JP2024013550A - Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique that can adaptively select whether to make effective or ineffective the control of a photographing device using an input device.

SOLUTION: Display control means causes display means to display a first display area including each of a plurality of control items related to control of a photographing device using an input device. Setting means performs setting of assigning operations of the input device to the plurality of control items according to a user's operation. The display control means, while causing the display means to display the first display area including each of the plurality of control items to which the operations are to be assigned, further causes the display means to display a user interface that allows selection of whether to make effective or ineffective the control of the photographing device with the input device according to the user's operation.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to information processing technology.

Conventionally, it has been possible to control the PTZ (pan/tilt/zoom) of a photographing device using an input device such as a joystick or a game pad. Patent Document 1 discloses a method of controlling PTZ of an imaging device using a joystick.

JP 2021-21904 Publication

Generally, in a system in which a photographing device can be controlled using an input device such as a joystick, there are cases in which the user does not want to control the photographing device even if an operation is performed on the input device. In particular, in cases where the user makes settings to assign operations on the operation section of the input device to control items related to control of the imaging device, it is not desirable to control the imaging device even if the input device is operated. There was a case. In Patent Document 1, since the photographing device is uniformly controlled according to the operation on the joystick, there is a problem that the photographing device is controlled even in a use case where it is not originally desired to control the photographing device. there were.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique that enables adaptive selection of whether to enable or disable control of a photographing device using an input device.

In order to solve the above problems, an image processing device of the present invention has the following configuration. That is, a display control means for displaying each of a plurality of control items related to control of a photographing device using an input device on a display means, and settings for assigning operations of the input device to the plurality of control items according to user operations. and setting means for performing the above-mentioned input device operation, and the display control means sets the input device as an operation option of the input device that can be assigned by a user operation to a first type of control item among the plurality of control items. Among the plurality of operations of the device, one or more operation options belonging to the first group are displayed on the display means, and among the plurality of control items, a second type of control item different from the first type of control item is selected. , one or more operation options belonging to a second group different from the first group among the plurality of operations using the input device are displayed as operation options of the input device that can be assigned by user operation. Display it on the means.

According to the present invention, it is possible to adaptively select whether to enable or disable the control of the photographing device using the input device.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration. 1 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of an information processing device 100 and a photographing device 120. FIG. 1 is an external view of an input device 110. FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing functional blocks of each device. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining assignment settings of operations to control items. 4 is a diagram for explaining various information stored in a storage unit 402. FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an operation test window. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a GUI for selecting enable/disable of control of the photographing device 120. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing for setting assignments of operations to control items. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of control processing of the photographing device 120. FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an operation test window. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing for setting assignments of operations to control items. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining display control in a window for assigning operations to control items.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the configuration shown in the following embodiments is only an example, and the configuration is not limited to the illustrated configuration.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration according to this embodiment. The system in this embodiment includes an information processing device 100, an input device 110, a photographing device 120, and a network 130. The information processing device 100 and the photographing device 120 are connected to each other via a network 130. The network 130 is realized, for example, by a plurality of routers, switches, cables, etc. that comply with communication standards such as ETHERNET (registered trademark). Note that the network 130 may be realized by the Internet, a wired LAN (Local Area Network), a wireless LAN (Wireless LAN), a WAN (Wide Area Network), or the like.

The information processing device 100 is, for example, a personal computer having a processor such as a CPU. The input device 110 is a device that can control the information processing device 100 and the photographing device 120, and is a device such as a joystick or a game pad. The input device 110 is connected to the information processing device 100 through a wired connection such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus). Note that the input device 110 may be connected to the information processing device 100 not only by a wired connection but also by a wireless connection. Further, the input device 110 may be communicably connected to the information processing device 100 and the photographing device 120 via the network 130. The photographing device 120 can photograph an image and deliver the image to the information processing device 100.

Here, the hardware configuration of the information processing device 100 will be explained with reference to FIG. 2(a). FIG. 2A is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 100. A network I/F (Interface) 201 communicates with an external device via the network 130 according to TCP/IP, HTTP, or the like. Input I/F 202 receives commands from input device 110 via USB or the like. The CPU 203 is a central processing unit that centrally controls the information processing device 100. RAM 204 temporarily stores computer programs executed by CPU 203. Further, the RAM 204 provides a work area used when the CPU 203 executes processing. Further, the RAM 204 can function as a frame memory or a buffer memory, for example. The ROM 205 stores programs for the CPU 203 to control the information processing apparatus 100 and the like. The HDD 206 is a storage device that records image data and the like. Further, the display 207 is configured with an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or the like, and displays images transmitted from the photographing device 120, a UI window to be described later, and the like. Note that in this embodiment, an example in which the information processing device 100 includes the display 207 will be described; however, the information processing device 100 and the display 207 may be in separate casings, and in that case, The information processing device 100 and the display 207 are connected via a cable such as HDMI (registered trademark) (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) or SDI (Serial Digital Interface).

Next, the hardware configuration of the photographing device 120 will be described with reference to FIG. 2(b). FIG. 2(b) is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the imaging device 120. The imaging unit 211 photographs an image. Specifically, the imaging unit 211 has an imaging element such as a CCD (charge coupled device) sensor or a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) sensor, and photoelectrically captures a subject image formed through the lens of the imaging device 120. convert and generate electrical signals. The imaging unit 211 then generates an image through a process of converting the photoelectrically converted electrical signal into a predetermined digital signal. The pan/tilt drive unit 212 includes a mechanical drive system and a motor as a drive source that can pan and tilt the photographing device 120. The lens drive unit 213 is configured with a drive system for a focus lens and a zoom lens, and can control zoom and focus of the photographing device 120. Further, the network I/F 214 communicates with an external device via the network 130 according to TCP/IP, HTTP, or the like. A CPU (Central Processing Unit) 215 is a central processing unit that centrally controls the imaging device 120. A RAM (Random Access Memory) 216 temporarily stores computer programs executed by the CPU 215. Further, the RAM 216 provides a work area used when the CPU 215 executes processing. Further, the RAM 216 can function as a frame memory or a buffer memory, for example. A ROM (Read Only Memory) 217 stores programs and the like for the CPU 215 to control the photographing apparatus 100 . The HDD 218 is a storage device that records image data and the like.

Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the input device 110 in this embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of the input device 110 of this embodiment. The input device 110 includes a first stick section 301, a second stick section 302, and a button section 303 consisting of a plurality of buttons. The first stick part 301 is a stick-shaped operating part that can be tilted in a predetermined direction from a neutral position (center position), and the user can operate it by tilting the first stick part 301 from the neutral position (center position). can do. It is possible to obtain two types of values indicating the control value of the stick unit 301: the amount of inclination in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) and the amount of inclination in the up-down direction (Y-axis direction). Further, it is possible to rotate the stick of the first stick unit 301 in a neutral position (center position) clockwise (or counterclockwise) around the stick as an axis, and the amount of rotation is used as a control value. Can be done. The second stick part 302, like the first stick part 301, is a stick-shaped operating part that can be tilted in a predetermined direction from a neutral position (center position). The second stick section 302 can be operated by the user by tilting the first stick section 301 from a neutral position (center position). It is possible to obtain two types of values as control values for the stick unit 302: the amount of inclination in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) and the amount of inclination in the up-down direction (Y-axis direction). Further, the stick of the second stick section 302 at the neutral position (center position) can be rotated clockwise (or counterclockwise) around the stick, and the amount of rotation can be used as a control value. It is. The button unit 303 is composed of a plurality of buttons including a first button, a second button, a third button, and a fourth button, and the value indicating the amount of operation of each button is the value in the state in which the button is pressed. It has two values: and the value when the button is not pressed. Note that in the example shown in FIG. 3, the input device 110 has a plurality of sticks (the first stick part 301 and the second stick part 302), but it may have only one stick.

Next, each function of the information processing device 100, the input device 110, and the photographing device 120 will be explained with reference to the functional blocks shown in FIG. First, the functions of the information processing device 100 will be explained. Note that each function of the system control unit 401 and the storage unit 402 of the information processing device 100 shown in FIG. 4 is realized, for example, by the CPU 203 executing a computer program stored in the ROM 205 of the information processing device 100.

The system control unit 401 of the information processing device 100 performs overall control of the information processing device 100. In addition, the system control unit 401 generates commands (control commands) for controlling pan-tilt-zoom, autofocus, etc. of the photographing device 120 in response to operations on the input device 110, and sends commands to the photographing device via the network I/F 201. 120. Further, the system control unit 401 acquires the image transmitted from the photographing device 120 and the image transmitted from the network I/F 201, and causes the display 207 to display the image. The storage unit 402 stores information on settings for assigning operations to control items, which will be described later.

Here, the input device 110 has a system control section 421 that controls the input device 110. The system control unit 421 transmits control values corresponding to operations on the first stick unit 301, the second stick unit 302, the button unit 303, etc. to the information processing device 100 via the I/F 422.

The system control unit 411 of the photographing device 120 is realized, for example, by the CPU 215 executing a computer program stored in the ROM 217 of the photographing device 120, and controls the entire photographing device 120. The system control unit 411 analyzes the control command received from the information processing device 100 and performs processing according to the control command. For example, when the system control unit 411 receives a control command for adjusting image quality, it controls the image capturing unit 211 to adjust the image quality. Furthermore, when the system control unit 411 receives a control command for controlling pan and tilt, it controls the pan and tilt drive unit 212 to control the pan and tilt of the photographing device 120. Further, when the system control unit 411 receives a control command for controlling zoom or a control command for controlling focus, it controls the lens drive unit 213 to control the zoom or focus of the photographing device 120. Execute. Furthermore, when receiving an image acquisition command, the system control unit 411 acquires image data generated by the imaging unit 211 and transmits the image data to the information processing apparatus 100 via the network I/F 214.

Here, with reference to FIG. 5, settings for assigning operations to control items in this embodiment will be described. A window 500 shown in FIGS. 5A to 5D is a GUI (Graphical User Interface) displayed on the display 207 by the control unit 401 of the information processing apparatus 100, and corresponds to the first display area. In the window 500, control items 501 and input operations 502 are displayed. The control items 501 represent the control contents of the photographing device 120, and include the control items “pan”, “tilt”, “zoom”, “AF on/off”, “preset 1”, and “preset 2”. be. The “pan” control item corresponds to control of the panning operation of the photographing device 120 (control of the speed of panning, control of the direction of panning, etc.). The “tilt” control item corresponds to control of the tilt operation of the photographing device 120 (control of the speed at which the tilt is changed, control of the direction in which the tilt is changed, etc.). The control item “AF on/off” corresponds to controlling whether to turn on or turn off the autofocus function of the photographing device 120. The “preset 1” control item corresponds to control for changing the pan, tilt, and zoom of the photographing device 120 so that the camera device 120 reaches the first preset position (pan, tilt, and zoom position) registered in advance. ing. The “Preset 2” control item corresponds to control for changing the pan, tilt, and zoom of the photographing device 120 so that the second preset position (pan, tilt, and zoom position) of the photographing device 120 is registered in advance. ing. Note that the first preset position and the second preset position are each independent, and it is possible to register different pan, tilt, and zoom position values. Note that in the example shown in FIG. 5, there is an "AF on/off" control item as a control item for switching on and off of a predetermined function of the photographing device 120, but the control item is not limited to this, and other control items may also be used. There may be. For example, there may be a control item for switching on and off an automatic exposure control function.

Note that in this embodiment, control of the photographing device 120 is divided into two types: a first type of control and a second type of control. The first type of control here is multi-stage control that is three or more stages of control (multi-stage control), and the second type of control is binary control that is two-stage control. FIG. 6A shows a correspondence table 600 that includes a control item 601 for the photographing device 120 and a control type 602 that is a type of control. For example, the control item "Pan" corresponds to control of panning operations such as controlling the direction of panning of the imaging device 120 and controlling the speed of panning. Since multi-stage control is required, it is multi-stage control. In addition, the control item "tilt" corresponds to the control of tilt operations such as the direction of changing the tilt of the photographing device 120 and the control of the speed of changing the tilt. Since multi-stage control is required, it is multi-stage control. Furthermore, the control item "zoom" corresponds to control of zoom operations such as zoom-in/zoom-out control of the photographing device 120 and control of the speed at which the zoom is changed. Since step-by-step control is required, multi-step control is required. On the other hand, the control item "AF on/off" is a control for turning on/off the autofocus function of the photographing device 120, and is a binary control of on or off, so it is a binary control. Similarly, the control item "Preset 1" is a binary control that determines whether or not to move the pan-tilt-zoom of the photographing device 120 to the first preset position. Similarly, the control item "Preset 2" is a binary control that determines whether or not to move the pan-tilt-zoom of the photographing device 120 to the second preset position, and therefore is a binary control. It is assumed that the correspondence table 600 shown in FIG. 6 is stored in the storage unit 402.

Returning now to the explanation of FIG. 5(a). GUI buttons 503a to 503f are displayed in the input operation 502 column of the window 500 in FIG. 5(a). Here, the GUI button 503a is a GUI associated with the "bread" control item. Further, the GUI button 503b is a GUI associated with the "tilt" control item. Further, the GUI button 503c is a GUI associated with the "zoom" control item. Further, the GUI button 503d is a GUI associated with the "AF on/off" control item. Further, the GUI button 503e is a GUI associated with the control item of "Preset 1". Further, the GUI button 503f is a GUI associated with the "preset 2" control item. Assume that the user presses one of the GUI buttons 503a to 503f. At this time, the control unit 401 specifies operation options that can be assigned to the control item according to the type of control item associated with the pressed GUI button, and assigns the specified one or more operation options to the window. 500.

Here, assume that the user performs a click operation on the GUI button 503a associated with the "bread" control item shown in FIG. 5(a). In this case, the control unit 401 causes the display 207 to display input operation options of the input device 110 that can be assigned to the control item "bread". At this time, the control unit 401 determines whether the control of the control item "pan" is binary control or multi-step control. Note that in this embodiment, the control unit 401 refers to the correspondence table 600 stored in the storage unit 402 and determines whether control of the control item “pan” is binary control or multi-level control. In this embodiment, the control unit 401 determines that the control of the control item "bread" is multi-step control. Then, as shown in FIG. 5B, the control unit 401 selects multi-step control instead of one or more operations corresponding to binary control as an input operation option that can be assigned to the control item "pan". One or more operation options 504 corresponding to the above are displayed on the display 207. In other words, the control unit 401 selects input operations that belong to the first group among the plurality of operations of the input device 110 as input operation options that can be assigned to the first type of control item (multi-level control item). One or more operation options are displayed on the display 207. Here, "one or more operations belonging to the first group" is one or more operations corresponding to multi-step control. Furthermore, in this embodiment, one or more operations corresponding to multi-step control include "stick 1 X-axis" operation, "stick 1 Y-axis" operation, "stick 1 rotation" operation, and "stick 1 - rotation" operation. 2 X-axis" operation, "Stick 2 Y-axis" operation, and "Stick 2 Rotation" operation.

Here, the operation of the "stick 1 Since the operation involves step inputs, it supports multi-step control. Further, the operation of "stick 1 Y-axis" is an operation of tilting the stick of the first stick section 301 in the vertical direction (Y-axis direction), and there are multiple steps depending on the degree to which the stick is tilted (amount of tilt). It is compatible with multi-step control because it is an input operation. Further, the operation of "one rotation of the stick" is an operation of rotating the first stick part 301 clockwise (or counterclockwise) around the stick, and there are multiple steps depending on the degree of rotation (amount of rotation). It is compatible with multi-step control because it is an input operation. In addition, the input of "stick 2 Since it is an input operation, it supports multi-step control. Further, the operation of "stick 2 Y-axis" is an operation of tilting the stick of the second stick section 302 in the vertical direction (Y-axis direction), and there are multiple steps depending on the degree to which the stick is tilted (amount of tilt). It is compatible with multi-step control because it is an input operation. Further, the operation of "stick 2 rotation" is an operation of rotating the second stick part 302 clockwise (or counterclockwise) around the stick, and there are multiple steps depending on the degree of rotation (amount of rotation). It is compatible with multi-step control because it is an input operation.

As described above, when the GUI button 503a associated with the control item "bread" is pressed, the control unit 401 determines that the control item "bread" is multi-step control. Then, the control unit 401 does not display the operation of one or more inputs corresponding to binary control on the window 500, but displays the operation of one or more inputs corresponding to multi-level control on the window 500 as an option. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5B, the control unit 401 selects "Stick 1 X-axis", "Stick 1 Y-axis", and "Stick 1 Y-axis" as one or more operation options corresponding to multi-step control. "Stick 1 Rotation", "Stick 2 X-axis", "Stick 2 Y-axis", and "Stick 2 Rotation" are displayed on the window 500. At this time, as shown in FIG. 5(b), "Button 1", "Button 2", "Button 3", and "Button 4", which are one or more operations corresponding to binary control, are displayed in the window 500. I won't let you. Furthermore, in response to a click operation to select one of the displayed multiple operation options, the control unit 401 assigns the selected operation to the control item "pan". In the example of FIG. 5B, the control unit 401 assigns the operation "stick 1 X-axis" to the control item "pan". In the subsequent processing, it becomes possible to control the panning operation of the photographing device 120 in accordance with the user's operation of tilting the stick of the first stick unit 301 in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction).

Note that the operation of "button 1" is an input operation of pressing the first button in the button unit 303, and corresponds to binary control since it has a binary value of whether or not it is pressed. Further, the operation of "button 2" is an input operation of pressing a second button different from the first button in the button unit 303, and corresponds to binary control because it has a binary value of whether it is pressed or not. . Further, the input operation of "button 3" is the input operation of pressing the third button, which is different from the first button and the second button in the button unit 303, and the input operation is a binary value of whether or not it is pressed. Compatible with binary control. In addition, the input operation of "button 4" is the input operation of pressing the fourth button, which is different from the first to third buttons in the button unit 303, and the input operation has a binary value of whether or not it is pressed. Compatible with binary control.

Also, assume here that the GUI button 503e is pressed by a click operation while the window 500 of FIG. 5A is being displayed on the display 207 by the control unit 401. At this time, the control unit 401 refers to the correspondence table 600 in FIG. 6 and determines that the control item "Preset 1" associated with the GUI button 503e is binary control. Then, as shown in FIG. 5C, the control unit 401 displays one or more operation options corresponding to binary control on the window 500 instead of one or more operation options corresponding to multi-level control. to be displayed. In other words, the control unit 401 assigns one or more operation options belonging to a second group different from the first group as assignable options to the second type control item (binary control control item). is displayed on the window 500. Here, "one or more operations belonging to the second group" is one or more operations corresponding to binary control. A window 500 shown in FIG. 5C is displayed on the display 207 by the control unit 401. Here, as shown in FIG. 5C, the control unit 401 selects "button 1", "button 2", "button 3", and "button 1" as one or more operation options corresponding to binary control. Button 4" will be displayed. Furthermore, in response to a user operation of selecting one of the displayed multiple operation options, the control unit 401 assigns the selected operation to the control item "Preset 1." In the example of FIG. 5C, the control unit 401 assigns the operation "button 1" to the control item "preset 1". In subsequent processing, the pan, tilt, and zoom positions of the photographing device 120 can be controlled to the first preset positions in response to the user's depression of the first button of the button unit 303.

The method described above with reference to FIGS. 5(b) and 5(c) allows the user to assign arbitrary operations to each control item in the window 500. FIG. 5D shows an example of the window 500 after operations have been assigned to each control item as described above. As shown in Figure 5(d), the control item "Pan" has the operation "Stick 1 X-axis", the control item "Tilt" has the operation "Stick 1 Y-axis", and the control item "Zoom" has the operation "Stick 1". 1 rotation", are assigned to each. Similarly, the control item "AF on/off" is assigned the operation "button 4," the control item "preset 1" is assigned the operation "button 1," and "preset 1" is assigned the operation "button 2." There is. Information on settings for assigning operations to each of these control items (assignment setting information) is stored in the storage unit 402. Here, the allocation setting information 610 in FIG. 6(b) is an example of allocation setting information stored in the storage unit 402, and records inputs 612 allocated to the control items 611. In the example of allocation setting information 610 shown in FIG. 6(b), input allocations for each control item shown in FIG. 5(d) are recorded.

Next, with reference to FIG. 7, a GUI for operation testing will be described. A window 700 shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C is a GUI for operation testing, and corresponds to the second display area. Further, the window 700 is displayed on the display 207 by the control device 401. Note that the control device 401 may display the window 500 shown in FIG. 5 and the window 700 shown in FIG. 7 side by side at the same time.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the window 700 includes an operation test GUI 701 for the first stick section 301 and the second stick section 302, and an operation test GUI 702 for the button section 303. The operation test GUI 701 corresponds to "Stick 1 X-axis", "Stick 1 Y-axis", "Stick 1 rotation", "Stick 2 X-axis", "Stick 2 Y-axis", and "Stick 2 rotation". Contains slider bar. The operation test GUI 702 also includes icons corresponding to "button 1," "button 2," "button 3," and "button 4," respectively.

Here, assume that the user performs an operation to tilt the stick of the first stick unit 301 of the input device 110 in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction). At this time, the system control unit 421 of the input device 110 transmits a control value indicating the amount of inclination to the information processing device 100 via the I/F 422. Then, the system control unit 401 of the information processing device 100 executes the following process according to the control value indicating the amount of inclination of the stick of the first stick unit 301 in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction). That is, as shown in FIG. 7B, the system control unit 401 changes the position of the slider on the slider bar corresponding to "Stick 1 X-axis" included in the operation test GUI 701 according to the control value. let In the example of FIG. 7(b), since the stick of the first stick unit 301 is tilted to the left in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction), the slider on the slider bar corresponding to "Stick 1 X-axis" The position has moved to the left from the center position. If the stick of the first stick unit 301 is tilted to the right in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction), the position of the slider on the slider bar corresponding to "Stick 1 X-axis" will change from the center position. It will move to the right. Note that at this time, the amount of change in the position of the slider on the slider bar also differs depending on the amount of inclination of the stick. For example, the greater the amount of inclination of the stick, the greater the amount of change in the position of the slider from the center position on the slider bar. As described above, as the stick of the first stick unit 301 is tilted in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction), the position of the slider on the slider bar of "Stick 1 X-axis" is changed. By doing this, the user can confirm that the "operation of tilting the stick of the first stick unit 301 in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction)" corresponds to the parameter "'Stick 1 X-axis'" on the system. can be easily understood.

Note that here, an operation test has been described in which the stick of the first stick unit 301 is tilted in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction), but the present invention is not limited to this. Even when other operations are performed on the first stick section 301 or the second stick section 302, the position of the slider on the slider bar corresponding to the operation changes. For example, when the user performs an operation to tilt the stick of the second stick unit 302 of the input device 110 in the vertical direction (Y-axis direction), the control unit 401 controls "Stick 2 Y" according to the amount of the tilt. Change the position of the slider on the “Axis” slider bar.

Also, assume here that the first button in the button section 303 of the input device 110 is pressed by the user. At this time, the system control unit 421 of the input device 110 transmits a control value indicating that the first button has been pressed to the information processing device 100 via the I/F 422. Then, the system control unit 401 of the information processing device 100 executes the following process in response to acquisition of the control value. That is, the system control unit 401 changes the display mode of the icon corresponding to "button 1" included in the operation test GUI 702, as shown in FIG. 7(c). As described above, the display mode of the "button 1" icon is changed in accordance with the operation of pressing the first button in the button section 303 of the input device 110. By doing so, the user can easily understand that the "operation of pressing the first button" corresponds to the parameter "button 1" on the system.

When a user performs a predetermined operation on the operation unit of the input device 110, it may not be possible to easily understand which parameter on the system the predetermined operation corresponds to. For example, if the input device 110 has four buttons, it is determined whether the operation for each button corresponds to "button 1," "button 2," "button 3," or "button 4." It was sometimes difficult for users to understand. Here, as described above, when a certain button (e.g. first button) of the input device 110 is pressed, the GUI of the window 700 shown in FIG. For example, the display mode of the GUI of "Button 1") changes. Therefore, the user can easily understand which parameter on the system corresponds to the operation on the input device 110. In the example of FIG. 7, the user can understand that the operation on the first button of the input device 110 corresponds to "button 1." Then, if the user wants to assign the first button to the control items "AF on/off", "Preset 1", "Preset 2", etc. using the window 500 shown in FIG. 5, the user selects the operation "Button 1". I can understand what I need to do.

Next, selection of enabling and disabling control of the photographing device 120 will be described with reference to FIG. 8. The GUI button 800 shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B is a user interface displayed on the display 207 by the control unit 401, and is a GUI button that allows you to select whether to enable or disable control of the photographing device 120. be. Note that the control unit 401 can also display the GUI button 800 on the display 207 while simultaneously displaying the window 500 shown in FIG. 5 and the window 700 shown in FIG. 7 on the display 207.

In the example shown in FIG. 8A, "OFF" is selected for the control of the photographing device 120, and the control of the photographing device 120 is disabled. Here, when inputs are assigned to control items as shown in FIG. A control command for controlling the panning operation is not sent to the device 120. However, at this time, the control unit 401 changes the position of the slider corresponding to the "stick 1 X-axis" as shown in the window 700 of FIG. 7(b). In this way, when invalid is selected for the control of the photographing device 120, the control unit 401 does not transmit a control command to the photographing device 120 in response to the input from the input device 110, but Change the display mode according to the input. By doing so, the user does not have to carelessly control the photographing device 120 while performing an operation test.

Further, in FIG. 8B, "ON" is selected for the control of the photographing device 120, and the control of the photographing device 120 is enabled. Here, when inputs are assigned to control items as shown in FIG. A control command is sent to control the panning operation. Furthermore, at this time, the control unit 401 changes the position of the slider corresponding to the "stick 1 X-axis" as shown in the window 700 of FIG. 7(b). In this way, when enable is selected for the control of the photographing device 120, the control unit 401 transmits a control command to the photographing device 120 in accordance with the input from the input device 110. The control unit 401 further changes the display mode according to the input in the operation test on the window 700. If the user wishes to test the control of the photographing device 120 in addition to the operation test, the user may select the GUI button 800 to be turned on, as shown in FIG. 8(b).

Next, with reference to the flow shown in FIG. 9, the process of assigning operations to control items by the information processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment will be described. Note that the processing of the flow shown in FIG. 9 is realized by the CPU 203 of the information processing apparatus 100 executing a computer program stored in the ROM 205 of the information processing apparatus 100. It is assumed that the processing of the flow shown in FIG. 9 is started in response to the user clicking on any of the GUI buttons 503a to 503f in FIG. 5(a).

First, in S900, the system control unit 401 identifies a control item to which input is to be assigned. Specifically, when one of the GUI buttons 503a to 503f shown in FIG. 5 is selected, the system control unit 401 assigns the control item corresponding to the selected GUI button to the target of operation assignment. Specify as a control item. For example, when the GUI button 503a is selected by a click operation by the user, the system control unit 401 specifies the control item "bread" corresponding to the GUI button 503a as the current target control item.

Next, in S901, the system control unit 401 determines whether the current target control item corresponds to multi-level control or binary control. If it is determined that multi-level control is supported (Yes in S901), the process moves to S902, and if it is determined that binary control is supported (No in S901), the process moves to S903. Note that in S901, the system control unit 401 executes, for example, the following process to determine whether the current target control item corresponds to multi-level control or binary control. That is, the system control unit 401 refers to the correspondence table 600 held by the storage unit 402 and specifies the control type 602 that corresponds to the current target control item. For example, when the current target control item is the control item "bread", the system control unit 401 refers to the correspondence table 600 and determines that the control item "bread" corresponds to multi-step control.

In S902, as shown in FIG. 5B, the system control unit 401 displays one or more operation options corresponding to multi-level control on the display 207 instead of one or more inputs corresponding to binary control. to be displayed. On the other hand, in S903, the system control unit 401 selects not one or more operation options corresponding to multi-level control, but one or more operation options corresponding to binary control, as shown in FIG. 5(c). is displayed on the display 207.

In S904, the system control unit 401 determines whether a user operation to select one of the displayed options has been received. If it is determined that the user operation has been received within a certain period of time (Yes in S904), the process moves to S905, and in S905, the system control unit 401 performs the selected operation on the current target control item. assign. For example, if the current target control item is the control item "pan" and the selected operation is "stick 1 X-axis", the system control unit 401 executes the following process. That is, the system control unit 401 assigns the operation “stick 1 X-axis” to the control item “pan” and stores information on the assignment in the assignment setting information held by the storage unit 402. If it is determined in S904 that the user operation has not been received within a certain period of time (No in S904), the process of the flow shown in FIG. 9 ends.

As described above, by executing the process of the flow shown in FIG. 9, when presenting to the user the options of operations that can be assigned to the control item to which the user currently wants to assign an operation, It becomes possible to present suitable options. Specifically, for control items of multi-level control, operations suitable for multi-level control are presented as options, and for control items of binary control, operations suitable for binary control are presented as options. Present it as an option. By doing this, for example, a binary operation such as "button 1" can be performed for a control item that is suitable for multi-step operation, such as the control item "pan" or the control item "tilt," which are multi-step controls. It is possible to prevent the user from selecting the item by mistake.

Note that although the input device 110 in this embodiment has been described as an example composed of a first stick section 301, a second stick section 302, a button section 303, etc., the input device 110 may also be composed of operation sections of other shapes. good. For example, the control unit may be configured with a wheel-shaped operating unit, a knob-shaped operating unit, or the like, and in that case as well, options that can be assigned to the control item can be suggested to the user according to the characteristics of the operating unit.

Note that in this embodiment, only operation options corresponding to multi-level control are assigned to control items of multi-level control, and only operation options corresponding to binary control are assigned to control items of binary control. Although it is possible, it is not limited to this. For example, if the input device 110 has a configuration in which the number of control items for multi-step control is greater than the number of input options for multi-step control, and the number of options is insufficient, the next best option is to Binary control operations may be assigned to control items. In that case, the system control unit 401 may display warning information indicating that the allocation is inappropriate on the display 207 to make the user aware of it.

Here, control by the information processing apparatus 100 in response to input from the input device 110 will be described with reference to the flow in FIG. 10. Note that the processing of the flow shown in FIG. 9 is realized by the CPU 203 of the information processing apparatus 100 executing a computer program stored in the ROM 205 of the information processing apparatus 100. It is assumed that the processing of the flow shown in FIG. 10 is started in response to, for example, an instruction from a user or the display of a window 700 for an operation test shown in FIG. 7.

First, in S1000, the system control unit 401 determines whether to end the processing of the flow shown in FIG. For example, when the user issues an instruction to end the flow in FIG. 10, the system control unit 401 determines to end the flow in FIG. 10 (Yes in S1000), and ends the flow in FIG. On the other hand, if there is no instruction to end, the system control unit 401 determines that the flow in FIG. 10 is not to end (No in S1000), and moves to S1001. In S1001, the system control unit 401 determines whether control values corresponding to operations on the first stick section 301, second stick section 302, button section 303, etc. have been obtained from the input device 110. If it is determined that the control value has been acquired (Yes in S1001), the process transitions to S1002; on the other hand, if it is determined that the control value has not been acquired (No in S1001), the process transitions to S1000, and the process in S1000 is Repeated. In S1002, the system control unit 401 executes display control corresponding to the acquired control value on the operation test window 700. Here, for example, if the acquired control value is a control value generated by operating the "stick 1 X-axis", the system control unit 401, as shown in FIG. 7B, Change the position of the slider on the slider bar corresponding to “Stick 1 X-axis”. Further, for example, if the acquired control value is a control value generated by operating the "button 1", the system control unit 401 may generate the "button 1" button according to the control value, as shown in FIG. Change the display mode of the icon corresponding to 1".

Next, in S1003, the system control unit 401 determines whether control of the imaging device 120 is currently enabled. If it is determined that the control of the photographing device 120 is enabled (Yes in S1003), the process moves to S1004. On the other hand, if it is determined that the control of the photographing device 120 is disabled (No in S1003), the process moves to S1000 and the process of S1000 is repeated. Note that in S1003, the system control unit 401 determines whether control of the imaging device 120 is currently enabled or disabled by executing the following process. That is, the system control unit 401 specifies whether ON or OFF is selected by the user's operation on the GUI button 503 in FIG. 8 . Then, the control unit 401 determines that the control of the photographing device 120 is valid when ON is selected, and that the control of the photographing device 120 is invalid when OFF is selected.

In S1004, the system control unit 401 generates a control command according to the currently acquired control value and transmits it to the imaging device 120. For example, if the currently acquired control value is a control value generated by operating the “stick 1 The control item “Pan” corresponding to “X-axis” is specified. Then, the system control unit 401 generates a panning operation control command according to the control value and transmits it to the photographing device 120. The control command for panning operation according to the control value is, for example, a control command that specifies a panning change speed that is set according to the control value. The greater the amount of inclination of the stick of the first stick unit 301 in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction), the greater the control value becomes, and the greater the control value, the greater the pan change speed is set. The photographing device 120 that has acquired the control command changes panning according to the panning change speed in the control command. As another example, if the currently acquired control value is a control value resulting from the operation of "Button 1", the system control unit 401 refers to the allocation setting information 610 stored in the storage unit 402, and The control item “Preset 1” corresponding to “Preset 1” is specified. Then, the system control unit 401 generates a control command for controlling the pan, tilt, and zoom positions of the photographing device 120 to the first preset position (pan, tilt, and zoom position) registered in advance, and 120. The photographing device 120 that has acquired the control command controls the panning, tilting, and zooming positions of the photographing device 120 to the first preset position (panning, tilting, and zooming position).

As explained above, by executing the process of the flow shown in FIG. 10, the information processing device 100 performs display control of the operation test and control of the photographing device 120 according to the acquired control value. becomes possible. Further, when the control of the photographing device 120 is disabled, the information processing device 100 performs display control of the operation test even if the control value is acquired from the input device 110; Control can be disabled. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the photographing device 120 from being controlled in accordance with the operation of the input device 110 in cases where control of the photographing device 120 is not originally required, such as when a user performs an operation test.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, an embodiment has been described in which, when assigning an operation to a control item, an option of an operation suitable for the control item is presented. In this embodiment, the display control of the operation test window is executed in accordance with the specification of the control item to which the operation is assigned. The processing of the information processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. Note that in this embodiment, an implementation method using a UI different from that of the first embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, parts that are different from Embodiment 1 will be mainly described, and components and processes that are the same or equivalent to Embodiment 1 will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanation will be omitted.

The window 1100 in FIGS. 11A and 11B is a GUI for operation testing, corresponds to the second display area, and is the same as the window 700 shown in FIG. 7, so a description thereof will be omitted. Here, when the window 500 in FIG. 5 is displayed on the display 207, if any of the GUI buttons 503a to 503f is selected by the user's click operation, the control unit 401 executes the following process. do. That is, the control unit 401 changes the display mode on the operation test window 1100 depending on the type of control item (multi-level control or binary control) corresponding to the selected GUI button. For example, assume that the GUI button 503a is selected. Since the control item "Pan" corresponding to the GUI button 503a is multi-step control, the control unit 401 controls the part corresponding to multi-step control in the window 1100 displayed on the display 207, as shown in FIG. 11(b). A highlighted display 1101 is displayed. Further, for example, assume that the GUI button 503a is selected. Since the control item "Pan" corresponding to the GUI button 503a is multi-step control, the control unit 401 controls the part corresponding to multi-step control in the window 1100 displayed on the display 207, as shown in FIG. 11(b). A highlighted display 1101 is displayed. In this way, when a control item that is multi-step control is specified as an assignment target, "Stick 1 X-axis", "Stick 1 Y-axis", "Stick 1 rotation", "Stick 1 rotation", "Stick 1 rotation", It is possible to present to the user that the operations of "2 X-axis", "Stick 2 Y-axis", and "Stick 2 Rotation" are suitable as options. Similarly, assume that, for example, the GUI button 503e is selected. Since the control item "Preset 1" corresponding to the GUI button 503e is binary control, the control unit 401 supports binary control in the window 1100 displayed on the display 207, as shown in FIG. 11(c). A highlighted display 1102 is displayed for the part. In this way, when a binary control control item is specified as an assignment target, the operations of "Button 1", "Button 2", "Button 3", and "Button 4" are suitable as options. It is possible to show the user that the

Here, information processing by the information processing apparatus 100 in this embodiment will be described with reference to the flow shown in FIG. 12. Note that the processing of the flow shown in FIG. 12 is realized by the CPU 203 of the information processing apparatus 100 executing a computer program stored in the ROM 205 of the information processing apparatus 100. It is assumed that the processing of the flow shown in FIG. 12 is started in response to the user clicking on any of the GUI buttons 503a to 503f in FIG. 5(a).

First, in S1200, the system control unit 401 identifies a control item to which an operation is to be assigned. Specifically, when one of the GUI buttons 503a to 503f shown in FIG. 5 is selected, the system control unit 401 assigns the control item corresponding to the selected GUI button to the assigned control item. Specify as an item. For example, when the GUI button 503a is selected by a click operation by the user, the system control unit 401 specifies the control item "bread" corresponding to the GUI button 503a as the current target control item.

Next, in S1201, the system control unit 401 determines whether the current target control item corresponds to multi-level control or binary control. If it is determined that multi-level control is supported (Yes in S1201), the process moves to S1202, and if it is determined that binary control is supported (No in S1201), the process moves to S1203.

In S1202, the system control unit 401 highlights a portion corresponding to multi-step control in the window 1100 displayed on the display 207, as shown in FIG. 11(b). On the other hand, in S1203, the system control unit 401 highlights a portion corresponding to binary control in the window 1100 displayed on the display 207, as shown in FIG. 11(c).

In S1204, the system control unit 401 determines whether a user operation to select one from a plurality of options including an operation corresponding to multi-level control and an operation corresponding to binary control is received. Note that if it is determined that the user operation has been received within a certain period of time (Yes in S1204), the process moves to S1205, and in S1205, the system control unit 401 determines whether or not the selected user operation has been received for the current target control item. Assign operations. For example, if the current target control item is the control item "Pan" and the selected operation is "Stick 1 X-axis", the system control unit 401 performs the operation "Stick 1 X-axis" on the control item "Pan". Assign. If it is determined in S1204 that the user operation has not been received within a certain period of time (No in S1204), the process of the flow shown in FIG. 12 is ended.

As described above, by executing the process of the flow shown in FIG. 12, it is possible to highlight the appropriate operation option for assignment to the control item to which the user currently wants to assign an operation. By doing this, for example, a binary operation such as "button 1" can be performed for a control item that is suitable for multi-step operation, such as the control item "pan" or the control item "tilt," which are multi-step controls. It is possible to prevent the user from selecting the item by mistake.

(Embodiment 3)
In this embodiment, an embodiment will be described in which display control is performed not only on a window for operation testing but also on a window for assigning operations to control items in response to control value operations from the input device 110. . Hereinafter, parts that are different from each of the above-described embodiments will be mainly described, and components and processes that are the same or equivalent to those of each of the above-described embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanation will be omitted.

FIG. 13 shows information that the control device 401 in this embodiment displays on the display 207, and includes a window 1301, a window 1302, and a GUI button 1303. Here, the window 1301 corresponds to the first display area and has the same function as the window 500 described in FIGS. 5(a) to 5(d). Window 1302 corresponds to the second display area and has the same function as window 700 described in FIGS. 7(a) to (c). The GUI button 1303 has the same function as the GUI button 800 shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b). Here, in this embodiment, the control device 401 further executes the following processing. That is, the control device 401 obtains a control value indicating the pressing of the first button from the input device 110 in response to the user pressing the first button of the button unit 303 of the input device 110, for example. Upon acquisition of the control value, the control device 401 changes the display mode of the "button 1" icon corresponding to the first button, as shown in FIG. 13. Further, the control device 401 changes the display mode of the control item "Preset 1" to which the operation "Button 1" is currently assigned, as shown in the window 1301 of FIG. Note that at this time, as indicated by the GUI button 1303, the control of the photographing device 120 is disabled, so the control of the photographing device 120 is not performed. As described above, in response to the acquisition of control values through the operation of the input device 110, display control is performed in the operation test window 1302 according to the operation, and display control is performed on the window 1301 for setting the assignment of operations to control items. Display control corresponding to the operation is also executed. By doing so, the control item corresponding to the operation on the input device 110 is highlighted, so the user can easily check the control item corresponding to the operation.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention can also be implemented by a process in which one or more processors read and execute a program that implements one or more of the functions of the embodiments described above. The program may be supplied to a system or device having a processor via a network or a storage medium. The present invention can also be implemented by a circuit (eg, an ASIC) that implements one or more of the functions of the embodiments described above.

Furthermore, although the present invention has been described together with the embodiments, the above-mentioned embodiments are merely examples of implementation of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is interpreted to be limited by these embodiments. It's not a thing. That is, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from its technical idea or main features. For example, a combination of each embodiment is also included in the disclosure content of this specification.

100 Information processing device 110 Input device 120 Photographing device 301 First stick section 302 Second stick section 303 Button section 401 System control section

Claims (7)

Display control means for causing the display means to display a first display area including each of a plurality of control items related to control of the imaging device using the input device;
a setting means for setting assignment of operations of the input device to the plurality of control items according to user operations,
The display control means includes:
In a state in which the first display area including each of the plurality of control items to be set for the operation assignment is displayed on the display means, the control of the photographing device by the input device is further enabled. An information processing apparatus characterized in that the display means displays a user interface that allows a user to select whether to enable or disable the information. The display control means includes:
In a state in which the first display area including each of the plurality of control items and a second display area related to an operation test of the operation of the input device are displayed on the display means, 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display means displays a user interface that allows a user to select whether to enable or disable control of the imaging device. The second display area includes an icon corresponding to an operation of the input device,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the display control means changes the display mode of the icon in the second display area when the operation of the input device is performed. Further comprising a transmitting means for transmitting a control command corresponding to the operation to the photographing device in accordance with the operation on the input device,
If control of the photographing device is disabled due to a user operation on the user interface, even if an operation is performed on the input device, the control command corresponding to the operation is not transmitted to the photographing device. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a display mode of the icon in the second display area corresponding to the operation changes. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the input device has an operation section that can be tilted in at least one of an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction. a display control step of displaying on a display means a first display area including each of a plurality of control items related to control of the imaging device using an input device;
a setting step of setting assignment of operations of the input device to the plurality of control items according to user operations,
In the display control step,
In a state in which the first display area including each of the plurality of control items to be set for the operation assignment is displayed on the display means, the control of the photographing device by the input device is further enabled. An information processing method characterized in that the display means displays a user interface that allows a user to select whether to enable or disable the information by a user operation. A program for causing a computer to function as each means of the information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

Images