# US 10,369,468 B2 · Information processing apparatus, image generating method, and program

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- Number: US 10,369,468 B2
- Document ID: US10369468B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/805,375
- Filed: 2017-11-07
- Published: 2018-06-14
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-12-13
- Assignees: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
- Applicants: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
- Inventors: Takakazu Ikeda; Shin Watanabe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369468B2

## CPC

- A63F 13/52: involving aspects of the displayed game scene
- A63F 13/25: Output arrangements for video game devices
- A63F 13/428: involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
- A63F 13/533: for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
- G06F 3/011: {Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00)}
- G06F 3/012: {Head tracking input arrangements}
- G06F 3/013: {Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence)}
- G06F 3/04815: Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional [3D], e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
- G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
- G06T 19/003: {Navigation within 3D models or images}
- A63F 13/212: using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
- A63F 13/213: comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells (A63F13/219 takes precedence)
- G06T 2200/24: involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
- A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL

## Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes an acquisition block configured to acquire attitude information indicative of an attitude of a head-mounted display worn on a head of a user, a visual-line direction definition block configured to define a visual-line direction in accordance with the attitude information of the head-mounted display, a first image generation block configured to generate a game image of a virtual three-dimensional space that is displayed on the head-mounted display, an acceptance block configured to accept a switching manipulation from the user while the head-mounted display displays the game image, and a second image generation block configured to generate a system menu image that is displayed on the head-mounted display instead of the game image generated by the first image generation block when the acceptance block accepts the switching manipulation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An information processing apparatus comprising:
an acquisition block configured to acquire attitude information indicative of an attitude of a head-mounted display worn on a head of a user,
wherein the head-mounted display displays a stereoscopic image on a display panel in front of eyes of the user through optical lenses;
a visual-line direction definition block configured to define a visual-line direction in accordance with the attitude information of the head-mounted display;
a first image generation block configured to generate a game image of a virtual three-dimensional space that is displayed on the display panel of the head-mounted display;
an acceptance block configured to accept a switching manipulation from the user while the head-mounted display displays the game image; and
a second image generation block configured to pause the game image when the switching manipulation is received from the user and to generate a system menu image that is displayed in a center of the display panel of the head-mounted display when the acceptance block accepts the switching manipulation,
wherein an entire area of the display panel surrounding the system menu image and not displaying the menu image displays a single color,
wherein the second image generation block arranges a predetermined image in a direction different from a direction in which the system menu image is arranged relative to a viewpoint position in the virtual three-dimensional space,
wherein the predetermined image is a screenshot of the game image at a time that the game image was paused by the second image generation block.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the predetermined image is positioned in the virtual three-dimensional space in a direction orthogonal to a viewpoint position when the system menu image is displayed.

### Claim 3

An image generation method comprising:
acquiring attitude information indicative of an attitude of a head-mounted display worn on a head of a user,
wherein the head-mounted display displays a stereoscopic image on a display panel in front of eyes of the user through optical lenses;
defining a visual-line direction in accordance with the attitude information of the head-mounted display;
generating a game image of a virtual three-dimensional space that is displayed on the display panel of the head-mounted display;
accepting a switching manipulation from the user while the head-mounted display displays the game image;
pausing the game image when the switching manipulation is received from the user;
displaying, at a center of the display panel, a system menu image,
wherein an entire area of the display panel surrounding the system menu image and not displaying the menu image displays a single color; and
displaying, in the virtual three-dimensional space, a predetermined image in a direction different from a direction in which the system menu image is arranged relative to a viewpoint position in the virtual three-dimensional space,
wherein the predetermined image is a screenshot of the game image at a time that the game image was paused.

### Claim 4

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a program for a computer, the program comprising:
by an acquisition block, acquiring attitude information indicative of an attitude of a head-mounted display worn on a head of a user,
wherein the head-mounted display displays a stereoscopic image on a display panel in front of eyes of the user through optical lenses;
by a visual-line direction definition block, defining a visual-line direction in accordance with the attitude information of the head-mounted display;
by a first image generation block, generating a game image of a virtual three-dimensional space that is displayed on the display panel;
by an acceptance block, accepting a switching manipulation from the user while the head-mounted display displays the game image; and
by a second image generation block, pausing the game image when the switching manipulation is received from the user and displaying, at a center of the display panel, a system menu image surrounded by a border formed from a single color occupying a remainder of the display panel.