Control device, control method for control device, and program

Abstract

To provide a control device, a control method for the same, and a program capable of setting, by a simpler operation, the directivity direction and directivity angle of a microphone capable of controlling the directivity.SOLUTION: In an imaging apparatus 100, a control unit 104 collects surrounding sounds by means of a microphone 113. The control unit 104 changes a directivity direction of the microphone 113 to a direction in accordance with an operation location on the basis of a detection result of the operation location with respect to a touch panel 101 provided on a display 110 that displays an image in accordance with a captured image by an imaging element 111 and changes the directivity angle of the microphone 113 in accordance with a change in a range of the detected operation location.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device, a control method for a control device, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] An imaging device for capturing moving images, such as a video camera, has a means for collecting and recording surrounding sounds (e.g., human speech, surrounding environmental sounds, etc.) using a device such as a microphone. In this case, for example, the direction (directivity direction) and range (directivity angle) of sound collection can be changed by adjusting and recording the gain and phase of sound data (hereinafter also referred to as acoustic data) according to the sound collection results of each of multiple microphone elements. This allows, for example, a user to appropriately change the settings so that a desired sound (e.g., sound coming from a specific direction) is the sound collection target. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a technique for setting a directivity direction for sound collection in accordance with a position designated by a user on an image displayed on a display unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-118386 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] On the other hand, when a device capable of controlling directivity, such as the microphone described above, is used, a situation may arise in which both the directional direction and the directional angle are set. In such a situation, for example, if the directional direction is set by only one operation, another operation for separately setting the directional angle may be required, resulting in a series of operations becoming complicated.

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to enable the directional direction and directional angle of a microphone whose directivity is controllable to be set by a simpler operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The control device according to the present invention is a device for controlling a sound collection means for collecting surrounding sounds by a microphone and a display means for displaying an image according to an image pickup result by an image pickup means. Control body Based on the detection result of the operation position, the directivity direction of the microphone is changed in a direction corresponding to the operation position, and in accordance with the change in the range of the detected operation position, The aforementioned a control means for changing the directivity angle of the microphone; the control means changes the directivity angle of the microphone in accordance with the range of the operation position detected in accordance with the angle of the operation object with respect to the display means. It is characterized by: [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to set the directional direction and directional angle of a microphone whose directivity is controllable by a simpler operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an imaging device. [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing performed by the imaging device. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of setting the directivity angle of a microphone according to the angle of the operating object. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of display information indicating the directional direction and directional angle of a microphone. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing another example of processing by the imaging device. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of setting the directivity angle of a microphone in accordance with a change in the position of an operating object. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing another example of processing by the imaging device. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of setting of a microphone directivity angle according to a detection time of an operation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0010] First Embodiment A first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. The imaging device according to this embodiment is configured to detect an operation on the display (a so-called touch operation) after displaying an image on the display by using a so-called touch panel as an input device. Therefore, first, with reference to Fig. 1, an example of the configuration of the imaging device according to this embodiment will be described, focusing in particular on the part related to the detection of a touch operation.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the imaging device 100 includes a touch panel 101, a sensor 102, a touch detection unit 103, a control unit 104, a display control unit 109, a display 110, an imaging element 111, a recording medium 112, and a microphone 113.

[0012] The touch panel 101 is an input device that accepts operations from a user. The touch panel 101 detects a position on the screen of the display 110 where a touch operation is performed with an operating object such as a finger. The conductive object 120 represents an operating object such as a finger or a stylus pen that is used to perform a touch operation on the touch panel. Due to these characteristics, the touch panel 101 is used, for example, to accept operations from a user related to selecting or determining a position on an image displayed on the screen. The sensor 102 is a sensor used by the touch panel 101 to detect a touch operation by a conductive object 120 (operating object) such as a finger. The sensor 102 is, for example, a part that generates capacitance 121 between the conductive object 120 and the sensor 102 when the conductive object 120 approaches, and a plurality of sensors 102 are installed in an area where a touch operation is to be detected. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of sensors 102 are installed two-dimensionally (planarly). The touch detection unit 103 determines whether or not a touch operation has been performed and the position where the touch operation has been performed, based on the capacitance 121 generated in the sensor 102. As a specific example, when the capacitance 121 exceeds a preset threshold value 122, the touch detection unit 103 can determine that the conductive object 120 has approached the sensor 102 where the capacitance 121 has been generated. With this mechanism, for example, by using the detection result by the touch detection unit 103, it is possible to recognize that a touch operation by the conductive object 120 has been performed at the position where the sensor 102 where the capacitance 121 has been generated is located.

[0013] The control unit 104 is a schematic representation of a unit that controls various operations of the imaging device 100, and may be realized by a processor such as a microcomputer or a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 104 includes a coordinate calculation unit 105, a directionality control unit 106, a mode switching unit 107, and a recording / playback unit 108.

[0014] The coordinate calculation unit 105 calculates the coordinates of the position where the touch operation was performed (hereinafter also referred to as the touch position) based on the detection result of the touch operation by the touch detection unit 103. As a specific example, the coordinate calculation unit 105 calculates the center of gravity 123 of an area where capacitance is generated among areas where multiple sensors 102 are installed, based on the detection result by the touch detection unit 103. Then, the coordinate calculation unit 105 may set the coordinates of the position on the touch panel 101 corresponding to the calculated center of gravity 123 as the coordinates of the touch position. Note that, when the sensors 102 are arranged in two or more dimensions, the coordinate calculation unit 105 may calculate the center of gravity 123 separately for each axis. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 1 , the coordinate calculation unit 105 calculates the center of gravity 123 separately for each of the horizontal direction (X-axis direction) and the vertical direction (Y-axis direction). This makes it possible to identify the horizontal coordinate and the vertical coordinate where the touch operation was detected.

[0015] The directivity control unit 106 controls the directivity direction and directivity angle associated with the pickup of surrounding sounds (such as a person's voice or surrounding environmental sounds) by the microphone 113. For example, the directivity control unit 106 may control the directivity direction and directivity angle associated with the pickup of sounds by the microphone 113 in response to an instruction from a user. Note that the method for controlling the directivity direction and directivity angle associated with the pickup of sounds by the microphone 113 will be described in detail separately below.

[0016] The mode switching unit 107 selectively switches between modes related to control based on the detection result of the touch operation by the touch detection unit 103. For example, the mode switching unit 107 may selectively switch between a mode in which the detection result of the touch operation by the touch detection unit 103 is used to set the directional direction and directional angle of the microphone 113, and a mode in which the detection result of the touch operation is used to set other parameters.

[0017] The recording / playback unit 108 records various data in a predetermined storage area (for example, a recording medium 112) and plays back the data recorded in the storage area. For example, the recording / playback unit 108 may record image data corresponding to the imaging result by the imaging element 111 and sound data corresponding to the sound pickup result by the microphone 113 in the recording medium 112.

[0018] The display control unit 109 executes processing related to displaying an image on the display 110. At this time, the display control unit 109 may determine an operation to be reflected when displaying an image on the display 110, according to the coordinates of the touch position calculated by the coordinate calculation unit 105. The operation of display 110 is controlled by display control unit 109, and displays an image based on this control. Display 110 can be realized by, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or the like. The area (screen) where display 110 displays an image is provided with touch panel 101 described above. This allows the user to specify a part of the image displayed on display 110 by performing a touch operation on touch panel 101.

[0019] The image sensor 111 receives incident light from a subject and converts the received light into an electrical signal. The electrical signal output in accordance with the image capture result by the image sensor 111 is converted into image data in a predetermined format by, for example, undergoing various signal processing. The image sensor 111 can be realized by, for example, a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor.

[0020] The recording medium 112 is realized by a memory card, a hard disk, or the like, and records various data. The microphone 113 is realized by a sound collection device such as a microphone, and collects surrounding sounds and converts the collected sounds into an electrical signal. The electrical signal output in accordance with the sound collection result by the microphone 113 is converted into acoustic data in a predetermined format, for example, by undergoing various signal processing. Note that in this embodiment, the gain and phase of the acoustic data in accordance with the sound collection result by the microphone 113 are adjusted in accordance with an instruction from the directivity control unit 106, thereby making it possible to change the directional direction and directional angle related to the sound collection by the microphone 113.

[0021] Among the components of the imaging device 100 shown in FIG. 1, the part that plays a role in controlling the directional direction and directional angle related to sound collection by the microphone 113 corresponds to an example of a control device according to this embodiment. 1 is merely an example, and does not necessarily limit the configuration of the imaging device to this embodiment. For example, some of the components shown in FIG. 1 may be provided outside the imaging device 100. As a specific example, the microphone 113 may be externally attached to the imaging device 100. In this case, the imaging device 100 may control the operation of the microphone 113 via a transmission path such as a network or a cable. As another example, the components corresponding to the display 110, the touch panel 101, the sensor 102, and the touch detection unit 103 may be realized by components of another device different from the imaging device 100. More specifically, a situation may be envisioned in which a user remotely operates the imaging device 100 using a terminal device such as a smartphone connected to the imaging device 100 via a transmission path such as a desired network or cable. In such a case, the terminal device may be provided with components corresponding to the display 110, the touch panel 101, the sensor 102, and the touch detection unit 103. In this case, a device (e.g., the imaging device 100) having components corresponding to the control unit 104 that mainly controls the directional direction and directional angle of the microphone 113 corresponds to the "control device" according to this embodiment.

[0022] Next, an example of processing by the imaging device 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2 to Fig. 4. Note that this embodiment describes an example of a mechanism that enables the directional direction and directional angle related to sound collection by the microphone 113 to be set by a simpler operation by changing the directional angle related to sound collection by the microphone 113 in accordance with the angle of the operating object with respect to the touch panel. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the imaging device according to this embodiment. Also, Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrams for explaining an example of an operation method for setting the directional direction and directional angle related to sound collection by the microphone 113.

[0023] First, a series of processing steps will be described with reference to Fig. 2. This processing by the imaging device 100 is realized by the control unit 101 executing software recorded in a memory (not shown) of the imaging device 100. This processing is started when the imaging device 100 is started. In S201, the control unit 104 (e.g., a microcomputer or a CPU) determines whether a mode related to control of the directivity of the microphone 113 (directivity related to sound collection) has been selected as a mode related to control of the operation of the imaging device 100 by touch operation. If the control unit 104 determines in S201 that a mode related to control of the directivity of the microphone 113 has been selected, the control unit 104 proceeds to S202. In this case, the directivity of the microphone 113 is controlled based on a touch operation on the touch panel 101, as will be described later as processing from S202 onwards. On the other hand, if the control unit 104 determines in S201 that a mode related to control of the directivity of the microphone 113 has not been selected, the control unit 104 advances the process to S201. In other words, if another mode has been selected, the control unit 104 will not execute the processes from S202 onwards.

[0024] In S202, the control unit 104 determines whether or not a touch operation by an operating object (conductive object 120) such as a finger has been detected on the touch panel 101. As a specific example, if the capacitance 124 generated in the sensor 102 is greater than the threshold value 122, the control unit 104 determines that a touch operation has been performed on a position on the touch panel 101 corresponding to the sensor 102 (i.e., a touch-in has been detected). If the control unit 104 determines in S202 that a touch operation on the touch panel 101 has not been detected, the control unit 104 continues to repeat the process of S202. That is, in this case, the control unit 104 continues to detect a touch operation on the touch panel 101. If the control unit 104 determines in S202 that a touch operation on the touch panel 101 has been detected, the control unit 104 advances the process to S203.

[0025] In S203, the control unit 104 determines whether or not the touch operation detected in the process of S202 is performed on one point on the touch panel 101 (that is, whether or not the touch operation is performed on one place by one operating object). If the control unit 104 determines in S203 that the touch operation detected in the processing of S202 is not for a single point on the touch panel 101, the control unit 104 advances the processing to S202. In this case, the detected touch operation is not an operation for controlling the directivity of the microphone 113 in this embodiment, and therefore the control unit 104 executes processing related to the detection of the touch operation again. On the other hand, if the control unit 104 determines in S203 that the touch operation detected in the process of S202 is performed on one point on the touch panel 101, the process proceeds to S204.

[0026] In S204, the control unit 104 calculates the coordinates of the position on the touch panel 101 where the touch operation was performed by identifying the sensor 102 that generates the largest capacitance due to the touch operation. Note that the process described below is performed individually for each axis when the sensors 102 are arranged in two or more dimensions. The coordinate calculation is performed by the coordinate calculation unit 105 of the control unit 104 by calculating the center of gravity 123 of the capacitance generation area. For example, if the capacitances c1, c2, ..., c of the sensors 102 that generate the touch operation are m (m: number of sensors on one axis), weights p1, p2, ..., p m is set and weighting calculation is performed, whereby the center of gravity 123 of the generation capacity area is calculated.

[0027]

number

[0028] In S205, the control unit 104 adjusts the directional direction of sound collection by the microphone 113 to the direction corresponding to the coordinates of the sensor 102 with the largest generation capacity identified in S204 (the direction of the subject captured at the position indicated by the coordinates on the image). The directional direction of sound collection by the microphone 113 is controlled by the directivity control unit 106 of the control unit 104. Note that the method is not particularly limited as long as it is possible to change the directional direction of sound collection by the microphone 113. For example, when a so-called microphone array is used as the microphone 113, it is possible to control the directional direction of sound collection by the microphone 113 using a technique known as beamforming. In this case, the phase and gain of acoustic data corresponding to the sound collection results of each of the multiple microphone elements constituting the microphone 113 may be adjusted so that sounds arriving from a desired direction are emphasized and sounds arriving from other directions cancel each other out. As another example, the directional direction of microphone 113 may be changed by applying a configuration that physically changes the direction in which microphone 113 itself is pointed, thereby pointing microphone 113 in a desired direction.

[0029] In S206, the control unit 104 calculates the angle of the operating object, such as a finger, relative to the touch panel 101 based on the generated capacitances of the other sensors 102 located around the sensor 102 with the largest generated capacitance identified in S204. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , when an operating object (conductive object 120) approaches touch panel 101, portions of the operating object other than the tip that touches touch panel 101 also generate capacitance according to the distance from the touch panel 101. In this case, the closer the angle formed between touch panel 101 and the operating object is to horizontal, the greater the portions of the operating object, including the tip, are located near the touch panel 101, and capacitance is generated in sensor 102 over a wider range. That is, in this case, the range of the operation position of the touch operation (the position where the touch is detected) is wider. On the other hand, the closer the angle formed between touch panel 101 and the operating object is to vertical, the other portions of the operating object that are farther away from the tip are farther away from the touch panel 101 and are not detected, and the range of sensor 102 where capacitance is generated is narrower. That is, in this case, the range of the operation position of the touch operation (the position where the touch is detected) is narrower.

[0030] In S207 and S208, the control unit 104 performs a condition determination based on the angle of the operating object with respect to the touch panel 101 identified in S206. Specifically, in S207, the control unit 104 determines whether the angle of the operating object (for example, a finger) with respect to the touch panel 101 is within the range of 61° to 90°. If the control unit 104 determines in S207 that the angle of the operating object with respect to the touch panel 101 is not within the range of 61° to 90°, then in S208, the control unit 104 determines whether the angle is within the range of 31° to 60°. As described above, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the directional angle for sound collection by the microphone 113 is controlled by a process described later depending on which of the three conditions, 61° to 90°, 31° to 60°, or 0° to 30°, the angle of the operating object with respect to the touch panel 101 corresponds to. In addition, FIG. 3 shows an example of setting the directional angle for sound collection by the microphone 113 depending on the angle of the operating object with respect to the touch panel 101.

[0031] For example, if the control unit 104 determines in S207 that the angle of the operating object with respect to the touch panel 101 is within the range of 61° to 90°, the control unit 104 proceeds to S209. In S209, the control unit 104 sets the directional angle for sound collection by the microphone 113 to 10°. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3(a), the angle of the finger (operating object) with respect to the touch panel 101 is close to vertical. Therefore, the control unit 104 determines that the user has specified a setting to narrow the directional angle of the microphone, and sets the directional angle for sound collection by the microphone 113 to the narrower 10°. Furthermore, if the control unit 104 determines in S208 that the angle of the operating object with respect to the touch panel 101 is within the range of 31° to 60°, the control unit 104 advances the process to S210. In S210, the control unit 104 sets the directional angle for sound collection by the microphone 113 to 90°. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the angle of the finger (operating object) with respect to the touch panel 101 is 31° to 60°, which is an intermediate angle between vertical and horizontal. Therefore, the control unit 104 determines that the user has specified a setting for the directional angle of the microphone to be an intermediate angle, and sets the directional angle for sound collection by the microphone 113 to 90°, which is an intermediate angle. Furthermore, if the control unit 104 determines in S208 that the angle of the operating object with respect to the touch panel 101 is not within the range of 31° to 60°, the control unit 104 advances the process to S211. In S211, the control unit 104 sets the directional angle for sound collection by the microphone 113 to 180°. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3(c), the angle of the finger (operating object) with respect to the touch panel 101 is close to horizontal. Therefore, the control unit 104 determines that the user has specified a setting to widen the directional angle of the microphone, and sets the directional angle for sound collection by the microphone 113 to the wider 180°.

[0032] In S212, the control unit 104 adjusts the directional angle of the sound collected by the microphone 113 to the angle set in S209, S210, or S211. The control of the directional angle of the sound collected by the microphone 113 is performed by the directivity control unit 106 of the control unit 104. Note that the method is not particularly limited as long as it is possible to change the directional angle of the sound collected by the microphone 113. For example, it is possible to control the directional angle of the sound collected by the microphone 113 by controlling the sensitivity ratio of the acoustic data according to the sound collection results of the microphone 113. Furthermore, when a microphone array is used as the microphone 113, it is possible to control the directional angle of the sound collected by the microphone 113 by using the above-mentioned technology called beamforming. In this case, it is possible to control the range in which the beam related to the sound collected by the microphone 113 is formed (i.e., the directional angle related to the sound collected by the microphone 113) by adjusting the phase and gain of the acoustic data according to the sound collection results of each of the multiple microphone elements constituting the microphone 113.

[0033] In S213, the display control unit 109 displays information on the display 110 so that the user can distinguish the directional direction of the microphone 113 determined in S205 and the directional angle of the microphone 113 determined in S209, S210, or S211. The display format of the information is not particularly limited. For example, FIG. 4 shows an example of information displayed on the display 110 to present the directional direction and directional angle of the microphone 113 to the user in a manner that allows them to distinguish them. As a specific example, in the example shown in FIG. 4(a), the directional direction of the microphone 113 is represented by a graphic in an image, and the directional angle of the microphone 113 is represented by a number in the image. In addition, in the example shown in FIG. 4(b), an image that visualizes the sound collection range defined by the directional direction and directional angle of the microphone 113 is superimposed on the image.

[0034] In S214, the control unit 104 determines whether the angle of the operating object relative to the touch panel 101 has changed. If the control unit 104 determines in S214 that there is no change in the angle of the operating object relative to the touch panel 101, the control unit 104 advances the process to S215. On the other hand, if the control unit 104 determines in S214 that there is a change in the angle of the operating object with respect to the touch panel 101, the control unit 104 advances the process to S206. In this case, the control unit 104 executes again the series of processes subsequent to the process related to calculation of the angle of the operating object with respect to the touch panel 101 shown as S206. By executing such processing, even if the angle of the operating object relative to the touch panel 101 is changed while a touch operation is being performed with the operating object on the touch panel 101, it is possible to gradually change the directional angle for sound pickup by the microphone 113 at any time.

[0035] In S215, the control unit 104 determines, based on the detection result by the touch detection unit 103, whether or not there is a change in the touch position of the operating object on the touch panel 101. If the control unit 104 determines in S215 that there is no change in the touch position of the operating object on the touch panel 101, the control unit 104 advances the process to S216. On the other hand, if the control unit 104 determines in S215 that there is a change in the touch position of the operating object on the touch panel 101, the control unit 104 advances the process to S204. In this case, the processes from S204 onwards (for example, processes related to detection of the touch position and calculation of the angle of the operating object with respect to the touch panel 101) are executed again.

[0036] In S216, the control unit 104 determines whether or not the operating object has been released from the touch panel 101 (whether or not touch-out has occurred) based on the detection result by the touch detection unit 103. If the control unit 104 determines in S216 that touch-out has not occurred, the control unit 104 advances the process to S204. In this case, the control unit 104 executes the processes from S204 onwards again. If the control unit 104 determines in S216 that touch-out has occurred, the control unit 104 ends the series of processes shown in FIG.

[0037] As described above, according to this embodiment, the directional angle of the microphone 113 for collecting sound is changed depending on the angle of the operating object relative to the touch panel 101, so that the directional direction and directional angle for collecting sound can be set simultaneously by a simple touch operation.

[0038] The above describes the first embodiment of the present disclosure, but the configuration, processing, etc. of this embodiment are not necessarily limited to these, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present disclosure. For example, although the case where a capacitive touch panel is applied as the touch panel 101 shown in FIG. 1 has been described, the configuration of the touch panel 101 is not necessarily limited, and other types of touch panels, such as an electromagnetic induction type, may also be applied. Furthermore, the operating object used to operate the touch panel is not particularly limited, and a stylus or the like may be used in addition to a finger. For example, by applying an electromagnetic induction type touch panel or a stylus pen, the technology according to the present embodiment described above can also be applied when a device such as a pen tablet is used. 2, the mode related to the control of the operation of the image capturing device 100 by the touch operation in S201 can be selectively switched between a mode related to the control of the directivity of the microphone 113 and another mode, but a function related to mode switching need not be provided. In other words, the control of the operation of the image capturing device 100 by the touch operation may always be the control of the directivity of the microphone 113. In this case, the processing of S201 may be omitted. Furthermore, with regard to the calculation of the center of gravity of the generation capacitance area when identifying the touch position, the calculation method explained based on Equation (1) is merely an example, and other calculation methods may be applied. Furthermore, when calculating the center of gravity of the generation capacitance area, it is not necessarily necessary to consider all sensors 102, and the calculation of the center of gravity of the generation capacitance area may be performed using only some of the sensors 102. 2, the threshold values ​​applied to the condition determination in the processes of S207 and S208 are merely examples and may be changed as appropriate depending on the expected use case. In the example shown in Fig. 2, the condition determination is performed so that the angle of the operating object with respect to the touch panel 101 is divided into three stages, but the number of stages for this condition determination is not particularly limited. In addition, in the example described with reference to Figures 2 and 3, the directional angle for sound collection by microphone 113 is set to any one of 10°, 90°, and 180°, but the angle set as the directional angle is not particularly limited, and other angles may also be applied. Additionally, as described above, the configuration of the imaging device 100 is not particularly limited, and for example, some of the configuration may be provided in a device other than the imaging device 100. As a specific example, components equivalent to the touch panel 101, the display 110, etc. may be realized by components provided in an external device such as a remote controller or a mobile information terminal.

[0039] <Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. In this embodiment, an example of a technology will be described in which the directional angle related to sound collection of the microphone 113 is changed in accordance with a change in the position of the operating object relative to the touch panel 101, thereby enabling the directional direction and directional angle related to sound collection of the microphone 113 to be simultaneously changed by a simple operation. Note that, in this embodiment, to make the features easier to understand, an example will be described in which the directional angle related to sound collection of the microphone 113 is changed by pinching in and out on the touch panel 101. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the description will focus on differences from the first embodiment described above, and detailed description of parts that are substantially similar to the first embodiment will be omitted. For example, the configuration of the imaging device 100 according to this embodiment is substantially similar to the configuration described with reference to FIG. 1, and therefore detailed description will be omitted.

[0040] An example of processing by the imaging device 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Note that the processing in S501 to S502 is substantially the same as the processing in S201 to S202 shown in Fig. 2, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0041] In S503, the control unit 104 determines whether or not the touch operation detected in the processing of S502 is performed at two points on the touch panel 101 (that is, whether or not the touch operation is performed at two places by two operating objects). If the control unit 104 determines in S503 that the touch operation detected in the processing of S502 is not performed on two points on the touch panel 101, the control unit 104 proceeds to the processing of S502. In this case, the detected touch operation is not an operation for controlling the directivity of the microphone 113 in this embodiment, and therefore the control unit 104 executes processing related to the detection of the touch operation again. On the other hand, if the control unit 104 determines in S503 that the touch operation detected in the process of S502 is performed on two points on the touch panel 101, the process proceeds to S504.

[0042] In S504, the control unit 104 sets an initial value of the directional angle related to sound collection by the microphone 113. In this embodiment, the control unit 104 sets the initial value of the directional angle related to sound collection by the microphone 113 to 90°. In the example shown in Fig. 5, the directional angle related to sound collection by the microphone 113 is increased or decreased in response to pinch-in or pinch-out operations, based on the initial value set by the processing in S504.

[0043] In S505, the control unit 104 identifies two sensors 102 that have larger generated capacitances due to touch operations, and calculates the coordinates of the positions on the touch panel 101 that correspond to the two sensors 102. Note that the process described below is performed individually for each axis when the sensors 102 are arranged in two or more dimensions. The coordinate calculation is performed by the coordinate calculation section 105 of the control unit 104 calculating the center of gravity 123 of the generated capacitance area for each of the two target points. Note that the calculation method based on equation (1) described in the first embodiment can be similarly applied to the method of calculating the center of gravity 123 of the generated capacitance area for each point, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0044] In S506, the control unit 104 calculates the coordinates of the midpoint between the two sensors 102 with the larger generation capacity identified in S505. Then, the control unit 104 adjusts the directional direction of sound collection by the microphone 113 to the direction corresponding to the calculated coordinates (the direction of the subject captured at the position indicated by the coordinates on the image). The directional direction of sound collection by the microphone 113 is controlled by the directivity control unit 106 of the control unit 104. Note that the method of changing the directional direction of sound collection by the microphone 113 is substantially the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0045] In S507, the control unit 104 determines whether the positions of the two points with the larger generation capacity identified in S505 have come closer to each other by a predetermined value or more. For example, when a pinch-in operation is performed, the positions of the two points with the larger generation capacity move closer to each other. If the control unit 104 determines in S507 that the positions of the two points with the larger generated capacitances have come closer to each other by a predetermined value or more, the process proceeds to S509. On the other hand, if the control unit 104 determines in S507 that the positions of the two points with the larger generated capacitance are not closer to each other by a predetermined value or more, the process proceeds to S508.

[0046] In S508, the control unit 104 determines whether the positions of the two points with the larger generation capacity identified in S505 have moved apart by a predetermined value or more. For example, when a pinch-out operation is performed, the positions of the two points with the larger generation capacity move apart from each other. If the control unit 104 determines in S508 that the positions of the two points with the larger generation capacitances have become farther apart by a predetermined value or more, the process proceeds to S510. On the other hand, if the control unit 104 determines in S508 that the positions of the two points with the larger generated capacitances are not far apart by more than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to S511.

[0047] In S509, the control unit 104 sets the angle of the directional angle of sound collection by the microphone 113 by subtracting from the previous value (the previous control result or the initial value) a value corresponding to the distance by which the positions of the two points with the larger generation capacity identified in S505 have come closer to each other. For example, FIG. 6 shows an example of the setting of the directional angle of sound collection by the microphone 113 in accordance with the change in the position of the operating object on the touch panel 101 when a pinch-in and pinch-out operation is performed on the touch panel 101. Specifically, FIG. 6(a) shows an example of the setting of the directional angle of sound collection by the microphone 113 when a pinch-in operation is performed. In this case, since a pinch-in operation has been detected, the control unit 104 determines that the user has specified a setting to narrow the directional angle of the microphone. Therefore, the control unit 104 controls the directional angle of sound collection by the microphone 113 to be narrower (i.e., to subtract more from the directional angle). The control amount of the directivity angle at this time is determined according to, for example, the operation amount of the pinch-in operation (in other words, the amount of change in the distance between the two operation positions).

[0048] In S510, the control unit 104 sets the angle of the directional angle of sound collection by the microphone 113 by adding a value corresponding to the distance by which the positions of the two points with the larger generation capacity identified in S505 are separated from the previous value (the previous control result or the initial value). Specifically, FIG. 6(b) shows an example of the setting of the directional angle of sound collection by the microphone 113 when a pinch-out operation is performed. In this case, the control unit 104 determines that the user has specified a setting to make the directional angle of the microphone wider because a pinch-out operation has been detected. Therefore, the control unit 104 controls the directional angle of sound collection by the microphone 113 so that it is wider (i.e., so that the angle of the directional angle is increased). Furthermore, the control amount of the directional angle at this time is determined, for example, according to the operation amount of the pinch-out operation (in other words, the amount of change in the distance between the operation positions of the two points).

[0049] The process shown as S511 is executed when neither a pinch-in operation nor a pinch-out operation is detected. In this case, the control unit 104 keeps the directivity angle of the microphone 113 at the previous value (the previous control result or the initial value).

[0050] In S512, the control unit 104 adjusts the directional angle of the sound collected by the microphone 113 to the angle set in S509, S510, or S511. The directional angle of the sound collected by the microphone 113 is controlled by the directivity control unit 106 of the control unit 104. Note that the method of changing the directional angle of the sound collected by the microphone 113 is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Moreover, the process of S513 is substantially the same as the process of S213 shown in FIG. 2, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0051] In S514, the control unit 104 determines whether there is a change in the distance between the positions of the two points with the larger generation capacity identified in S505. If the control unit 104 determines in S514 that there is no change in the distance between the positions of the two points with the larger generation capacity, it advances the process to S515. On the other hand, if the control unit 104 determines in S514 that there is a change in the distance between the positions of the two points with the larger generation capacity, the control unit 104 proceeds to S507. In this case, the control unit 104 executes again the series of processes from S507 to S513, that is, the series of processes related to the control of the directivity angle for sound collection by the microphone 113 in accordance with the change in the distance between the positions of the two points with the larger generation capacity.

[0052] In S515, the control unit 104 determines whether there is any change in the coordinates of the middle point between the two points with the larger generated capacity calculated in S506. If the control unit 104 determines in S515 that there is no change in the coordinates intermediate between the two points with the larger generated capacitance, it advances the process to S216. On the other hand, if the control unit 104 determines in S515 that there is a change in the coordinates intermediate between the two points with the larger generation capacity, the control unit 104 proceeds to S505. In this case, the control unit 104 executes again the series of processes from S505 to S513, that is, the series of processes related to the control of the directional direction and directional angle related to the sound collection by the microphone 113 in accordance with the positions of the two points with the larger generation capacity and the change in the distance between the positions of the two points.

[0053] In S516, the control unit 104 determines, based on the detection result by the touch detection unit 103, whether or not the operating object has been released from the touch panel 101 (whether or not touch-out has occurred). If the control unit 104 determines in S516 that touch-out has not occurred, the process proceeds to S504. In this case, the control unit 104 executes the processes from S504 onwards again. If the control unit 104 determines in S516 that touch-out has occurred, the control unit 104 ends the series of processes shown in FIG.

[0054] As described above, according to this embodiment, the directional angle related to sound collection by the microphone 113 is changed in accordance with a change in the position of the operating body relative to the touch panel 101, and it is therefore possible to simultaneously set the directional direction and directional angle related to the sound collection by a simple touch operation.

[0055] The above describes the second embodiment of the present disclosure, but this does not necessarily limit the configuration, processing, etc. of this embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present disclosure. For example, as in the first embodiment, the touch panel 101 is not limited to a capacitive touch panel, and other types of touch panels, such as an electromagnetic induction type, can also be applied. Furthermore, the operating tool used to operate the touch panel is not particularly limited, and a stylus or the like may be used in addition to a finger. For example, by applying an electromagnetic induction type touch panel or a stylus pen, the technology according to the present embodiment described above can also be applied when a device such as a pen tablet is used. Also, similar to the first embodiment, a function related to mode switching may not be provided. That is, as control of the operation of the imaging device 100 by a touch operation, control of the directivity of the microphone 113 may always be applied. In this case, the processing of S501 may be omitted. Furthermore, with regard to the calculation of the center of gravity of the generation capacitance area when identifying the touch position, the calculation method explained based on equation (1) is merely an example, and other calculation methods may be applied. Furthermore, in S504 of FIG. 5, the initial value of the directivity angle for sound collection by the microphone 113 is set to 90°, but other angle values ​​may be set as the initial value. Additionally, as described above, the configuration of the imaging device 100 is not particularly limited, and for example, some of the configuration may be provided in a device other than the imaging device 100. As a specific example, components equivalent to the touch panel 101, the display 110, etc. may be realized by components provided in an external device such as a remote controller or a mobile information terminal.

[0056] <Third embodiment> Next, a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. In this embodiment, an example of a technology will be described in which the directional angle related to sound collection by the microphone 113 is changed depending on the time when contact of the operating object with the touch panel 101 is detected, thereby making it possible to simultaneously change the directional direction and directional angle related to sound collection by the microphone 113 through a simple operation. Note that this embodiment will be described focusing on differences from the first embodiment described above, and detailed description of parts that are substantially similar to the first embodiment will be omitted. For example, the configuration of the imaging device 100 according to this embodiment is substantially similar to the configuration described with reference to FIG. 1, and therefore detailed description will be omitted.

[0057] An example of the processing of the imaging device 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Note that the processing of S701 to S703 is substantially the same as the processing of S201 to S203 shown in Fig. 2, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0058] In this embodiment, the control unit 104 measures the time from touch-in to touch-out on the touch panel 101 in steps S704 to S708, which will be described later, and controls the directivity angle for collecting sound by the microphone 113 in accordance with the measured time. Therefore, in step S704, the control unit 104 starts counting the time of the touch operation on the touch panel 101.

[0059] In S705, the control unit 104 calculates the coordinates of the position on the touch panel 101 where the touch operation was performed, by identifying the sensor 102 that generates the largest capacitance associated with the touch operation at predetermined time intervals. Note that the process described below is performed individually for each axis when the sensors 102 are arranged in two or more dimensions. The coordinate calculation is performed by the coordinate calculation section 105 of the control unit 104 by calculating the center of gravity 123 of the generation capacitance area. Note that the calculation method based on equation (1) described in the first embodiment can be similarly applied to the method of calculating the center of gravity 123 of the generation capacitance area, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. In S706, the control unit 104 determines whether or not the operating object has been released from the touch panel 101 (whether or not touch-out has occurred) based on the detection result of the touch operation by the touch detection unit 103. If the control unit 104 determines in S706 that touch-out has not occurred, the process proceeds to S705. In this case, the control unit 104 executes the process of S705 again and then makes a determination again in S706. In this way, the control unit 104 repeatedly executes the processes of S705 and S706 until it determines in S706 that touch-out has occurred. If the control unit 104 determines in S706 that touch-out has occurred, the process proceeds to S707.

[0060] In S707, the control unit 104 calculates the coordinates of the position on the touch panel 101 corresponding to the sensor 102 that had the largest capacitance immediately before touch-out, among the sensors 102 with the largest generation capacitance identified in S705. Then, the control unit 104 adjusts the directional direction of sound collection by the microphone 113 to the direction corresponding to the calculated coordinates (the direction of the subject corresponding to the coordinates on the image displayed on the display 110). The directional direction of sound collection by the microphone 113 is controlled by the directivity control unit 106 of the control unit 104. Note that the method of changing the directional direction of sound collection by the microphone 113 is substantially the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0061] In S708, the control unit 104 stops counting the time of the touch operation on the touch panel 101, which started in S704, and determines the time from touch-in to touch-out based on the result of the counting.

[0062] In S709 and S710, the control unit 104 performs a condition determination based on the duration of the touch operation identified in S708. Specifically, in S709, the control unit 104 determines whether the touch time is less than one second. If the control unit 104 determines in S709 that the touch time is less than one second, the process proceeds to S711. On the other hand, if the control unit 104 determines in S710 that the touch time is not less than one second (that is, one second or more), the control unit 104 advances the process to S710. In addition, in S710, the control unit 104 determines whether the touch time is equal to or longer than 1 second and equal to or shorter than 3 seconds. If the control unit 104 determines in S710 that the touch time is equal to or longer than 1 second and equal to or shorter than 3 seconds, the control unit 104 advances the process to S712. On the other hand, if the control unit 104 determines in S710 that the touch time is not equal to or greater than 1 second and not equal to or less than 3 seconds (that is, exceeds 3 seconds), the process proceeds to S713.

[0063] Then, in S711, S712, or S713, the control unit 104 sets the directivity angle for sound collection by the microphone 113 according to the result of the condition determination based on the duration of the touch operation in S709 and S710. For example, Fig. 8 shows an example of setting the directivity angle for sound collection by the microphone 113 according to the duration of touch on the touch panel 101.

[0064] Specifically, in S711, the control unit 104 sets the directional angle of the microphone 113 for collecting sound to 10°. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8(a), the duration of the touch operation on the touch panel 101 is less than one second. Therefore, the control unit 104 determines that the user has designated a setting to narrow the directional angle of the microphone, and sets the directional angle of the microphone 113 for collecting sound to the narrower 10°. Furthermore, in S712, the control unit 104 sets the directional angle of sound collection by the microphone 113 to 90°. In this case, as shown in Fig. 8(b), the duration of the touch operation on the touch panel 101 is 1 second or more and 3 seconds or less. Therefore, the control unit 104 determines that the user has specified a setting to set the directional angle of the microphone to an intermediate angle, and sets the directional angle of sound collection by the microphone 113 to an intermediate angle of 90°. Furthermore, in S713, the control unit 104 sets the directional angle of sound collection by the microphone 113 to 180°. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8(c), the duration of the touch operation on the touch panel 101 exceeds 3 seconds. Therefore, the control unit 104 determines that the user has designated a setting to widen the directional angle of the microphone, and sets the directional angle of sound collection by the microphone 113 to the wider 180°.

[0065] In S714, the control unit 104 adjusts the directional angle of the sound collected by the microphone 113 to the angle set in S711, S712, or S713. The directional angle of the sound collected by the microphone 113 is controlled by the directivity control unit 106 of the control unit 104. Note that the method of changing the directional angle of the sound collected by the microphone 113 is substantially the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Moreover, the process of S715 is substantially the same as the process of S213 shown in FIG. 2, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0066] As described above, according to this embodiment, the directional angle related to sound collection by the microphone 113 is changed depending on the time when contact of the operating object with the touch panel 101 is detected, so that the directional direction and directional angle related to the sound collection can be set simultaneously by a simple touch operation.

[0067] The above describes the third embodiment of the present disclosure, but this does not necessarily limit the configuration, processing, etc. of this embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present disclosure. For example, as in the first embodiment, the touch panel 101 is not limited to a capacitive touch panel, and other types of touch panels, such as an electromagnetic induction type, can also be applied. Furthermore, the operating tool used to operate the touch panel is not particularly limited, and a stylus or the like may be used in addition to a finger. For example, by applying an electromagnetic induction type touch panel or a stylus pen, the technology according to the present embodiment described above can also be applied when a device such as a pen tablet is used. Also, similar to the first embodiment, a function related to mode switching may not be provided. That is, as control of the operation of the imaging device 100 by a touch operation, control of the directivity of the microphone 113 may always be applied. In this case, the processing of S501 may be omitted. Furthermore, with regard to the calculation of the center of gravity of the generation capacitance area when identifying the touch position, the calculation method explained based on equation (1) is merely an example, and other calculation methods may be applied. 7 is merely an example and may be changed as appropriate depending on the expected use case. In the example shown in Fig. 7, the condition determination is performed so as to divide the time during which contact of the operating object with the touch panel 101 is detected into three stages, but the number of stages for this condition determination is not particularly limited. In addition, in the example described with reference to Figures 7 and 8, the directional angle for sound collection by microphone 113 is set to any one of 10°, 90°, and 180°, but the angle set as the directional angle is not particularly limited, and other angles may also be applied. Additionally, as described above, the configuration of the imaging device 100 is not particularly limited, and for example, some of the configuration may be provided in a device other than the imaging device 100. As a specific example, components equivalent to the touch panel 101, the display 110, etc. may be realized by components provided in an external device such as a remote controller or a mobile information terminal.

[0068] <Other embodiments> The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the components can be modified and embodied in practice without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, various inventions can be created by appropriately combining multiple components disclosed in the above-described embodiments. For example, some components may be omitted from all the components shown in the embodiments. Furthermore, components from different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

[0069] For example, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the present invention is applied to an imaging device to cause the imaging device to function as a control device that controls the directivity of sound collection by a microphone (e.g., microphone 113) to be controlled. In contrast, the present invention can also be applied to an information processing device such as a PC to cause the information processing device to function as a control device that controls the directivity of sound collection by a microphone to be controlled. As a specific example, the present invention may be applied to an information processing device in an audio system including a microphone and an information processing device that controls the operation of the microphone to collect sound. In this case, the information processing device may display an image corresponding to the image capture result by the imaging device connected to the information processing device in a communicable manner on a display device such as a display, and control the directivity direction of the microphone according to a position specified in the image. Furthermore, at this time, the information processing device may control the directivity angle of the microphone according to the manner in which the operating object contacts the touch panel.

[0070] Furthermore, while the above embodiment describes controlling the directivity of a microphone, the application of the present invention is not necessarily limited to controlling the directivity of a microphone. The present invention can be applied to controlling any device capable of controlling the directivity direction and angle. As a specific example, in addition to microphones, directional speakers that can impart directionality to the sound emitted are known as acoustic devices capable of controlling the directivity direction and angle. The control device according to the present invention can also be used to control the direction (directivity direction) and range (directivity angle) in which such directional speakers emit sound. Furthermore, the present invention can be applied not only to controlling the directivity of acoustic devices, but also to, for example, directivity control related to detection by various sensors such as ultrasonic sensors, and directivity control related to the transmission and reception of radio waves by communication devices. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 100 Imaging device 101 Touch Panel 104 Control Unit 106 Directivity control section 110 Display 111 Image sensor 113 Mike

Claims

1. a sound collection means for collecting surrounding sounds by a microphone; and control means for changing the directivity direction of the microphone in a direction corresponding to the operation position based on a detection result of an operation position of an operation object relative to a display means that displays an image corresponding to the image pickup result by the image pickup means, and for changing the directivity angle of the microphone in accordance with a change in the range of the detected operation position, The control means changes the directivity angle of the microphone in accordance with the range of the operation position detected in accordance with the angle of the operation object relative to the display means. A control device characterized by:

2. The control means When the range of the operation position is changed in a direction to be wider, the directivity angle of the microphone is changed to be wider; When the range of the operation position is changed in a direction to be narrower, the directivity angle of the microphone is changed to be narrower.

2. The control device according to claim 1.

3. The control means When the angle between the display means and the operation body changes to be closer to horizontal, the directivity angle of the microphone is changed to be wider; When the angle between the display means and the operating body changes to be closer to a perpendicular angle, the directivity angle of the microphone is changed to be narrower.

2. The control device according to claim 1.

4. 4. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control means changes the directional direction of the microphone toward a subject imaged at the operation position on an image corresponding to the imaging result of the imaging means and displayed on the display means.

5. The imaging means; The display means 5. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second inputs are connected to the first and second inputs.

6. A touch panel for detecting an operation position of the operating object relative to the display means, The control means calculates an angle of the operating object with respect to the display means in accordance with a detection result of a touch operation of the operating object on the touch panel.

2. The control device according to claim 1.

7. A control method for a control device that controls the operation of a microphone, comprising: a sound collection step of collecting ambient sounds by the microphone; a control step of changing the directivity direction of the microphone in a direction corresponding to the operation position based on a detection result of an operation position of an operation object relative to a display means that displays an image corresponding to the image pickup result by the image pickup means, and changing the directivity angle of the microphone in accordance with a change in the range of the detected operation position, The control step changes a directivity angle of the microphone in accordance with a range of the operation position detected in accordance with an angle of the operation object relative to the display means. A control method comprising:

8. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

Images