JP2024082292A - CONTROL DEVICE, IMAGING SYSTEM, CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a control device advantageous in terms of operability of an imaging unit. [Solution] A control device (100) capable of communicating with an imaging unit (200, 300) including a display unit (207, 307) has a communication unit (101) that communicates with the unit, and a processing unit (102) that causes the communication unit to transmit display data of the display unit to the unit, and the processing unit generates display data based on information regarding the display capabilities of the display unit acquired by the communication unit [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a control device, an imaging system, a control method, and a program.

Patent Document 1 discloses a camera device (control device) that identifies its own role based on its own identified shooting conditions. Patent Document 2 discloses a camera device (control device) that measures its own position and displays an image based on information about the surroundings of its own position by superimposing it on a through (live view) image.

JP 2016-012832 A JP 2012-094955 A

The display device constituting the imaging system may not display information necessary for the user observing the display device. This is undesirable in terms of the operability of the imaging unit operated by the user. The present invention aims to provide a control device that is advantageous in terms of the operability of the imaging unit, for example.

The control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a control device capable of communicating with an imaging unit including a display unit, and has a communication unit that communicates with the unit, and a processing unit that causes the communication unit to transmit display data of the display unit to the unit, and the processing unit generates the display data based on information regarding the display capabilities of the display unit acquired by the communication unit.

Other objects and features of the present invention are described in the following examples.

The present invention can provide a control device that is advantageous in terms of the operability of the imaging unit, for example.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an imaging system in each embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an L role specification unit in the first embodiment. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a role identification process according to the first embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a display specification process in the first embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a display content determination process in the first embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a display information generating process in the first embodiment. 4 is an example of identification information according to the first embodiment. 4 is an example of a role table and role information according to the first embodiment. 4 is an example of roles and display item candidates according to the first embodiment. 4 is an example of a table for identifying a display unit and specific display unit information in the first embodiment. 11 is an example of a table for determining display item candidates from a display unit in the first embodiment. 11 is an example of display contents determined based on display item candidates and display performance in the first embodiment. 4 is an example of a UI according to the first embodiment. 13 is an example of identification information according to the second embodiment. 13 is an example of an existing display configuration in the second embodiment. 13 is an example of a display unit specification table and specific display unit information according to the second embodiment. 13 is an example of an item of display content determined from display content of another device in the second embodiment. 13 is an example of a configuration of display contents determined from an existing display configuration in the second embodiment. 13 is an example of a UI according to the second embodiment.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

First, the problems of a conventional imaging system composed of a control device such as a lens device and at least one display device capable of communicating with the control device will be described. The information exchanged between devices constituting the imaging system is image and video information, and since it is assumed that a general video information transmission and communication protocol can be used, menu information such as device status and settings may not be applicable. In addition, in imaging systems, multiple display devices (external UIs) having a display unit other than the lens may be connected, such as accessories for operating the camera VF and lens, and display-only devices such as monitors and tablets. In recent years, with the diversification of shooting applications, the devices connected to lenses have also become more diverse, and there are many cases where simply displaying predetermined information on a display device connected for communication does not necessarily provide the information that is necessary for the photographer, for example.

In an imaging system, operators such as a cameraman who operates the camera and lenses, a video engineer (VE) who adjusts the camera and various video equipment, and a switcher who switches screens during video production, all operate the system while checking the display devices that correspond to the various devices.

In addition, in a shooting environment, various UIs may be configured in various places (devices), such as camera VFs and camera accessories, lenses and lens accessories, VE (Video Engineering) devices, and around switcher devices. In particular, in recent years, the number of devices that can be connected to PCs and tablets has been increasing, and these devices may also be used as UIs for the imaging system.

The optimal display items for each of these various display devices are different. For example, a cameraman needs information about shooting operations, while a VE or switcher needs information that gives an overview of the entire system. Also, the display format and information that is suitable for each type of UI differs. For example, a large display is suitable for displaying a list, and since a VF displays images, displaying too much information on top of each other can affect shooting.

Depending on the camera and other interfaces, some information can be sent and received, while others cannot. Whether or not information can be sent and received may also depend on the product generation and firmware version. In any case, measures must be taken to avoid duplication of information display between devices that are connected for communication, while making it possible to display the necessary information.

To improve operability and make photography more efficient, the display of the external UI must always provide the necessary information for the person viewing the UI. These UIs should have a display format that matches the display capabilities of the UI, and information that matches the person viewing the UI and the type of UI itself in the entire imaging system. For this reason, it is desirable for the information holding device that holds the information to be able to identify the display unit of the device with which it is connected for communication, and determine the content to be displayed on the external UI based on the identified information.

Each example is described in detail below.

First, referring to FIG. 1, an imaging system 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the imaging system 10. The imaging system 10 is configured to include a lens device 100, a camera device (imaging device) 200, and an operation device 300. However, this embodiment is not limited to this, and other units such as a display-only device or a VE system (video engineer) may be connected to the lens device 100. In this embodiment, the lens device 100 is described as an information holding device (control device), and the camera device 200 and the operation device 300 are each external UIs (units including a display device (display unit)). In this embodiment, the operation device 300 is, for example, an accessory that operates the zoom lens of the lens device 100, but is not limited to this.

First, the lens device 100 will be described. The lens device 100 has an L communication unit 101, an L calculation unit (processing unit) 102, and an L display unit 107. The lens device 100 also has a lens group (zoom lens, focus lens), an aperture, and an operation unit (none of which are shown). The L communication unit 101 is a communication unit that communicates with other communication connection devices such as the camera device 200 or the operation device 300. The L communication unit 101 transmits data input from the L calculation unit 102 to other communication connection devices that are connected to the communication unit, and also outputs received data from other communication connection devices to the L calculation unit 102. In this embodiment, the L communication unit 101 outputs at least identification information received from other communication connection devices to the L calculation unit 102. The L communication unit 101 also outputs C display data (described later) to the camera device 200, and also outputs D display data to the operation device 300.

The L calculation unit 102 is a control unit such as a CPU, and has at least an L role specification unit 103, an L display specification unit 104, an L display content determination unit 105, and an L display information creation unit 106. The L calculation unit 102 also outputs L display data, which will be described later, to the L display unit 107, and outputs display data other than the L display data (C display data, D display data) to the L communication unit 101 (causing the L communication unit 101 to transmit the display data to the camera device or the operation device 300).

The L role identification unit 103 performs role identification processing to identify the role (type of user) of the user (operator or photographer) who operates each device in the imaging system 10 including the lens device 100. More specifically, the L role identification unit 103 identifies the role (role information) of the operator based on the identification information of each device (each unit) input from the L communication unit 101. The identification information includes information regarding the operation by the operator. The identified role information is handled by the L display content determination unit 105. Note that the detailed processing flow of the role identification processing will be described later with reference to FIG. 3. Also, the term "role" and role information will be described later with reference to FIGS. 8(a) to (c).

The L display specification unit 104 performs a display specification process in the imaging system 10 including the lens device 100 to specify display information such as the presence or absence of a display unit of each device and the display capabilities of the display unit, based on the identification information of each device input from the L communication unit 101. The specified display information is handled by the L display content determination unit 105. Note that the detailed processing flow of the display specification process will be described later with reference to FIG. 4.

The L display content determination unit 105 determines what to display on which display unit of the imaging system 10, based on either only the display unit identified by the L display identification unit 104, or on combination information including the role information identified by the L role identification unit 103. Specifically, it performs a display content determination process that determines the content to be displayed on the target external UI and its own UI (L display unit 107). The determined display content information is handled by the L display information creation unit 106. A detailed processing flow of the display content determination process will be described later with reference to FIG. 4.

The L display information creation unit 106 performs a display information creation process to create display data to be displayed on an external UI based on the display content information determined by the L display content determination unit 105. The L display information creation unit 106 creates, for example, C display data for display on the camera device 200 and D display data for display on the operation device 300, and outputs these to the L communication unit 101. A detailed processing flow of the display information creation process will be described later with reference to FIG. 5. The L display information creation unit 106 also creates L display data to be displayed on the L display unit 107, which will be described later, in addition to display data for the external UI. The created L display data is output to the L display unit 107.

The L display unit 107 is a display device, and is at least a UI that is visible to the user. It displays the L display data input from the L calculation unit 102. The display device is an LCD or an organic EL, but is not limited to these. Also, in this embodiment, the lens device 100 does not need to have the L display unit 107.

Next, the camera device 200 will be described. The camera device 200 is an imaging device equipped with an imaging unit, and is configured with a C communication unit 201, a C calculation unit 202, and a C display unit 207. The C communication unit 201 is a communication unit that communicates with other communication-connected devices such as the lens device 100. The C communication unit 201 transmits data input from the C calculation unit 202 to other communication-connected devices that are connected to the C communication unit 202, and also outputs data received from other communication-connected devices to the C calculation unit 202. In this embodiment, the C communication unit 201 outputs at least C display data received from the lens device 100 to the C calculation unit 202. The C communication unit 201 also outputs identification information input from the C calculation unit 202 to the lens device 100.

The C calculation unit 202 is a control unit such as a CPU, and has at least a C display information creation unit 206. The C calculation unit 202 also outputs C display data input from the C communication unit 201 to the C display unit 207, and outputs its own identification information to the C communication unit 201. The C display information creation unit 206 converts the C display data input from the C communication unit 201 into display data that matches the display format of the C display unit 207, and outputs it to the C display unit 207. The C display unit 207 is a display device, and is at least a UI that is visible to the user, such as a camera VF. The C display unit 207 displays the display data converted by the C display information creation unit 206. The display device is, but is not limited to, an LCD or an organic EL.

Next, the operation device 300 will be described. The operation device 300 is a device that operates the lens device 100, and is used, for example, to operate a zoom lens and a focus lens (not shown) that are configured in the lens device 100. The operation device 300 is configured with a D communication unit 301, a D calculation unit 302, and a D display unit 307. Note that in this embodiment, the operation device 300 is an operation device that can operate the focus lens in the lens device 100, but is not limited to this, and may be an operation device that can operate other members such as a zoom lens.

The D communication unit 301 is a communication unit that communicates with other communication-connected devices such as the lens device 100. The D communication unit 301 transmits data input from the D calculation unit 302 to other communication-connected devices with which it is communicatively connected, and also outputs data received from other communication-connected devices to the D calculation unit 302. In this embodiment, the D communication unit 301 outputs at least the D display data received from the lens device 100 to the D calculation unit 302. The D communication unit 301 also outputs the identification information input from the D calculation unit 302 to the lens device 100.

The D calculation unit 302 is a control unit such as a CPU. The D calculation unit 302 outputs the D display data input from the D communication unit 301 to the D display unit 307, and outputs its own identification information to the D communication unit 301. The D calculation unit 302 also has a D display information creation unit 306, which converts the data into display data suited to the D display unit 307 described below. The D display unit 307 is a display device, and is at least a UI that is visible to the user. The D display unit 307 displays the display data converted by the D display information creation unit 306. The display device may be an LCD or an organic EL, but is not limited to these.

Next, the L role identification unit 103 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the L role identification unit 103. The L role identification unit 103 has a connection unit detection unit 1031, an operator identification unit 1032, and a role management unit 1033.

The connected unit detection unit 1031 detects a unit (a unit constituting the imaging system 10) connected to the lens device 100 based on the identification information acquired from the L communication unit 101. The connected unit detection unit 1031 transmits the identification information of the unit (operation member) connected to the lens device 100 to the operator identification unit 1032. The identification information is information for identifying "what" operation member the lens device 100 is connected to. For example, if the identification information indicates the camera device 200, it is a camera device, and if the identification information indicates the operation device 300, it is an operation device. Details of the identification information will be described later with reference to FIG. 7. The L role identification unit 103 may hold identification information of various information holding devices, identify the type of the connected information holding device based on information on the terminal voltage between the devices and information on communication, and identify the identification information from the identified type of information holding device.

The operator identification unit 1032 uses a role table described later to identify the positional relationship between the operation device 300 and the lens device 100 from the connected operation members (units). For example, it is determined that an operation member located close to the lens device 100 is operated by one operator, and an operation member located remotely is operated by an operator other than the operator located near the lens device 100. As described above, the group of operators and operation members is identified, and the operation members, location, and operator are registered in the role information. In addition, the role information is transmitted to the role management unit 1033. The role table is stored in a non-volatile memory (not shown) and can be referenced from anywhere in the L role identification unit 103. Details will be described later with reference to Figures 8 (a) to (c), but the role table is a list of information holding devices to which the connected unit detection unit 1031 may be connected in advance. In addition, the role table indicates, for each information holding device, information on the positional relationship with respect to the lens device and information indicating the role of the person operating the information holding device in shooting.

The role management unit 1033 uses a role table, which will be described later, to identify the role of the operator from the function of the operating member. For example, when a zoom demand or focus demand is connected, the role of the operator is to adjust the angle of view or adjust the focus. The identified role is registered in the role information. In addition, the registered role information is transmitted to the L display content determination unit 105.

Next, the role identification process performed by the L role identification unit 103 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the role identification process. First, after the lens device 100 is powered on, when the lens device 100 is connected to the camera device 200 or the operation device 300 for communication, the process proceeds to step S101. Hereinafter, the case where the lens device 100 is connected to the operation device 300 for communication will be described.

First, in step S101, the connection unit detection unit 1031 determines whether or not identification information has been received from the communication connection partner (operation device 300). If identification information has been received, the process proceeds to step S102. On the other hand, if identification information has not been received, i.e., if the communication connection partner does not hold identification information, the process ends.

In step S102, the connection unit detection unit 1031 registers the operating member in the role information based on the identification information, and transmits the role information to the operator identification unit 1032. The role management unit 1033 identifies the role of the operator based on the information registered in the role information by the connection unit detection unit 1031 and the operator identification unit 1032.

Next, in step S103, the operator identification unit 1032 determines whether or not the location of the communication connection partner (operation device 300) has been identified. If it is determined that the location of the communication connection partner has been identified, the process proceeds to step S104. On the other hand, if it is determined that the location of the communication connection partner cannot be identified, the process ends. The location is, for example, the distance between the lens device 100 and the communication connection partner, and the connection form such as wired or wireless. However, this embodiment is not limited to this, and any information indicating the positional relationship with the lens device 100 within the imaging system 10 may be used. The location is identified using a role table that indicates the relationship between the operation member, the location, and the role. Details of this identification method will be described later with reference to Figures 8(a) to (c). Note that if there is no connected operation member in the role table, the role cannot be identified, and the process ends.

In step S104, the operator identification unit 1032 registers the location in the role information, and transmits the role information in which the location has been registered to the role management unit 1033. Next, in step S105, the role management unit 1033 identifies the role of the operator based on the operating member and the location (information related to the operator's operation). Details of the identified role will be described later with reference to FIG. 7, but an example of the role is "angle of view adjustment." Next, in step S106, the role management unit 1033 registers the role identified in step S105 in the role information, and ends this process. Note that a similar process can also be performed on the camera device 200.

Next, the display specification process performed by the L display specification unit 104 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the display specification process. First, after the lens device 100 is powered on and connected for communication with the camera device 200 or the operation device 300, the process proceeds to step S201. Hereinafter, the case where a communication connection with the camera device 200 has been established will be described.

First, in step S201, the L display specification unit 104 determines whether or not identification information has been input from the communication connection partner (camera device 200) (whether or not identification information has been received). If it is determined that identification information has been input, the process proceeds to step S202. On the other hand, if it is determined that identification information has not been input, step S201 is repeated. The identification information is information about the camera device if it is the camera device 200, and information about the operation device if it is the operation device 300, and includes information that can identify the display unit that can be used by the lens device 100 and information that identifies the display format or display range of the display unit. Specifically, as will be described later, for example, the "operation member", "presence or absence of display unit", "display format", or "display range" shown in FIG. 7 is information that can identify the display capabilities of the display unit (information about the display capabilities of the display unit, for example, information about the display range of the display unit). However, in this embodiment, the identification information is not limited to these, and may be other information.

In step S202, the L display identification unit 104 determines from the identification information whether or not the communication connection partner (camera device 200) has a display unit, and registers this in the specific display unit information. Note that if it is possible to determine from the identification information that a display unit is present, the determination is made from the identification information, and if not, the determination may be made from pre-set conditions or settings. The specific display unit information includes information (parameters) on the type, display format, or display capabilities of the identified display unit. More specifically, as will be described later, there are, for example, "display unit," "display format," or "display range" shown in FIG. 10(b), which are information that can identify the location and display capabilities of the display unit, but are not limited to these.

Next, in step S203, the L display specification unit 104 specifies the display format and display capabilities of the display unit of the communication connection partner (camera device 200) from the identification information, and registers it in the specified display unit information (specifying the display unit from a correspondence table between parameters and display units). The L display specification unit 104 then outputs the specified display unit information to the L display content determination unit 105, and ends this process. Note that the same process can also be performed for the operation device 300.

Next, the display content determination process (display target determination process) performed by the L display content determination unit 105 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the display content determination process (display target determination process). Hereinafter, a case where the contents of the C display data to be transmitted to the camera device 200 are determined will be described.

First, in step S301, the L display content determination unit 105 determines whether specific display unit information has been input. If specific display unit information has been input, the process proceeds to step S302. On the other hand, if specific display unit information has not been input, step S301 is repeated.

In step S302, the L display content determination unit 105 determines whether role information has been input. If it is determined that role information has been input, the process proceeds to step S303. On the other hand, if it is determined that role information has not been input, the process proceeds to step S304. In step S303, the L display content determination unit 105 determines display item candidates based on a correspondence table between role information and display items. Note that a method for determining display item candidates based on role information will be described later. In step S304, the L display content determination unit 105 determines display item candidates based on a correspondence table between specific display unit information and display items (for example, a table that associates information related to the display capabilities of the display unit with the contents of the display data). Note that a method for determining display item candidates based on specific display unit information will be described later.

In step S305, the L display content determination unit 105 determines and creates the display content SInfo_c based on the display item candidates and the specific display unit information. The method of determining the display content based on the display item candidates and the specific display unit information will be described later. The display content SInfo_c is information that represents the display content for the camera device 200 in this embodiment.

Next, in step S306, the L display content determination unit 105 performs a display target determination process to determine and generate a display target St_c that displays the display content SInfo_c. In the display target determination process, the L display content determination unit 105 refers to the specific display unit information and determines the display target St_c according to the information holding device ID. The display target St_c is information indicating that the camera device 200 in this embodiment is to be the display target. Next, in step S307, the L display content determination unit 105 outputs the display content SInfo_c and the display target St_c, and ends this process.

For the operation device 300, processing is performed in the flow of steps S301 to S304 described above. However, in step S305, the display content SInfo_d is determined, and in step S306, the display target St_d is determined. For example, the display information SInfo_d created for the operation device 300 may be different from or the same as the display information SInfo_d created for the camera device 200.

Next, the display information creation process performed by the L display information creation unit 106 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the display information creation process. The following describes the case where C display data to be transmitted to the camera device 200 is created. When the display content determination process in FIG. 5 is completed and a display information creation request is made to the L display information creation unit 106, this process starts and proceeds to step S401.

First, in step S401, the L display information creation unit 106 determines whether the display content SInfo_c determined in the display content determination process has been input. If it is determined that the display content SInfo_c has been input, the process proceeds to step S402. On the other hand, if it is determined that the display content SInfo_c has not been input, step S401 is repeated.

In step S402, the L display information creation unit 106 determines whether the display target St_c determined in the display content determination process has been input. If it is determined that the display target St_c has been input, the process proceeds to step S403. On the other hand, if it is determined that the display target St_c has not been input, the process repeats step S402.

In step S403, the L display information creation unit 106 creates C display data by converting data into a format that can be displayed on the display target St_c based on the display content SInfo_c acquired in step S401 and the display target St_c acquired in step S402. Specifically, the display device information stored in the storage unit (not shown) can be used to determine what data the display unit of the destination requires using the information on the display target St_c. The display target St_C can determine that it is the camera device 200, and the camera device 200 can determine that the display unit can display by inputting ASCII data. Note that, although ASCII data is used in this embodiment, this is not limited to this. For example, if the display device is the same as the lens device 100, the data may be converted into output data that matches the display device. If information on the number of display pixels can be acquired, information such as on/off for each display pixel may be output. Information that can identify the display data may be transmitted and received as identification information, and the display identification unit may include the information in the display identification information, which may be used in the display information creation process to convert the display data.

Next, in step S404, the L display information creation unit 106 outputs the C display data created in step S403 to the L communication unit 101, and ends this process.

For the operation device 300, processing is performed in the flow of steps S401 to S404 described above. However, in step S403, D display data is created, and in step S404, the D display data is output to the L communication unit 101. In the camera device 200, the C display data received from the lens device 100 is displayed on the C display unit 207. In addition, in the operation device 300, the D display data received from the lens device 100 is displayed on the D display unit 307. The actual display by this processing will be described later with reference to FIG. 13.

Next, the identification information will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is an example of identification information. FIG. 7 is an example of identification information. In FIG. 7, the information in columns (A) to (E) show examples of identification information held by the information holding device.

Column (A) is an identifier for identifying a device as a unique information holding device. Column (B) indicates an operation member connected to the imaging system 10. Column (C) indicates the presence or absence of a display unit. "Yes" indicates that the information holding device has a display unit, and "No" indicates that it does not have a display unit. Column (D) indicates the display format when the user device uses the display unit provided. "Occupied" indicates that the entire display screen of the display unit can be occupied, and "Overlapped" indicates that a part of the display screen of the display unit can be used. Column (E) indicates the display range of the display unit that can be used. For example, "96 dots vertical/384 dots horizontal" indicates that the vertical and horizontal sizes of the screen are in units of dots, and "16 characters/2 lines" indicates that two lines of 16 characters can be displayed in one line. For example, if identification information can be obtained by communication from an information holding device called zoom demand A, it can be known that the device has an operation member called a zoom operation device (wired), and this can be used for role identification in the role identification process described later. Additionally, columns (C) to (E) indicate the presence or absence of a display unit and its display performance, which can be used to identify the display unit in the display identification process described below.

Next, an example of the role identification process in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 8(a) to (c). Fig. 8(a) is a role table, and Fig. 8(b) is an example of role information. The role identification process is a process performed by the L role identification unit 103 to identify the role of the operator who operates the operating member.

First, the role table shown in FIG. 8(a) will be described. The role table is a table for identifying the role of an operator from an operating member. Column (A) in FIG. 8(a) represents the operating members connected to the imaging system 10. Column (B) in FIG. 8(a) represents the location from the lens device 100. Those connected to the lens device 100 by wire are located close to the lens, and those connected wirelessly are located remotely. As for the VE remote control, it is assumed that the focus and brightness of the lens are adjusted from a position away from the lens device 100, and it is located remotely. In this embodiment, a method of determining the location in advance in association with the operating member will be described as an example, but a method of automatically identifying the location of the operating member using GPS or the like, or a method of the user setting using a setting means not shown in the figure may also be used. In this embodiment, there are two types of locations, close to the lens and far from the lens, but multiple types of locations may be defined for the purpose of identifying the number of operators and their respective locations.

Next, the roles of column (C) in Figure 8(a) will be explained. Shooting is performed by various people with their own roles, such as the cameraman who drives the lens to adjust the angle of view and focus, and the VE who moves the focus to fine-tune the focus. Column (C) in Figure 8(a) shows the roles of the operators that can be considered from the functions of the operating members used in shooting. Roles are not limited to this and may differ depending on the shooting mode, so the user may be able to register them.

Next, the role identification process will be described using the role information shown in FIG. 8(b). Here, as shown in FIG. 8(c), the role identification process will be described for the case where a camera L1, a lens, a zoom operation device (wired) D1, and a VE remote control D2 are connected to the imaging system 10, and operators P1 and P2 are present. Role information is information about the role of an operator identified from a connection unit. First, the camera, lens, zoom operation device (wired), and VE remote control connected to the operation members of the role information are registered. In this case, referring to column (B) in FIG. 8(a), it is identified that the camera, lens, and zoom operation device (wired) are located near the lens, and the VE remote control is located far from the lens. Near the lens and far from the lens are registered in the location of the role information.

Next, by referring to column (C) in FIG. 8(a), the roles corresponding to the operating members are registered in the role information. Next, by referring to the location of the registered role information in FIG. 8(b), it is possible to identify that one operator (operator A) is located close to the lens and another operator (operator B) is located far from the lens. Operator A and operator B are registered as operators in the role information. Therefore, by performing the role identification process described above, it is possible to identify the roles of the operators.

Next, with reference to Figure 9, we will explain how to determine display item candidates using a correspondence table between role information and corresponding items. Figure 9 shows an example of roles and display item candidates, and shows a correspondence table for determining display item candidates that are optimal for an operator who plays a role based on the role in the role information. The purpose of this is to determine display item candidates that are optimal for the role of the operator included in the role information.

Column (A) shows the role that the operator will play, and column (B) shows candidate display items that correspond to column (A). For example, if the role is angle of view adjustment, the candidate display items can be determined to be zoom position and zoom command value from the correspondence table. For example, if the role is focus adjustment, the candidate display items will be information related to the system's focus adjustment, such as focus position and focus command value, and depth of field. If the role is brightness adjustment, the candidate display items will be information related to the system's brightness, such as iris position and iris command value, camera gain, exposure time, and filter settings.

The correspondence table between role information and corresponding items may be stored in advance in a storage unit (not shown), or may be changeable by providing a changing means (not shown). For example, a display unit and an operation unit (not shown) may be provided so that the user can directly edit the correspondence table.

Next, an example of the display specification process in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 10(a) and (b). The display specification process is intended to specify the display unit of the information holding device from the information related to the display unit among the identification information acquired from the information holding device, and to create specific display unit information to be used in the display content determination process. Fig. 10(a) is a correspondence table for specifying the display unit from a part of the identification information described with reference to Fig. 7. Columns (A) to (D) in Fig. 10(a) are the same as columns (B) to (E) in Fig. 7, respectively. Column (E) shows the type of display unit specified from the information in columns (A) to (D). Fig. 10(b) is an example of specific display unit information specified by the display specification process. Column (A) in Fig. 10(b) shows the type of display unit specified by the display specification process. Columns (B) and (C) in Fig. 10(b) are the same as columns (D) and (E) in Fig. 7, respectively. Column (D) in Fig. 10(b) is the same as column (A) in Fig. 7. These are obtained from the identification information as information related to display performance during the display specification process.

Next, an example of the display specification process of the L display specification unit 104 when a camera, a lens, a zoom operation device (wired), and a VE remote control are connected to the imaging system 10 will be described. First, identification information is acquired, and a matching combination of operation members, presence or absence of a display unit, display format, and display range included therein is identified by referring to columns (A) to (D) in FIG. 10(a). Next, the display unit is identified by referring to column (E) of the identified combination. For example, if the acquired identification information is a combination of lens, presence of display unit, occupied, and 96 dots vertical/384 dots horizontal, it is found that the matching columns (A) to (D) are the (1)th row in FIG. 10(a). Therefore, the display unit can be identified from column (E) of the correspondence table, "external lens display". Next, specific display unit information shown in FIG. 10(b) is created from the identified display unit and information related to the display performance included in the identification information.

As described above, the correspondence table can be used to identify a display unit from the identification information of the connected device, and specific display unit information can be created by adding information related to the display performance of the identification information. By creating specific display unit information in this manner, the lens device 100 of this embodiment can determine display item candidates and display content using the specific display unit information described below.

Next, referring to FIG. 11, a process for determining display item candidates using specific display unit information and a correspondence table of corresponding items will be described. The purpose of the process for determining display item candidates is to determine appropriate (preferably optimal) display item candidates for each identified display unit included in the specific display unit information. FIG. 11 is a correspondence table for determining optimal display item candidates for a display unit from the display unit items included in the specific display unit information.

In FIG. 11, column (A) indicates the identified display unit, and column (B) indicates the display item candidates corresponding to column (A). For example, if the display unit is an "external lens display," a matching row is searched for among rows (1) to (5) of the A column display unit of the correspondence table, and it is found to match row (1). By referring to the corresponding display item candidates (B), the display item candidates can be determined to be "Error message," "Zoom position," "Focus position," "Iris position," and "Zoom speed."

The correspondence table between the specific display unit information and the corresponding items may be stored in advance in a storage unit (not shown), or may be changeable by providing a changing means (not shown). For example, a display unit and an operation unit (not shown) may be provided so that the user can directly edit the correspondence table.

Next, referring to FIG. 12, a process for determining display contents based on display item candidates and specific display unit information will be described. The process for determining display contents includes display item determination, which selects items to actually be displayed from display item candidates based on specific display unit information and in accordance with the display format or display capabilities of the display unit. It also includes display configuration determination, which determines where on the screen of the display unit the display items will be displayed, in accordance with the display format or display capabilities of the display unit.

Figure 12 is an example of display content determined from display item candidates and display performance. Column (A) shows display item candidates determined by the L display content determination unit 105. Columns (B) and (C) are similar to columns (D) and (E) in Figure 7, respectively. Column (D) shows display items determined by the display content determination process from the display item candidates. Column (E) shows the display configuration determined according to the display format and display capabilities of the display unit. Column (F) is similar to column (A) in Figure 7.

In FIG. 12, (1) to (3) indicate cases where the display content is determined from different display unit information. For example, line (1) is information when the display content is determined from the display unit information of the L display unit 107 provided in the lens device 100. Line (2) corresponds to the C display unit 207 provided in the camera device 200, and line (3) corresponds to the D display unit 307 provided in the operation device 300 as a demand device.

Here, we will provide additional information on the notation in columns (A) and (D) of row (1). The notation in the table is actually expressed as the item name to be displayed as written in rows (2) and (3), but to make the explanation easier to understand, it has been deliberately written as the string that is actually displayed on the display unit. For example, in rows (2) and (3), "Err00" is displayed where "Error message" should be displayed. The following explains the contents of row (1) as an example.

The display item candidate "Err00" in column (A) in FIG. 12 corresponds to the "Error message" in the other rows, and indicates whether or not there is an error in the information storage device. "Err00" indicates that there is no error in the imaging system 10 of this embodiment. Next, "IrisFol: 2.8" corresponds to the "iris position" and indicates how open the iris of the imaging system 10 is. "ZoomFol: 150" corresponds to the "zoom position" and indicates how many mm the angle of view of the imaging system 10 is. "FocusFol: 300" corresponds to the "focus position" and indicates how many meters the subject distance of the imaging system 10 is. "ZoomSp: 80" corresponds to the "zoom speed" and indicates what percentage of maximum the zoom change speed of the imaging system 10 is.

First, the determination of the display items will be explained. The display item candidates in column (A) in FIG. 12 are determined by the method described with reference to FIG. 11. When a display device has a display range, there is a limit to the display items that can be displayed. Therefore, the number of characters required to display the display item candidates and the displayable display items are determined from the displayable range. Generally, display devices express the horizontal and vertical display range in dots (also called pixels), and images are expressed by turning on and off one dot. The following will explain using the (1)th row as an example. For example, the display item candidate "Error message" is actually displayed as five characters, "Err00". One character is 20x20 [dots], and if spaces are provided between each character, it can be displayed as 21x21 [dots]. Therefore, it can be seen that 5 characters x 21x21 dots = 105x105 dots are required. Next, if the display range is 96 dots vertically and 384 dots horizontally, the vertical is 96÷21 ≒ 4, and it can be determined that four characters can be displayed vertically. The width is 384÷21≒18, so it can be determined that 18 characters can be displayed horizontally.

As a result of these, if one item is simply displayed per line on a display that can display 4 characters vertically and 18 characters horizontally, it is clear that only 4 items out of the 5 candidate display items can be displayed. In this way, the display range information can be used to adjust the items from the candidate display items to the number of items that can be displayed, and the display items can be determined.

Next, the determination of the display configuration will be explained. The display configuration may be any way to display the determined display items within the display range, but in this embodiment, it is determined to list one item per line from the top of the display item candidates, as in the first line of FIG. 13(b). Also, if there are items and values corresponding to the items, they may be configured to be displayed in separate columns, as in the fourth line of FIG. 13(b). In this way, the determined content regarding how the determined display items are displayed on the display unit is shown in the display configuration in column (E) in FIG. 12. However, the display configuration may be such that the determined display items are enlarged to fill the screen, or the items are simply displayed consecutively from the top of the screen. The content described in this section is merely an example and is not limited.

With the above configuration, it is possible to determine display items from the display range based on the specific display unit information from the corresponding item candidates, and to determine how to display the display items in the display range.

Next, an example of a UI displayed on the external UI of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 13(a) and (b). Fig. 13(a) shows an example of the C display unit 207, and Fig. 13(b) shows an example of the D display unit 307. The dotted lines in Fig. 13(a) show C display data, and the dotted lines in Fig. 13(b) show D display data, which are added for the purpose of illustrating the figure and are not actually displayed. In this embodiment, the information within the dotted lines is added as shown. The C display data displays information necessary for "focus adjustment," "angle of view adjustment," and "brightness adjustment," and as an example, zoom speed information and subject distance are used. In addition, the display data is limited to two lines so as not to interfere with confirmation of the image display. The D display data displays information necessary for the "focus operator," and as an example, focus position information and focus operation authority information are used.

With the above configuration, the role and display unit of the device connected for communication can be identified, and the content to be displayed on the external UI can be determined based on the identified information, so the display of the external UI is always information that is necessary for the person viewing the UI. Even if the display capabilities of the display unit of the operation device 300 change, if the information on the display unit can be identified, it is possible to change the display of the external UI according to the display capabilities. By performing the above processing, it is possible to display information on the external UI according to the role and display unit of the device connected for communication.

In this embodiment, the role information is shown in FIG. 8, but this is merely an example and is not limited to this. In addition, the display information is identification information such as the presence or absence of a display unit and display capabilities, but is not limited to this. For example, it may be information such as whether or not it supports sending and receiving C display data, or it may be setting information for the display unit of each device. By being able to obtain setting information for the display unit, it may be possible to display depending on the settings, but it is possible to change the display information output from the lens device 100 depending on whether or not it is actually displayed.

In addition, in the display content determination process, communication information with the communication connection partner is monitored, and information that is not actually being communicated is set as the display content, but this is not limited to this. For example, information about abnormal conditions is information that the user should be aware of even if it is duplicated, and the display content may be determined taking into account the display settings described above.

The role and display unit are automatically determined based on information acquired from each device, but are not limited to this. For example, the operator may set the role directly. The role may also be specified in relation to the lens settings of the operator (based on information related to the unit settings by the operator). For example, when the focus drive range is limited, the role may be focus adjustment. In addition, the role and the display unit itself may be settable, and the priority for determining the display content may be settable. In this embodiment, the role is specified from the functions of all connected operating members, but one role may be specified from the operating state of the operating members. For example, when a state in which the zoom demand is being operated is detected as the operating state, the role is angle of view adjustment.

In addition, in this embodiment, the trigger for starting the role specification process, display specification process, display content determination process, and display information creation process is a communication connection with another communication connection device, but this is not limited to this. For example, the trigger may be a switch operation within the imaging system 10, and all of these processes do not have to be performed in conjunction with each other. Also, while the display of the C display data is always displayed, this is not limited to this. For example, it may be displayed only when a switch to which the additional information display function is assigned is operated.

In addition, the display information created in the display information creation process is primarily output to an external UI, but it may also be targeted at the L display unit 107 that the device itself has. In this embodiment, the role specification process, display specification process, display content determination process, and display information creation process are executed by the lens device 100, but this is not limited to this. At least a part of each process may be executed by the camera device 200 or the operation device 300, for example.

According to this embodiment, it is possible to display the necessary information in the most suitable location for the photographer depending on the role of the photographer and the specified display unit.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment, the display contents are determined only by the type of display unit identified in the display identification process. However, it may not be appropriate for the operator to display the same information in a limited display range in an overlapping manner. In addition, when displaying information superimposed on an image, if the existing display configuration is ignored, data of different natures may be displayed side by side, making the display difficult to see. Therefore, in this embodiment, an example will be described in which the display contents of a display unit are created based on the display contents of another display unit that have already been created, so that the display contents do not overlap. In addition, the existing display configuration is used to determine the display contents to be superimposed while taking the existing display into consideration.

The basic configuration of the imaging system in this embodiment is similar to that of the imaging system 10 in embodiment 1 described with reference to FIG. 1, and therefore a description of the configuration and operation common to embodiment 1 will be omitted. In this embodiment, the L display specification unit 104 creates the specific display unit information shown in FIG. 15 using identification information to which configuration information of an existing display has been added, as shown in FIG. 14. In addition, the L display content determination unit 105 first determines the display content (contents of the display data) to be displayed on the operation device 300, and then determines the display content to be displayed on the camera device 200 so as not to overlap with the display content of the operation device 300.

The L display specification unit 104 performs a display specification process for specifying display information by adding an existing display configuration to the identification information of each device input from the L communication unit 101 in the configuration of Example 1. Note that detailed processing of the display specification process using the existing display configuration will be described later. The L display content determination unit 105 performs a display content determination process for determining the display content of another device (e.g., the camera device 200) by referring to the display content of a device (e.g., the operation device (demand device) 300) that has already been determined in Example 1. Note that detailed processing flow of the display content determination process of another device based on the display content of a device that has already been determined will be described later.

Next, the identification information will be described in detail with reference to Figures 14 and 15. Figure 14 is an example of identification information possessed by an information holding device. Columns (A) to (E) in Figure 14 are similar to columns (A) to (E) in Figure 7, respectively. Column (F) in Figure 14 shows the display content (existing display configuration) originally displayed on the display unit of the information holding device.

Figure 15 is a diagram showing the display contents of a display unit in an information holding device (an example of an existing display configuration). The central rectangle 1600 indicates the display screen of the display unit, and the outer lines 1601 and 1602 indicate the size of the display screen. This indicates in coordinates that the entire display range is 0 to 4000 horizontally and 0 to 3000 vertically. Rectangle 1603 indicates the zoom relative position, indicating that the start coordinates of the display position are (0,0) and the end coordinates are (21,80). Rectangle 1604 indicates the focus relative position, indicating that the start coordinates of the display position are (0,3920) and the end coordinates are (21,4000). Rectangle 1605 indicates the aperture position, indicating that the start coordinates of the display position are (2979,3920) and the end coordinates are (3000,4000).

Here, each item of the existing display configuration (F) in the third row of FIG. 14 will be described in detail. "Display range when occupied: 4000 horizontal, 3000 vertical" indicates the entire display range of the display unit of the information holding device (A), and corresponds to the rectangle 1600 in FIG. 15. "Zoom relative position: {(0,0), (21,80)}" corresponds to the rectangle 1603. "Focus relative position: {21,3920), (21,3000)}" and "Aperture position: {(3994,2984), (4000,3000)}" also correspond to the rectangles 1604 and 1605, respectively. In other words, each item of the existing display configuration (F) represents the contents displayed on the display unit of a certain information holding device. In this way, if the existing display configuration (F) is known, the original display contents displayed on the display unit of the information holding device (A) can be known.

Next, an example of the display specification process in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 16(a) and 16(b). In this embodiment, by using identification information including the existing display configuration, specific display unit information is created for each display device detected by the lens device to specify which information is displayed at which position on the display screen as the existing display configuration.

Figure 16(a) is a correspondence table (display unit identification table) for identifying a display unit from a portion of the identification information described with reference to Figure 14. The existing display configuration described with reference to Figure 14 is added to Figure 10(a). Columns (A) to (E) in Figure 16(a) are similar to columns (B) to (F) in Figure 14, respectively. Column (F) in Figure 16(a) shows the type of display unit identified from the information in columns (A) to (E). Figure 16(b) is an example of specific display unit information identified by the display identification process. Column (A) in Figure 16(b) shows the type of display unit identified by the display identification process. Columns (B) and (C) in Figure 16(b) are similar to columns (D) and (E) in Figure 14, respectively, and are obtained as information related to display performance from the identification information in the display identification process.

Next, an example of the display specification process of the L display specification unit 104 when a camera, a lens, a zoom operation device (wired), and a VE remote control are connected to the imaging system 10 will be described. First, the L display specification unit 104 acquires the identification information, and identifies a matching combination of the operation member (A), the presence or absence of a display unit (B), the display format (C), the display range (D), and the existing display configuration (E) contained therein by referring to columns (A) to (E) in FIG. 16(a). Next, the L display specification unit 104 identifies a display unit by referring to the column (F) of the identified combination. For example, if the acquired identification information is a combination of a telewide switch, the presence of a display unit, superimposition, and 50 dots vertical/1000 dots horizontal, it can be seen that the matching columns (A) to (E) are the (3)th row in FIG. 16(a). Therefore, the display unit can be identified from "camera VF", which is column F of the correspondence table. In this way, by collecting part of the information identified from the identification information, specific display unit information related to a certain display unit and its performance can be created, as shown in FIG. 16(b).

As described above, by using the correspondence table to identify the display unit from the identification information of the connected device and compiling information related to the display performance, it is possible to identify specific display unit information including the existing display configuration.

Next, with reference to FIG. 17, a description will be given of how display content items are determined from display item candidates, specific display unit information, and previously determined display content of another display device. In this embodiment, when determining the display items to be actually displayed from the display item candidates, the display content already determined for the other device is taken into consideration. For example, if the display content of the operation device (demand device) 300 has already been determined, when determining the display items of the camera device 200, the display items are determined from the display content of the operation device 300 so as not to overlap the display content of both.

Figure 17 shows an example of display content items determined from the display content of another device, and shows information necessary to determine the display items. Column (A) in Figure 17 shows display item candidates determined by the L display content determination unit 105. Columns (B) and (C) in Figure 17 are similar to columns (D) and (E) in Figure 14, respectively. Column (D) in Figure 17 is a display item of another display unit that has already been determined. Column (E) in Figure 17 shows a display item determined by the display content determination process from the display item candidates by determining that among the items in column (A), they are not included in column (D). Column (F) in Figure 17 is similar to column (A) in Figure 14.

The following will be described using the contents of line (1) in FIG. 17 as an example. First, the determination of the display item will be described. The display item candidate (A) is determined by the method described with reference to FIGS. 16(a) and 16(b). In this embodiment, the display range (C) is "16 characters/1 line". This indicates that there is a display range of 16 characters for one line. Therefore, for the three items of the determined display item candidate (A), if the display range is limited to 16 characters and one line, and only one item can be displayed per line, all the display item candidates cannot be displayed. Next, by comparing the display item candidate (A) with the four items of the display items (D) of the other device, it is found that the display item that has not yet been displayed is "zoom speed". Based on this information, the display item that exists in column (A) but does not exist in column (D) can be determined to be "zoom speed" shown in column (E).

Next, with reference to FIG. 18, the determination of the display configuration using the determined display items and the existing display configuration will be described. In this embodiment, when determining the configuration of the display contents, the display configuration is determined so as to bring the existing display and related information closer together by taking the existing display configuration into consideration. For example, when determining the display configuration for displaying information superimposed on the camera device 200, the display configuration is determined so as to superimpose the display in a nearby location based on the existing display already displayed on the camera device 200.

Figure 18 is an example of a display content configuration determined from an existing display configuration, and shows a screen when the determined display item zoom speed is configured near an existing zoom-related display for the existing display configuration of the camera VF, which is the display unit in Figure 16 (b). By referencing the "zoom relative position {(0,0), (21,80)}" included in the existing display configuration, it can be seen that zoom-related information is located at the position of rectangle 1901 shown in Figure 18. Based on this information, the display item "zoom speed", which is the same zoom-related information, can be positioned at the position of rectangle 1902. With this configuration, it is possible to determine a display content configuration that uses the existing display configuration to display related display items.

Next, an example of a UI displayed on the external UI of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 19(a) and (b). Fig. 19(a) shows an example of the C display section 207, and Fig. 19(b) shows an example of the D display section 307. The dotted lines in Fig. 19(a) show the C display data, and the dotted lines in Fig. 19(b) show the D display data, and are added for the purpose of illustrating the figure and are not actually displayed. In this embodiment, the information within the dotted lines is added as shown. The C display data determines the display items based on the D display data so that there are no overlaps, and further uses the existing display configuration of the identification information to display the display contents so that related data are brought closer together. As a result, the display is good for the operator checking the display.

In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the role specification unit, display specification unit, display content determination unit, and display information creation unit are provided in the lens device 100, but this is not limited to the above, and at least one of each unit may be provided in the camera device 200 or the operation device 300.

Other Examples
The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program for implementing one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more of the functions.

According to each embodiment, the necessary information can be displayed on a display unit appropriate for the operator depending on the display capabilities of the display unit. Therefore, according to each embodiment, it is possible to provide, for example, a control device, an imaging system, a control method, and a program that are advantageous in terms of the operability of the imaging unit.

The disclosure of each embodiment includes the following configurations and methods.

(Configuration 1)
A control device capable of communicating with an imaging unit including a display unit,
A communication unit that communicates with the unit;
a processing unit that causes the unit to transmit display data of the display unit to the communication unit,
The control device, wherein the processing unit generates the display data based on information about a display capability of the display unit acquired by the communication unit.
(Configuration 2)
2. The control device according to configuration 1, wherein the information regarding the display capability is information regarding a display range of the display unit.
(Configuration 3)
3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit generates the display data based on information indicating a position of the display unit.
(Configuration 4)
4. The control device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein the processing unit stores a table that associates information about the display capability with the contents of the display data, and generates the display data based on the table.
(Configuration 5)
5. The control device according to claim 4, wherein the table is modifiable by an operator.
(Configuration 6)
6. The control device according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, wherein the processing unit determines an item of the display data based on the information related to the display capability.
(Configuration 7)
7. The control device according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein the processing unit generates the display data based on information regarding display data of another display unit.
(Configuration 8)
8. The control device according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, wherein the processing unit generates the display data so as not to overlap with display data of other display units.
(Configuration 9)
9. The control device according to any one of configurations 1 to 8, wherein the processing unit generates the display data based on information displayed on the display unit.
(Configuration 10)
A control device according to any one of configurations 1 to 9,
An imaging system comprising the unit.
(Configuration 11)
the control device is included in one of a lens device, an imaging device, an operation device, a display device, and a VE device;
11. The imaging system according to configuration 10, wherein the unit is included in another one of the lens device, the imaging device, the operation device, the display device, and the VE device.
(Method 1)
A control method for a control device capable of communicating with an imaging unit including a display unit, comprising:
acquiring information regarding the display capabilities of the display unit by communicating with the unit;
generating display data for the display unit based on information regarding the display capabilities;
and transmitting the display data to the unit.
(Configuration 12)
A program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to method 1.

The above describes preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention.

100 Lens device (control device)
101 L communication unit (communication unit)
102 L calculation unit (processing unit)

Claims (13)

A control device capable of communicating with an imaging unit including a display unit,
A communication unit that communicates with the unit;
a processing unit that causes the unit to transmit display data of the display unit to the communication unit,
The control device, wherein the processing unit generates the display data based on information about a display capability of the display unit acquired by the communication unit. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the information about the display capabilities is information about the display range of the display unit. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing unit generates the display data based on information indicating the position of the display unit. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing unit stores a table that associates information about the display capabilities with the contents of the display data, and generates the display data based on the table. The control device according to claim 4, characterized in that the table can be changed by an operator. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing unit determines the items of the display data based on the information about the display capabilities. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing unit generates the display data based on information regarding the display data of other display units. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing unit generates the display data so that it does not overlap with the display data of other display units. The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing unit generates the display data based on the information displayed on the display unit. A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9;
An imaging system comprising the unit. the control device is included in one of a lens device, an imaging device, an operation device, a display device, and a VE device;
11. The imaging system according to claim 10, wherein the unit is included in another one of the lens device, the imaging device, the operation device, the display device, and the VE device. A control method for a control device capable of communicating with an imaging unit including a display unit, comprising:
acquiring information regarding the display capabilities of the display unit by communicating with the unit;
generating display data for the display unit based on information regarding the display capabilities;
and transmitting the display data to the unit. A program for causing a computer to execute the control method described in claim 12.