Image processing method controlling image display based on gaze point and recording medium therefor

1. An image processing method executed by an information processing device communicably connected to a head mounted display comprising a display device configured to display an image and a sight line detector configured to detect a user's line of sight, the image processing method comprising:

controlling drawing of the image such that the drawing is simplified in a peripheral region of a gaze point of the user as compared to a vicinity region that is nearer to the gaze point than the peripheral region, based on detected line of sight information of the user's line of sight detected by the sight line detector,

wherein the gaze point is determined using correlation information of the user to identify the gaze point corresponding to the detected line of sight information, the correlation information relates actual display positions to stored line of sight information of the user,

wherein the vicinity region encompasses an entire area of the image within a first radial distance from the gaze point, and

wherein the peripheral region encompasses an entire area of the image outside of the vicinity region and within a second radial distance from the gaze point, the second radial distance being greater than the first radial distance.

2. The image processing method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

storing a plurality of models drawn at different levels of image quality for each type of the model,

wherein the controlling drawing of the image comprises

switching the model located in the peripheral region to the model with lower image quality as compared to the model located in the vicinity region.

3. The image processing method according to claim 2 ,

wherein the controlling drawing of the image comprises

switching the model located in the vicinity region to the model with highest image quality out of corresponding type of the models stored.

4. The image processing method according to claim 2 ,

wherein the storing a plurality of models comprises

storing a plurality of models having different levels of polygon count for each type of the model,

wherein the controlling drawing of the image comprises

switching the model located in the peripheral region to the model having smaller polygon count as compared to the model located in the vicinity region.

5. The image processing method according to claim 2 ,

wherein the storing a plurality of models comprises

storing a plurality of models having different levels of texture resolution for each type of the model,

wherein the controlling drawing of the image comprises

switching the model located in the peripheral region to the model having lower texture resolution as compared to the model located in the vicinity region.

6. The image processing method according to claim 2 ,

wherein the storing a plurality of models comprises

storing a plurality of models having different degrees of shader effect for each type of the model,

wherein the controlling drawing of the image comprises

switching the model located in the peripheral region to the model having smaller degree of shader effect as compared to the model located in the vicinity region.

7. The image processing method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the correlation information is determined by displaying a series of markers on the display at predetermined respective display positions, detecting the user's line of sight using the sight line detector for each marker of the series of markers displayed on the display, and correlating the predetermined respective display positions to the user's line of sight detected by the sight line detector at each of the predetermined respective display positions.

8. The image processing method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the controlling of the drawing of the image further includes simplifying the drawing in an additional peripheral region of the gaze point of the user as compared to the peripheral region that is nearer to the gaze point than the additional peripheral region.

9. The image processing method according to claim 8 ,

wherein the additional peripheral region encompasses an entire area of the image outside of the peripheral region.

10. A non-transitory recording medium readable by an information processing device communicably connected to a head mounted display comprising a display device configured to display an image and a sight line detector configured to detect a user's line of sight, the recording medium storing a program causing the information processing device to function as:

a drawing control part that controls drawing of the image such that the drawing is simplified in a peripheral region of a gaze point of the user as compared to a vicinity region that is nearer to the gaze point than the peripheral region, based on detected line of sight information of the user's line of sight detected by the sight line detector,

wherein the gaze point is determined using correlation information of the user to identify the gaze point corresponding to the detected line of sight information, the correlation information relates actual display positions to stored line of sight information of the user,

wherein the vicinity region encompasses an entire area of the image within a first radial distance from the gaze point, and

wherein the peripheral region encompasses an entire area of the image outside of the vicinity region and within a second radial distance from the gaze point, the second radial distance being greater than the first radial distance.

11. The recording medium according to claim 10 , the program further causing the information processing device to function as:

a storage part that stores a plurality of models drawn at different levels of image quality for each type of the model,

wherein the drawing control part switches the model located in the peripheral region to the model with lower image quality as compared to the model located in the vicinity region.

12. The recording medium according to claim 11 ,

wherein the drawing control part switches the model located in the vicinity region to the model with highest image quality out of corresponding type of the models stored in the storage part.

13. The recording medium according to claim 11 ,

wherein the storage part stores a plurality of models having different levels of polygon count for each type of the model,

wherein the drawing control part switches the model located in the peripheral region to the model having smaller polygon count as compared to the model located in the vicinity region.

14. The recording medium according to claim 11 ,

wherein the storage part stores a plurality of models having different levels of texture resolution for each type of the model,

wherein the drawing control part switches the model located in the peripheral region to the model having lower texture resolution as compared to the model located in the vicinity region.

15. The recording medium according to claim 11 ,

wherein the storage part stores a plurality of models having different degrees of shader effect for each type of the model,

wherein the drawing control part switches the model located in the peripheral region to the model having smaller degree of shader effect as compared to the model located in the vicinity region.

16. The recording medium according to claim 10 ,

wherein the correlation information is determined by displaying a series of markers on the display at predetermined respective display positions, detecting the user's line of sight using the sight line detector for each marker of the series of markers displayed on the display, and correlating the predetermined respective display positions to the user's line of sight detected by the sight line detector at each of the predetermined respective display positions.

17. The recording medium according to claim 10 ,

wherein the drawing control part control the drawing of the image such that the drawing is simplified in an additional peripheral region of the gaze point of the user as compared to the peripheral region that is nearer to the gaze point than the additional peripheral region.

18. The recording medium according to claim 17 ,

wherein the additional peripheral region encompasses an entire area of the image outside of the peripheral region.