Patent ID: 7965304

Claim:
An image processing method comprising: a first setting step of setting a first virtual light source used to irradiate a virtual space with light; a layout step of laying out a virtual object in the virtual space; a first acquiring step of acquiring a position and orientation of a viewpoint of an observer; a generation step of generating an image of the virtual space, irradiated with light from the first virtual light source, viewed from a viewpoint having the position and orientation acquired in the first acquiring step; a second acquiring step of acquiring a position and orientation of an objective viewpoint, wherein the objective viewpoint is different from the viewpoint of the observer; a second setting step of setting a second virtual light source which is laid out at the acquired position and orientation of the objective viewpoint and is used to generate, in the virtual space, a shadow of a physical tool object, wherein the physical tool object is manipulated by the observer so that the second virtual light source irradiates the physical tool object at an angle; a third acquiring step of acquiring a position and orientation of the physical tool object; a shadow generation step of generating, in the virtual space, a shadow of the physical tool object based on the second virtual light source; a calculating step of calculating a region surrounded by a plurality of lines extending from a position of the second virtual light source to an outline of the physical tool object; a first determining step of determining whether or not the virtual object is partially or fully included in the region; a second determining step of determining whether or not a position of the virtual object is further away from a position of the second virtual light source than a position of the physical tool object; and a generating step of generating using a generation unit, if the virtual object is partially or fully included in the region and a position of the virtual object is further away from a position of the second virtual light source than a position of the physical tool object, a shadow on an area of the virtual object included in the region.