JP2011129001A - Avatar in virtual space and avatar creation system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an avatar in a virtual space on a network where natural moves can be achieved, and an avatar creation system. <P>SOLUTION: The avatar include a body layer and a plurality of clothe layers disposed on the body layer. The body layer includes a plurality of components each coupled to one or more joints. The plurality of clothe layers includes a body front layer and a waist layer, part of the body front layer and part of the waist layer being mounted to be overlapped. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to an avatar and an avatar creation system in a virtual space on a network such as the Internet.

One method of communication via a network such as the Internet is to use an avatar in a virtual space on the Internet. Communication in a virtual space using this avatar is attracting attention as a new communication method because it is highly anonymous and can be performed more easily than actual communication.

At present, many business operators provide communication sites using avatars in a virtual space on the Internet (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP 2009-223419 A JP 2009-48303 A

An object of the present invention is to provide an avatar and an avatar creation system for a user to communicate more realistically in a virtual space.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an avatar in a virtual space on a network, comprising a body layer and a plurality of clothes layers arranged on the body layer.

Also, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a body layer and a plurality of clothes layers are prepared,
An avatar creation method in a virtual space on a network is provided, wherein the plurality of clothes layers are sequentially arranged on the body layer according to a category to which the plurality of clothes layers belong.

The body layer may be composed of a plurality of components.

The plurality of components of the body layer may be coupled to one or more joints, respectively, and the components may rotate about the joint.

The plurality of clothes layers may include a front body layer and a waist layer, and may be arranged so that a part of the front body layer and a part of the waist layer overlap.

The plurality of clothes layers include a waist layer, a right foot upper layer, and a left foot upper layer, a part of the waist layer and a part of the right foot upper layer overlap, and a part of the waist layer and the upper part of the right foot You may make it arrange | position so that a part of layer may overlap.

The body layer includes a hair front layer and a hair back layer, and when the avatar is facing forward, the hair back layer, the face layer, and the hair front layer are sequentially stacked and arranged, and the avatar is behind When facing the hair, the hair front layer, the face layer, and the hair back surface layer may be stacked in order.

According to the avatar and the avatar creation system of the present invention, clothes, accessories, and the like to be attached to the avatar can be created by a plurality of layers, and a natural movement of the avatar can be realized. In addition, according to the avatar and the avatar system of the present invention, it is possible to create an animation of an avatar that performs a smooth operation.

It is a functional block diagram of avatar creation system 100 concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is the design table 200 in the avatar production system 100 which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is the action table 300 in the avatar production system 100 which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The avatar body layer used with the avatar production system 100 which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is shown. 2 illustrates an avatar clothes layer 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention. (A) The outline of the body front surface of the clothes layer 500 of the avatar which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is shown. (B) The outline of the upper left arm (arm_left_top) of the clothes layer 500 of the avatar which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is shown. (C) The outline of the lower left arm (arm_left_bottom) of the clothes layer 500 of the avatar which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is shown. (A) Waist and belt outline (Avatar clothes layer 500 according to one embodiment of the present invention). (B) The outline of the upper left leg (leg_left_top) of the clothes layer 500 of the avatar clothes layer 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. (C) The outline of the lower left leg (leg_left_bottom) of the clothes layer 500 of the clothes layer 500 of the avatar which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is shown. (A) The outline of the shoes of the clothing layer 500 of the avatar of the avatar clothing layer 500 which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is shown. (B) The outline of the boots of the clothes layer 500 of the avatar which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is shown. (A) It is a figure which shows the display order of each layer of the clothes layer 500 of the avatar which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. (A) And (B) It is an example of the design of each layer in the case of creating the bottom-in-style tops design module of the clothes layer 500 of the avatar which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. (C) is a comparative example. (A) And (B)) It is an example of the design of each layer in the case of creating the skirt design module of the clothes layer 500 of the avatar which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. (A) And (B) The example of the design of each layer in the case of creating the one-piece design module of the clothes layer 500 of the avatar which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is shown. (C) is a comparative example. FIG. 6 is an example of layers of a hair front (hair_front) and a hair back (hair_back) of an avatar body 400 when creating a design module for avatar hair according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an example of a layer of a hair front (hair_front) and a hair back (hair_back) of an avatar body 400 when an avatar hat design module according to an embodiment of the present invention is created. It is a flowchart explaining the loading method of the design module in the avatar preparation system which concerns on one Embodiment of invention. It is a functional block diagram of the avatar production system 600 which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is an example of the screen of the avatar production system 600 which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an avatar creation system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The avatar creation system 100 includes a control unit 102, an avatar creation unit 103, and an avatar module storage unit 104.

The control unit 102 controls the avatar creation unit 103 and the avatar module storage unit 104.

The avatar creation unit 103 loads module data (module data such as avatar body (face, body, hand, foot, etc.) layer, clothes layer, etc.) stored in the avatar module storage unit 104 described below to create an avatar. In addition, an animation of a specified avatar action is created.

The avatar module storage unit 104 includes an avatar design module storage unit 104a and an avatar action module storage unit 104b. The avatar design module storage unit 104a stores module data such as an avatar body (face, body, hand, foot, etc.) layer, a clothes layer, and the like. The avatar design module storage unit 104a is configured as a database that stores module data, for example.

For example, the face module data includes data of parts that impress the faces of categorized avatars such as face outline, hair, eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and whiskers. Each face data is tagged. Tagging is performed, for example, by associating with a file name storing data such as parts in the design table 200 shown in FIG. The design table 200 associates data stored in the same row by storing each data in columns of design ID, design file, and attribute. For example, the “basic” of the nose has a design ID of AN0111 to AN0113, is classified into a nose category, and has a name “basic” and a feature “standard”. In addition, such a combination as a nose and a mouth may be included in the design table as set data.

Furthermore, the attribute includes “direction”, and includes, for example, the direction of the avatar, that is, the four directions of the forward direction, the rear direction, the left direction, and the right direction. There is image data corresponding to each of these four directions. However, images classified into the category “nose” are not retrospective. This is because the nose is not displayed if the avatar turns backward. The image data in these directions can be displayed in conjunction with an avatar action module, which will be described later, and an animation in which an action is applied to the avatar. The image data of the avatar's face and the direction of the clothes may have directions other than these four directions. Note that the “direction” attribute may have two attributes, forward and backward. Thereby, the amount of image data can be reduced. Further, even if it is forward-facing or backward-facing, it does not have to be image data facing directly in front or directly behind. For example, in the case of facing forward, it may be image data of an image facing slightly to the right from the front. Good. Then, by generating an image in which the left and right of the image facing slightly right from the front are interchanged, an image facing slightly forward may be obtained. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of image data while preparing variations in the direction in which the avatar faces.

The attribute “feature” includes “standard” and “aged” as examples, and can be selected according to the set age of the avatar.

The avatar design module storage unit 104a stores module data such as clothes layers. Module data such as clothing layers includes categories such as shirts, T-shirts, blouses, tops including dresses, outerwear including jackets and coats, bottoms such as trousers and skirts, accessories such as watches, glasses, jewelry, and shoes. Includes divided data. In addition, inner data such as pants and socks may be further included. Each piece of clothing data is tagged and, for example, “sneakers” are classified into a shoe category, and are given the name and code “sneakers”.

As described above, the clothes layer data is also tagged, and the design ID, design file, and attribute are associated with each other in the table. The attribute has “direction”, and includes image data corresponding to four directions of the avatar, for example, right forward, right rear, front left, and right rear. Furthermore, by defining “season”, “age group”, “sex”, “regionality”, and the like as attributes in the clothes layer data, it is possible to deal with various situations. In the clothes layer data, the “orientation” attribute may have two attributes, forward and backward. In the case of being forward-facing, it may be image data of an image facing slightly to the right from the front. Then, by generating an image in which the left and right of the image facing slightly right from the front are interchanged, an image facing slightly forward may be obtained.

The avatar action module storage unit 104b stores data for attaching an action to the avatar using the above-described avatar design module stored in the avatar design module storage unit 104a. In order to store such data, the avatar action module storage unit 104b includes, for example, a table 300 shown in FIG. In the table 300, data for attaching an action to an avatar is classified and stored. The table 300 associates data stored in the same row by storing each data in the action ID, action file, and attribute columns. The avatar motion is classified into large categories such as “movement”, “motion”, and “emotion” in category 1. Such a large category is classified into a smaller category. Examples of such small categories include “walking”, “running”, “swimming”, “flying”, etc. as category 2 in category 1 “movement”, and “dancing” in category 1 “motion”. , “Sit”, “stand up”, “write”, “cut”, “eat”, “sleep / lie down”, “drink”, etc. Further, in category 1 “emotion”, there are “angry”, “laughing”, “sad”, “surprised”, “joyed”, and the like.

Further, the attributes can include “name”, “part”, “orientation”, and “feature”. Moreover, you may include the text explaining operation | movement in an attribute. For example, the name “run with full power” defined by the action ID AA0123 is classified into category 1 “movement” and category 2 “run”, and the right hand, left hand, right foot, left foot and head are attributed as “parts”. And “direction” is left-facing, and “feature” is “fast”. At this time, the action file AA0123. swf selects the left avatar image data, moves the right hand, the left hand, the right foot, the left foot, and the head within the range of angles for causing the avatar to perform the motions indicating these characteristics, and the timing at which each part moves. Is specified. Here, by defining the movement of the part as an angle range, even if the user changes the size of the avatar, the part may be moved within the angle range. Therefore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the motion of the avatar may be defined as a specified sequence of which joint is moved in which angle range. Further, the length of time may be specified by associating the length of time with the designation configuring such a column, and the length of time for moving the joint. Further, the direction of the avatar may be associated with the designation. Further, it may be possible to specify that a plurality of joints are moved simultaneously.

(Avatar body layer)
Next, an avatar body layer used in the avatar creation system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 shows an avatar body layer used in the avatar creation system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4A and 4B show the design modules of the avatar body layer front 400F and body layer back 400B, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 4A, in the present embodiment, the body layer front surface 400F of the avatar includes a face, eyebrow, eye, right ear (ear_right), left ear (ear_left), Nose, mouth, beard, front of hair (hair_front), back of hair (hair_back), front of body (body), front of waist (waist), upper front of right arm (arm_right_top), lower front of right arm ( It includes components such as arm_right_bottom), left arm upper front (arm_left_top), left lower arm front (atrm_left_bottom), right foot upper front (leg_right_bot), right foot lower front (leg_right_bottom), left foot upper front (leg_left_top), and left foot lower front (leg_left_bottom).

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4B, in this embodiment, the avatar body layer rear surface 400B includes the right ear (ear_right), the left ear (ear_left), the hair rear surface (hair_back), the body rear surface (body_back), and the waist. Rear surface (waist_back), upper right arm rear surface (arm_right_top_back), lower right arm rear surface (arm_right_bottom_back), upper left arm rear surface (arm_left_top_back), lower left arm rear surface (atrm_left_bottom_back), upper right foot rear rear surface (leg_right_top_back), right foot lower back posterior tom back back leg_right (Leg_left_top_back) and the left lower back surface (leg_left_bottom_back).

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, in the present embodiment, the avatar body layer front surface 400F and rear surface 400F have a neck joint (joint_neck), a right shoulder joint (joint_shoulder_right), a left shoulder joint ( joint_shoulder_left), right arm joint (joint_arm_right), left arm joint (joint_arm_left), hip joint (joint_waist), right foot joint (joint_leg_groin_right), right foot joint (joint_leg_right), left foot joint (joint_leg_groin_left) and left leg joint (joint_leg_groin_left) . Each component of the body layer front surface 400F and the rear surface 400B of the avatar can be operated around these joints.

In addition, although the body layer front surface 400F and the rear surface 400F of the avatar according to the present embodiment are designed to include the above-described components and joints, the present invention is not limited to this, and components other than the above-described components And you may design so that joints other than the above-mentioned joint may be included.

In the present embodiment, the body layer front surface 400F and the rear surface 400B of the avatar are design modules in a state where the avatar faces slightly right (front right) and slightly left (back left) from the rear, respectively. The design module on the front of the body layer facing the front left can be obtained as module data having the axis target data of the front body layer 400F facing the front right, and the design module on the rear of the body layer facing the back right is It can be generated as module data having axis target data of the rear surface 400B of the body layer facing left rear.

As described above, the body layer of the avatar according to the present embodiment faithfully reproduces the components and joints of the human appearance. Therefore, by adding an action to the avatar according to the present embodiment, it is possible to create an animation of an avatar that performs a very smooth operation.

(Avatar clothes layer)
Next, the clothes layer of the avatar which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated. FIG. 5 shows an avatar clothes layer 500 according to this embodiment. The avatar clothes layer 500 according to the present embodiment includes a head, a body front, a body rear surface, a waist, a top right arm (arm_right_top), a bottom right arm (arm_right_bottom), and a top left arm (arm_left_top). ), Lower left arm (atrm_left_bottom), upper right leg (leg_right_top), lower right leg (leg_right_bottom), upper left leg (leg_left_top), and lower left leg (leg_left_bottom). The avatar clothes layer 500 of this embodiment is designed to include these components, but is not limited to this, and is designed to include components other than the above-described components. May be.

Next, each component of the clothes layer 500 of the avatar which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated.

FIG. 6A shows an outline of the body front of the avatar clothes layer 500. The body front of the avatar clothes layer 500 includes three sub-layers (body front 1 (body_1), body front 2 (body_2) and body front 3 (body_3)) from the inside. Although not shown in the drawing, the body front and rear (body_reverse) of the avatar clothes layer 500 is composed of three sub-layers (body front 1 (body_reverse_1), body front 2) from the inside, similar to the body front of the avatar clothes layer 500. (Body_reverse_2) and body front 3 (body_reverse_3)).

Next, FIG. 6B shows an outline of the upper left arm (arm_left_top) of the clothes layer 500 of the avatar. The upper left arm (arm_left_top) of the clothes layer 500 of the avatar includes three sublayers (upper left arm 1 (arm_left_top_1), upper left arm 2 (arm_left_top_2), and upper left arm 3 (arm_left_top_3)). Although not shown, the upper right arm (arm_right_top) of the clothing layer 500 of the avatar has three sub-layers (upper right arm 1 (arm_right_top_1), upper right arm 2 (arm_right_top_2), and upper right arm, as with the upper left arm (arm_left_top). 3 (arm_right_top_3)).

Next, FIG. 6C shows an outline of the lower left arm (arm_left_bottom) of the clothes layer 500 of the avatar. The lower left arm (arm_left_bottom) of the avatar clothes layer 500 includes three sublayers (left arm lower 1 (arm_left_bottom_1), left arm lower 2 (arm_left_bottom_2), and left arm lower 3 (arm_left_bottom_3)) from the inside. Although not shown, the lower right arm (arm_right_bottom) of the clothing layer 500 of the avatar has three sublayers (lower right arm 1 (arm_right_bottom_1), lower right arm 2 (arm_right_bottom_2), and lower right arm, similar to the lower left arm (arm_left_bottom). 3 (arm_right_bottom_3)).

Next, FIG. 7A shows the outline of the waist and belt of the avatar clothes layer 500. The waist of the avatar clothes layer 500 includes three sub-layers (waist 1 (waist_1), waist 2 (waist_2), and waist 3 (waist_3)) from the inside. The belt of the avatar clothes layer 500 includes two sublayers (belt 1 (belt_1) and belt 2 (belt)) from the inside.

Next, FIG. 7B shows an outline of the upper left leg (leg_left_top) of the clothes layer 500 of the avatar. The upper left leg (leg_left_top) of the clothes layer 500 of the avatar includes three sublayers (left upper leg 1 (leg_left_top_1), left upper leg 2 (leg_left_top_2), and left upper leg 3 (leg_left_top_3)). Although not shown, the upper right leg (leg_right_top) of the clothes layer 500 of the avatar has three sub-layers (upper right leg 1 (leg_right_top_1), upper right leg 2 (leg_right_top_2) and upper right leg) as well as the upper left leg (leg_left_top). 3 (leg_right_top_3)).

Next, FIG. 7C shows an outline of the lower left leg (leg_left_bottom) of the clothes layer 500 of the avatar. The lower left leg (leg_left_bottom) of the clothes layer 500 of the avatar includes three sub-layers (left lower leg 1 (leg_left_bottom_1), left lower leg 2 (leg_left_bottom_2) and left lower leg 3 (leg_left_bottom_3)). Although not shown, the lower right leg (leg_right_bottom) of the clothing layer 500 of the avatar has three sub-layers from the inside (the lower right leg 1 (leg_right_bottom_1), the lower right leg 2 (leg_right_bottom_2) and the lower right leg), like the lower left leg (leg_left_bottom) 3 (leg_right_bottom_3)).

Next, FIG. 8 shows an outline of shoes and boots of the clothes layer 500 of the avatar. The shoes of the clothing layer 500 of the avatar include two sublayers (shoes 1 (shoes_1) and shoes 2 (shoes_2)) from the inside. The boots of the avatar clothes layer 500 include two sub-layers (boot 1 (boots_1) and boot 2 (boots_2)) from the inside.

As explained above, the front, body, left upper arm (arm_left_top), lower left arm (arm_left_bottom), upper right arm (arm_left_top), lower right arm (arm_left_bottom), waist (waist) ), Belt, upper left leg (leg_left_top), lower left leg (leg_left_bottom), upper right leg (leg_right_top), lower right leg (leg_right_bottom), shoes and boots each contain multiple sublayers Thus, the clothes design of the avatar can be finely performed, and even when the avatar is accompanied by a movement, a smooth movement can be realized.

In addition, the sublayer of each component of the clothes layer 500 of each avatar is not limited to the number mentioned above, It can change suitably.

Here, the display order of each layer of the avatar clothes layer 500 will be described with reference to FIG. In the avatar clothes layer 500 according to the present embodiment, the display order of each layer is changed depending on which direction (right front, left front, right rear, left rear) the avatar is facing. FIG. 9A shows the display order of each layer when the avatar faces left front, and FIG. 9B shows the display order of each layer when the avatar faces right front. FIG. 9C shows the display order of each layer when the avatar is facing left rear as the layer order, and FIG. 9D shows the case where the avatar is facing right rear. The display order of each layer is shown as the context of the layer. In this way, by changing the display order of each layer of clothes according to the orientation of the avatar, the display of the clothes layer according to the orientation of the avatar can be prevented from becoming unnatural, and the avatar moves Even in the case of accompanying, natural and smooth movement can be realized.

(Bottom-in style tops design module)
Next, an example of creating a tops design module using the avatar clothes layer 500 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 10A shows an example of the design of each layer when creating a bottom-in style tops design module. A body layer of the clothing layer 500 is created as shown in FIG. 10A1, and a part of the body layer and a part of the waist layer overlap as shown in FIG. 10A2. Create a waist layer. In this way, by configuring the tops design module with the body layer and waist layer, as shown in FIG. 10B, the avatar's hip joint (joint_waist) is used as the axis. Even when the body front of the body layer 400F is rotated, the waist layer of the clothing layer 500 is displayed on the body front of the avatar body layer 400F. It is possible to prevent the front body (body) from being displayed (comparative example: see FIG. 10C). Therefore, the natural movement of the bottom-in style avatar can be realized. The tops design module described here is not limited to bottom-in style tops, and may be used for bottom-out style tops.

The image displayed on the waist layer can have a substantially circular upper side, as shown in FIG. This is because when the image displayed on the clothes layer is rotated according to the rotation of the front of the body (body), the edge of the image displayed on the clothes layer has an arc centered on the rotation center of the front of the body (body). This is for drawing. The image displayed on the waist layer may be anything as long as it covers this arc, but if the upper side is substantially circular, the area of the image displayed on the waist layer is reduced. The amount of data required to display the avatar can be reduced.

(Skirt design module)
FIGS. 11A and 11B show examples of the design of each layer when a skirt design module is created. When creating the skirt design module, the waist layer of the clothes layer 500 is created as shown in FIG. Furthermore, when the legs of the avatar body 400 (leg_left_top, leg_left_bottom, leg_right_top, leg_right_bottom), such as a tight skirt design module, operate, it is expected that the legs of the avatar body 400 will be displayed next to the skirt, etc. 11B, in addition to the waist layer of the clothes layer 500, the upper left leg (leg_left_top) and upper right leg (leg_right_top) of the clothes layer 500 are created. By doing this, even when the legs (leg_left_top, leg_left_bottom, leg_right_top, leg_right_bottom) of the avatar body 400 are moved, the legs of the avatar body 400 are displayed beside the skirt or the like and appear to protrude. Can be prevented, and a natural movement of the avatar can be realized. Note that the skirt design module described here is not limited to tight skirts. If necessary, create a lower left leg (leg_left_bottom) and lower right leg (leg_right_bottom) of the clothing layer 500 to create a long skirt. You may make it respond | correspond.

The images of the upper left leg (leg_left_top) and the upper right leg (leg_right_top) of the clothes layer 500 may have a sector shape centered on the right leg joint (joint_leg_groin_right) and the left leg root joint (joint_leg_groin_left), respectively. Moreover, it can also be set as the triangle or polygon which makes a right leg joint (joint_leg_groin_right) and a left leg joint (joint_leg_groin_left) one of the vertices.

(One piece design module)
FIG. 12A shows an example of the design of each layer when creating a one-piece design module. When creating a one-piece design module, a body layer of the clothing layer 500 is created as shown in FIG. 12A1, and a waist layer is created as shown in FIG. 12A2. The body layer of the clothing layer 500 is created so that the lower end of the body layer of the clothing layer 500 is below the upper end of the waist layer. In this way, by configuring the one-piece design module with the body layer and waist layer, as shown in FIG. 12 (B), the avatar's hip joint (joint_waist) is used as the axis. Even when the body front of the body layer 400F is rotated, the body layer of the clothing layer 500 is displayed on the body front of the avatar body layer 400F. Can be prevented from being displayed (comparative example: see FIG. 12C), and natural movement of the bottom-in style avatar can be realized.

The image displayed on the waist layer of the one-piece design module can also have a substantially circular upper side like the image displayed on the waist layer of the clothes layer described above.

(Hair design module)
FIG. 13 shows an example of the layers of the hair front (hair_front) and the hair back (hair_back) of the avatar body 400 when the hair design module is created. When creating a hair design module, a hair front (hair_front) layer and a hair back (400_B) layer of the avatar body 400F are created, and these two layers are added together to create the hair front shown in FIG. 13 (C1). (Hair_front) and hair_back design module are completed. At this time, the part a of FIG. 13A and the parts b and c of the hair shown in FIG. 13B are displayed so as to overlap the front surface (hair_front) and the back surface (hair_back) of the completed hair, respectively. To. In other words, the completed hair front (hair_front), avatar face, and hair back (hair_back) are arranged on different layers so that they are displayed in a superimposed manner. By doing so, as shown in FIGS. 13C1 and 13C2, the hair can be displayed naturally when the avatar faces in any direction (right front, left front, right rear, left rear). And a natural movement of the avatar can be realized.

(Cap design module)
FIG. 14 shows an example of the layers of the hair front (hair_front) and the hair back (hair_back) of the avatar body 400 when the hat design module is created. When creating a hat design module, a hair front (hair_front) layer of the avatar body 400F and a hair back (hair_back) layer of 400B are created, and these two layers are added together to create the hair front shown in FIG. The design module of (hair_front) and the back surface of hair (hair_back) (not shown) is completed. At this time, the portion a (right end of the collar of the hat) in FIG. 14 (A1) and the hair portion b (left end of the collar of the hat) shown in FIG. 14 (B1) are respectively the front surface (hair_front) of the completed hair and the hair. To be displayed over the back (hair_back). By doing so, as shown in FIG. 14C, the hat can be displayed naturally when the avatar faces in any direction (right front, left front, right rear, left rear). Natural movement can be realized.

(Loading clothes design module on avatar)
Here, a method for loading a design module in order to display the avatar body layers 400F and 400B and the clothes layer 500 according to the present embodiment described above in detail will be described.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart for explaining a design module loading method. The avatar is associated with the design ID of the design module to be used when displaying the avatar, and is stored in the memory of the avatar management unit of the avatar creation system. In step S1501, the contents of the design file stored in the design table 200 in association with the design ID associated with the avatar are loaded. Steps S1502 to S1506 are executed for each content loaded with the design file.

In step S1502, the contents of the loaded design file are checked, and it is checked whether or not the contents of a plurality of design files are set in the same layer. If the contents of a plurality of design files are set in the same layer, for example, in order to prioritize the contents of the design file loaded later, the process moves to step S1503, and is loaded and set in the layer first. Delete content.

After steps S1502 and S1503, as step S1504, the design table 200 is referred to, a category associated with the design ID is acquired, and it is determined whether a layer corresponding to the category is generated for the avatar. If the layer corresponding to the category is not generated for the avatar, the process proceeds to step S1505 to generate a layer. In step 1505, a layer is generated based on the layer order shown in FIG.

After steps S1504 and S1505, the content of the loaded design file is set in the layer as step S1506.

With the above processing, preparation for displaying the avatar is completed.

By performing such processing, even when many layers are used for the avatar, the loading time of the layers can be shortened.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 16 is a functional block diagram of an avatar creation system 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The avatar creation system 600 includes a control unit 102, an avatar creation unit 103, and an avatar module storage unit 104. The user terminals 604 _{1 to} 604 _n can access the avatar creation system 600 via a network such as the Internet. In addition, about the structure similar to the above-mentioned Embodiment 1, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted here. A user is a functional block diagram of avatar creation system 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention using user terminals 604 _{1 to} 604 _n . The avatar creation system 600 can be accessed to create the avatar described in the first embodiment.

It is also possible to create a video using the created avatar. Created videos, like current text-centric blogs, describe the daily life of users on user terminals, and play back audio synchronized with the video, and use it as language teaching materials. be able to.

FIG. 17 shows a screen example 700 of the avatar creation system 600 shown in the user terminals 604 _{1 to} 604 _n . Reference numeral 702 denotes an avatar, and the user can freely select an avatar design module (body layer, clothes layer) from the list shown in 700.

According to the avatar and the avatar creation system of the present invention, clothes, accessories, and the like to be attached to the avatar can be created by a plurality of layers, and a natural movement of the avatar can be realized. In addition, according to the avatar and the avatar system of the present invention, it is possible to create an animation of an avatar that operates very smoothly. Therefore, the avatar and avatar creation system of the present invention can be used in any virtual space on the Internet.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Avatar creation system 103 Avatar creation part 104 Avatar management part 104a Avatar design module storage part 104b Avatar action module storage part 107 Control part 200 Table 300 Action table 400F Avatar body layer front 400B Avatar body layer rear

Claims (12)

Body layers,
An avatar in a virtual space on a network, comprising: a plurality of clothes layers arranged in the body layer. The avatar in the virtual space on the network according to claim 1, wherein the body layer includes a plurality of components. 3. The network according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of components of the body layer is coupled to one or more joints, and the components rotate about the joint as an axis. Avatar in virtual space. The plurality of clothes layers include a front body layer and a waist layer, and are mounted so that a part of the front body layer and a part of the waist layer overlap each other. An avatar in a virtual space on the network described in 1. The plurality of clothes layers include a waist layer, a right foot upper layer, and a left foot upper layer, a part of the waist layer and a part of the right foot upper layer overlap, and a part of the waist layer and the upper part of the right foot The avatar in the virtual space on the network according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the avatar is mounted so as to overlap a part of the layer. The body layer includes a hair front layer and a hair back layer, and when the avatar is facing forward, the body layer is created by sequentially superposing the hair back layer, the face layer, and the hair front layer, and the avatar is behind The avatar in the virtual space on the network according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the avatar in the virtual space on the network according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the hair front layer, the face layer, and the hair back surface layer are sequentially stacked. Prepare a body layer and multiple clothes layers,
A method for creating an avatar in a virtual space on a network, wherein the plurality of clothes layers are sequentially arranged on the body layer according to a category to which the plurality of clothes layers belong. The method for creating an avatar in a virtual space on a network according to claim 7, wherein the body layer includes a plurality of components. 9. The network according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of components of the body layer are respectively coupled to one or more joints, and the components rotate about the joints. How to create an avatar in virtual space. The plurality of clothes layers include a front body layer and a waist layer, and are attached so that a part of the front body layer and a part of the waist layer overlap each other. A method for creating an avatar in a virtual space on a network according to 1. The plurality of clothes layers include a waist layer, a right foot upper layer, and a left foot upper layer, a part of the waist layer and a part of the right foot upper layer overlap, and a part of the waist layer and the upper part of the right foot The method for creating an avatar in the virtual space on the network according to claim 7, wherein the avatar is mounted so as to overlap a part of the layer. The body layer includes a hair front layer and a hair back layer, and when the avatar faces forward, the body layer is created by sequentially superposing the hair back layer, the face layer, and the hair front layer, and the avatar is behind 11. The avatar in the virtual space on the network according to claim 7, wherein the hair front layer, the face layer, and the hair rear surface layer are sequentially overlapped and created. How to make.