Control device, control method, storage medium, program product, and system

Abstract

The invention provides a control apparatus, a control method, a storage medium, a program product, and a system. The control device includes: a connection unit capable of connecting a plurality of imaging devices and at least one microphone; and a controller that controls the plurality of imaging devices and a cooling device of at least one of the plurality of imaging devices. The controller determines a threshold value of an operation sound of the cooling device based on sound data obtained from the microphone when the cooling device is operated, and controls the operation of the cooling device to maximize the driving amount within a range in which the operation sound of the cooling device does not exceed the threshold value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a control device, control method, storage medium, program product and system, and more particularly to a multi-angle shooting system. Background Technology

[0002] In multi-angle imaging systems capable of switching, displaying, and playing back images from multiple different viewpoints captured by multiple camera devices, the load and heat generation often increase because the camera devices simultaneously capture images and communicate. The camera devices have built-in cooling devices such as fans, and the operating sound of these fans can be mixed with the sound recorded during image capture.

[0003] To address this problem, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-31286 discloses a technology that sets the peak frequency of the operating sound of a fan that can be detached from the camera device to 1kHz and controls the direction of heat dissipation of the fan.

[0004] However, in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-31286, only the frequency below 1 kHz, avoiding the frequency band generated by voice dialogue, was set as the peak frequency of the fan's operating sound. This did not consider the distance between the fan and the microphone, nor did it consider switching between multiple camera devices for image capture. In Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-31286, the fan and microphone are relatively far apart. Therefore, even if the fan's operating sound is minimally mixed with the sound recorded during image capture, it is impossible to drive the camera device at a frequency exceeding 1 kHz to enhance cooling capacity. In multi-angle shooting systems, microphones are sometimes switched when switching camera devices. When switching microphones, simply setting the peak frequency of the fan's operating sound as in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-31286 may alter the impact of the fan's operating sound on the sound recorded during image capture. Therefore, it is necessary to drive the fan appropriately. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention was made in view of the above problems, and the present invention realizes a technique for properly operating the cooling device so that the operating sound of the cooling device does not affect the sound recorded during image capture.

[0006] To address the aforementioned problems, the present invention provides a control device comprising: a connection unit capable of connecting multiple camera devices and at least one microphone; and a controller controlling the multiple camera devices and a cooling device of at least one of the multiple camera devices, wherein the controller determines a threshold for the operating sound of the cooling device based on sound data obtained from the microphone during operation of the cooling device, and controls the operation of the cooling device to maximize the driving amount within a range where the operating sound of the cooling device does not exceed the threshold.

[0007] To address the aforementioned problems, the present invention provides a control method for a control device, wherein the control device is capable of connecting multiple camera devices and at least one microphone, and controlling the multiple camera devices and a cooling device of at least one of the multiple camera devices, the method comprising: a step of determining a threshold of the operating sound of the cooling device based on sound data obtained from the microphone when the cooling device is operated; and a step of controlling the operation of the cooling device to maximize the driving amount within a range where the operating sound of the cooling device does not exceed the threshold.

[0008] The present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a program for using a computer as the aforementioned control device.

[0009] The present invention provides a program product comprising a program for enabling a computer to be used as the aforementioned control device.

[0010] The present invention provides a system comprising: a plurality of camera devices; a cooling device for at least one of the plurality of camera devices; at least one microphone; and a control device for controlling the plurality of camera devices and the cooling device, wherein the control device determines a threshold for the operating sound of the cooling device based on sound data obtained from the microphone when the cooling device is operated, and controls the operation of the cooling device to maximize the driving amount within a range where the operating sound of the cooling device does not exceed the threshold.

[0011] According to the present invention, the cooling device can be operated appropriately so that the operating noise of the cooling device does not affect the sound recorded during image capture.

[0012] Further features of the invention will become clear from the following description of exemplary embodiments (with reference to the accompanying drawings). Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating the construction of the system according to this embodiment;

[0014] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating the construction of the control device according to this embodiment;

[0015] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating the structure of the camera device according to this embodiment;

[0016] Figure 4 This is a block diagram illustrating the construction of an external microphone according to this embodiment;

[0017] Figure 5 This is a diagram illustrating the data processing sequence for images and sounds according to this embodiment;

[0018] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the control process according to the first embodiment;

[0019] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the drive quantity setting process according to the first embodiment;

[0020] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the threshold determination process according to the first embodiment;

[0021] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating the control process according to the second embodiment;

[0022] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating the control process according to the third embodiment;

[0023] Figure 11 This is a diagram illustrating a warning screen during control processing according to a third embodiment; and

[0024] Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating the control process according to the fourth embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0025] In the following description, embodiments will be illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings. Please note that the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention. Multiple features are described in the embodiments, but the invention is not limited to requiring all of these features, and multiple such features can be suitably combined. Furthermore, in the drawings, the same or similar constructions are given the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0026] <System Structure>

[0027] First, refer to Figure 1 This describes the system configuration according to this embodiment.

[0028] The multi-angle shooting system (hereinafter referred to as the "system") according to this embodiment includes multiple camera devices 100a and 100b, an external microphone 200, a control device 300, and a distribution device 400. In the system according to this embodiment, the control device 300 can switch between camera devices 100a and 100b that have different shooting directions to receive image data. The control device 300 can transmit images from multiple viewpoints captured by the camera devices 100a and 100b, as well as sound collected by the external microphone 200, to the distribution device 400. Note that the image data may include moving image data, moving image data combined with sound, and still image data, and the sound data may include data such as characters and subtitles (text) for voice recognition.

[0029] Camera devices 100a and 100b are arranged at spaced-apart positions to have different shooting positions and / or shooting directions. The shooting angles of camera devices 100a and 100b are fixed or variable via control device 300. Camera devices 100a and 100b can be connected to control device 300 via wireless or wired communication. Although two camera devices 100a and 100b are described in this embodiment, the number of camera devices can be three or more. Camera devices 100a and 100b are, for example, digital cameras, but are not limited to this example, and can be smartphones, web cameras such as surveillance cameras, medical cameras, etc.

[0030] The external microphone 200 can be connected to the control device 300 via wireless or wired communication. The external microphone 200 includes a microphone for collecting sound during image capture by the camera devices 100a and 100b. Although one external microphone 200 will be described in this embodiment, the number of external microphones may be two or more.

[0031] The control device 300 is connected to camera devices 100a and 100b via a wireless or wired communication method, enabling the control device 300 to remotely control camera devices 100a and 100b. Camera devices 100a and 100b send image data to the control device 300. The control device 300 can switch between camera devices 100a and 100b to receive images. The control device 300 receives sound data collected by the camera microphone 113 of at least camera device 100a or 100b. Camera devices 100a and 100b send the sound data collected by the camera microphone 113 to the control device 300. The control device 300 is also connected to an external microphone 200 via a wireless or wired communication method, enabling the control device 300 to remotely control the external microphone 200. The external microphone 200 sends sound data to the control device 300. The control device 300 receives sound data from the external microphone 200.

[0032] The control device 300 can be connected to the distribution device 400 via wireless or wired communication. The control device 300 transmits image data received from camera devices 100a and 100b, audio data received from at least one of camera devices 100a or 100b, or audio data received from an external microphone 200 to the distribution device 400. When image data received from camera devices 100a and 100b is transmitted to the distribution device 400, the control device 300 performs image processing, converts the image data into a data format suitable for distribution, and then transmits the obtained image data to the distribution device 400. The control device 300 controls whether image data received from at least one of camera devices 100a or 100b is transmitted to the distribution device 400.

[0033] The control device 300 is an information processing device, such as a personal computer (desktop PC or laptop PC); or a mobile device, such as a tablet PC, smartphone, smartwatch or smart glasses.

[0034] The distribution device 400 can be connected to the control device 300 via wireless or wired communication. The distribution device 400 receives image data and / or audio data from the control device 300. The distribution device 400 is a service or system that distributes the image data and / or audio data received from the control device 300 to multiple viewers' terminals at once via streaming or similar methods. Various services and systems for distribution are provided, and services and systems suitable for purposes and applications such as entertainment, publicity, and training exist.

[0035] The control device 300 and the distribution device 400 are connected in a communicable manner via a network such as a local area network (LAN), the Internet, or a public communication channel.

[0036] <Device Structure>

[0037] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating the construction of the control device 300 according to this embodiment.

[0038] The system control unit 301 includes at least one processor and controls the entire control device 300. The system control unit 301 implements the steps of the flowchart (described later) by loading a program stored in non-volatile memory 302 into system memory 303 and executing that program. Note that the entire device can be controlled by distributing processing among multiple hardware units, rather than by the system control unit 301 controlling the entire device.

[0039] The non-volatile memory 302 is an electrically erasable / programmable memory, and may be, for example, a flash ROM. Constants, programs, etc., used for the operation of the system control unit 301 are stored in the non-volatile memory 302. The program in this embodiment is for execution (see later). Figures 6 to 10 and Figure 12 The program that describes the flowchart.

[0040] In addition, the non-volatile memory 302 stores the operating system (OS), which is the basic software to be executed by the system control unit 301, and applications that cooperate with the OS to implement application functions. Furthermore, the non-volatile memory 302 stores applications for communicating with the camera devices 100a and 100b, the external microphone 200, and the distribution device 400. Additionally, the non-volatile memory 302 stores file transfer applications for communicating with the camera devices 100a and 100b and the distribution device 400. The non-volatile memory 302 also stores applications for storing and managing image data acquired from the camera devices 100a and 100b.

[0041] The processing of the control device 300 according to this embodiment is implemented by loading software provided by an application. Note that this application is assumed to have software for using the basic functions of the OS installed in the control device 300. Note that the OS of the control device 300 may have software for implementing the processing in this embodiment.

[0042] System memory 303 is volatile memory, and for example, RAM is used. System memory 303 serves as working memory, in which constants and variables for the operation of system control unit 301, programs read from non-volatile memory 302, etc., are stored. System memory 303 also serves as buffer memory and display memory, in which image data received from camera devices 100a and 100b, sound data received from external microphone 200, and image and sound data to be sent to distribution device 400 are temporarily stored, and display data to be displayed on display unit 307 is temporarily stored.

[0043] System timer 304 is a circuit that measures the time used for various control operations and the time of the built-in clock.

[0044] The operation unit 305 is an operating component such as a switch, button, or touch panel that receives various operations from the user and notifies the system control unit 301. The operation unit 305 includes a power switch that toggles the power on / off of the control device 300.

[0045] The power supply unit 306 comprises a battery detection circuit, a DC-DC converter, and a switching circuit for switching which blocks are to be energized. It detects the battery's installation / removal, battery type, and remaining battery power. Based on the detection results and instructions from the system control unit 301, the power supply unit 306 controls the DC-DC converter and supplies the required voltage to each component of the control device 300 within the required time. The power supply unit 306 includes a primary battery such as an alkaline or lithium battery, a secondary battery such as a NiCd, NiMH, or lithium-ion battery, and an AC adapter.

[0046] The display unit 307 includes a liquid crystal panel, an organic EL panel, etc., and displays images, various information and a graphical user interface (GUI) so that users can visually identify them.

[0047] The control device 300 includes a speaker that outputs sound received from an external microphone 200.

[0048] The communication unit 308 is communicatively connected via a wireless antenna or wired cable to external devices such as camera devices 100a and 100b, external microphone 200, and distribution device 400, and sends / receives data. The communication unit 308 can also be connected to... And the Internet. Communication unit 308 can send / receive control information, image data, and sound data to / from camera devices 100a and 100b, external microphone 200, and distribution device 400. Note that communication unit 308 can use not only Wi-Fi, but also communication methods such as infrared communication. Or a wireless communication interface such as a USB wireless cable, Or a wired connection interface for IEEE 1394.

[0049] The system control unit 301 includes a receiving control unit 301a. The receiving control unit 301a can switch between the receiving camera devices 100a and 100b according to user operation or automatically. The system control unit 301 transmits the images received from at least the camera devices 100a or 100b, as well as the sound collected by the external microphone 200, to the distribution device 400.

[0050] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating the structure of the camera device and the cooling device according to this embodiment.

[0051] Although the camera devices 100a and 100b have the same structure in the description of this embodiment, they can have different structures as long as they can send video data and audio data to the control device 300.

[0052] Although the cooling devices 120 that can be connected to camera devices 100a and 100b in the description of this embodiment have the same construction, they can have different constructions, as long as they can cool the interior of the camera devices by means of a cooling unit such as a fan that generates operating noise.

[0053] Each camera device in camera devices 100a and 100b includes an optical unit 110, a camera control unit 111, an imaging unit 112, a camera microphone 113, a temperature detection unit 114, a power control unit 116, a power supply unit 117, a communication unit 118, and a connection unit 119.

[0054] The camera control unit 111 includes: a processor (CPU) for performing arithmetic and control processing of the imaging device 100a or 100b; volatile memory (ROM) for storing programs to be executed by the processor; and working memory (RAM) for loading programs read from non-volatile memory, constants, and variables for executing the programs. The camera control unit 111 controls the components of the imaging device 100a or 100b by loading the programs stored in the ROM into the RAM and executing the programs.

[0055] The optical unit 110 includes a lens unit comprising a zoom lens and a focusing lens, and a shutter with an aperture function. The optical unit 110 adjusts the magnification, focus state, and light intensity of the subject image arriving at the imaging unit 112, and forms the subject image on the imaging surface of the imaging unit 112.

[0056] The imaging unit 112 includes an image sensor, composed of a CCD, CMOS, or similar sensor, that converts the subject image formed by the optical unit 110 into an electrical signal, and an A / D converter that converts the analog video signal output from the image sensor into a digital signal. Under the control of the camera control unit 111, the imaging unit 112 converts the light of the subject image formed by the lens included in the imaging unit 112 into an electrical signal through the image sensor, performs noise reduction processing, and outputs video data formed by digital signals.

[0057] The camera control unit 111 includes an image processing unit 111a. The image processing unit 111a performs pixel interpolation, resizing (such as size reduction), and color conversion on the video data captured by the imaging unit 112. Furthermore, the image processing unit 111a compresses and encodes still image data that has already undergone image processing using JPEG format, or encodes moving image data using a motion image compression method such as MP4 format, to generate an image file and record it on a recording medium. The camera control unit 111 performs predetermined calculations on the captured video data and controls the focusing lens, aperture, and shutter of the imaging unit 112 based on the obtained calculation results to perform autofocus (AF) and auto exposure (AE) processing.

[0058] The camera control unit 111 sends the video data generated by the image processing unit 111a to the control device 300 via the communication unit 118.

[0059] Temperature detection unit 114 is one or more thermometers that measure the temperature of a predetermined portion of camera device 100a or 100b. Temperature detection unit 114 is composed of a thermistor, temperature sensor IC, etc., which converts temperature into a physical quantity such as voltage or resistance value and outputs that physical quantity.

[0060] The camera control unit 111 includes a cooling control unit 111b. The cooling control unit 111b determines the driving amount of the fan 123 of the cooling device 120 based on the temperature information obtained from the temperature detection unit 114, and controls the speed of the fan 123 based on the driving amount.

[0061] The image processing unit 111a and cooling control unit 111b included in the camera control unit 111 perform their functions by executing programs stored in ROM via the CPU. Note that the image processing unit 111a and cooling control unit 111b can be constructed as hardware units independent of the CPU.

[0062] The camera microphone 113 is included in or connected to the camera device 100a or 100b via an audio terminal of the camera device 100a or 100b. The camera microphone 113 converts the analog sound signal generated by collecting sound around the camera device 100a or 100b into a digital signal and outputs the digital signal to the camera control unit 111.

[0063] The camera control unit 111 performs various sound processing operations on the digital audio signal generated by the camera microphone 113 to generate sound data, and sends it to the control device 300 via the communication unit 118. The camera control unit 111 can combine and record the sound data generated during motion image capture with the motion image data, or it can record only the motion image data without combining the sound data.

[0064] The power control unit 116 controls the power supply unit 117 of the camera device 100a or 100b, and controls the power supply to each component of the camera device 100a or 100b. Additionally, the power control unit 116 controls the power supply unit 121 of the cooling device 120, and controls the power supply to each component of the cooling device 120.

[0065] The power supply unit 117 is a primary battery such as an alkaline battery or a lithium battery, or a secondary battery such as a NiCd battery, a NiMH battery, or a lithium-ion battery.

[0066] Connection unit 119 is a connector that is mechanically and electrically connected to connection unit 124 of cooling device 120 (described later). Connection unit 119 includes a communication terminal for communicatively connecting to cooling device 120 and a power terminal for exchanging power between camera device 100a or 100b and cooling device 120.

[0067] The communication unit 118 is communicatively connected to an external device, such as the control device 300, via a wireless antenna or wired cable, and sends / receives data. The communication unit 118 receives control information from the control device 300 regarding the camera device 100a or 100b and the cooling device 120, and sends video data captured by the imaging unit 112 (including live view video), image files recorded on the recording medium, and sound data generated by the camera microphone 113 to the control device 300. Note that the communication unit 118 is, for example, a device... Infrared communication Or a wireless communication interface such as a USB wireless cable, Or a wired connection interface for IEEE 1394.

[0068] The cooling device 120 includes a power supply unit 121, a drive unit 122, a fan 123, and a connection unit 124.

[0069] The power supply unit 121 is a primary battery such as an alkaline battery or a lithium battery, or a secondary battery such as a NiCd battery, a NiMH battery, or a lithium-ion battery.

[0070] The drive unit 122 includes a motor that drives the fan 123 and drives the fan 123 to rotate at a target speed based on the drive amount of the fan 123 received from the cooling control unit 111b of the camera device 100a or 100b.

[0071] The fan 123 includes a fan that is electrically driven to rotate by the power supply unit 121. Cooling air generated by the rotation of the fan 123 is supplied to the housing of the camera device 100a or 100b to reduce the internal temperature of the camera device 100a or 100b.

[0072] Connection unit 124 is a connector that is mechanically and electrically connected to connection unit 119 of camera device 100a or 100b. Connection unit 124 includes a communication terminal for communicative connection with camera device 100a or 100b, and a power terminal for power exchange between cooling device 120 and camera device 100a or 100b.

[0073] The cooling device 120 is connected to the camera device 100a or 100b as an external device, but it may also be included within the camera device 100a or 100b. For example, when the cooling device 120 is included in the camera device 100a or 100b and the connecting units 119 and 124 are not used, rubber covers or the like can be attached to the connecting units 119 and 124 to prevent the connecting units 119 and 124 from being exposed.

[0074] Figure 4 This is a block diagram illustrating the construction of the external microphone 200 according to this embodiment.

[0075] The external microphone 200 includes a microphone control unit 201, a sound collection unit 202, a power control unit 203, a power supply unit 204, and a communication unit 205.

[0076] The microphone control unit 201 includes: a processor (CPU) for performing arithmetic and control processing of the external microphone 200; volatile memory (ROM) for storing programs to be executed by the processor; and working memory (RAM) for loading programs read from non-volatile memory, constants, and variables used to execute the programs. The microphone control unit 201 controls the components of the external microphone 200 by loading the programs stored in the ROM into the RAM and executing them.

[0077] The sound collection unit 202 is included in the external microphone 200, or connected to the external microphone 200 via the sound terminal of the external microphone 200. The sound collection unit 202 converts the analog sound signal generated by collecting the sound around the external microphone 200 into a digital signal, and outputs the digital signal to the microphone control unit 201.

[0078] The microphone control unit 201 performs various sound processing on the digital sound signal generated by the sound collection unit 202 to generate sound data and sends it to the control device 300 via the communication unit 205.

[0079] The power control unit 203 controls the power supply unit 204 of the external microphone 200 and controls the power supply to each component of the external microphone 200.

[0080] The power supply unit 204 is a primary battery such as an alkaline battery or a lithium battery, or a secondary battery such as a NiCd battery, a NiMH battery, or a Li-ion battery.

[0081] Communication unit 205 is communicatively connected to an external device, such as control device 300, via a wireless antenna or wired cable, and sends / receives data. Communication unit 205 receives control information from external microphone 200 from control device 300 and sends sound data generated by sound collection unit 202 to control device 300. Note that communication unit 205 is, for example, a device... Infrared communication Or a wireless communication interface such as a USB wireless cable, Or a wired connection interface for IEEE 1394.

[0082] Data Processing

[0083] Next, we will refer to Figure 5 The data processing sequence of the control device 300 according to this embodiment is explained.

[0084] Executed by the system control unit 301 of the control device 300 Figure 5 Data processing is performed within the system memory 303. Within each process, data reads / writes are executed.

[0085] In receiving process 351, image data is received from camera device 100a or 100b connected via communication unit 308, and sound data is received from external microphone 200. The image data and sound data are stored as a combined image file in system memory 303. In this embodiment, the data format received in receiving process 351 is RTMP, but it is not limited to this example and may be other formats.

[0086] In DEMUX processing 352, the RTMP format data received in receiving processing 351 is separated into image files and audio files. In this embodiment, the image files and audio files are in FLV format, but are not limited to this example and can be other formats. In DEMUX processing 352, image data is further extracted from the image files and sent to decoding processing 353, and audio data is extracted from the audio files and sent to decoding processing 354. In this embodiment, the image data and audio data are in H.264 and AAC formats, but are not limited to this example and can be other formats.

[0087] In decoding process 353, image data is converted into a common data format, and the converted data is sent to playback process 355 and encoding process 356. In decoding process 354, audio data is converted into a common data format, and the converted data is sent to playback process 355 and encoding process 357. Since the image and audio data sent from DEMUX process 352 have undergone advanced encoding processing, they are decoded into a common data format that can be reproduced in playback process 355, and then sent to playback process 355.

[0088] In encoding processes 356 and 357, the image and audio data, which have already been converted to a common data format in decoding processes 353 and 354, undergo further advanced encoding processing. The resulting image and audio data are then sent to the MUX processing 358. In this embodiment, the encoded image and audio data are in H.264 and AAC formats. The data format used for encoding in encoding processes 356 and 357 is determined based on the data formats that the distribution device 400 can receive.

[0089] In MUX processing 358, the image and audio data encoded in encoding processing 356 and 357 are combined, and the combined data is sent to transmission processing 359. The combined image and audio data are in FLV format.

[0090] In transmission process 359, the combined data format of image data and audio data is converted into a data format suitable for streaming transmission, and the converted data is sent to distribution device 400. The data format used for encoding in MUX processing 358 and transmission process 359 is determined according to the data format that distribution device 400 can receive.

[0091] The data processing and data format in the control device 300 according to this embodiment not only conform to the data format output from the camera device 100a or 100b and the data format that the distribution device 400 can receive, but can also be determined based on the decoding and encoding processing speed and the quality characteristics of the image and sound.

[0092] In the following description, the components of the camera device 100a are referred to as camera microphone 113a, cooling device 120a and fan 123a, and the components of the camera device 100b are referred to as camera microphone 113b, cooling device 120b and fan 123b.

[0093] <Control Processing>

[0094] Next, we will refer to Figure 6 The control processing of the system according to this embodiment is explained.

[0095] The system control unit 301 of the control device 300 executes the program stored in the ROM and controls the camera devices 100a and 100b to achieve the following: Figure 6 The processing in the middle. Figure 6 The processing begins when the camera devices 100a and 100b, the external microphone 200, and the control device 300 are connected in a communicative manner. Note that cooling device 120a is connected to camera device 100a, and cooling device 120b is connected to camera device 100b. This also applies to the process described later. Figure 10 and Figure 12 .

[0096] In step S601, the system control unit 301 checks the number of camera devices connected to the control device 300. In this embodiment, two camera devices 100a and 100b are connected to the control device 300.

[0097] In step S602, the system control unit 301 performs an action that will be referred to later. Figure 8 The threshold described determines the processing.

[0098] In step S603, the system control unit 301 controls the camera devices 100a and 100b to perform actions that will be referred to later. Figure 7 The described cooling devices 120a and 120b are configured with drive quantity settings. Drive quantity setting processing is performed on all camera devices 100a and 100b connected to the control device 300 to determine the drive quantity of the fans 123a and 123b of the cooling devices 120a and 120b, thereby reducing the impact on the sound data recorded by the control device 300.

[0099] In step S604, the system control unit 301 obtains the shooting settings of the camera devices 100a and 100b set by the user. These shooting settings may be, for example, 4K / 120P.

[0100] In step S605, the system control unit 301 determines the operating mode of the fans 123a and 123b of the cooling devices 120a and 120b based on the shooting settings determined in step S604.

[0101] In recent years, the number of camera devices with high-quality shooting settings such as 4K and 8K, exceeding Full HD (FHD), has been increasing. Furthermore, compared to FHD, the heat generated by the camera device during image capture tends to increase under high-quality shooting settings. Therefore, when the shooting setting in step S604 is 4K or 8K, which has a higher quality than FHD, the system control unit 301 determines that the shooting setting in step S604 generates more heat than FHD and proceeds to step S606; otherwise, it proceeds to step S607. In this embodiment, it is determined that the heat generated by the camera device under high image quality shooting settings such as 4K or 8K is greater than that under FHD. However, the processing is not limited to this, and the heat generation trend can be determined based on frame rate rather than image quality.

[0102] In step S606, the system control unit 301, based on the operating modes of fans 123a and 123b determined in step S605, determines the drive quantity of the forced cooling mode as the drive quantity of fans 123a and 123b, and stores it in the system memory 303. The cooling control unit 111b sends control information based on the drive quantities of fans 123a and 123b stored in the system memory 303 to the camera devices 100a and 100b. The camera devices 100a and 100b control the drive of fans 123a and 123b based on the control information received from the control device 300. As the temperature of the camera devices rises, the fan speed increases to cool them. In this case, it is assumed that the fan operating noise mixed into the sound data recorded during image capture will increase. Therefore, in this embodiment, in the drive quantity setting process of step S603, the fans are driven to maximize the drive quantity within a range where the drive noise does not exceed a threshold. By driving the fan at a near-maximum level among the fan drive amounts that reduce the impact on the sound data recorded during image capture, it is possible to capture images with reduced impact on the sound data recorded during image capture.

[0103] If the system control unit 301 determines in step S605 that the shooting setting is a shooting setting with relatively low heat generation compared to 4K or 8K (e.g., FHD), then the system control unit 301 causes the processing to proceed to step S607.

[0104] In step S607, the system control unit 301, based on the operating modes of fans 123a and 123b determined in step S605, determines the drive quantity of fans 123a and 123b in normal mode as the drive quantity of fans 123a and 123b, and stores this drive quantity in the system memory 303. The cooling control unit 111b sends control information based on the drive quantities of fans 123a and 123b stored in the system memory 303 to the camera devices 100a and 100b. The camera devices 100a and 100b control the drive of fans 123a and 123b based on the control information received from the control device 300. The drive quantity in normal mode corresponds to the drive quantity used to control the speed of fans 123a and 123b according to the temperature of the camera devices 100a and 100b, the temperature of which is preset in the camera devices 100a and 100b that can be connected to the cooling devices 120a and 120b.

[0105] In step S608, the system control unit 301 sends control information to the camera devices 100a and 100b, and the camera devices 100a and 100b begin image capture processing.

[0106] Figure 7 It is shown Figure 6 The flowchart for the drive quantity setting process in step S603.

[0107] Perform on each of the camera devices 100a and 100b connected to the control device 300. Figure 7 The processing is as follows. In the following description, the drive amount of the camera device 100a processed by the drive amount setting is denoted as A, and the drive amount of the camera device 100b processed by the drive amount setting is denoted as B. When three or more camera devices are connected, the drive amount of the fan is set by the number of camera devices and stored in the system control unit 301. In this embodiment, the sound data generated by the external microphone 200 is recorded in the control device 300.

[0108] In step S701, the system control unit 301 begins recording sound data received from the external microphone 200. Based on control information received from the system control unit 301 of the control device 300, the microphone control unit 201 of the external microphone 200 sends the sound data collected by the sound collection unit 202 to the control device 300. The system control unit 301 of the control device 300 receives the sound data from the external microphone 200 via the communication unit 308 and stores it in the system memory 303.

[0109] In step S702, the cooling control unit 111b, based on the control information received from the control device 300, performs a micro-drive on the fans 123a or 123b of the cooling device 120a or 120b. Micro-drive refers to operating the fan in a state that minimizes the impact of fan noise on the sound data recorded during image capture. For example, micro-drive means driving the fan at its lowest speed in normal mode. However, micro-drive is not limited to this.

[0110] In step S703, the system control unit 301 determines whether the drive noise exceeds a threshold based on the sound data received from the external microphone 200 during the miniature drive of fans 123a and 123b in step S702. The drive noise corresponds to the operating sound of fans 123a or 123b of the cooling device 120a or 120b. If the drive noise is less than the threshold, the system control unit 301 proceeds to step S704 to increase the drive level of fans 123a or 123b by one level. One level is, for example, the minimum drive level controllable by the cooling control unit 111b, but is not limited thereto. If the drive noise is equal to or greater than the threshold, the system control unit 301 determines that the drive noise cannot be reduced further and proceeds to step S707.

[0111] In step S705, the system control unit 301 determines whether the increased drive noise caused by the drive amount of fan 123a or 123b set in step S704 exceeds a threshold. If the drive noise exceeds the threshold, the system control unit 301 causes the process to proceed to step S706 to reduce the drive amount of fan 123a or 123b by one level. If the drive noise becomes equal to or less than the threshold, the system control unit 301 returns the process to step S704 to increase the drive amount of fan 123a or 123b by one level again. In this way, the drive amount of fan 123a or 123b is gradually increased and set to the maximum drive amount, as long as the drive noise does not exceed the threshold. It is possible to set a drive amount close to the maximum among the fan drive amounts that reduce the impact on the sound data recorded during image capture.

[0112] In step S707, the system control unit 301 stores the current drive quantity of fan 123a or 123b in the system memory 303 and ends the process.

[0113] Figure 8 It is shown Figure 6 The flowchart for the threshold determination process in step S602.

[0114] In step S801, the system control unit 301 records ambient sound (e.g., 10 seconds) using a recording microphone. The recording microphone is a microphone used for recording ambient sound and includes at least one of an external microphone 200 and camera microphones 113a and 113b of the camera devices 100a and 100b.

[0115] In step S802, the system control unit 301 calculates the average value of the ambient sound based on the ambient sound data recorded in step S801, for example, in decibels (dB).

[0116] In step S803, the system control unit 301 calculates the permissible volume during actual image capture by adding, for example, a margin of 20 dB to the average ambient sound value calculated in step S802.

[0117] In step S804, the system control unit 301 stores the permissible volume calculated in step S803 as the threshold for processing in step S603 in the system memory 303, and ends the processing.

[0118] According to the first embodiment, the fan is driven at a near-maximum drive amount among the fan drive amounts that reduce the impact on the sound data recorded during image capture. As a result, image capture with reduced impact on the sound data recorded during image capture is possible.

[0119] [Second Embodiment]

[0120] Next, we will refer to Figure 9 The second embodiment is described below.

[0121] In the system according to this embodiment, for example, when the camera devices 100a and 100b have different shooting directions and are shooting different subjects respectively, it becomes difficult to record the sound of each subject using an external microphone 200 if the shooting angle is switched between the camera devices 100a and 100b. To solve this problem, in the second embodiment, an example of switching the recording microphone when switching shooting angles will be described.

[0122] In the first embodiment, an example of obtaining sound data via external microphone 200 during image capture has been described. In the second embodiment, an example of obtaining sound data via camera microphones 113a and 113b of imaging devices 100a and 100b will be described.

[0123] Please note that the second embodiment may use multiple microphones, and the microphones may be included in the camera device or connected as external devices. The detailed specifications of the cooling device 120, control device 300, etc., are similar to those in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be repeated.

[0124] When switching the recording microphone while switching the shooting angle, as in the first embodiment, the fan drive amount determination method for a single microphone may increase the impact of the fan operating noise on the sound data recorded during image capture.

[0125] For example, in the case of multi-angle shooting according to the first embodiment, if the camera microphone 113a of the imaging device 100a is used as the recording microphone, the distance between the fan 123b connected to the cooling device 120b of the imaging device 100b and the camera microphone 113a of the imaging device 100a is assumed to be greater than the distance between the fan 123a connected to the cooling device 120a of the imaging device 100a and the camera microphone 113a of the imaging device 100a. In this case, when the system control unit 301 sets the drive amount of fans 123a and 123b through drive amount setting processing, the fan 123b of the imaging device 100b may be driven more than the fan 123a of the imaging device 100a. If the recording microphone is switched to the camera microphone 113b of the imaging device 100b, in particular, the operating sound of the fan 123b of the imaging device 100b may have a significant impact on the sound data recorded during image capture.

[0126] Therefore, in the second embodiment, the recording microphone is switched when the shooting angle is switched, and the driving amount of the fans 123a and 123b is determined taking into account the relationship between the fans 123a and 123b of all camera devices 100a and 100b and the camera microphones 113a and 113b.

[0127] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating the control processing of the system according to the second embodiment.

[0128] The system control unit 301 of the control device 300 executes the program stored in the ROM and controls the camera devices 100a and 100b to achieve this. Figure 9 The processing in the middle. Figure 9 The processing begins when the camera devices 100a and 100b are connected to the control device 300 in a communicative manner. Note that the cooling device 120a is connected to the camera device 100a, and the cooling device 120b is connected to the camera device 100b.

[0129] In step S901, the system control unit 301 checks the number of camera devices connected to the control device 300. In this embodiment, an example will be described as follows: the number of camera devices is two, and camera microphones 113a and 113b of camera devices 100a and 100b are used. However, the invention is not limited to this example, and three or more camera devices and camera microphones may also be used.

[0130] In step S902, the system control unit 301 performs a communication with... Figure 6 Step S602 is similar to the threshold determination process.

[0131] In steps S903 to S906, the system control unit 301 performs... Figure 6 Step S603 is a similar drive quantity setting process. In this embodiment, two camera devices 100a and 100b are connected to the control device 300, and a total of two camera microphones 113a and 113b are used. Therefore, based on the combination of camera devices 100a and 100b and the fans 123a and 123b of camera devices 100a and 100b, four drive quantity setting processes are performed in steps S903 to S906. Step S903 is the drive quantity setting process 1 based on the combination of camera microphone 113a and fan 123a of camera device 100a. Step S904 is the drive quantity setting process 2 based on the combination of camera microphone 113a of camera device 100a and fan 123b of camera device 100b. Step S905 is the drive quantity setting process 3 based on the combination of camera microphone 113b of camera device 100b and fan 123a of camera device 100a. Step S906 is the drive quantity setting process 4 based on the combination of the camera microphone 113b and fan 123b of the imaging device 100b. Therefore, in all combinations of the recording microphone and fan used in the system according to the second embodiment, the influence of fan operating noise on the audio data recorded during image capture can be reduced. In the second embodiment, the drive quantity set by the system control unit 301 in step S903 is represented as A, the drive quantity set in step S904 as B, the drive quantity set in step S905 as C, and the drive quantity set in step S906 as D. Drive quantities A and B are the drive quantities of the fan 123a of the imaging device 100a, while drive quantities C and D are the drive quantities of the fan 123b of the imaging device 100b.

[0132] In step S907, the system control unit 301 sends control information to the camera devices 100a and 100b, and the camera devices 100a and 100b begin image capture processing.

[0133] In step S908, the system control unit 301 checks the target camera device that performs image capture and audio recording based on user operation. If the system control unit 301 determines that the camera device 100a is performing image capture and audio recording, the system control unit 301 causes the process to proceed to step S909.

[0134] In step S909, the system control unit 301 sends control information to drive the fan 123a via the cooling control unit 111b of the camera device 100a, using the drive quantity A of the fan 123a of the camera device 100a stored in the system memory 303. If the camera device 100b is capturing images and recording audio, the system control unit 301 causes the process to proceed to step S910.

[0135] In step S910, the system control unit 301 sends control information for driving the fan 123b by the cooling control unit 111b of the camera device 100b with the drive quantity B of the fan of the camera device 100b stored in the system memory 303.

[0136] In step S911, the system control unit 301 determines whether to end image capture based on user operations, etc. If the system control unit 301 determines that image capture should not be ended, the system control unit 301 returns the processing to step S908, thereby continuing to drive the fan with the drive amount controlling the target camera device.

[0137] If the system control unit 301 determines to end image capture, the system control unit 301 causes the process to proceed to step S912 to send control information for ending image capture to the camera devices 100a and 100b, and then ends the process.

[0138] According to the second embodiment, the recording microphone is switched when the shooting angle is changed, and the driving amount of the fans 123a and 123b is determined taking into account the relationship between the fans 123a and 123b of all camera devices 100a and 100b and the camera microphones 113a and 113b. As a result, it is possible to perform image capture with reduced impact on the sound data recorded during image capture.

[0139] [Third Embodiment]

[0140] Next, we will refer to Figure 10 and Figure 11 The third embodiment is described below.

[0141] In the first embodiment, the system control unit 301 processes the set drive quantity with a drive quantity setting, driving the fan in either forced cooling mode or normal mode. In this case, the fan's operating mode does not change during image capture. In normal mode, the camera device controls the fan speed based on the heat generated by the camera device, and the drive quantity may become greater than expected to cope with temperature increases caused by external factors such as air conditioning or sunlight. In normal mode, only the heat generated by the camera device is addressed, and the impact on the audio data recorded during image capture is not always considered.

[0142] In the second embodiment, the system control unit 301 drives the fans 123a and 123b with a drive amount corresponding to the relationship between the camera microphones 113a and 113b of the imaging devices 100a and 100b and the fans 123a and 123b of the imaging devices 100a and 100b. Similar to the case where the fans are driven with a drive amount set according to the drive amount setting process in the first embodiment, the fans are driven with a drive amount close to the maximum among the fan drive amounts that reduce the impact on the sound data recorded during image capture.

[0143] In the first and second embodiments, when the camera devices 100a and 100b generate relatively little heat, excessive cooling may occur. For example, when the cooling devices 120a and 120b are battery-powered, the battery may be consumed.

[0144] In the third embodiment, an example will be described: taking into account the impact of fan noise on the sound data recorded during image capture and battery consumption, the temperature of the camera device is constantly monitored, and the fan drive method is switched according to the heat generated by the camera device.

[0145] Please note that the construction of the camera device 100, cooling device 120, and control device 300 constituting the system according to the third embodiment is similar to that in the first embodiment.

[0146] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating the control processing of the system according to the third embodiment.

[0147] In step S1001, the system control unit 301 checks the number of camera devices connected to the control device 300. In this embodiment, an example will be described where there are two camera devices, each using a camera microphone. However, the invention is not limited to this example, and three or more camera devices and camera microphones may also be used.

[0148] In step S1002, the system control unit 301 performs a communication with... Figure 6 Step S602 is similar to the threshold determination process.

[0149] In step S1003, the system control unit 301 performs a communication with... Figure 6 The process is similar to step S603, which involves setting up drive quantities.

[0150] In step S1004, the cooling control unit 111b calculates the upper limit temperature that can be cooled by the fan drive level set in step S1003 based on the drive level of the camera devices 100a and 100b in normal mode, and sends this upper limit temperature to the control device 300 via the communication unit 118. The system control unit 301 stores the temperature information received from the camera devices 100a and 100b via the communication unit 308 in the system memory 303.

[0151] In step S1005, the system control unit 301 sends control information to the camera devices 100a and 100b, and the camera devices 100a and 100b begin image capture processing.

[0152] In step S1006, the system control unit 301 determines the monitoring target camera device to monitor temperature information.

[0153] In step S1007, the system control unit 301 obtains temperature information from the monitoring target camera device determined in step S1006, and determines whether the temperature of the monitoring target camera device is equal to or higher than the upper limit temperature stored in the system memory 303. If the temperature of the monitoring target camera device has reached the upper limit temperature, the system control unit 301 causes the process to proceed to step S1008. If the temperature of the monitoring target camera device is lower than the upper limit temperature, the system control unit 301 causes the process to proceed to step S1010.

[0154] In step S1008, the system control unit 301 displays on the display unit 307. Figure 11 Warning 1101, as illustrated, notifies the user that the monitored target camera device is at a high temperature. In this embodiment, in order to continue image capture even after the warning is displayed, the system control unit 301 even uses the camera device, which has reached its upper temperature limit, to capture images. After the warning is displayed, cooling is prioritized, and the shooting angle cannot be selected, or the power is automatically shut off via the camera device's functions.

[0155] Since the monitored target camera device has reached its upper temperature limit in step S1009, the operating mode of the fan of the monitored target camera device is set to forced cooling mode, and image capture continues. The system control unit 301 sends control information to the monitored target camera device to drive the fan at near-maximum drive. Then, the cooling control unit of the monitored target camera device drives the fan.

[0156] Since the monitored target camera device has not yet reached the upper limit temperature in step S1010, the system control unit 301 sets the fan operation mode to normal mode and continues image capture.

[0157] In step S1011, the system control unit 301 determines whether to end image capture based on user operations, etc. If the system control unit 301 determines not to end image capture, the system control unit 301 proceeds to step S1012. If the system control unit 301 determines to end image capture, the system control unit 301 proceeds to step S1013.

[0158] In step S1012, the system control unit 301 changes the monitoring target camera device and returns the processing to step S1007.

[0159] In step S1013, the system control unit 301 sends control information to the camera devices 100a and 100b to terminate image capture, and then ends the process.

[0160] By repeatedly executing steps S1007 to S1012, the system control unit 301 can monitor the temperature of all camera devices 100a and 100b connected to the control device 300 and capture images by appropriate fan drive.

[0161] According to the third embodiment, when the shooting angle automatically rotates and changes, an appropriate rotation ratio can be determined based on the heating trend of the camera devices 100a and 100b and the cooling capacity of the cooling devices 120a and 120b, while the control processing in the third embodiment is being carried out.

[0162] [Fourth Embodiment]

[0163] Next, we will refer to Figure 12 The fourth embodiment is described below.

[0164] In the first to third embodiments, the system control unit 301 sets a drive amount that reduces the impact on sound data recorded during image capture by performing drive amount setting processing on the cooling devices 120a and 120b of the camera devices 100a and 100b, and controls the operation of fans 123a and 123b. However, when the cooling devices 120a and 120b are close to each other, for example, when the cooling devices 120a and 120b of the camera devices 100a and 100b are operated on the same table or the same tripod, the operating sound of fans 123a and 123b may have a greater impact on the sound data recorded during image capture compared to the case where fans 123a and 123b operate alone. This is because the vibration of fans 123a and 123b is transmitted to the camera microphones 113a and 113b of the camera devices 100a and 100b placed on the same table or the same tripod, or because of the resonance generated when fans 123a and 123b are driven simultaneously.

[0165] In the fourth embodiment, an example will be described in which the fan drive amount is set to reduce the impact of the operating noise of fans 123a and 123b on the sound data recorded during image capture when cooling devices 120a and 120b are driven simultaneously.

[0166] Please note that the construction of the camera device 100, cooling device 120, and control device 300 constituting the system according to the fourth embodiment is similar to that in the first embodiment.

[0167] Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating the control processing of the system according to the fourth embodiment.

[0168] In the fourth embodiment, an example of using the camera microphones 113a and 113b of the imaging devices 100a and 100b as recording microphones will be described, assuming that the vibrations of the cooling devices 120a and 120b are transmitted to the camera microphones 113a and 113b of the imaging devices 100a and 100b. However, the invention is not limited to this example.

[0169] In step S1201, the system control unit 301 checks the number of camera devices connected to the control device 300. In this embodiment, an example will be described where there are two camera devices, each using a camera microphone. However, the invention is not limited to this example, and three or more camera devices and built-in microphones can be used.

[0170] In step S1202, the system control unit 301 performs a communication with... Figure 6 Step S602 is similar to the threshold determination process.

[0171] In step S1203, the system control unit 301 performs a communication with... Figure 6 The process is similar to step S603, which involves setting up drive quantities.

[0172] In step S1204, the system control unit 301 sends control information based on the fan drive amount stored in the system memory 303 to the camera devices 100a and 100b. The camera devices 100a and 100b control the drive of fans 123a and 123b based on the control information received from the control unit 300. The drive amount in normal mode corresponds to a pre-set drive amount for the camera devices 100a and 100b, which can be connected to the cooling device 120, and is used to control the fan speed according to the temperature of the camera devices.

[0173] In step S1205, the system control unit 301 determines whether the drive noise exceeds a threshold based on the sound data collected by the camera microphones 113a and 113b of all camera devices 100a and 100b. If the drive noise is equal to or less than the threshold, the system control unit 301 causes the process to proceed to step S1208. If the drive noise exceeds the threshold, the system control unit 301 causes the process to proceed to step S1206.

[0174] In step S1206, the system control unit 301 uniformly reduces the drive quantity of fans 123a and 123b of all camera devices 100a and 100b by P%, thereby reducing the impact of the operating noise of fans 123a and 123b on the sound data recorded during image capture. P can be predetermined by the system (e.g., P = 5), or the photographer can set any number (e.g., P = 10 if speed is prioritized; P = 1 if accuracy is prioritized). P is not limited to this example.

[0175] In step S1207, the system control unit 301 determines whether the drive noise becomes less than a threshold after reducing the drive amount in step S1206. If the drive noise becomes less than the threshold, the system control unit 301 causes the process to proceed to step S1208. If the drive noise is equal to or greater than the threshold, the system control unit 301 returns the process to step S1206.

[0176] In step S1208, when the drive noise becomes less than the threshold in step S1207, the system control unit 301 sets the total drive amount α that is applied to the fans 123a and 123b of all camera devices 100a and 100b, and stores the total drive amount α in the system memory 303. When the processing in step S1208 is performed through the processing in steps S1206 and S1207, the value is calculated by multiplying the drive amount set in step S1203 by P(%) in step S1206. For example, n is the number of times step S1206 is executed, and when the processing reaches step S1208, the drive amount A becomes the drive amount A'. Then, the drive amount A' is given by equation (1):

[0177]

[0178] The total driving quantity α is treated as an array, and the process of unifying the driving quantity into a single value is not performed. The total driving quantity α when setting driving quantities A, B, and C in step S1203 is given by equation (2):

[0179]

[0180] In step S1209, the system control unit 301 obtains the shooting settings of the camera devices 100a and 100b set by the user. These shooting settings may be, for example, 4K / 120P.

[0181] In step S1210, the system control unit 301 determines the operating mode of the fans 123a and 123b of the cooling devices 120a and 120b of the camera devices 100a and 100b based on the shooting settings determined in step S1209. When the shooting settings determined in step S1209 are 4K or 8K with a quality higher than FHD, the system control unit 301 determines that the determined shooting settings generate more heat than FHD and proceeds to step S1211. If the system control unit 301 determines that the determined shooting settings generate less heat than, for example, 4K or 8K (e.g., FHD), the system control unit 301 proceeds to step S1212.

[0182] In step S1211, the system control unit 301 sends control information to the camera devices 100a and 100b, thereby driving the fans 123a and 123b with the total drive amount α set in step S1208, and the camera devices 100a and 100b begin image capture processing.

[0183] In step S1212, the system control unit 301 sends control information to the camera devices 100a and 100b to drive the fans 123a and 123b in normal mode, and the camera devices 100a and 100b begin image capture processing.

[0184] In the fourth embodiment, fans 123a and 123b are driven with a total drive amount α only in the shooting setting where camera devices 100a and 100b generate heat. However, the upper limit temperature of camera devices 100a and 100b can also be determined as in the third embodiment, and the drive amount of fans 123a and 123b can be controlled.

[0185] According to the fourth embodiment, when cooling devices 120a and 120b are driven simultaneously, image capture can be performed with reduced impact of the operating noise of fans 123a and 123b on the audio data recorded during image capture.

[0186] [Other Embodiments]

[0187] Embodiments of the invention can also be implemented by a computer that reads and executes computer-executable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on a storage medium (also more fully referred to as a "non-transitory computer-readable storage medium") to perform one or more functions in the above embodiments, and / or includes a system or apparatus comprising one or more circuits (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)) for performing one or more functions in the above embodiments. Furthermore, embodiments of the invention can be implemented using a method by which the computer of the system or apparatus, for example, reads and executes the computer-executable instructions from the storage medium to perform one or more functions in the above embodiments, and / or controls the one or more circuits to perform one or more functions in the above embodiments. The computer may include one or more processors (e.g., central processing unit (CPU), microprocessor unit (MPU)) and may include separate computers or a network of separate processors to read and execute the computer-executable instructions. The computer-executable instructions may be provided to the computer from, for example, a network or a storage medium. Storage media may include, for example, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), memory for distributed computing systems, optical discs (such as optical discs (CD), digital versatile optical discs (DVD), or Blu-ray discs (BD)). TM One or more of the following: flash memory devices, memory cards, etc.

[0188] Embodiments of the present invention can also be implemented by providing software (including computer program products of computer programs) that performs the functions of the above embodiments to a system or device via a network or various storage media, and the computer (central processing unit (CPU) or microprocessor unit (MPU) of the system or device) reads and executes the computer program.

[0189] Although the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims should be interpreted in the broadest possible sense to encompass all such variations and equivalent structures and functions.

Claims

1. A control device comprising: A connection unit capable of connecting multiple camera devices and at least one microphone; as well as A controller that controls the plurality of camera devices and the cooling device of at least one of the plurality of camera devices. The controller determines the threshold of the operating sound of the cooling device based on sound data obtained from the microphone when the cooling device is operated, and controls the operation of the cooling device to maximize the driving amount within the range where the operating sound of the cooling device does not exceed the threshold.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein, The cooling system includes a fan, and The controller determines to increase the predetermined drive quantity as long as the fan's operating noise does not exceed a threshold.

3. The control device according to claim 2, wherein, The controller determines the first mode or the second mode as the fan's operating mode based on the shooting settings of the multiple camera devices, and then begins image capture by the multiple camera devices.

4. The control device according to claim 3, wherein, The controller sets a first mode to the operation mode of the camera device's fan with the first setting as the shooting setting, and a second mode to the operation mode of the camera device's fan with the second setting as the shooting setting, wherein the heat generated in the second setting is greater than the heat generated in the first setting.

5. The control device according to claim 4, wherein, The first mode is a mode that controls the fan's drive amount based on the temperature of the camera device, and the second mode is a mode that controls the fan's drive amount to the predetermined drive amount.

6. The control device according to claim 2, wherein, As the fan drive gradually increases, the controller determines the fan drive level that ensures the fan's operating noise does not exceed a threshold.

7. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The controller determines the threshold based on the permissible volume of ambient sound obtained from the microphone.

8. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The multiple camera devices include microphones and cooling devices. The controller determines the drive level of the first fan of the first cooling device of the first camera device and the drive level of the second fan of the second cooling device of the second camera device based on the sound data obtained from the first microphone of the first camera device. The controller determines the driving amount of the first fan of the first cooling device of the first camera device and the driving amount of the second fan of the second cooling device of the second camera device based on the sound data obtained from the second microphone of the second camera device.

9. The control device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein, The controller determines the target camera device from the plurality of camera devices and sets either the first mode or the second mode to the operating mode of the fan of the target camera device.

10. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The controller includes a display unit that displays images obtained from at least one of the plurality of camera devices. Temperature information is obtained from the plurality of camera devices, and a high temperature state is displayed on the image obtained from the camera device whose temperature information exceeds the upper limit, and image capture continues.

11. The control device according to claim 10, wherein, The controller determines the target camera for monitoring the temperature among the multiple camera devices, and During image capture, the temperature of the multiple camera devices is monitored while the target camera device is being changed.

12. The control device according to claim 8, wherein, The controller determines the common fan drive amount for all camera devices, ensuring that the operating noise of the fans driving all camera devices does not exceed a threshold.

13. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The controller transmits images captured from at least one of the plurality of camera devices, along with sound obtained from the microphone during image capture, to the distribution device, and The plurality of camera devices are arranged at intervals from each other to have different shooting positions and / or shooting directions.

14. A control method for a control device, wherein the control device is capable of connecting multiple camera devices and at least one microphone, and controlling the multiple camera devices and a cooling device for at least one of the multiple camera devices, the control method comprising: The step of determining the threshold of the operating sound of the cooling device based on sound data obtained from the microphone during operation; as well as The steps of controlling the operation of the cooling device to maximize the driving force within a range where the operating noise of the cooling device does not exceed a threshold.

15. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for enabling a computer to function as a control device according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

16. A computer program product for enabling a computer to function as a control device according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

17. A system comprising: Multiple camera devices; A cooling device for at least one of the plurality of camera devices; At least one microphone; as well as A control device that controls the plurality of camera devices and the cooling device. The control device determines the threshold of the operating sound of the cooling device based on the sound data obtained from the microphone when the cooling device is operated, and controls the operation of the cooling device to maximize the driving amount within the range that the operating sound of the cooling device does not exceed the threshold.

Images