Patent Publication Number: US-2023152884-A1

Title: Animation production system

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to an animation production system. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Virtual cameras are arranged in a virtual space (see Patent Document  1 ). 
     CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature 
     [PTL 1] Patent Application Publication No. 2017-146651 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
     No attempt was made to capture animations in the virtual space. 
     The present invention has been made in view of such a background, and is intended to provide a technology capable of capturing animations in a virtual space. 
     Solution to Problem 
     The principal invention for solving the above-described problem is an animation production method that provides a virtual space in which a given object is placed, the method comprising: detecting an operation of a user equipped with a head mounted display; controlling a movement of an object based on the detected operation of the user; shooting the movement of the object; storing an action data relating to the movement of the shot object in a first track; and storing audio from the user in a second track. 
     The other problems disclosed in the present application and the method for solving them are clarified in the sections and drawings of the embodiments of the invention. 
     ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION 
     According to the present invention, animations can be captured in a virtual space. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a diagram illustrating an example of a virtual space displayed on a head mount display (HMD) mounted by a user in an animation production system of the present embodiment; 
         FIG.  2    is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of an animation production system  300  according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  3    shows a schematic view of the appearance of a head mount display (hereinafter referred to as an HMD)  110  according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG.  4    shows a schematic view of the outside of the controller  210  according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG.  5    shows a functional configuration diagram of the HMD  110  according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG.  6    shows a functional configuration diagram of the controller  210  according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG.  7    shows a functional configuration diagram of an image producing device  310  according to the present embodiment. 
         FIG.  8    is a flow chart illustrating an example of a track generation process according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  9 ( a )  is a diagram illustrating a track generation according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG.  9 ( b )  is a diagram illustrating a track generation according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     The contents of embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference. An animation production method according to an embodiment of the present invention has the following configuration. 
     Item 1 
     An animation production method that provides a virtual space in which a given object is placed, the method comprising: 
     detecting an operation of a user equipped with a head mounted display; 
     controlling a movement of an object based on the detected operation of the user; 
     shooting the movement of the object; 
     storing an action data relating to the movement of the shot object in a first track; and 
     storing audio from the user in a second track. 
     Item 2 
     The method further comprising sharing the first track or the second track at a plurality of user terminals. 
     A specific example of an animation production system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to these examples, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of equivalence with the appended claims, as indicated by the appended claims. In the following description, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals in the description of the drawings and overlapping descriptions are omitted. 
     Overview 
       FIG.  1    is a diagram illustrating an example of a virtual space displayed on a head mount display (HMD) mounted by a user in an animation production system of the present embodiment. In the animation production system of the present embodiment, a character  4  and a camera  3  are disposed in the virtual space  1 , and a character  4  is shot using the camera  3 . In the virtual space  1 , the photographer  2  is disposed, and the camera  3  is virtually operated by the photographer  2 . In the animation production system of the present embodiment, as shown in  FIG.  1   , a user makes an animation by placing a character  4  and a camera  3  while viewing the virtual space  1  from a bird&#39;s perspective with a TPV (Third Person&#39;s View), taking a character  4  with an FPV (First Person View; first person support) as a photographer  2 , and performing a character  4  with an FPV. In the virtual space  1 , a plurality of characters (in the example shown in  FIG.  1   , a character  4  and a character  5 ) can be disposed, and the user can perform the performance while possessing a character  4  and a character  5 , respectively. That is, in the animation production system of the present embodiment, one can play a number of roles (roles). In addition, since the camera  2  can be virtually operated as the photographer  2 , natural camera work can be realized and the representation of the movie to be shot can be enriched. 
     General Configuration 
       FIG.  2    is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of an animation production system  300  according to an embodiment of the present invention. The animation production system  300  may comprise, for example, a user terminal  410 A comprising an HMD  110 , a controller  210 , and an image generator  310  that functions as a host computer. An infrared camera (not shown) or the like can also be added to the animation production system  300  for detecting the position, orientation and slope of the HMD  110  or controller  210 . These devices may be connected to each other by wired or wireless means. For example, each device may be equipped with a USB port to establish communication by cable connection, or communication may be established by wired or wireless, such as HDMI, wired LAN, infrared, Bluetooth™, WiFi™. The image generating device  310  may be a PC, a game machine, a portable communication terminal, or any other device having a calculation processing function. The user terminal  410 A may also connect other user terminals  410 B,  410 C via a network or the like. Other user terminals  410 B,  410 C may include an HMD and/or controller as well as a user terminal  410 A and may include at least a computer, a game machine, a portable communication terminal, or any other device having a computational processing function. 
     HMD  110   
       FIG.  3    shows a schematic view of the appearance of a head mount display (hereinafter referred to as HMD)  110  according to the present embodiment.  FIG.  5    shows a functional configuration diagram of the HMD  110  according to the present embodiment. The HMD  110  is mounted on the user&#39;s head and includes a display panel  120  for placement in front of the user&#39;s left and right eyes. Although an optically transmissive and non-transmissive display is contemplated as the display panel, this embodiment illustrates a non-transmissive display panel that can provide more immersion. The display panel  120  displays a left-eye image and a right-eye image, which can provide the user with a three-dimensional image by utilizing the visual difference of both eyes. If left- and right-eye images can be displayed, a left-eye display and a right-eye display can be provided separately, and an integrated display for left-eye and right-eye can be provided. 
     The housing portion  130  of the HMD  110  includes a sensor  140 . The sensor  140  may comprise, for example, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, or a gyro sensor, or a combination thereof, to detect actions such as the orientation or tilt of the user&#39;s head. When the vertical direction of the user&#39;s head is Y-axis, the axis corresponding to the user&#39;s anteroposterior direction is Z-axis, which connects the center of the display panel  120  with the user, and the axis corresponding to the user&#39;s left and right direction is X-axis, the sensor  140  can detect the rotation angle around the X-axis (so-called pitch angle), rotation angle around the Y-axis (so-called yaw angle), and rotation angle around the Z-axis (so-called roll angle). 
     In place of or in addition to the sensor  140 , the housing portion  130  of the HMD  110  may also include a plurality of light sources  150  (e.g., infrared light LEDs, visible light LEDs). A camera (e.g., an infrared light camera, a visible light camera) installed outside the HMD  110  (e.g., indoor, etc.) can detect the position, orientation, and tilt of the HMD  110  in a particular space by detecting these light sources. Alternatively, for the same purpose, the HMD  110  may be provided with a camera for detecting a light source installed in the housing portion  130  of the HMD  110 . 
     The housing portion  130  of the HMD  110  may also include an eye tracking sensor. The eye tracking sensor is used to detect the user&#39;s left and right eye gaze directions and gaze. There are various types of eye tracking sensors. For example, the position of reflected light on the cornea, which can be irradiated with infrared light that is weak in the left eye and right eye, is used as a reference point, the position of the pupil relative to the position of reflected light is used to detect the direction of the eye line, and the intersection point in the direction of the eye line in the left eye and right eye is used as a focus point. 
     Controller  210   
       FIG.  4    shows a schematic view of the appearance of the controller  210  according to the present embodiment.  FIG.  6    shows a functional configuration diagram of the controller  210  according to the present embodiment. The controller  210  can support the user to make predetermined inputs in the virtual space. The controller  210  may be configured as a set of left-hand  220  and right-hand  230  controllers. The left hand controller  220  and the right hand controller  230  may each have an operational trigger button  240 , an infrared LED  250 , a sensor  260 , a joystick  270 , and a menu button  280 . 
     The operation trigger button  240  is positioned as  240   a,    240   b  in a position that is intended to perform an operation to pull the trigger with the middle finger and index finger when gripping the grip  235  of the controller  210 . The frame  245  formed in a ring-like fashion downward from both sides of the controller  210  is provided with a plurality of infrared LEDs  250 , and a camera (not shown) provided outside the controller can detect the position, orientation and slope of the controller  210  in a particular space by detecting the position of these infrared LEDs. 
     The controller  210  may also incorporate a sensor  260  to detect operations such as the orientation or tilt of the controller  210 . As sensor  260 , it may comprise, for example, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, or a gyro sensor, or a combination thereof. Additionally, the top surface of the controller  210  may include a joystick  270  and a menu button  280 . It is envisioned that the joystick  270  may be moved in a 360 degree direction centered on the reference point and operated with a thumb when gripping the grip  235  of the controller  210 . Menu buttons  280  are also assumed to be operated with the thumb. In addition, the controller  210  may include a vibrator (not shown) for providing vibration to the hand of the user operating the controller  210 . The controller  210  includes an input/output unit and a communication unit for outputting information such as the position, orientation, and slope of the controller  210  via a button or a joystick, and for receiving information from the host computer. 
     With or without the user grasping the controller  210  and manipulating the various buttons and joysticks, and with information detected by the infrared LEDs and sensors, the system can determine the user&#39;s hand operation and attitude, pseudo-displaying and operating the user&#39;s hand in the virtual space. 
     Image Generator  310   
       FIG.  7    shows a functional configuration diagram of an image producing device  310  according to this embodiment. The image producing device  310  may use a device such as a PC, a game machine, or a portable communication terminal having a function for storing information on the user&#39;s head operation or the operation or operation of the controller acquired by the user input information or the sensor, which is transmitted from the HMD  110  or the controller  210 , performing a predetermined computational processing, and generating an image. The image producing device  310  may include an input/output unit  320  for establishing a wired connection with a peripheral device such as, for example, an HMD  110  or a controller  210 , and a communication unit  330  for establishing a wireless connection such as infrared, Bluetooth, or WiFi (registered trademark). The information received from the HMD  110  and/or the controller  210  regarding the operation of the user&#39;s head or the operation or operation of the controller is detected in the control unit  340  as input content including the operation of the user&#39;s position, line of sight, attitude, speech, operation, etc., through the I/O unit  320  and/or the communication unit  330 . The control unit  350  executes a control program stored in the storage unit  350  according to the user&#39;s input content, and performs a process such as controlling the character and generating an image. The control unit  340  may be composed of a CPU. However, by further providing a GPU specialized for image processing, information processing and image processing can be distributed and overall processing efficiency can be improved. The image generating device  310  may also communicate with other computing processing devices to allow other computing processing devices to share information processing and image processing. 
     The control unit  340  includes a user input detecting unit  410  that detects information received from the HMD  110  and/or the controller  210  regarding the operation of the user&#39;s head, speech of the user, and operation of the controller, a character control unit  420  that executes a control program stored in the control program storage unit for a character stored in the character data storage unit  440  of the storage unit  350  in advance, and an image producing unit  430  that generates an image based on character control. Here, the control of the operation of the character is realized by converting information such as the direction, inclination, or manual operation of the user head detected through the HMD  110  or the controller  210  into the operation of each part of the bone structure created in accordance with the movement or restriction of the joints of the human body, and applying the operation of the bone structure to the previously stored character data by relating the bone structure. Further, the control unit  340  includes a recording and playback executing unit  440  for recording and playing back an image-generated character on a track, and an editing executing unit  450  for editing each track and generating the final content. Further, the controller  340  includes a recording and reproduction executing unit  460  for recording audio based on a user&#39;s speech. 
     The storage unit  350  includes a character data storage unit  510  for storing not only image data of a character but also information related to a character such as attributes of a character. The control program storage unit  520  stores a program for controlling the operation of a character or an expression in the virtual space. The storage unit  350  includes an action data composed of parameters for controlling the movement of a character in a moving image generated by the image producing unit  630  and a track storage unit  530  for storing motion data relating to a user&#39;s voice and/or lipsink. 
       FIG.  8    is a flowchart illustrating an example of a track generation process according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     First, the recording and reproduction executing unit  440  of the control unit  340  of the image producing device  310  starts recording for storing action data of the moving image related to operation by the first character in the virtual space in the first track of the track storage unit  530  (S 101 ). Here, the position of the camera where the character is to be shot and the viewpoint of the camera (e.g., FPV, TPV, etc.) can be set. For example, in the virtual space  1  illustrated in  FIG.  1   , the position where the camera man  2  is disposed and the angle of the camera  3  can be set with respect to the character  4  corresponding to the first character. The recording start operation may be indicated by a remote controller, such as controller  210 , or may be indicated by other terminals. The operation may also be performed by a user who is equipped with an HMD  110  to manipulate the controller  210 , to play a character, or by a user other than the user who performs the character. In addition, the recording process may be automatically started based on detecting an operation by a user who performs the character described below. 
     Subsequently, the user input detecting unit  410  of the control unit  340  detects information received from the HMD  110  and/or the controller  210  regarding the operation of the user&#39;s head, speech of the user, and operation or operation of the controller (S 102 ). For example, when the user mounting the HMD  110  tilts the head, the sensor  140  provided in the HMD  110  detects the tilt and transmits information about the tilt to the image generating device  310 . The image generating device  310  receives information about the operation of the user through the communication unit  330 , and the user input detecting unit  410  detects the operation of the user&#39;s head based on the received information. Also, when a user performs a predetermined operation or operation, such as lifting the controller  210  or pressing a button, the sensor  260  provided in the controller detects the operation and/or operation and transmits information about the operation and/or operation to the image generating device  310  using the controller  210 . The image producing device  310  receives information related to the user&#39;s controller operation and operation through the communication unit  330 , and the user input detecting unit  410  detects the user&#39;s controller operation and operation based on the received information. 
     Subsequently, the character control unit  420  of the control unit  340  controls the operation of the first character in the virtual space based on the operation of the detected user (S 103 ). For example, based on the user detecting an operation to tilt the head, the character control unit  420  controls to tilt the head of the first character. Also, based on the fact that the user lifts the controller and detects pressing a predetermined button on the controller, the character control unit  420  controls something while extending the arm of the first character upward. In this manner, the character control unit  420  controls the first character to perform the corresponding operation each time the user input detecting unit  410  detects an operation by a user transmitted from the HMD  110  or the controller  210 . Stores parameters related to the operation and/or operation detected by the user input detecting unit  410  in the first track of the track storage unit  530 . Alternatively, the character may be controlled to perform a predetermined performance action without user input, and the action data relating to the predetermined performance action may be stored in a first track, as shown in  FIG.  9 ( a ) , or both user action and action data relating to a predetermined operation may be stored. 
     Subsequently, the recording and reproduction executing unit  440  confirms whether or not the user receives the instruction to end the recording (S 104 ), and when receiving the instruction to end the recording, completes the recording of the first track related to the first character (S 105 ). The recording and reproduction executing unit  440  continues the recording process unless the user receives an instruction to end the recording. Here, the recording and reproduction executing unit  440  may perform the process of automatically completing the recording when the operation by the user acting as a character is no longer detected. 
     Subsequently, the recording execution unit  460  starts recording for storing in the second track of the track storage unit  530  (S 106 ). Here, the audio to be recorded is assumed to have various uses, such as tentatively recording the lyrics of the character, recording the camera work and instruction on the appearance in accordance with the character operation realized by the stored action data. For example, in the virtual space  1  illustrated in  FIG.  1   , a camera viewpoint for a character  4  corresponding to the first character can be set so as to take a bird&#39;s eye view from a camera  3  to a TPV viewpoint, and the first track can be played back, and the second track can be recorded as shown in  FIG.  9 ( b ) , while checking the operation of the character  4 . The recording start operation may be indicated by a remote controller, such as controller  210 , or may be indicated by other terminals. The operation may also be performed by a user who performs a character or by a user other than the user who performs the character. The recording process may also be initiated automatically based on the detection of speech by the user performing the character. 
     Subsequently, the recording and reproduction executing unit  460  of the control unit  340  detects the voice information pertaining to the speech of a user received from the HMD  110  or the microphone (not shown) through the user input detecting unit  410  and records the voice to the second track (S 107 ). Here, the user may be the same user as the user performing the first character, or may be a different user. Alternatively, the voice input by the user can be received through a sound collecting means such as a microphone that is input to the input/output unit  320  of the image producing device  310 . 
     Subsequently, the recording executing unit  460  confirms whether the user has received an instruction to terminate the recording (S 108 ), and when receiving an instruction to terminate the recording, completes the recording of the second track (S 109 ). The recording executing unit  460  continues the recording process unless the user receives an instruction to terminate the recording. Here, the recording execution unit  440  may perform a process of automatically completing the recording when the operation by the user acting as a character is no longer detected. It is also possible to execute the recording termination process at a predetermined time by activating a timer rather than accepting instructions from the user. 
     Although the procedure of the track generation process has been described with reference to  FIG.  8   , for processing of S 107  to S 109 , motion data consisting of parameters relating to the corresponding lip sink (lip movement of the character) can be stored instead of or additionally adding the user&#39;s voice to the second track, based on the user&#39;s voice. When the motion data related to lip-sink is stored together with the recording, in S 108  and S 109 , it is possible to stop storing the motion data when the voice of the user is no longer detected. 
     It is also possible to skip the first track recording of S 101  to S 106  to execute the recording process of S 107  or later. The same applies to storing motion data related to lipsink. 
     The user may also transmit the first and second tracks to other user terminals such as voice actors (e.g., user terminals  410 B or  410 C of  FIG.  2   ), and other users may further record character audio while referring to the audio of the temporarily recorded characters. In addition, when the other user is an editor, the camera angle of the first track or the behavior of the character may be edited while referring to the instruction content, such as the recorded appearance of the shared second track. 
     In addition, the animation production system according to the present embodiment can be used to produce the animation by a so-called agile method. In other words, it is possible to complete the scene by repeating the events in a short period of time, checking the finish, and taking the pictures again and recording them as needed. This makes it possible to produce animations quickly and flexibly while confirming the direction of production. Alternatively, only a portion of a scene that can be represented can be included in the track and the animation can be finished by stacking the tracks later. For example, the creation of a picture contest is omitted, and instead of a picture contest, a director, performer, or scenario writer can manipulate character  4  within virtual space  1  to record on a track and the performer can play while checking the recorded track. For example, it may be easy to retrieve and rectify a contradictory scene. In addition, various cuts can be made to the track in asynchronous audio and visual recordings, thereby facilitating scheduling management. 
     Although the present embodiment has been described above, the above-described embodiment is intended to facilitate the understanding of the present invention and is not intended to be a limiting interpretation of the present invention. The present invention may be modified and improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and the present invention also includes its equivalent. 
     For example, in this embodiment, while a character has been described as an example with respect to a track generation method and an editing method, the method disclosed in this embodiment may be applied to an object (vehicle, structure, article, etc.) comprising an action, including not only a character, but also a character. 
     For example, although the image producing device  310  has been described in this embodiment as separate from the HMD  110 , the HMD  110  may include all or part of the configuration and functions provided by the image producing device  310 . 
     EXPLANATION OF SYMBOLS 
       1  virtual space 
       2  cameraman 
       3  cameras 
       4  characters 
       5  characters 
       110  HMD 
       210  controller 
       310  Image Generator 
       410  User Terminals