JPH11338606A - Virtual space sharing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To generating a comfortable work space by enabling plural client computers which are different in processing capability to collaborate by distributing numerical arithmetic processes among computers which hear the same multicast address. SOLUTION: A server computer controls client computers which join in a virtual space, cell by cell. Information sent to a multicast address given to a cell is sent to all client computers which are hearing the multicast address. A process requesting computer sends numeric calculation request information and a processing computer receives it, checks the security, and sends an affirmative/negative acknowledgement notice about the calculating process (S401 to 404). In the case of affirmative acknowledgement, information needed for the calculation is received (S405 to 407) and the numeric calculation result is sent to the multicast address, so that the process requesting computer receives the result (S408 to 410).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a virtual space sharing system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, systems have been developed in which a virtual space is constructed in a computer and an operator moves in the virtual space. One such system is a virtual space sharing system. In the virtual space sharing system, it is possible to share a virtual space between computers on a network.

[0003] In the virtual space sharing system, each client computer connects to and participates in a server computer that manages a virtual space in which the user wants to participate. The client computers participating in the virtual space can perform cooperative work such as collision calculation in the virtual space between the participating client computers via the server computer. In the conventional virtual space sharing system, when performing a collision calculation or the like between participating client computers, each client computer individually performs a calculation process.

[0004]

However, in a process having a high calculation load such as a collision calculation, when the calculation processing capabilities of the individual client computers are different, the time for obtaining the calculation result is different. That is, when cooperative work is performed between a plurality of participating client computers,
A delay time is generated between the client computers, and an uncomfortable working space is generated.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to generate a comfortable work space by cooperating with a plurality of client computers having different processing capabilities participating in a virtual space. It is to provide a virtual space sharing system that can do it.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention relates to a system for sharing a virtual space on a network, wherein data is transmitted and received by multicast between a plurality of computers connected to the network. , And distributes a numerical operation process between computers that listen to the same multicast address according to the processing capability of the computer.

[0007] A second invention is a system for sharing a virtual space on a network, which is used when transmitting and delivering data between a plurality of computers connected to the network and listening to the same multicast address. This is a virtual space sharing system characterized by requesting a computer having a high processing ability to listen to a multicast address of a computer to perform a numerical operation process and to have the computer calculate.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a virtual space sharing system 1 according to the present embodiment.

In FIG. 1, a virtual space sharing system 1 comprises a server computer 3 and client computers 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d connected to a network. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the virtual space 21. The server computer 3 divides the virtual space 21 into cells 23. In FIG. 2, cells 23-1, 23-2,
... Numbers 23-16 are assigned.

[0010] Further, the server computer 3 manages client computers participating in the virtual space 21 for each cell. Client computers 5a, 5b, 5
The operators c and 5d select the virtual space they want to join,
participate.

As shown in FIG. 2, cells 23-1,
.., 23-16 have a multicast address 25-1,
.., 25-16. Multicast is a technology that sends and distributes the same data to an unspecified number of users.
For example, the information transmitted to the multicast address 25-1 is transmitted to all client computers hearing the multicast address 25-1.

A case in which the operators of the client computers 5a, 5b, and 5c shown in FIG. 1 participate in the cell 23-1 of the virtual space 21 shown in FIG. 2 and perform cooperative work will be described below. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing birds 33a,..., 33e drawn in the cell 23-1. The birds 33a,..., 33e shown in FIG. 3 are calculated for each bird at each time step, and the manner of flying is depicted.

Now, the client computers 5a and 5a
b, 5c, the client computer 5a has the highest processing capability and the client computer 5c has the lowest processing capability. The processing capacity referred to here is a CPU speed of a computer, a memory capacity, and the like.

At this time, in the virtual space sharing system 1,
For example, if the client computer 5a has the birds 33a,
3b and 33c are calculated, and the client computer 5b calculates birds 33d and 33e. In other words, a client computer with a high processing capability is requested to perform a heavy load calculation process.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a process of requesting calculation of cooperative work. In FIG. 4, the processing request computer is, for example, the client computer 5c, and the processing computers correspond to the client computers 5a, 5b. The processing requesting computer sends the numerical calculation request information, and the processing computer receives it (step 40).
1, step 402).

The processing computer checks the security of the numerical calculation request (step 403), and sends a permission / non-permission notification as to whether or not to perform the calculation processing (step 4).
04). Here, the security check is to confirm whether or not the computer is permitted to participate in the virtual space sharing system 1.

When the calculation request is permitted (step 40)
5), the processing requesting computer transmits information required for calculation (calculation target, address, etc.) to the processing computer, and the processing computer receives the information (step 407). For example, when requesting the calculation of the flying state of the bird 33 shown in FIG. 3, the client computer 5c transmits to the client computer 5a that the birds 33a, 33b, and 33c are to be calculated, and the client computer 5b
Is transmitted to indicate that the birds 33d and 33e are to be calculated.

The requested processing computer performs the calculation (step 408), transmits the numerical calculation result to the multicast address (step 409), and the processing requesting computer receives the result (step 410).

For example, when the client computer 5a calculates how the birds 33a, 33b, and 33c fly at each time step and transmits the result to the multicast address 25-1 assigned to the cell 23-1, the multicast address 25- The calculation result is transmitted to the client computers 5b and 5c that hear 1 and the client computers 5b and 5c transmit the birds 33a and 33c, respectively.
The flying states of b and 33c are drawn.

Similarly, the client computer 5b also calculates the manner in which the birds 33d and 33e fly, and transmits the same to the multicast address 25-1. Even though the processing capacity of the client computer 5c is low, the client computer 5c can obtain calculation results in real time, and a comfortable use environment is provided for the operator.

Next, a request for a collision calculation, which is one of the cooperative operations, will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the motion of the person 53a and the person 53b drawn in the virtual space. In the virtual space sharing system 1, for example, the operators of the participating client computers 5a and 5b move in the form of people 53a and 53b.

The collision calculation is to calculate how long the person 53a and the person 53b come into contact with each other after considering the momentum of the person 53a and the person 53b. In such a collision calculation, a request for a similar calculation process as shown in FIG. 4 can be made, and a computer having a high processing capability can be requested to perform a calculation with a large load.

For example, when the client computer 5a operates at time t = T (second), t = T + 1 (second), t = T + 2
The client computer 5b calculates the position of the person 53a and the person 53b in (seconds), and the client computer 5b calculates t = T + 3.
(Second), person 53a and person 53b at t = T + 4 (second)
Is calculated, the calculation results are transmitted by a multicast method, and drawn on each client computer.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, a computer having a high processing capability is requested to perform a calculation with a high load in cooperative work, and the calculation results are transmitted and distributed by a multicast method. Since the client computer draws, very smooth drawing can be efficiently obtained even on a client computer with low processing capability.

In this embodiment, the virtual space 21 is equally divided into rectangular cells as shown in FIG. 2, but the shape of the cells is arbitrary, and even if the cells have different sizes. I do not care. Further, even if the number of server computers 3 shown in FIG. 1 is increased and the virtual space to be managed is shared, the effect of the embodiment of the present invention is the same.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. Now, the client computers 5a, 5b, and 5c shown in FIG. 1 participate in the cell 23-1 shown in FIG. 2, and the client computer 5d enters the cell 2 shown in FIG.
Participate in 3-2. That is, the client computer 5
d will hear the multicast address 25-2 different from the client computers 5a, 5b, 5c.

Here, when the client computer 5d has a higher processing capability than the client computer 5a, the client computer 5a can request the client computer 5d to perform the calculation according to the request processing flowchart shown in FIG. That is, it is possible to request calculation processing to a client computer that hears a different multicast address.

For example, the birds 33a to 33e shown in FIG.
Is calculated by the client computer 5d,
The calculation result is transmitted to the multicast address 25-1,
The client computers 5a, 5b, and 5c receive the calculation result and draw. According to such an embodiment, a calculation result is obtained in real time, and a smooth drawing is efficiently obtained.

In the embodiment of the present invention, a case where a multicast address is used for data transmission / reception between computers has been described. However, the present invention relates to a case where data transmission / reception between computers is performed without using a multicast address. Is also applicable.

[0030]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it becomes possible for a plurality of client computers having different processing capabilities to participate in a virtual space to perform cooperative work without a sense of incongruity.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a virtual space display system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a virtual space 21;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a bird 33 drawn in a cell 23-1.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a request process for calculating a cooperative work.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing movements of a person 53a and a person 53b in a virtual space.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 virtual space display system 3 server computer 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d client computer 21 virtual space 23 cell 25 multicast address

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Akira Takakura 1-1-1 Ichigaya Kagacho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A system for sharing a virtual space on a network, wherein data is transmitted and received between a plurality of computers connected to the network, and arithmetic processing is distributed among the computers according to the processing capability of the computers. A virtual space sharing system, characterized in that: 2. The virtual space sharing system according to claim 1, wherein a computer having a high processing capacity performs a high-load arithmetic processing. 3. The virtual space sharing system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of computers transmit and receive data using the same multicast address. 4. The virtual space sharing system according to claim 3, wherein arithmetic processing is distributed to computers using a multicast address other than the same multicast.