Information-processing apparatus and information-processing method

An information-processing apparatus comprising:

• a unit configured to acquire positional information of a stimulation generation unit, the stimulation generation unit being arranged so as to be capable of applying stimulation to a body part of a user;
• a determination unit configured to determine whether a virtual object and the stimulation generation unit contact each other;
• a unit configured to, according to a result of determination by the determination unit, control processing for determining whether a position where the virtual object and the stimulation generation unit contact each other is within a view volume representing a view range of the user based on position and orientation information of the virtual object and the positional information of the stimulation generation unit;
• and
• an output unit configured to generate a first stimulation by controlling an operation of the stimulation generation unit in a case where it is determined that the position is located within the view volume, and to generate a second stimulation which is stronger than the first stimulation by controlling the stimulation unit in a case where it is determined that the position is not located within the view volume.

A method comprising:

• acquiring positional information of a stimulation generation unit arranged so as to be capable of applying stimulation to a body part of a user;
• determining whether a virtual object and the stimulation generation unit contact each other based on position and orientation information of the virtual object and the positional information of the stimulation generation unit;
• determining whether or not a position where the virtual object and the stimulation generation unit contact each other is located within a view volume representing a view range of the user in a case where it is determined that the virtual object and the stimulation generation unit contact each other;
• and
• generating a first stimulation by controlling an operation of the stimulation generation unit in a case where it is determined that the position is located within the view volume, and generating a second stimulation which is stronger than the first stimulation by controlling the stimulation generation unit in a case where it is determined that the position is not located within the view volume.

A method comprising:

• acquiring positional information of a stimulation generation unit arranged so as to be capable of applying stimulation to a body part of a user;
• determining whether or not the stimulation generation unit is located within a view volume representing a view range of the user;
• according to a result of determination obtained at the determining step, controlling processing for determining whether a position where a virtual object and the stimulation generation unit contact each other is located within the view volume based on position and orientation information of the virtual object and the positional information of the stimulation generation unit;
• and
• generating a first stimulation by controlling an operation of the stimulation generation unit in case where it is determined that the position is located within the view volume, and generating a second stimulation which is stronger than the first stimulation by controlling the stimulation generation unit in a case where it is determined that the position is not located within the view volume.

An information-processing apparatus configured to provide a virtual space including a virtual object to a user and to control a stimulation generation unit configured to apply stimulation to a body part of the user indicating contact between the user and the virtual object, the information-processing apparatus comprising:

• a contact determination unit configured to determine a state of contact between the virtual object and the user;
• an attention determination unit configured to determine whether a position where the virtual object and the user contact each other is located within a view volume representing a view range of the user, using positional information of the virtual object and viewpoint information of a viewpoint of the user;
• and
• a control unit configured to control the stimulation generation unit to generate a first stimulation in a case where it is determined that the position is located within the view volume, and to generate a second stimulation stronger that the first stimulation in a case where it is determined that the position is not within the view volume.

A method for controlling an information-processing apparatus configured to provide a virtual space including a virtual object to a user and to control a stimulation generation unit configured to apply stimulation to a body part of the user indicating contact between the user and the virtual object, the method comprising:

• determining a state of contact between the virtual object and the user;
• determining whether a position where the virtual object and the user contact each other is located within a view volume representing a view range of the user, using positional information of the virtual object and viewpoint information a viewpoint of the user;
• and
• controlling the stimulation generation unit to generate a first stimulation in a case where it is determined that the position is located within the view volume, and to generate a second stimulation stronger that the first stimulation in a case where it is determined that the position is not within the view volume.

A computer-readable medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to perform a method comprising:

• acquiring positional information of a stimulation generation unit arranged so as to be capable of applying stimulation to a body part of a user;
• determining whether a virtual object and the stimulation generation unit contact each other based on position and orientation information of the virtual object and the positional information of the stimulation generation unit;
• determining whether a position where the virtual object and the stimulation generation unit contact each other is located within a view volume representing a view range of the user in a case where it is determined that the virtual object and the stimulation generation unit contact each other;
• and
• controlling an operation of the stimulation generation unit to generate a first stimulation in a case where it is determined that the position is located within the view volume, and to generate a second stimulation stronger that the first stimulation in a case where it is determined that the position is not within the view volume.

A computer-readable medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to perform a method comprising:

• acquiring positional information of a stimulation generation unit arranged so as to be capable of applying stimulation to a body part of a user;
• determining whether or not the stimulation generation unit is located within a view volume representing a view range of the user;
• according to a result of determination by the determining step, controlling processing for determining whether a position where a virtual object and the stimulation generation unit contact each other is within the view volume based on position and orientation information of the virtual object and the positional information of the stimulation generation unit;
• and
• controlling an operation of the stimulation generation unit to generate a first stimulation in a case where it is determined that the position is located within the view volume, and to generate a second stimulation stronger that the first stimulation in a case where it is determined that the position is not within the view volume.

A computer-readable medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to perform a method comprising:

• determining a state of contact between a virtual object and body part of a user;
• determining whether a position where the virtual object contacts the body part of the user is located within a view volume representing a view range of the user, using positional information of the virtual object and viewpoint information of a viewpoint of the user;
• and
• controlling a stimulation generation unit to generate a first stimulation in a case where it is determined that the position is located within the view volume, and to generate a second stimulation stronger that the first stimulation in a case where it is determined that the position is not located within the view volume.

An information-processing apparatus configured to provide a virtual space including a virtual object to a user and to control a stimulation generation unit configured to generate a stimulation to a body part of the user indicating contact between the user and the virtual object, the information-processing apparatus comprising:

• a contact determination means for determining a state of contact between the virtual object and the user;
• an attention determination means for determining whether a position where the user contacts the virtual object is located within a view volume representing a view range of the user, using positional information of the virtual object and viewpoint information of a viewpoint of the user;
• and
• a control means for controlling the stimulation generation unit to generate a first stimulation in a case where it is determined that the position is located within the view volume, and to generate a second stimulation stronger that the first stimulation in a case where it is determined that the position is not within the view volume.