Terminal apparatus, non-transitory computer readable medium, and image display method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12412335-B2
Application number	US-202318318112-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2023
Priority date	May 17, 2022
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

A terminal apparatus is a terminal apparatus configured to display a user image being an image of a first user to a second user in a second space separate from a first space in which the first user is present, the terminal apparatus including a controller configured to display, on a vertical display plane extending in a vertical direction, a first image being an image of a desk or a floor, together with the user image, display, on a horizontal display plane extending in a horizontal direction, a second image being a continuous image with the first image, the horizontal display plane being adjacent to a lower end of the vertical display plane, and when displaying the first image and the second image, draw a pattern on the first image and a pattern on the second image as continuous patterns with each other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A terminal apparatus configured to display an image of a first user to a second user in a second space separate from a first space in which the first user is present, the terminal apparatus comprising a controller configured to:
display, on a vertical display plane extending in a vertical direction, a first image of a desk or a floor, together with the image of the first user;
display, on a horizontal display plane extending in a horizontal direction, a second image continuous with the first image, the horizontal display plane being adjacent to a lower end of the vertical display plane;
when displaying the first image and the second image, draw a pattern on the first image and a pattern on the second image as continuous patterns with each other;
display, on the vertical display plane, an image of an object placed on the desk or the floor;
in response to an operation by the first user to write a text or draw a picture on the object, add the text or picture on the image of the object;
move the image of the object with the added text or picture from the vertical display plane to the horizontal display plane in response to an operation by the first user to slide the object with the added text or picture forward of the first user;
display the image of the first user on the vertical display plane with an offset set so that the first user appears closer to the second user than in reality; and
when the first user extends a hand forward, display an image of the hand of the first user on the horizontal display plane so that the hand of the first user appears to float out of the horizontal display plane.

2. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to, when displaying the first image and the second image, draw, on the first image, a shadow of the first user reflected on the desk or the floor, and draw, on the second image, an extension of the shadow.

3. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
move the image of the object with the added text or picture from the horizontal display plane to the vertical display plane in response to an operation by the second user to slide the object with the added text or picture forward of the second user.

4. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the image of the first user includes an avatar of the first user in a virtual three-dimensional space, and
the first image includes an object of the desk in front of the avatar of the first user in the virtual three-dimensional space, or an object of the floor on which the avatar of the first user is present in the virtual three-dimensional space.

5. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the vertical display plane and the horizontal display plane are part of an L-shaped display in side view.

6. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pattern represents a material of a top surface of the desk or a surface of the floor.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program configured to cause a computer to execute operations, the computer being configured to display an image of a first user to a second user in a second space separate from a first space in which the first user is present, the operations comprising:
displaying, on a vertical display plane extending in a vertical direction, a first image of a desk or a floor, together with the image of the first user;
displaying, on a horizontal display plane extending in a horizontal direction, a second image continuous with the first image, the horizontal display plane being adjacent to a lower end of the vertical display plane;
when displaying the first image and the second image, drawing a pattern on the first image and a pattern on the second image as continuous patterns with each other;
displaying, on the vertical display plane, an image of an object placed on the desk or the floor;
in response to an operation by the first user to write a text or draw a picture on the object, adding the text or picture on the image of the object;
moving the image of the object with the added text or picture from the vertical display plane to the horizontal display plane in response to an operation by the first user to slide the object with the added text or picture forward of the first user;
displaying the image of the first user on the vertical display plane with an offset set so that the first user appears closer to the second user than in reality; and
when the first user extends a hand forward, displaying an image of the hand of the first user on the horizontal display plane so that the hand of the first user appears to float out of the horizontal display plane.

8. An image display method to display an image of a first user to a second user in a second space separate from a first space in which the first user is present, the image display method comprising:
displaying, on a vertical display plane extending in a vertical direction, a first image of a desk or a floor, together with the image of the first user;
displaying, on a horizontal display plane extending in a horizontal direction, a second image continuous with the first image, the horizontal display plane being adjacent to a lower end of the vertical display plane;
when displaying the first image and the second image, drawing a pattern on the first image and a pattern on the second image as continuous patterns with each other;
displaying, on the vertical display plane, an image of an object placed on the desk or the floor;
in response to an operation by the first user to write a text or draw a picture on the object, adding the text or picture on the image of the object;
moving the image of the object with the added text or picture from the vertical display plane to the horizontal display plane in response to an operation by the first user to slide the object with the added text or picture forward of the first user;
displaying the image of the first user on the vertical display plane with an offset set so that the first user appears closer to the second user than in reality; and
when the first user extends a hand forward, displaying an image of the hand of the first user on the horizontal display plane so that the hand of the first user appears to float out of the horizontal display plane.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kaku Wataru
• Kikuchi Daisuke

Classifications

• G06F3/1423

  controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display · CPC title

• G09G2300/026

  Video wall, i.e. juxtaposition of a plurality of screens to create a display screen of bigger dimensions · CPC title

• G06T19/00

  Manipulating three-dimensional [3D] models or images for computer graphics · CPC title

• G06T15/60 Primary

  Shadow generation · CPC title

• G06F3/04815

  Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional [3D], e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object · CPC title