# US 2018/0321798 A1 · Information processing apparatus and operation reception method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0321798 A1 - Document ID: US20180321798A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/773,008 - Filed: 2016-12-14 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-21 - Assignees: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. - Applicants: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. - Inventors: Daisuke Kawamura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180321798A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus - G06F 3/01: Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer (G06F3/16 takes precedence) - G06F 3/012: {Head tracking input arrangements} - G06F 3/0481: based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance - G06F 3/04812: Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects - G06F 3/04817: using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A spherical background object that is substantially centered around a head of a user and has a predetermined radius is set in a virtual space. Icons are dispersedly disposed in the planes of a first layer, a second layer, a third layer, and a fourth layer, which are concentric spheres encompassed by the background object and different from each other in size. A menu screen is drawn by identifying a normal vector of the face of the user as a line of sight in accordance with posture information related to the user's head, setting a screen in a vertical plane centered around the line of sight, and projecting a virtual space object onto the screen. An icon reached by the line of sight in the menu screen is moved toward the user in the virtual space. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An information processing apparatus that generates a menu screen including a plurality of icons and receives a selection operation performed by a user, the information processing apparatus comprising: an icon arrangement section that arranges the icons in a virtual space; a field-of-view control section that acquires posture information related to a head of the user and determines a field-of-view plane with respect to the virtual space in accordance with the acquired posture information; an image generation section that draws an image to be projected into the virtual space with respect to the field-of-view plane, generates the menu screen over which a cursor indicating point of view of the user is displayed, and outputs the generated menu screen to a display device; and an operation determination section that identifies an operation in accordance with a positional relationship between the cursor and an icon image drawn on the menu screen, wherein the icon arrangement section arranges the icons in a spherical background object centered around the head of the user in the virtual space in such a manner that the icons differ from each other in a direction and a distance from the user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the cursor overlaps with one of the icons, the icon arrangement section moves the icon in such a direction as to decrease the distance from the user in the virtual space, and, when the cursor overlaps with another icon, the icon arrangement section returns the moved icon to the previous position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image generation section additionally displays an operating control button below the moved icon in order to receive an operation on content represented by the moved icon. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the icon arrangement section sets an object model size of an icon in such a manner that the longer the distance between the icon and the user, the smaller the object model size of the icon, and, when moving the icon in such a direction as to decrease the distance from the user, the icon arrangement section gradually increases the object model size of the icon. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the cursor overlaps with one of the icons, the image generation section texture-maps an image corresponding to the icon to inside of the background object and rotates the background object centrally around the head of the user at a predetermined speed. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the icon arrangement section arranges the icons in such a manner that a group of icons disposed close to each other in the virtual space is formed for each category to which a target represented by each icon belongs. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the icon arrangement section updates the arrangement of the icons in accordance with an increase or decrease in the number of icons to be displayed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the cursor overlaps with an icon representative of hierarchical information at an upper hierarchical level, the icon arrangement section newly disposes an icon representative of relevant information at a subordinate hierarchical level. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the icon arrangement section defines a predetermined range as a region where icons cannot be disposed, the predetermined range including zenith and nadir for the head of the user in the virtual space. ### Claim 10 An operation reception method applied by an information processing apparatus that generates a menu screen including a plurality of icons and receives a selection operation performed by a user, the operation reception method comprising: arranging the icons in a virtual space; acquiring posture information related to a head of the user and determining a field-of-view plane with respect to the virtual space in accordance with the acquired posture information; drawing an image to be projected into the virtual space with respect to the field-of-view plane, generating the menu screen over which a cursor indicating point of view of the user is displayed, and outputting the generated menu screen to a display device; and identifying an operation in accordance with a positional relationship between the cursor and an icon image drawn on the menu screen, wherein the arranging the icons is arranging the icons in a spherical background object centered around the head of the user in the virtual space in such a manner that the icons differ from each other in a direction and a distance from the user. ### Claim 11 A non-transitory, computer readable storage medium containing a computer program, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to generate a menu screen including a plurality of icons and receive a selection operation performed by a user, the computer program causing the computer to implement functions of: by an icon arrangement section, arranging the icons in a virtual space; by a field-of-view control section, acquiring posture information related to a head of the user and determining a field-of-view plane with respect to the virtual space in accordance with the acquired posture information; by an image generation section, drawing an image to be projected into the virtual space with respect to the field-of-view plane, generating the menu screen over which a cursor indicating point of view of the user is displayed, and outputting the generated menu screen to a display device; and by an operation determination section, identifying an operation in accordance with a positional relationship between the cursor and an icon image drawn on the menu screen, wherein the arranging the icons is arranging the icons in a spherical background object centered around the head of the user in the virtual space in such a manner that the icons differ from each other in a direction and a distance from the user.