IP Library Granted Patent US 11,487,355
Granted Patent B2
US 11,487,355 · App. 17/057,786 · Granted Nov 1, 2022

Information processing apparatus and information processing method

Inventors: Kenji Sugihara (Tokyo, JP); Takuro Noda (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
G06F3/013G02B27/0093G02B27/017G06F3/012G06F3/04815
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,487,355
App. No.
17/057,786
Granted
Nov 1, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

It is desired to provide a technology capable of controlling an object so as to improve user convenience. An information processing apparatus is provided. The information processing apparatus includes an object control unit that: suppresses a movement of a first object, on the basis of a first line-of-sight movement in which a gaze point of a user moves toward a first part of the first object or has moved to the first part; and moves the first object such that the first object leaves away from the gaze point of the user, on the basis of a second line-of-sight movement in which the gaze point of the user moves toward a second part of the first object different from the first part or has moved to the second part.

Claims (65)

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

an object control unit configured to:

suppress a movement of a first object, wherein

the suppression is based on a first line-of-sight movement in which one of a gaze point of a user moves toward a first part of the first object or the gaze point of the user has moved to the first part, and

the first part includes a face of the first object;

move the first object such that the first object leaves away from the gaze point of the user, wherein

the movement of the first object is based on a second line-of-sight movement in which one of the gaze point of the user moves toward a second part of the first object or the gaze point of the user has moved to the second part,

the second part is different from the first part, and

the second part includes a body of the first object;

turn the face of the first object toward the user based on one of the first line-of-sight movement or the second line-of-sight movement; and

turn a front surface of the body of the first object toward the user after the face of the first object is turned toward the user, wherein the turn of the front surface of the first object is based on the first line-of-sight movement.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the object control unit is further configured to turn the face of the first object away from the user, in a case where the gaze point of the user moves to a second object different from the first object, after the face of the first object is turned toward the user.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the object control unit is further configured to start control of communication from the first object to the user, based on a determination that the gaze point of the user is located on the face of the first object.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein in a case where the first object is arranged in association with a third object, the object control unit is further configured to continue the control of the communication while the gaze point of the user moves between the first object and the third object.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the first line-of-sight movement indicates that the gaze point of the user is located on the first part, and

the second line-of-sight movement indicates that the gaze point of the user is located on the second part.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the object control unit is further configured to move, based on the second line-of-sight movement, the first object such that the first object leaves away from the gaze point of the user, before the gaze point of the user reaches the second part.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the object control unit is further configured to move, based on the second line-of-sight movement, the first object such that the first object leaves away from the gaze point of the user, and

the movement of the first object is in a vector direction according to a vector direction of a third line-of-sight movement of the user.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the object control unit is further configured to:

move the first object in a downward direction in a case where a vector direction of a visual field change of the user is an upward direction; or

move the first object in the upward direction in a case where the vector direction of the visual field change of the user is the downward direction.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the object control unit is further configured to move the first object to a peripheral visual field of the user in a case where the gaze point of the user has not moved toward the first object.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein

the first object includes a virtual object displayed in a display area of a display apparatus, and

the object control unit is further configured to move the virtual object to a boundary of the display area of the display apparatus in a case where the gaze point of the user has not moved toward the virtual object.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the first object includes a real object capable of autonomous movement.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the object control unit is further configured to:

move the first object at a first moving speed based on a determination that the gaze point of the user is located on a fourth object different from the first object; and

move the first object at a second moving speed based on the second line-of-sight movement and a determination that the first object and the fourth object have a determined positional relationship, wherein the second moving speed is slower than the first moving speed.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the determined positional relationship includes a relationship in which the first object and the fourth object are present within a determined area of a visual field of the user.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first object includes an object localized in a real space based on information in the real space.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the information processing apparatus includes a head mounted display (HMD).

16. An information processing method, comprising:

suppressing, by a processor, a movement of an object, wherein

the suppression is based on a first line-of-sight movement in which one of a gaze point of a user moves toward a first part of the object or the gaze point of the user has moved to the first part, and

the first part includes a face of the object;

moving, by the processor, the object such that the object leaves away from the gaze point of the user, wherein

the movement of the object is based on a second line-of-sight movement in which one of the gaze point of the user moves toward a second part of the object or the gaze point of the user has moved to the second part,

the second part is different from the first part, and

the second part includes a body of the object;

turning, by the processor, the face of the object toward the user based on one of the first line-of-sight movement or the second line-of-sight movement; and

turning, by the processor, a front surface of the body of the object toward the user after the face of the object is turned toward the user, wherein the turn of the front surface of the object is based on the first line-of-sight movement.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute operations, the operations comprising:

suppressing a movement of an object, wherein

the suppression is based on a first line-of-sight movement in which one of a gaze point of a user moves toward a first part of the object or the gaze point of the user has moved to the first part, and

the first part includes a face of the object;

moving the object such that the object leaves away from the gaze point of the user, wherein

the movement of the object is based on a second line-of-sight movement in which one of the gaze point of the user moves toward a second part of the object or the gaze point of the user has moved to the second part,

the second part is different from the first part, and

the second part includes a body of the object;

turning the face of the object toward the user based on one of the first line-of-sight movement or the second line-of-sight movement; and

turning a front surface of the body of the object toward the user after the face of the object is turned toward the user, wherein the turn of the front surface of the object is based on the first line-of-sight movement.

18. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

an object control unit configured to:

suppress a movement of a first object, wherein

the suppression is based on a first line-of-sight movement in which one of a gaze point of a user moves toward a first part of the first object or the gaze point of the user has moved to the first part, and

the first part includes a face of the first object;

move the first object such that the first object leaves away from the gaze point of the user, wherein

the movement of the first object is based on a second line-of-sight movement in which one of the gaze point of the user moves toward a second part of the first object or the gaze point of the user has moved to the second part,

the second part is different from the first part;

turn the face of the first object toward the user based on one of the first line-of-sight movement or the second line-of-sight movement; and

turn the face of the first object away from the user, in a case where the gaze point of the user moves to a second object different from the first object, after the face of the first object is turned toward the user.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 17, 2025
From: SONY CORPORATION
To: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 073986/0571 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 23, 2020
From: SUGIHARA, KENJI; NODA, TAKURO
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 054442/0509 →