Information processing program, information processing system, information processing apparatus, and information processing method, utilizing augmented reality technique

An information processing apparatus connected to an image pick-up apparatus and a display, comprising:

• an image obtaining unit for obtaining an image of a subject picked up by said image pick-up apparatus;
• a search target detection unit for detecting a search target from the image of said subject obtained by said image obtaining unit;
• a distance calculation unit for calculating a distance between said image pick-up apparatus and said search target based on the image of said subject;
• an event occurrence unit for causing an event to occur in a virtual space in accordance with said distance between said image pick-up apparatus and said search target calculated by said distance calculation unit;
• a virtual image generation unit for generating a virtual image by shooting said event that occurs by means of said event occurrence unit with a virtual camera arranged in said virtual space;
• and
• a display control unit for causing said display to display said virtual image such that it is visually recognized by a user as superimposed on the image of said subject or on said subject seen through a screen of said display.

An information processing method processed by a control unit of an information processing apparatus connected to an image pick-up apparatus and a display, comprising the steps of:

• obtaining an image of a subject picked up by said image pick-up apparatus;
• detecting a search target from the obtained image of said subject;
• calculating a distance between said image pick-up apparatus and said search target based on the image of said subject;
• causing an event to occur in a virtual space in accordance with calculated said distance between said image pick-up apparatus and said search target;
• generating a virtual image by shooting said event that occurs with a virtual camera arranged in said virtual space;
• and
• causing said display to display said virtual image such that it is visually recognized by a user as superimposed on the image of said subject or on said subject seen through a screen of said display.

An information processing system, comprising:

• a search target arranged in a subject;
• an image pick-up apparatus for picking up an image of said subject;
• an information processing apparatus connected to said image pick-up apparatus;
• and
• a display connected to said information processing apparatus,
• said information processing apparatus including
• an image obtaining unit for obtaining the image of the subject picked up by said image pick-up apparatus,
• a search target detection unit for detecting said search target from the image of said subject obtained by said image obtaining unit,
• a distance calculation unit for calculating a distance between said image pick-up apparatus and said search target based on the image of said subject,
• an event occurrence unit for causing an event to occur in a virtual space in accordance with said distance between said image pick-up apparatus and said search target calculated by said distance calculation unit,
• a virtual image generation unit for generating a virtual image by shooting said event that occurs by means of said event occurrence unit with a virtual camera arranged in said virtual space, and
• a display control unit for causing said display to display said virtual image such that it is visually recognized by a user as superimposed on the image of said subject or on said subject seen through a screen of said display.