Display controlling apparatus, information terminal unit provided with display controlling apparatus, and viewpoint location controlling apparatus

Abstract

The object of the present invention can be achieved by a display controlling apparatus for displaying a plurality of information objects including an information object shown by a three-dimensional shape in a three-dimensional virtual space. In the display controlling apparatus, a view to display is determined based on a shape of the information object to observe by corresponding to a view movement instruction input by a user as if the view traces a surface of the shape. And display images of the plurality of information objects linked each other are generated based on the view. Then, the display images are displayed at a display unit so as to display the information objects corresponding to the view movement instruction.

1 . A display controlling apparatus for displaying a plurality of information objects in a three-dimensional virtual space, said plurality of information objects successively linking each other and including an information object shown by a three-dimensional shape, said display controlling apparatus comprising: 
 a view determining part determining a view to display based on a shape of the information object to observe by corresponding to a view movement instruction input by a user as if the view traces a surface of the shape; and    a display image generating part generating display images of the plurality of information objects linked each other based on the view determined by said view determining part,    wherein the display images are displayed at a display unit so as to display the information objects corresponding to the view movement instruction.    
     
     
         2 . The display controlling apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising a link information managing part managing a relative location relationship and a relative scale ratio of each of the information objects in the three-dimensional virtual space as link information, 
 wherein:    while said view determining part switches the information object to observe to the information object arranged in a movement direction indicated by the view management instruction based on the link information, said view determining part determines the view based on the shape of the switched information object, and    said display image generating part select the information object to display from the plurality of the information objects linked each other based on the location relationship and the scale ratio and generates the display images.    
     
     
         3 . The display controlling apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said view determining part comprises: 
 an observation point movement path calculating part calculating a movement path of an observation point based on a three-dimensional shape of the information object; and    a view movement calculating part calculating the view movement based on the shape of the information object,    wherein when the information object to observe is the three-dimensional shape, said view movement calculating part calculates the view movement based on a calculation result by said observation point movement path calculating part.    
     
     
         4 . An information terminal unit provided with the display controlling apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , said display controlling apparatus for displaying a plurality of information objects in a three-dimensional virtual space, said plurality of information objects successively linking each other and including an information object shown by a three-dimensional shape, said information terminal unit comprising: 
 an instruction receiving part receiving a view movement instruction in the three-dimensional virtual space by an operation of a user in a view movement direction.    
     
     
         5 . The information terminal unit as claimed in  claim 4 , comprising: 
 an information inputting part enabling to input information by a key-input; and    a view movement part capable of indicating the view movement direction to go upward, downward, rightward, or leftward, or to zoom in or zoom out by the operation of the user in the view movement direction.    
     
     
         6 . A display controlling program for causing a computer to conduct processes in a display controlling apparatus for displaying a plurality of information objects in a three-dimensional virtual space, said plurality of information objects successively linking each other and including an information object shown by a three-dimensional shape, said display controlling program comprising: 
 a view determining step determining a view to display based on a shape of the information object to observe by corresponding to a view movement instruction input by a user as if the view traces a surface of the shape; and    a display image generating step generating display images of the plurality of information objects linked each other based on the view determined in said view determining step,    wherein the display images are displayed at a display unit so as to display the information objects corresponding to the view movement instruction.    
     
     
         7 . A computer-readable recording medium recorded with program code for causing a computer to conduct processes in a display controlling apparatus for displaying a plurality of information objects in a three-dimensional virtual space, said plurality of information objects successively linking each other and including an information object shown by a three-dimensional shape, said program comprising: 
 a view determining code determining a view to display based on a shape of the information object to observe by corresponding to a view movement instruction input by a user as if the view traces a surface of the shape; and    a display image generating code generating display images of the plurality of information objects linked each other based on the view determined by said view determining code,    wherein the display images are displayed at a display unit so as to display the information objects corresponding to the view movement instruction.    
     
     
         8 . A viewpoint location controlling apparatus for controlling a viewpoint location with respect to the plurality of the information objects having shapes displayed in a three-dimensional virtual space, said viewpoint location controlling apparatus comprising: 
 a reference determining part determining the information object to display at a nearest location from the viewpoint location in accordance with an input by a user; and    a speed changing part changing a movement speed of the view by corresponding to a length of a distance from the determined reference object to the viewpoint location,    wherein based on the reference information object, the viewpoint location is controlled so as to move the viewpoint at the movement speed corresponding to the distance to the viewpoint location, and the plurality of the information objects are displayed.    
     
     
         9 . The viewpoint location controlling apparatus as claimed in  claim 8 , comprising: 
 a data managing part managing information object data including geometric information geometrically showing a shape of the information object    wherein said speed changing part changes the movement speed of the viewpoint while changing the movement direction of the reference object based on the geometric information, which is managed by said data managing part, of the reference object determined by said reference determining part.    
     
     
         10 . The viewpoint location controlling apparatus as claimed in  claim 9 , comprising: 
 a distance processing part processing the length of the distance from the information object to the viewpoint location based on the geometric information of the information object managed by said data managing part.    
     
     
         11 . The viewpoint location controlling apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said distance processing part calculates the distance from the viewpoint location in a local coordinate system determined by the geometric information of the information object, and sets the calculated distance to be infinity when the calculated distance is greater than a first predetermined value.  
     
     
         12 . The viewpoint location controlling apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said distance processing part calculates the distance from the viewpoint location in the local coordinate system determined by the geometric information of the information object, and sets the calculated distance to be infinity when the calculated distance is greater than a second predetermined value and smaller than the first predetermined value.  
     
     
         13 . The viewpoint location controlling apparatus as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein said distance processing part calculates the distance from the viewpoint location in the local coordinate system determined by the geometric information of the information object, and sets the calculated value to a third predetermined value so as to be constant when the calculated distance is smaller than the third predetermined value that is smaller than the second predetermined value.  
     
     
         14 . The viewpoint location controlling apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said reference determining part determines the information object to be displayed at a nearest location to the viewpoint based on the distance, which is processed by said distance processing part, from the viewpoint location as the reference information object.  
     
     
         15 . A viewpoint location controlling program for causing a computer to conduct processes in a viewpoint location controlling apparatus for controlling a viewpoint location with respect to the plurality of the information objects having shapes displayed in a three-dimensional virtual space, said viewpoint location controlling program comprising: 
 a reference determining step determining the information object to display at a nearest location from the viewpoint location in accordance with an input by a user; and    a speed changing step changing a movement speed of the view by corresponding to a length of a distance from the determined reference object to the viewpoint location,    wherein based on the reference information object, the viewpoint location is controlled so as to move the viewpoint at the movement speed corresponding to the distance to the viewpoint location, and the plurality of the information objects are displayed.    
     
     
         16 . A computer-readable recording medium recorded with program code for causing a computer to conduct processes in a viewpoint location controlling apparatus for controlling a viewpoint location with respect to the plurality of the information objects having shapes displayed in a three-dimensional virtual space, said program comprising: 
 a reference determining code determining the information object to display at a nearest location from the viewpoint location in accordance with an input by a user; and    a speed changing code changing a movement speed of the view by corresponding to a length of a distance from the determined reference object to the viewpoint location,    wherein based on the reference information object, the viewpoint location is controlled so as to move the viewpoint at the movement speed corresponding to the distance to the viewpoint location, and the plurality of the information objects are displayed.