Patent ID: 7812841

Claim:
A viewpoint location controlling apparatus for controlling a viewpoint location with respect to a plurality of information objects having shapes displayed in a three-dimensional virtual space, said viewpoint location controlling apparatus comprising: a data managing part managing information object data including geometric information geometrically showing a shape of an information object; a distance processing part calculating a viewpoint distance from the information object to the viewpoint location, based on the geometric information of the information object, in a local coordinate system determined by the geometric information of the information object; a first setting part setting a first predetermined value as a processed distance between the information object and the viewpoint location when the calculated viewpoint distance is less than the first predetermined value; a second setting part setting the calculated viewpoint distance as the processed distance when the calculated viewpoint distance is equal to or greater than the first predetermined value and is less than a second predetermined value; a third setting part calculating a value calculated by using a function that asymptotically increases towards positive infinity to the calculated viewpoint distance between the information object and the viewpoint location, and setting the value as the processed distance when the calculated viewpoint distance is equal to or greater than the second predetermined value and is less than a third predetermined value; a fourth setting part setting a maximum distance as the processed distance when the calculated viewpoint distance is equal to or greater than the third predetermined value; a reference determining part determining a reference object indicating the information object that is closest to the viewpoint location; and a speed changing part changing a movement speed of a view by corresponding to the processed distance based on the calculated viewpoint distance from the determined reference object to the viewpoint location, where based on the reference information object, the viewpoint location is controlled so as to move the viewpoint at the movement speed corresponding to the processed distance, and the plurality of the information objects are displayed.