Abstract: A shadow body generation unit generates a shadow model defined by a limited number of lines extending from a position of a light source to an outline of a hand. If the virtual object is partially or fully included in the shadow model and a position of the virtual object is further away from the position of the light source, the shadow body generation unit generates a shadow for a partially obscured area included in the shadow model.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus, which provides images for stereoscopic viewing by synthesizing images obtained by capturing an image of real space by a main image sensing device and sub image sensing device to a virtual image, measures the position and orientation of the main image sensing device, calculates the position and orientation of the sub image sensing device based on inter-image capturing device position and orientation held in a holding unit and the measured position and orientation of the main image sensing device. Then the information processing apparatus calculates an error using the measured position and orientation of the main image sensing device, the calculated position and orientation of the sub image sensing device, and held intrinsic parameters of the main image sensing device and sub image sensing device. The information processing apparatus calibrates the held information based on the calculated error.

Abstract: An image processing method includes an object level acquisition step of acquiring an object level set for each computer graphics object, a display step of displaying a slide bar with a movable cursor to allow a user to set a user level by manipulating the cursor, and a user level acquisition step of acquiring a user level set by the user, based on a position of the cursor of the slide bar. In addition, a rendering step renders a virtual space including each computer graphics object by rendering each computer graphics object to have its visibility attribute depending on its object level acquired in the object level acquisition step and the user level. The rendering step renders a computer graphics object with an object level less than the user level as a visible object and renders a computer graphics object with an object level equal to or larger than the user level as an invisible object, and the rendering step is repeatedly performed in response to the position of the cursor being changed by the user.

Abstract: When a message indicating that a hand that wears a glove (21) is laid out in accordance with a hand-shaped virtual object is detected, the position and orientation relationship between a magnetic receiver (203) and the hand-shaped virtual object is calculated using the position and orientation relationship between the magnetic receiver (203) and a magnetic receiver (202) and that of the hand-shaped virtual object and the magnetic receiver (202).

Abstract: There is provided an information processing method for setting the exclusive control right of a data item by a specific process in a system in which a plurality of clients connected via a network share data including a plurality of data items. In this method, when a desired data item is designated so as to set its exclusive control right, data items which belong to layers lower than the designated data and are related to the designated data item are retrieved on the basis of the hierarchical structure information of the plurality of data items. Then, the exclusive control right is set for the designated data item and retrieved data items.

Abstract: While a recording mode is being set, a manipulation log about a manipulation target virtual object is recorded in a memory (S301, S302). After the recording mode is canceled, a virtual element as a collision determination target with respect to the manipulation target virtual object is selected from a plurality of virtual elements existing in the same virtual space as the manipulation target virtual object based on the manipulation log (S303). Collision between the manipulation target virtual object and each of at least one selected virtual element is determined (S304). The collision determination result is output (S305).

Abstract: An information processing method maintains, in a system in which each of a plurality of client processes connected via an information transmission medium holds and uses shared data to be shared by the plurality of client processes, consistency of shared data held by the respective plurality of client processes. The method includes an input step of inputting a manipulation request, a determining step of determining a mode corresponding to the input manipulation request, from a plurality of modes including a first mode and a second mode, and a processing step of executing a process corresponding to the manipulation request in accordance with the mode determined in the determining step.

Abstract: When an image in a virtual space in which a virtual object is arranged is generated using a ray tracing method, and when it is determined that a ray which is generated in accordance with the ray tracing method successively intersected an approximate virtual object such as a hand which is a real object at lest twice, an image corresponding to a first intersection is generated in accordance with the ray emitted to the first intersection.

Abstract: Upon generation of an image of a virtual space on which a virtual object is laid out using a ray tracing method, an approximate virtual object, which is configured by at least one virtual element to approximate the shape of a physical object, is laid out on the virtual space. Then, intersect determination between a ray generated based on the ray tracing method and an object on the virtual space is executed. As a result of the intersect determination, when the ray and the approximate virtual object have a predetermined intersect state, a pixel corresponding to the ray is generated based on a ray before the predetermined intersect state is reached.

Abstract: A CPU (201) updates scene data (206) by changing the management order of the data of virtual objects in the scene data (206) based on the processing result of a search of the scene data (206), which is executed upon generating an image of virtual space viewed from a first viewpoint. The CPU (201) sets the updated scene data (206) as scene data (206) to be used to generate an image viewed from a second viewpoint different from the first viewpoint.

Abstract: An information processing method for maintaining, in a system in which each of a plurality of client processes, connected via an information transmission medium, holds and uses shared data to be shared by the plurality of client processes, consistency of shared data held by the respective plurality of client processes, includes a holding step of holding the shared data, and a first issuance step of issuing, in response to a manipulation event request, a manipulation event that represents the manipulation to the shared data to the server process. In addition, a first manipulation execution step executes a manipulation to the shared data in response to a manipulation event received from the server process, and a second issuance step issues an issuance inhibition event to the server process.

Abstract: An information processing method and information processing apparatus facilitate selection of components which form a geometric model. Of a plurality of components which form a three-dimensional geometric mode, components which satisfy predetermined geometrical search criteria are searched for. The obtained components are set in a rendering mode different from that of other components. Therefore, even an occluded-component, which cannot be directly seen from outside a three-dimensional model, can be visually recognized and selected.

Abstract: Real space image including a simple prototype created based on three-dimensional CAD data is captured by an image input apparatus. A position/orientation measuring apparatus measures positions and orientations of the image input apparatus and simple prototype. An information processor captures position/orientation information representing the position and orientation of the simple prototype in the image captured by the image input apparatus 102. The information processor further extracts a hand area from an image, renders a three-dimensional computer graphic image on the simple prototype, excluding the extracted hand area, in the image based on the position/orientation information and the three-dimensional CAD data, and synthesizes the image and the three-dimensional computer graphic image. Here, the simple prototype has a different color from a color of the hand area.

Abstract: Provided is a technique for limiting association of a process to a system where a plurality of processes share data. It is determined whether or not a device itself satisfies a specific condition, and, depending on a result thereof, an instruction to set or release the specific condition is issued to all client devices sharing the data. Further, when the instruction is received, if the received instruction is the instruction to set or release the specific condition, it is then determined whether or not the specific condition is breached. If the device itself breaches the specific condition, then a communication path to a server device is disconnected. If the device itself is not breaching the specific condition, then information relating to the device satisfying the specific condition is updated in accordance with the instruction.

Abstract: A shadow body generation unit 1711 generates a shadow model defined by a limited numbers of lines extending from a position of a light source to an outline of a hand. If the virtual object is partially or fully included in the shadow model and a position of the virtual object is further away from the position of the light source, the shadow body generation unit 1711 generates a shadow for partially obscured area included in the shadow model.

Abstract: When a message indicating that a hand that wears a glove (21) is laid out in accordance with a hand-shaped virtual object is detected, the position and orientation relationship between a magnetic receiver (203) and the hand-shaped virtual object is calculated using the position and orientation relationship between the magnetic receiver (203) and a magnetic receiver (202) and that of the hand-shaped virtual object and the magnetic receiver (202).

Abstract: When a command is a command which requests to establish a communication path with a server apparatus, the communication path with the server apparatus is established (S603), and a sharing mode is set in a public mode (S604). When a command is a command which requests to disconnect the communication path with the server apparatus, the communication path with the server apparatus is disconnected (S606), and the sharing mode is set in a private mode (S607). When a command is a database manipulation command, an event indicating the contents of the manipulation command is generated (S608). If the sharing mode is a public mode, the event is input to a transceiver queue (S610). If the sharing mode is a private mode, the event is input to a receiver queue (409) (S611).

Abstract: An information presentation apparatus comprises an input unit, a measurement unit to measure a user's viewpoint position and pose, a model data storage unit to store virtual world model data, real world model data, and data necessary to generate a virtual world image, an annotation data storage unit to store data added to real and virtual worlds and displayed, a generation unit to generate an image of the virtual world by using information in the measurement unit, the model data storage unit and the annotation data storage unit, a user viewpoint image input unit to capture a real-world image viewed from the user's viewpoint, and an image display unit to display an image obtained by synthesizing the image from the generation unit and the image from the user viewpoint image input unit or the image from the user viewpoint image input unit, on a user's image display.

Abstract: In a system in which a plurality of processes connected via a network hold and use shared data to be shared by these processes, when a manipulation request of the shared data is generated, a manipulation event that represents the manipulation request is issued (T2501). Also, a flushing event is issued in response to a predetermined user's manipulation (T2503). When a manipulation event that responds to the issued manipulation event is received from a server, manipulation of the shared data is executed in accordance with this manipulation event. At this time, issuance of manipulation events based on manipulation requests is inhibited after the flushing event is issued until a flushing event corresponding to the issued flushing event is received (T2506). With this control, in manipulations which are made for the shared data to be shared by the plurality of processes, a subsequent manipulation command is issued after the previously issued manipulation is executed.

Abstract: In an information processing method for maintaining, in a system in which each of a plurality of processes connected via a network holds and uses shared data to be shared by the processes, consistency of shared data held by the respective processes, when a manipulation request for the shared data is generated, an event indicating that manipulation request is output onto the network. An event as a reply to the event output onto the network is received from the network. A manipulation for the shared data is executed in accordance with the received event. In this way, the manipulation execution timings for shared data to be shared by a plurality of processes can be accurately matched.