Boundary display control device, boundary display control method, and program

1 . A boundary display control device comprising:

one or more processors configured to:

receive, from one or more sensors in a real space, position data of the one or more sensors being associated with a real position of a user in a user-permitted region defined, at least in part, by a boundary surface that divides the user permitted region in the real space where the user is permitted to exist from a user-unpermitted region in the real space where the user is prohibited;

using the position data, locate a virtual position of the user in a virtual space that has a one-to-one correspondence with the real space;

identify a part of the boundary surface as an approach portion based on the virtual position of the user;

transmit, via wireless or wired connection, a video signal to a head-mounted display to cause the head-mounted display to display a virtual object on the boundary surface, the virtual object representing the approach portion; and

cause a presentation property of at least a partial region of the virtual object to visibly change based on a distance between the user and the approach portion,

wherein the one or more sensors are configured to provide a measurement result including at least one of an attitude, a rotation amount, or a movement amount of the one or more sensors, the measurement result indicative of the real position of the user in the real space.

2 . The boundary display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to identify, a part of the boundary surface as the approach portion, if a distance between the part of the boundary surface and the real position of the user is shorter than a predetermined distance.

3 . The boundary display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

decide a reference distance based on a distance between the real position of the user and the boundary surface; and

identify a part of the boundary surface as the approach portion, if a distance between the part of the boundary surface and the real position of the user is shorter than the reference distance.

4 . The boundary display control device according to claim 3 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to decide the reference distance wherein the reference distance becomes longer as the distance between the real position of the user and the boundary surface becomes shorter.

5 . The boundary display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

locate positions of the one or more sensors associated with reference distances different from each other; and

identify a part of the boundary surface as the approach portion, if a distance between the part of the boundary surface and a located position of each of the one or more sensors is shorter than a reference distance associated with the each of the one or more sensors.

6 . The boundary display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the boundary surface includes a first boundary line of a first height that is a height of the real position of the user and a second boundary line of a second height,

wherein at least a part of the first boundary line is different from the second boundary line, and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to identify a part of the second boundary line included in the approach portion, based on a line obtained by translating the second boundary line to a position at the first height and based on the position of the user.

7 . The boundary display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the virtual object is a ripple spreading on the boundary surface.

8 . The boundary display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to further highlight a part of an edge of an image displayed on the head-mounted display, the part of the edge being identified based on the real position of the user and the boundary surface.

9 . The boundary display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the virtual object is a lattice pattern displayed on the boundary surface.

10 . The boundary display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the virtual object is displayed only at the approach portion of the boundary surface.

11 . The boundary display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the boundary surface is a cube.

12 . The boundary display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more cameras configured to generate one or more images, and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to identify the real position of the user, at least in part, based on the one or more images.

13 . The boundary display control device according to claim 12 , wherein the head-mounted display includes an LED that appears in the one or more images, and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the real position of the user via a position of the head-mounted display.

14 . The boundary display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more sensors on the head-mounted display configured to provide a measurement result of at least one of an attitude, a rotation amount, or a movement amount of the head-mounted display, the measurement result indicative of a position of the head-mounted display in the real space.

15 . The boundary display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise accelerometers.

16 . The boundary display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the boundary surface control device and the head-mounted display are configured to communicate wirelessly.

17 . The boundary display control device according to claim 1 , wherein portions of the virtual object outside the approach portion remain hidden from view.

18 . The boundary display control device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more sensors in one or more controllers configured to provide a measurement result of at least one of an attitude, a rotation amount, or a movement amount of the controller, the measurement result indicative of a position of the controller in the real space.

19 . A boundary display control method comprising:

receiving, from one or more sensors in a real space, position data of the one or more sensors being associated with a real position of a user in a user-permitted region defined, at least in part, by a boundary surface that divides permitted region in the real space where the user is permitted to exist from a ted region in the real where the user is prohibited;

using the position data, locating a virtual position of the user in a virtual space that has a one-to-one correspondence with the real space;

identifying a part of the boundary surface as an approach portion based on the virtual position of the user;

transmitting, via wireless or wired connection, a video signal to a head-mounted display to cause the head-mounted display to display a virtual object on the boundary surface, the virtual object representing the approach portion; and

causing a presentation property of a partial region of the virtual object visibly to change based on a distance between the user and the approach portion.

20 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a program that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method, comprising:

receiving, from one or more sensors in a real space, position data of the one or more sensors being associated with a real position of a user in a user-permitted region defined, at least in part, by a boundary surface that divides the user-permitted region in the real space where the user is permitted to exist from a user-unpermitted region in the real space where the user is prohibited;

using the position data of the one or more sensors in proximity to one or more body part of the user, locating a virtual position of the user in a virtual space that has a one-to-one correspondence with the real space;

identifying a part of the boundary surface as an approach portion based on the virtual position of the user;

transmitting, via wireless or wired connection, a video signal to a head-mounted display to cause the head-mounted display to display a virtual object on the boundary surface, the virtual object representing the approach portion; and

causing a presentation property of a partial region of the virtual object visibly to change based on a distance between the user and the approach portion.