated with the map object. The method further includes defining a visual field based on a position of the viewpoint in the virtual space. The method further includes generating a visual-field image based on the visual field. The method further includes receiving a selection of any location option of the at least one location option by the first user. The method further includes moving the viewpoint to the selected location option. The method further includes updating the visual field based on a position of the selected viewpoint in the virtual space.

Abstract: A method according to at least one aspect of this disclosure includes defining a virtual space. The method further includes receiving a first sound signal from a first user associated with a head-mounted device (HMD). The method further includes capturing an image in the virtual space in accordance with the reception of the first sound signal. The method further includes storing the captured image corresponding to at least a part of the virtual space in accordance with the capturing of the image.

Abstract: A method includes defining a virtual space, wherein the virtual space comprises a first avatar object associated with a first user. The method further includes detecting a motion of a portion of a face of the first user. The method further includes generating face data representing the detected motion of the portion of the face. The method further includes modifying the face data to change a magnitude of the detected motion of the portion of the face. The method further includes controlling a face of the first avatar object based on the face data or the modified face data.

Abstract: A method includes generating first virtual space data for defining a first virtual space. The first virtual space includes a first avatar associated with a first user terminal; and a first virtual room including the first avatar and a first virtual screen. The method includes detecting a movement of a head mounted device (HMD) included in the first user terminal. The method includes identifying a visual field in accordance with the detected movement of the HMD. The method includes displaying, on the HMD, a visual-field image corresponding to the visual field. The method includes receiving, from a second user terminal, a visiting request signal requesting that a second avatar associated with the second user terminal visit the first virtual room. The method includes updating the first virtual space data by updating a size of the first virtual screen based on a number of avatars arranged in the first virtual room.

Abstract: A method includes defining a virtual space. The virtual space includes a first avatar object and a second avatar object. The first avatar object being associated with a first user terminal. The first user terminal comprising a first head-mounted device (HMD) associated with a first user. The second avatar object being associated with a second user terminal. The second user terminal comprising a second HMD associated with a second user. The method includes defining a visual field in the virtual space in association with a motion of the second HMD. The method includes generating a visual-field image that corresponds to the visual field. The method includes displaying the visual-field image on the second HMD. The method includes receiving first information indicating that the first user is not wearing the first HMD. The method includes changing the visual-field image on the second HMD in response to the first information being received.

Abstract: A display control method includes generating virtual space data representing a virtual space in which a virtual camera is arranged. The method further includes moving a visual field of the virtual camera along with movement of a head-mounted display (HMD). The method further includes generating visual-field image data based on the visual field of the virtual camera and the virtual space data. The method further includes displaying a visual-field image on the HMD based on the visual-field image data. The method further includes identifying a relative position relationship between the HDM and a user's hand. The method further includes determining whether or not a detected movement of the hand satisfies a first condition. The method further includes displaying a menu object in the visual field of the virtual camera based on the relative position relationship when the detected movement of the hand satisfies the first condition.

Abstract: A method to be executed by a first computer includes receiving at every first time interval a first signal output by a first sensor. The method further includes generating first data in accordance with the first signal. The method further includes receiving at every second time interval, which is shorter than the first time interval, a second signal output by a second sensor. The method further includes generating second data in accordance with the second signal. The method further includes generating a plurality of pieces of animation data including the first data and the second data. The method further includes transmitting the plurality of pieces of animation data to a second computer configured to communicate to/from the first computer. A total number of pieces of second data included in the plurality of pieces of animation data is smaller than a total number of pieces of second data generated by the first computer.

Abstract: A method including generating a virtual space image for displaying on a head mounted display (HMD). The method further includes acquiring a rotational direction and a rotational speed of the HMD. The method further includes subjecting the virtual space image to blurring processing based on the rotational direction and the rotational speed, the blurring processing being performed on end regions of the virtual space image on both sides of the virtual space image in a direction corresponding to the rotational direction, a size of the end regions corresponding to the rotational speed, and an intensity of blurring of the end regions corresponding to the rotational speed.

Abstract: A method includes defining a virtual space associated with a user. The virtual space includes an avatar object associated with the user, the avatar object comprising a head and a body. The method further includes acquiring, in response to a detected rotation of a head of the user, information representing an angular velocity of the detected rotation. The method further includes determining whether the angular velocity is equal to or greater than a threshold value. The method further includes rotating, in response to a determination that the angular velocity is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the head of the avatar object without rotating the body of the avatar object.