JP2001160021A - Communication system in virtual space - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a communication system in a virtual space, capable of appropriately communicating the feeling of the sender of a message to the opposite user with so much presence in the same way as in actual conversation. SOLUTION: Plural users perform access to a shared virtual space 1 by each client 2a-2n and holds conversation with a chat message by avatars 3a-3n in a shared virtual space 1. When an averter managing server 5 detects a character string, 'Hello' in the chat message from the speaker user, the avatar of the listener user is allowed to make a bow. When it is decided that a user, whose keying speed of the client is beyond a prescribed value is in an excited conversational state, light-shaped display around the avatar, is operated. When it is judged that the user is bored after the lapse of a prescribed time since the stop of the operation of the client, the avatar is allowed to yawn. Thus, the user can confirm the feeling or mental and physical action states of the opposite user through the display which accompanying presence, and make a conversation under the consideration of the feeling or mental and physical action states of the opposite-side user.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication system that utilizes a user's avatar in a virtual space.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art E-mail for exchanging information by transmitting a message or data to a mailbox of a partner by using a network between predetermined users, or between users currently connected to the network. 2. Description of the Related Art Character-based communication, such as chat, in which conversation is performed by exchanging messages by operating a keyboard in real time, is widely performed. In this case, in exchanging information via a network in which the expressions of each other are not visible, in order to put a subtle mood and emotion in a message transmitted to the other user, a face mark composed of various symbols and characters is used. Emoticons) may be used. In this face mark, for example, (＾ _ ＾);
Smile, (T_T): sad face, (-_-) zzz; a display indicating a predetermined mood or feeling is used like a sleepy face.

[0003]

By using a message using the above-mentioned face mark, it has become possible to put a subtle mood and feelings of the sender user in a message transmitted to the other user. However, even with this method, especially in a chat in which messages are exchanged in real time, it is only possible to obtain emotional exchanges different from the emotional exchanges when directly facing the other user and having a direct conversation. It is hard to say that communication with sufficient satisfaction is performed.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the current state of message exchange via a network as described above, and its purpose is to determine the emotion of the sender of a message in the same way as during an actual conversation. An object of the present invention is to provide a communication system in a virtual space that can accurately convey a user with a sense of realism.

[0005]

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shared virtual space server for providing a shared virtual space accessible to a client, and an avatar in the shared virtual space. An avatar management server that manages and controls the operation of the avatar; a chat management server that controls a conversation between the avatar and another avatar in the shared virtual space and provides a chat message; In the middle state, when a specific character string is detected from the chat message of the speaker's avatar, avatar operation control means for causing the listener's avatar to perform a specific operation preset for the specific character string, Provided in the avatar management server, detects the life activity information of the avatar during a conversation with each other, for the avatar that has detected predetermined life activity information And it is characterized by having a biological condition setting means for setting a biological state corresponding to the biological activity information.

According to such a means, a conversation is performed between avatars in a virtual space using a chat message. The avatar operation control means of the avatar management server converts a specific character string from the chat message of the avatar on the speaker side. When the avatar is detected, the avatar on the listener side is controlled to perform a specific operation corresponding to the detected specific character string. Then, a biological state corresponding to the life activity information is set for the avatar for which the predetermined life activity information is detected.

[0007] Similarly, in order to achieve the above object, according to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the life activity information is a keying state of a client of a user corresponding to an avatar. It is a feature.

[0008] According to such means, a key activity of the client of the user corresponding to the avatar is detected as life activity information, and the life activity is detected. If the key activation is active, the user is interested in the current conversation. When it is determined that the user is talking in an excited state, and the key-pressing state gradually becomes less active and the key-stop is stopped, it is determined that the current conversation is no longer of interest,
The corresponding biological condition is set, and the operation according to the first aspect of the present invention is performed.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating access to a virtual space according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a chat operation according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 illustrates operations of a chat management server and an avatar management server according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing an operation of transmitting a chat message according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing an example of a biological state setting operation according to the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a biological state according to the present embodiment. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram illustrating another example of the setting operation.

In the present embodiment, VRML (virtual) is used.
alRealityModeratingLanguage)
Thus, a shared virtual space server for constructing and providing a three-dimensional virtual space 1 on the www is provided, and as shown in FIG.
b, 2c... 2n are connected so as to be freely accessible,
Clients 2a-2n that have accessed shared virtual space 1
From the avatar of each client user (avata
r) is configured to appear in the shared virtual space 1. Further, in the present embodiment, an avatar management server 6 for managing and controlling the operation of an avatar in the shared virtual space 1 and a chat message by controlling a conversation between the avatar and another avatar in the shared virtual space 1 are provided. Chat management server 5
The avatar management server 6 is connected to an avatar control dictionary 7 which stores a group of actions to be performed by an avatar in correspondence with a specific character string group of a chat message.

When the avatar management server 6 detects a specific character string from the chat message of the avatar on the speaker side while the avatars are in conversation with each other, the avatar management server 6 refers to the avatar control dictionary 7 to read the avatar on the listener side. Is provided with avatar operation control means for performing an operation corresponding to the detected specific character string. Further, the avatar management server 6 includes a biological state setting unit that detects biological activity information of avatars that are talking with each other by using a keystroke state of a client of a user corresponding to the avatar and sets a biological state corresponding to the avatar. Is provided.

The operation of this embodiment having such a configuration will be described. For example, when the user of the client 2a and the user of the client 2b operate the client 2a and the client 2b, respectively, to access the shared virtual space 1, as shown in FIG. The avatars 3a and 3b of the respective users appear in the shared virtual space 1. In this state, when the user of the client 2a operates the client 2a and inputs a chat message, a message signal Fm is output from the client 2a as shown in FIG.
The received message signal Fm is transferred by the chat management server 5 to the client 2b via the network, and at the same time, the avatar management server 6 detects a specific character string from the chat message. In this case, when the chart message of the user of the client 2a is input, the chat message is displayed in the chat window 8a attached to the browser of the client 2a as shown in FIG. 4, and the chat message received by the client 2b is displayed on the client 2b. 2b is displayed in the window 8b attached to the browser.

[0013] In this case, the client 2a, 2b of the user, and each user A, user B, the user A is input from the client 2a and the "B's, Hello", by the avatar management server 6, is sent from the client 2a chat message is that there is a specific character string "Hello" is detected, the search of avatar control dictionary 7 is performed. This search, the avatar control dictionary 7, when the operation corresponding to the specific character string "Hello" is read and is to "greeting bowed" command signal Fc1 is output from the avatar management server 6,
The command signal Fc1 controls the avatar 3b to automatically react to the chat of the user A, bow, and greet the avatar 3a.

[0014] The avatar control dictionary, "Hello"
In addition, specific character strings such as "Goodbye", "Happy", "Sad", "Angry" and the corresponding actions are "Wave your right hand", "Rise both hands", "Don't drop your shoulders". When the specific character strings are detected in the chat message of the user on the speaker side, the avatar management server 6 controls the avatar management server 6. To the listener's avatar,
The corresponding operation is performed.

The avatar management server 6 monitors the keying speed of the chat message from the user on the talker side transmitted to the chat management server 5 and the keying speed of the chat message from the user on the listener side. The biological activity information of the user who has transmitted the chat message is always detected, and a biological state corresponding to the detected state is set in the avatar of the user. For example, when the user B asks the user A a question regarding a predetermined field, as shown in FIG. 5, the keying speed of the client 2a at the time of transmitting the chat message of the user A exceeds Then, it is determined that the user A is eagerly excited to transmit the chat message because this field is the field of interest of the user A. And the avatar management server 5
, A command signal Fc1 is output, and the command signal Fc1 is formed around the avatar 3a of the user A in the shared virtual space 1 so that the biological condition display image 10a becomes gradually brighter. For this reason, the user B observes the biological state display image 10a in a light state gradually brightening around the avatar 3a on the display of the client 2b, and confirms that the user A is in the excited state. Grasp with a sense of reality.

Further, since the chat message transmitted by the user A with excitement has gradually become more specialized, the user B first transmits the chat message hitting the user A to the user A.
It is assumed that the user A gradually became tired of the one-sided and long lecture of the user A, the keying speed of the chat message returned to the user A gradually decreased, and finally stopped the keying and left the seat. . In this case, the avatar management server 5
Is monitoring this state, and when the keying of the user B stops and a preset time elapses, the command signal Fc
2 and the command signal Fc2 forms the biological state display image 10b in which the avatar 3b loses its length.
The user A knows on the display of the client 2b that the avatar 3b was bored with the explanation and lost his growth.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, a plurality of users access the shared virtual space 1 by the respective clients 2a to 2n, and based on the chat messages by the avatars 3a to 3n in the shared virtual space 1. While exchanging conversation with each other, from the chat message sent from the speaker side of the user, the avatar management server 5, the specific character string, for example, to detect "hello", the avatar of audience side of the user, responsive to the string The operation is controlled to bow. Also, when the keying speed of the user's client exceeds a predetermined value, it is determined that the user is excited about transmitting the chat message,
When a light display image is formed around the avatar, and when the user's client stops tapping the key for a predetermined period of time, it is determined that the user is unwilling to talk, and the avatar is operation-controlled so as to stretch out.

For this reason, according to the present embodiment, the users who are talking with each other can confirm the operation responding to the chat of the partner user and the current biological state of the partner user through the display on the display of the client. By receiving the emotional state of the partner user and the delicate activity of mind and body with the presence as in actual conversation,
The user can have a smooth conversation exchange while understanding each other's emotion and physical condition.

In the above-described embodiment, a case has been described where the key-pressing state of the user's client corresponding to the avatar is regarded as life activity information. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Instead, the user's body temperature, pulse, or pupil size can be captured as life activity information.

[0020]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the operation of the avatar of a user appearing in the shared virtual space provided by the shared virtual space server is managed and controlled by the avatar management server by the access from the client, and the chat is performed. The conversation between the avatars in the virtual space is controlled by the management server, and the conversation by the chat message is carried out. When a specific character string is detected from the chat message, the avatar on the listener side is controlled to perform a specific operation corresponding to the detected specific character string. Life activity information of the avatars that are talking with each other are detected, and a predetermined avatar is detected. Te biological state that corresponds to the biological activity information is set. For this reason, avatars that talk to each other by chat messages in the shared virtual space,
The avatar on the listener's side performs an operation of responding to the chat message of the avatar on the speaker's side accurately, and the avatars conversing with each other have a biological state according to their respective biological activity states. During mutual conversation through
Through the display, receive the other user's emotions and subtle activities of mind and body with a sense of realism as in the actual conversation, and allow the users to have a smooth conversation exchange while understanding each other's emotions and physical conditions It becomes possible.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the keystroke state of the user's client corresponding to the avatar is detected as the life activity information, and the life activity state is detected. If the keystroke state is active, the user is interested in the current conversation. When it is determined that the user is talking in an excited state, and the key-pressing state gradually becomes less active and the key-stop is stopped, it is determined that the current conversation is no longer of interest,
The corresponding biological condition is set, and the effect of the invention described in claim 1 is realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of access to a virtual space according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a chat operation according to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing operations of a chat management server and an avatar management server of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a chat message transmitting operation according to the embodiment;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a biological condition setting operation according to the embodiment;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the biological condition setting operation of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1. Shared virtual space, 2a to 2c, client, 3
a to 3n avatar, 5. chat management server, 6.
・ Avatar management server, 7 ・ ・ Avatar control dictionary, 8a-8
c chat window, 10a, 10b biological state display image.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A shared virtual space server that provides a shared virtual space accessible to clients, an avatar management server that manages and controls the operation of an avatar in the shared virtual space, an avatar in the shared virtual space, and the like. A chat management server that controls the conversation with the avatar and provides a chat message, provided in the avatar management server, when the avatar is in a conversation with each other, and when a specific character string is detected from the chat message of the speaker's avatar. An avatar operation control means for causing an avatar on the listener side to perform a specific operation set in advance for the specific character string; and an avatar management server, wherein the avatar management server detects biological activity information of the avatar during a conversation with each other. A biological condition setting step of setting a biological condition corresponding to the biological activity information for an avatar having detected predetermined biological activity information; Communication system according to a virtual space and having and. 2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the life activity information is a keystroke state of a client of a user corresponding to an avatar.