Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

To provide a technique that can encourage a user to assign appropriate operations to control items.SOLUTION: Display control means causes display means to display each of a plurality of control items related to control of a photographing device using an input device. Setting means performs setting of assigning operations of the input device to the plurality of control items according to a user's operation. The display control means causes the display means to display, for first type control items of the plurality of control items, options for one or more operations belonging to a first group, of the plurality of operations of the input device, as options for the operation of the input device that can be assigned according to the user's operation, and causes the display means to display, for second type control items different from the first type control items of the plurality of control items, options for one or more operations belonging to a second group different from the first group, of the plurality of operations of the input device, as options for the operation of the input device that can be assigned according to the user's operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to information processing technology.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, it has been possible to control the PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) of a photographing device using an input device such as a joystick or a game pad. Patent Document 1 discloses a method of controlling the PTZ of a photographing device using a joystick.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Regarding an input device having a plurality of operation units such as a plurality of buttons and sticks, generally, there has been a user desire to assign an arbitrary operation among a plurality of operations on the plurality of operation units to a control item related to the control of a photographing device to be controlled. Here, if all of the plurality of operations of the input device are provided as an option that can be assigned to a certain control item of the photographing device without considering the type of the control item, an operation not suitable for the certain control item may be erroneously assigned by the user.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique that enables appropriate assignment of operations to control items.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the image processing apparatus of the present invention has the following configuration. That is, it has a display control means that displays each of a plurality of control items relating to the control of a shooting apparatus using an input device on a display means, and a setting means that sets the assignment of operations of the input device to the plurality of control items in accordance with user operation, wherein the display control means displays on the display means one or more options of operations belonging to a first group from among a plurality of operations of the input device as options of operations of the input device that can be assigned by user operation for a first type of control item among the plurality of control items, and displays on the display means one or more options of operations belonging to a second group different from the first group from among a plurality of operations of the input device as options of operations of the input device that can be assigned by user operation for a second type of control item among the plurality of control items. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to prompt the assignment of appropriate operations to control items. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This diagram shows the system configuration. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the hardware configuration of the information processing device 100 and the imaging device 120. [Figure 3] This is an external view of the input device 110. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the functional blocks of each device. [Figure 5] This diagram illustrates the assignment settings for operations to control items. [Figure 6] This is a diagram illustrating the various types of information stored in the memory unit 402. [Figure 7] This is a diagram illustrating the window used for operational testing. [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates the GUI for selecting whether to enable or disable the control of the imaging device 120. [Figure 9] This flowchart shows the processing flow for assigning operations to control items. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart showing the control process flow of the imaging device 120. [Figure 11] This is a diagram illustrating the window used for operational testing. [Figure 12] This flowchart shows the processing flow for assigning operations to control items. [Figure 13] This diagram illustrates the display control in the window for assigning operations to control items. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the configurations shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not limited to those illustrated.

[0010] (Embodiment 1) Figure 1 shows the system configuration according to this embodiment. The system in this embodiment includes an information processing device 100, an input device 110, a shooting device 120, and a network 130. The information processing device 100 and the shooting device 120 are interconnected via the network 130. The network 130 is implemented using multiple routers, switches, cables, etc., that comply with a communication standard such as ETHERNET®. The network 130 may also be implemented using the Internet, a wired LAN (Local Area Network), a wireless LAN (Wireless LAN), a WAN (Wide Area Network), etc.

[0011] The information processing device 100 is a personal computer having a processor such as a CPU. The input device 110 is a device capable of controlling the information processing device 100 and the imaging device 120, and is a device such as a joystick or gamepad. The input device 110 is connected to the information processing device 100 by a wired connection such as USB (Universal Serial Bus). However, the input device 110 may be connected to the information processing device 100 by a wireless connection, not limited to a wired connection. The input device 110 may also be connected to the information processing device 100 and the imaging device 120 so as to be able to communicate with them via the network 130. The imaging device 120 is capable of capturing images and distributing these images to the information processing device 100.

[0012] The hardware configuration of the information processing device 100 will now be explained with reference to Figure 2(a). Figure 2(a) shows an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 100. The network interface 201 communicates with external devices via the network 130 according to TCP / IP, HTTP, etc. The input interface 202 receives commands from the input device 110 via USB, etc. The CPU 203 is a central processing unit that provides overall control of the information processing device 100. The RAM 204 temporarily stores computer programs executed by the CPU 203. The RAM 204 also provides a work area used by the CPU 203 when executing processing. The RAM 204 can also function as a frame memory or a buffer memory, for example. The ROM 205 stores programs for the CPU 203 to control the information processing device 100, etc. The HDD 206 is a storage device that records image data, etc. The display 207 is made up of an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), etc., and displays images transmitted from the imaging device 120 and UI windows, etc., which will be described later. In this embodiment, an example is described in which the information processing device 100 is equipped with a display 207. However, the information processing device 100 and the display 207 may be housed in separate enclosures, in which case the information processing device 100 and the display 207 are connected via cables such as HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) or SDI (Serial Digital Interface).

[0013] Next, referring to FIG. 2(b), the hardware configuration of the imaging device 120 will be described. FIG. 2(b) is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the imaging device 120. The imaging unit 211 captures an image. Specifically, the imaging unit 211 has an imaging element such as a CCD (charge coupled device) sensor or a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) sensor, and photoelectrically converts the subject image formed through the lens of the imaging device 120 to generate an electrical signal. Then, the imaging unit 211 generates an image through a process of converting the photoelectrically converted electrical signal into a predetermined digital signal. The pan-tilt drive unit 212 is composed of a mechanical drive system and a motor as a drive source capable of performing the pan operation and the tilt operation of the imaging device 120. The lens drive unit 213 is composed of a drive system for a focus lens and a zoom lens, and can control the zoom and focus of the imaging device 120. The network I / F २१४ communicates with an external device via the network १३० in accordance with TCP / IP, HTTP, etc. The CPU (Central Processing Unit) 215 is a central processing unit that overall controls the imaging device 120. The RAM (Random Access Memory) 216 temporarily stores the computer programs executed by the CPU 215. Also, the RAM 216 provides a work area used when the CPU 215 executes processing. Also, the RAM 216 can function as, for example, a frame memory or a buffer memory. The ROM (Read Only Memory) 217 stores programs for the CPU 215 to control the imaging device 100. The HDD 218 is a storage device that records image data and the like.

[0014] It should be noted that in the original text, "२१४" and "१३०" seem to be in a non-standard character form. If they are supposed to be regular numbers or characters, they might need to be corrected before translation for a more accurate result. Here, they are directly translated as they are presented.Next, with reference to Figure 3, the input device 110 in this embodiment will be described. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the external appearance of the input device 110 in this embodiment. The input device 110 has a first stick section 301, a second stick section 302, and a button section 303 consisting of a plurality of buttons. The first stick section 301 is a stick-shaped operating section that can be tilted in a predetermined direction from a neutral position (center position), and the user can operate it by tilting the first stick section 301 from the neutral position (center position). Two types of values ​​can be obtained as control values ​​for the stick section 301: the amount of tilt in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) and the amount of tilt in the up-down direction (Y-axis direction). Furthermore, it is possible to rotate the stick of the first stick section 301, which is in the neutral position (center position), clockwise (or counterclockwise) around the stick as an axis, and the amount of this rotation can be used as a control value. The second stick section 302 is a stick-shaped operating section that can be tilted in a predetermined direction from a neutral position (center position), similar to the first stick section 301. The second stick section 302 can be operated by the user by tilting the first stick section 301 from a neutral position (center position). Two types of control values ​​can be obtained for the stick section 302: the amount of tilt in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) and the amount of tilt in the up-down direction (Y-axis direction). The second stick section 302, which is in the neutral position (center position), can be rotated clockwise (or counterclockwise) around its axis, and the amount of this rotation can be used as a control value. The button section 303 consists of multiple buttons, including a first button, a second button, a third button, and a fourth button, and the value indicating the amount of operation for each button is a two-value: a value for when the button is pressed and a value for when it is not pressed. In the example shown in Figure 3, the input device 110 has multiple sticks (first stick section 301 and second stick section 302), but it may have only one stick.

[0015] Next, referring to the functional blocks shown in FIG. 4, each function of the information processing apparatus 100, the input apparatus 110, and the imaging apparatus 120 will be described. First, the function of the information processing apparatus 100 will be described. Each function of the system control unit 401 and the storage unit 402 of the information processing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 4 is realized, for example, by the CPU 203 executing a computer program stored in the ROM 205 of the information processing apparatus 100.

[0016] The system control unit 401 of the information processing apparatus 100 controls the entire information processing apparatus 100. Further, the system control unit 401 generates a command (control command) for controlling the pan-tilt-zoom, autofocus, etc. of the imaging apparatus 120 in accordance with an operation on the input apparatus 110, and transmits it to the imaging apparatus 120 via the network I / F 201. Further, the system control unit 401 acquires the image transmitted from the imaging apparatus 120 and the image transmitted from the network I / F 201, and displays the image on the display 207. The storage unit 402 stores information on the setting of the assignment of operations for control items described later.

[0017] Here, the input apparatus 110 has a system control unit 421 that controls the input apparatus 110. The system control unit 421 transmits a control value corresponding to an operation on the first stick unit 301, the second stick unit 302, the button unit 303, etc. to the information processing apparatus 100 via the I / F 422.

[0018] The system control unit 411 of the imaging device 120 is implemented, for example, by the CPU 215 executing a computer program stored in the ROM 217 of the imaging device 120, and controls the entire imaging device 120. The system control unit 411 analyzes control commands received from the information processing device 100 and performs processing according to the control commands. For example, when the system control unit 411 receives a control command for image quality adjustment, it controls the imaging unit 211 to adjust the image quality. Also, when the system control unit 411 receives a control command for pan-tilt control, it controls the pan-tilt drive unit 212 to control the pan and tilt of the imaging device 120. Furthermore, when the system control unit 411 receives a control command for zoom control or a control command for focus control, it controls the lens drive unit 213 to control the zoom and focus of the imaging device 120. In addition, when the system control unit 411 receives an image acquisition command, it acquires the image data generated by the imaging unit 211 and transmits the image data to the information processing device 100 via the network I / F 214.

[0019] Referring to Figure 5, the settings for assigning operations to control items in this embodiment will now be explained. The window 500 shown in Figure 5(a) is a GUI (Graphical User Interface) displayed on the display 207 by the control unit 401 of the information processing device 100. The window 500 displays the control items 501 and the input operations 502. The control items 501 represent the control content of the shooting device 120 and include the control items "Pan", "Tilt", "Zoom", "AF On / Off", "Preset 1", and "Preset 2". The "Pan" control item corresponds to the control of the pan operation of the shooting device 120 (such as controlling the speed at which the pan is changed and controlling the direction in which the pan is changed). The "Tilt" control item corresponds to the control of the tilt operation of the shooting device 120 (such as controlling the speed at which the tilt is changed and controlling the direction in which the tilt is changed). The "AF On / Off" control item corresponds to the control of whether to turn the autofocus function of the shooting device 120 on or off. The “Preset 1” control item corresponds to controlling the pan, tilt, and zoom of the camera 120 so that it reaches a pre-registered first preset position (pan, tilt, and zoom position). The “Preset 2” control item corresponds to controlling the pan, tilt, and zoom of the camera 120 so that it reaches a pre-registered second preset position (pan, tilt, and zoom position). The first and second preset positions are independent of each other, and it is possible to register different pan, tilt, and zoom position values. In the example shown in Figure 5, there is an “AF On / Off” control item for switching a predetermined function of the camera 120 on and off, but there may be other control items as well. For example, there may be a control item for switching the automatic exposure control function on and off.

[0020] In this embodiment, the control of the imaging device 120 is divided into two types: a first type of control and a second type of control. The first type of control here is multi-stage control, which is control with three or more stages (multi-stage control), and the second type of control is binary control, which is control with two stages. Figure 6(a) shows a correspondence table 600 that includes the control items 601 of the imaging device 120 and the control types 602, which are the types of control. For example, the control item "pan" corresponds to the control of panning operations, such as the control of the direction in which the pan of the imaging device 120 is changed and the control of the speed at which the pan is changed. In particular, multi-stage control is required for the control of the speed at which the pan is changed, so it becomes multi-stage control. Similarly, the control item "tilt" corresponds to the control of tilt operations, such as the control of the direction in which the tilt of the imaging device 120 is changed and the control of the speed at which the tilt is changed. In particular, multi-stage control is required for the control of the speed at which the tilt is changed, so it becomes multi-stage control. Furthermore, the control item "Zoom" corresponds to the control of zoom operations such as zooming in / out of the shooting device 120 and the control of the speed at which the zoom is changed. In particular, the control of the speed at which the zoom is changed requires multi-stage control, and therefore it is multi-stage control. On the other hand, the control item "AF On / Off" controls the on / off of the autofocus function of the shooting device 120, and since it is a binary control of on or off, it is binary control. Similarly, the control item "Preset 1" is a binary control of whether or not to move the pan-tilt-zoom of the shooting device 120 to the first preset position, and therefore it is binary control. Similarly, the control item "Preset 2" is a binary control of whether or not to move the pan-tilt-zoom of the shooting device 120 to the second preset position, and therefore it is binary control. Note that the correspondence table 600 shown in Figure 6 is stored by the storage unit 402.

[0021] Now, let's return to the explanation of Figure 5(a). In the input operation 502 column of window 500 in Figure 5(a), GUI buttons 503a to 503f are displayed. Here, GUI button 503a is a GUI associated with the "pan" control item. GUI button 503b is a GUI associated with the "tilt" control item. GUI button 503c is a GUI associated with the "zoom" control item. GUI button 503d is a GUI associated with the "AF on / off" control item. GUI button 503e is a GUI associated with the "preset 1" control item. GUI button 503f is a GUI associated with the "preset 2" control item. Let's assume that the user presses any of GUI buttons 503a to 503f. At this time, the control unit 401 identifies the options of operations that can be assigned to the control item according to the type of control item associated with the pressed GUI button, and displays one or more of the identified options of operations on window 500.

[0022] Here, we consider the case where a user clicks the GUI button 503a associated with the "pan" control item shown in Figure 5(a). In this case, as shown in Figure 5(b), the control unit 401 displays on the display 207 a selection of input operations for the input device 110 that can be assigned to the "pan" control item. At this time, the control unit 401 determines whether the control of the "pan" control item is binary control or multi-stage control. In this embodiment, the control unit 401 refers to the correspondence table 600 stored in the storage unit 402 to determine whether the control of the "pan" control item is binary control or multi-stage control. In this embodiment, the control unit 401 determines that the control of the "pan" control item is multi-stage control. Then, as shown in Figure 5(b), the control unit 401 displays on the display 207 a selection of one or more operations corresponding to multi-stage control, rather than one or more operations corresponding to binary control, as input operation options that can be assigned to the "pan" control item. In other words, the control unit 401 displays on the display 207 one or more options of operations belonging to the first group from among the multiple operations of the input device 110 as options for assignable input operations for the first type of control item (multi-stage control item). Here, "one or more operations belonging to the first group" refers to one or more operations corresponding to multi-stage control. In this embodiment, the one or more operations corresponding to multi-stage control are the operation of "stick 1 X axis", the operation of "stick 1 Y axis", the operation of "stick 1 rotation", the operation of "stick 2 X axis", the operation of "stick 2 Y axis", and the operation of "stick 2 rotation".

[0023] Here, the operation of “Stick 1 X-axis” refers to tilting the stick of the first stick unit 301 horizontally (in the X-axis direction), and since this is a multi-stage input operation depending on the degree (amount) of tilting the stick, it supports multi-stage control. Similarly, the operation of “Stick 1 Y-axis” refers to tilting the stick of the first stick unit 301 vertically (in the Y-axis direction), and since this is a multi-stage input operation depending on the degree (amount) of tilting the stick, it supports multi-stage control. Furthermore, the operation of “Stick 1 rotation” refers to rotating the stick of the first stick unit 301 clockwise (or counterclockwise) around its axis, and since this is a multi-stage input operation depending on the degree (amount) of rotation, it supports multi-stage control. Finally, the input of “Stick 2 X-axis” refers to tilting the stick of the second stick unit 302 horizontally (in the X-axis direction), and since this is a multi-stage input operation depending on the degree (amount) of tilting the stick, it supports multi-stage control. Furthermore, the operation of "Stick 2 Y-axis" refers to tilting the stick of the second stick unit 302 vertically (in the Y-axis direction), and since this is a multi-stage input operation depending on the degree of tilt (amount of tilt), it supports multi-stage control. Also, the operation of "Stick 2 rotation" refers to rotating the stick of the second stick unit 302 clockwise (or counterclockwise) around its axis, and since this is a multi-stage input operation depending on the degree of rotation (amount of rotation), it supports multi-stage control.

[0024] As described above, when the GUI button 503a associated with the control item "pan" is pressed, the control unit 401 determines that the control item "pan" is a multi-stage control. The control unit 401 then does not display the one or more input operations corresponding to binary control in the window 500, but displays the one or more input operations corresponding to multi-stage control as options in the window 500. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5(b), the control unit 401 displays "Stick 1 X-axis", "Stick 1 Y-axis", "Stick 1 Rotation", "Stick 2 X-axis", "Stick 2 Y-axis", and "Stick 2 Rotation" on the window 500 as options for one or more operations corresponding to multi-stage control. At this time, as shown in Figure 5(b), the one or more operations corresponding to binary control, "Button 1", "Button 2", "Button 3", and "Button 4", are not displayed in the window 500. Furthermore, in response to a click operation that selects one of the displayed options, the control unit 401 assigns the selected operation to the control item "Pan". In the example shown in Figure 5(b), the control unit 401 assigns the operation "Stick 1 X-axis" to the control item "Pan". In subsequent processing, the panning motion of the imaging device 120 can be controlled in response to the user's operation of tilting the stick of the first stick unit 301 horizontally (in the X-axis direction).

[0025] The operation of "Button 1" refers to the input operation of pressing the first button on the button unit 303, and since it is a binary value of whether it is pressed or not, it corresponds to binary control. The operation of "Button 2" refers to the input operation of pressing the second button on the button unit 303, which is different from the first button, and since it is a binary value of whether it is pressed or not, it corresponds to binary control. The input operation of "Button 3" refers to the input operation of pressing the third button on the button unit 303, which is different from the first and second buttons, and since it is a binary value of whether it is pressed or not, it corresponds to binary control. The input operation of "Button 4" refers to the input operation of pressing the fourth button on the button unit 303, which is different from the first to third buttons, and since it is a binary value of whether it is pressed or not, it corresponds to binary control.

[0026] Now, let's consider the case where the GUI button 503e is pressed by a click operation while the window 500 in Figure 5(a) is displayed on the display 207 by the control unit 401. At this time, the control unit 401 refers to the correspondence table 600 in Figure 6 and determines that the control item “Preset 1” associated with the GUI button 503e is binary control. Then, as shown in Figure 5(c), the control unit 401 displays on the window 500 one or more options of operations corresponding to binary control, rather than one or more options of operations corresponding to multi-stage control. In other words, the control unit 401 displays on the window 500 one or more options of operations belonging to a second group different from the first group as assignable options for the second type of control item (binary control control item). Here, “one or more operations belonging to the second group” refers to one or more operations corresponding to binary control. The window 500 shown in Figure 5(c) is displayed on the display 207 by the control unit 401. Here, as shown in Figure 5(c), the control unit 401 displays "Button 1", "Button 2", "Button 3", and "Button 4" as options for one or more operations corresponding to binary control. Furthermore, in response to a user operation selecting one of the displayed options, the control unit 401 assigns the selected operation to the control item "Preset 1". In the example in Figure 5(c), the control unit 401 assigns operation "Button 1" to the control item "Preset 1". In subsequent processing, in response to a user operation pressing the first button of the button unit 303, the pan, tilt, and zoom positions of the imaging device 120 can be controlled to the first preset position.

[0027] As described above with reference to Figures 5(b) and 5(c), the user can assign any operation to each control item in window 500. Figure 5(d) shows an example of window 500 after operations have been assigned to each control item as described above. As shown in Figure 5(d), the control item "Pan" is assigned the operation "Stick 1 X-axis", the control item "Tilt" is assigned the operation "Stick 1 Y-axis", and the control item "Zoom" is assigned the operation "Stick 1 Rotate". Similarly, the control item "AF On / Off" is assigned the operation "Button 4", the control item "Preset 1" is assigned the operation "Button 1", and "Preset 1" is assigned the operation "Button 2". The information on the settings for the operation assignments to each of these control items (assignment setting information) is stored in the storage unit 402. Here, the assignment setting information 610 in Figure 6(b) is an example of the assignment setting information stored in the storage unit 402, and the input 612 assigned to the control item 611 is recorded. In the example of assignment setting information 610 in Figure 6(b), the input assignments for each control item in Figure 5(d) are recorded.

[0028] Next, the GUI for operation testing will be described with reference to Figure 7. The window 700 shown in Figure 7(a) is a GUI for operation testing and is displayed on the display 207 by the control device 401. The control device 401 may also display the window 500 shown in Figure 5 and the window 700 shown in Figure 7 side by side.

[0029] As shown in Figure 7(a), window 700 includes an operation test GUI 701 for the first stick section 301 and the second stick section 302, and an operation test GUI 702 for the button section 303. The operation test GUI 701 includes slider bars corresponding to “Stick 1 X-axis”, “Stick 1 Y-axis”, “Stick 1 rotation”, “Stick 2 X-axis”, “Stick 2 Y-axis”, and “Stick 2 rotation”. The operation test GUI 702 also includes icons corresponding to “Button 1”, “Button 2”, “Button 3”, and “Button 4”.

[0030] Here, we assume that the user tilts the stick of the first stick unit 301 of the input device 110 horizontally (in the X-axis direction). At this time, the system control unit 421 of the input device 110 transmits a control value indicating the amount of tilt to the information processing device 100 via the I / F 422. Then, the system control unit 401 of the information processing device 100 performs the following processing according to the control value indicating the amount of horizontal tilt (in the X-axis direction) of the stick of the first stick unit 301. That is, as shown in Figure 7(b), the system control unit 401 changes the position of the slider on the slider bar corresponding to "Stick 1 X-axis" included in the operation test GUI 701 according to the control value. In the example in Figure 7(b), the stick of the first stick unit 301 was tilted to the left in the horizontal direction (in the X-axis direction), so the position of the slider on the slider bar corresponding to "Stick 1 X-axis" has moved to the left from the center position. If the stick of the first stick unit 301 is tilted to the right in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction), the position of the slider on the slider bar corresponding to "Stick 1 X-axis" will move to the right from the center position. In this case, the amount of change in the position of the slider on the slider bar will differ depending on the amount of tilt of the stick. For example, the greater the amount of tilt of the stick, the greater the change in the position of the slider on the slider bar from the center position. In this way, the position of the slider on the slider bar of "Stick 1 X-axis" is changed in conjunction with the operation of tilting the stick of the first stick unit 301 in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction). This makes it easy for the user to understand that the operation of "tilting the stick of the first stick unit 301 in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction)" corresponds to the parameter "Stick 1 X-axis" in the system.

[0031] Here, we have described an operation test when the stick of the first stick unit 301 is tilted horizontally (in the X-axis direction), but this is not the only case. When other operations are performed on the first stick unit 301 or the second stick unit 302, the position of the slider on the slider bar corresponding to the operation will also change. For example, when the user tilts the stick of the second stick unit 302 of the input device 110 vertically (in the Y-axis direction), the control unit 401 changes the position of the slider on the slider bar of “Stick 2 Y-axis” according to the amount of the tilt.

[0032] Here, we consider the case where the first button on the button section 303 of the input device 110 is pressed by the user. At this time, the system control unit 421 of the input device 110 transmits a control value indicating that the first button has been pressed to the information processing device 100 via the I / F 422. Then, the system control unit 401 of the information processing device 100 performs the following processing in response to the acquisition of this control value. That is, as shown in Figure 7(c), the system control unit 401 changes the display mode of the icon corresponding to “Button 1” included in the operation test GUI 702. In this way, the display mode of the “Button 1” icon is changed in conjunction with the operation of pressing the first button on the button section 303 of the input device 110. By doing this, the user can easily understand that the “operation of pressing the first button” corresponds to the parameter “Button 1” in the system.

[0033] When a user performs a predetermined operation on the input device 110, it can sometimes be difficult to determine which parameter in the system corresponds to that predetermined operation. For example, if the input device 110 has four buttons, it can be difficult for the user to determine which of the following buttons—"button 1", "button 2", "button 3", or "button 4"—a particular operation on one of these buttons corresponds to. However, as explained above, the GUI of the window 700 shown in Figure 7 changes the display of the GUI for the corresponding input (e.g., "button 1") when a certain button (e.g., the first button) on the input device 110 is pressed. As a result, the user can easily determine which parameter in the system corresponds to an operation on the input device 110. In the example in Figure 7, the user can determine that an operation on the first button of the input device 110 corresponds to "button 1". Then, the user can understand from the window 500 shown in Figure 5 that if they want to assign the first button to a control item such as "AF On / Off," "Preset 1," or "Preset 2," they should select the operation "Button 1."

[0034] Next, referring to Figure 8, the selection of enabling and disabling the control of the imaging device 120 will be explained. The GUI button 800 shown in Figure 8(a) is a GUI displayed on the display 207 by the control unit 401, and is a GUI for selecting whether to enable or disable the control of the imaging device 120. The control unit 401 can also display the GUI button 800 on the display 207 when both the window 500 shown in Figure 5 and the window 700 shown in Figure 7 are displayed on the display 207 simultaneously.

[0035] In the example shown in Figure 8(a), the control of the imaging device 120 is set to "OFF," and the control of the imaging device 120 is disabled. Here, if inputs are assigned to control items as shown in Figure 5(d), the control unit 401 will not send a control command to the imaging device 120 to control the pan operation, even if it receives, for example, the operation of "Stick 1 X-axis" from the input device 110. However, in this case, the control unit 401 changes the position of the slider corresponding to "Stick 1 X-axis," as shown in the window 700 in Figure 7(b). Thus, when the control of the imaging device 120 is disabled, the control unit 401 does not send a control command to the imaging device 120 in response to the input from the input device 110, but it changes the display mode on the window 700 in response to that input. In this way, the user does not have to inadvertently control the imaging device 120 while performing operational tests.

[0036] In Figure 8(b), the control of the imaging device 120 is set to "ON," meaning that the control of the imaging device 120 is enabled. If inputs are assigned to control items as shown in Figure 5(d), the control unit 401 sends a control command to the imaging device 120 to control the panning motion, for example, in response to an operation of "Stick 1 X-axis." Furthermore, at this time, the control unit 401 changes the position of the slider corresponding to "Stick 1 X-axis," as shown in the window 700 in Figure 7(b). Thus, when the control of the imaging device 120 is enabled, the control unit 401 sends control commands to the imaging device 120 in response to input from the input device 110. The control unit 401 then further executes a change in the display mode in the operation test on the window 700 in response to the input. If the user wishes to test the control of the imaging device 120 in conjunction with the operation test, the user may select the GUI button 800 to ON, as shown in Figure 8(b).

[0037] Next, referring to the flow shown in Figure 9, the process of assigning operations to control items by the information processing device 100 of this embodiment will be described. The process shown in Figure 9 is realized by the CPU 203 of the information processing device 100 executing a computer program stored in the ROM 205 of the information processing device 100. The process shown in Figure 9 is started when one of the GUI buttons 503a to 503f in Figure 5(a) is clicked by the user.

[0038] First, in S900, the system control unit 401 identifies the control item to which the input will be assigned. Specifically, when one of the GUI buttons 503a to 503f shown in Figure 5 is selected, the system control unit 401 identifies the control item corresponding to the selected GUI button as the control item to which the operation will be assigned. For example, if GUI button 503a is selected by a user click, the system control unit 401 identifies the control item "Pan" corresponding to GUI button 503a as the current target control item.

[0039] Next, in S901, the system control unit 401 determines whether the current target control item corresponds to multi-stage control or binary control. If it determines that it corresponds to multi-stage control (Yes in S901), it proceeds to S902; if it determines that it corresponds to binary control (No in S901), it proceeds to S903. In S901, the system control unit 401 performs the following process, for example, to determine whether the current target control item corresponds to multi-stage control or binary control. That is, the system control unit 401 refers to the correspondence table 600 held by the storage unit 402 and identifies the control type 602 corresponding to the current target control item. For example, if the current target control item is the control item "pan", the system control unit 401 refers to the correspondence table 600 and determines that the control item "pan" corresponds to multi-stage control.

[0040] In S902, the system control unit 401 displays on the display 207 one or more options for operations corresponding to multi-stage control, rather than one or more inputs corresponding to binary control, as shown in Figure 5(b). On the other hand, in S903, the system control unit 401 displays on the display 207 one or more options for operations corresponding to binary control, rather than one or more options for operations corresponding to multi-stage control, as shown in Figure 5(c).

[0041] In S904, the system control unit 401 determines whether it has received a user operation to select one of the displayed options. If it determines that the user operation has been received within a certain time (Yes in S904), it proceeds to S905, where the system control unit 401 assigns the selected operation to the current target control item. For example, if the current target control item is the control item "Pan" and the selected operation is "Stick 1 X-axis", the system control unit 401 performs the following process: It assigns the operation "Stick 1 X-axis" to the control item "Pan" and stores the information of this assignment in the assignment setting information held by the storage unit 402. If it determines in S904 that the user operation was not received within a certain time (No in S904), the process of the flow shown in Figure 9 is terminated.

[0042] As described above, the execution of the flow shown in Figure 9 makes it possible to present the user with an appropriate option for the control item to which the user currently wants to assign an operation. Specifically, for multi-stage control items, an operation suitable for multi-stage control is presented as an option, and for binary control items, an operation suitable for binary control is presented as an option. In this way, for example, it is possible to prevent the user from mistakenly selecting a binary operation such as "Button 1" for a control item that is suitable for multi-stage operation, such as the multi-stage control item "Pan" or the control item "Tilt".

[0043] In this embodiment, the input device 110 is described as being composed of a first stick section 301, a second stick section 302, a button section 303, etc., but it may be composed of other shapes of operating parts. For example, it may be composed of a wheel-shaped operating part or a knob-shaped operating part, and in that case as well, depending on the characteristics of the operating part, the user can be offered options that can be assigned to control items.

[0044] In this embodiment, only operation options corresponding to multi-stage control are available for multi-stage control items, and only operation options corresponding to binary control are available for binary control items, but this is not limited to this. For example, if the number of types of multi-stage control items is greater than the number of input options for multi-stage control, and the number of options is insufficient, then as a second-best option, binary control operations may be assigned to the multi-stage control items. In that case, the system control unit 401 may display warning information on the display 207 indicating that the assignment is inappropriate to the user.

[0045] Here, referring to the flow in Figure 10, we will explain the control performed by the information processing device 100 in response to input from the input device 110. The processing shown in Figure 9 is realized by the CPU 203 of the information processing device 100 executing a computer program stored in the ROM 205 of the information processing device 100. The processing shown in Figure 10 is initiated, for example, by user instructions or by the display of the window 700 for operation testing shown in Figure 7.

[0046] First, in S1000, the system control unit 401 determines whether to terminate the processing of the flow shown in Figure 10. For example, if the user gives an instruction to terminate the flow in Figure 10, the system control unit 401 determines to terminate the flow in Figure 10 (Yes in S1000) and terminates the flow in Figure 10. On the other hand, if there is no instruction to terminate, the system control unit 401 determines not to terminate the flow in Figure 10 (No in S1000) and proceeds to S1001. In S1001, the system control unit 401 determines whether it has acquired control values ​​corresponding to operations on the first stick unit 301, the second stick unit 302, the button unit 303, etc., from the input device 110. If it determines that control values ​​have been acquired (Yes in S1001), it proceeds to S1002. On the other hand, if it determines that control values ​​have not been acquired (No in S1001), it proceeds to S1000 and the processing of S1000 is repeated. In S1002, the system control unit 401 executes display control corresponding to the acquired control value on the operation test window 700. For example, if the acquired control value is a control value generated by the operation of "Stick 1 X-axis", the system control unit 401 changes the position of the slider on the slider bar corresponding to "Stick 1 X-axis" according to the control value, as shown in Figure 7(b). Also, for example, if the acquired control value is a control value generated by the operation of "Button 1", the system control unit 401 changes the display mode of the icon corresponding to "Button 1" according to the control value, as shown in Figure 7(c).

[0047] Next, in S1003, the system control unit 401 determines whether the control of the imaging device 120 is currently enabled. If it determines that the control of the imaging device 120 is enabled (Yes in S1003), it proceeds to S1004. On the other hand, if it determines that the control of the imaging device 120 is disabled (No in S1003), it proceeds to S1000, and the process in S1000 is repeated. In S1003, the system control unit 401 determines whether the control of the imaging device 120 is currently enabled or disabled by executing the following process. That is, the system control unit 401 identifies whether ON or OFF is selected by user operation on the GUI button 800 in Figure 8. The control unit 401 then determines that if ON is selected, the control of the imaging device 120 is enabled, and if OFF is selected, the control of the imaging device 120 is disabled.

[0048] In S1004, the system control unit 401 generates a control command corresponding to the currently acquired control value and transmits it to the imaging device 120. For example, if the currently acquired control value is a control value generated by the operation of "stick 1 X axis", the system control unit 401 refers to the assignment setting information 610 stored in the memory unit 402 and identifies the control item "pan" corresponding to "stick 1 X axis". Then, the system control unit 401 generates a control command for pan operation corresponding to the control value and transmits it to the imaging device 120. The control command for pan operation corresponding to the control value is, for example, a control command that specifies the pan change speed set according to the control value. The larger the tilt amount of the stick of the first stick unit 301 in the horizontal direction (X axis direction), the larger the value of the control value, and the larger the value of the control value, the larger the pan change speed is set to. The imaging device 120, having acquired the control command, changes the pan according to the pan change speed in the control command. As another example, if the currently acquired control value is the control value obtained by operating "button 1", the system control unit 401 refers to the assignment setting information 610 stored in the memory unit 402 and identifies the control item "preset 1" corresponding to "button 1". The system control unit 401 then generates a control command to control the pan, tilt, and zoom positions of the imaging device 120 to a pre-registered first preset position (pan, tilt, zoom position) and sends it to the imaging device 120. The imaging device 120, having received the control command, controls the pan, tilt, and zoom positions of the imaging device 120 to the first preset position (pan, tilt, zoom position).

[0049] As explained above, by executing the process shown in the flow of Figure 10, the information processing device 100 can perform display control for the operation test or control the camera 120 according to the acquired control values. Furthermore, if the control of the camera 120 is disabled, even if the information processing device 100 acquires control values ​​from the input device 110, it can perform display control for the operation test but not control the camera 120. In this way, it is possible to prevent the camera 120 from being controlled in response to the operation of the input device 110 when control of the camera 120 is not actually necessary, such as when the user performs the operation test.

[0050] (Embodiment 2) Embodiment 1 described an embodiment in which, when assigning an operation to a control item, a selection of operations suitable for the control item is presented. In this embodiment, the display control of the operation test window is performed according to the identification of the control item to which the operation is to be assigned. The processing of the information processing device 100 of this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 11 to 12. Note that in this embodiment, the implementation method with a different UI from the first embodiment will be described. Note that the following description will mainly focus on parts that differ from Embodiment 1, and the same or equivalent components and processes as in Embodiment 1 will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0051] Window 1100 in Figure 11(a) is a GUI for operation testing and is the same as window 700 shown in Figure 7(a), so its explanation is omitted. Here, with window 500 in Figure 5 displayed on the display 207, if any of the GUI buttons 503a to 503f are selected by a user click, the control unit 401 performs the following processing. That is, the control unit 401 changes the display mode on window 1100 for operation testing according to the type of control item corresponding to the selected GUI button (multi-stage control or binary control). For example, let's assume that GUI button 503a is selected. Since the control item "Pan" corresponding to GUI button 503a is multi-stage control, the control unit 401 displays highlighting 1101 for the part of window 1100 displayed on the display 207 that corresponds to multi-stage control, as shown in Figure 11(b). Let's also assume that GUI button 503a is selected. Since the control item "Pan" corresponding to GUI button 503a is a multi-stage control, the control unit 401 displays a highlight 1101 in the window 1100 displayed on the display 207 for the part corresponding to the multi-stage control, as shown in Figure 11(b). In this way, when a control item that is a multi-stage control is identified as the target of assignment, it is possible to present to the user that the operations "Stick 1 X-axis", "Stick 1 Y-axis", "Stick 1 Rotation", "Stick 2 X-axis", "Stick 2 Y-axis", and "Stick 2 Rotation", which correspond to the multi-stage control, are suitable options. Similarly, consider the case where, for example, GUI button 503e is selected. Since the control item "Preset 1" corresponding to GUI button 503e is a binary control, the control unit 401 displays a highlight 1102 in the window 1100 displayed on the display 207 for the part corresponding to the binary control, as shown in Figure 11(c). In this way, when a control item that is binary control is identified as the target of assignment, the user can be presented with the appropriate options for operating "Button 1," "Button 2," "Button 3," and "Button 4."

[0052] The information processing of the information processing device 100 in this embodiment will now be explained with reference to the flow chart in Figure 12. The processing shown in Figure 12 is realized by the CPU 203 of the information processing device 100 executing a computer program stored in the ROM 205 of the information processing device 100. The processing shown in Figure 12 is started when one of the GUI buttons 503a to 503f in Figure 5(a) is clicked by the user.

[0053] First, in S1200, the system control unit 401 identifies the control item to which the operation will be assigned. Specifically, when one of the GUI buttons 503a to 503f shown in Figure 5 is selected, the system control unit 401 identifies the control item corresponding to the selected GUI button as the control item to be assigned. For example, if GUI button 503a is selected by a user click, the system control unit 401 identifies the control item "Pan" corresponding to GUI button 503a as the current target control item.

[0054] Next, in S1201, the system control unit 401 determines whether the current target control item corresponds to multi-stage control or binary control. If it determines that it corresponds to multi-stage control (Yes in S1201), it proceeds to S1202; if it determines that it corresponds to binary control (No in S1201), it proceeds to S1203.

[0055] In S1202, the system control unit 401 highlights the portion of the window 1100 displayed on the display 207 that corresponds to multi-stage control, as shown in Figure 11(b). On the other hand, in S1203, the system control unit 401 highlights the portion of the window 1100 displayed on the display 207 that corresponds to binary control, as shown in Figure 11(c).

[0056] In S1204, the system control unit 401 determines whether it has received a user operation to select one of several options, including operations corresponding to multi-stage control and operations corresponding to binary control. If it determines that the user operation has been received within a certain time (Yes in S1204), it proceeds to S1205, where the system control unit 401 assigns the selected operation to the current target control item. For example, if the current target control item is the control item "Pan" and the selected operation is "Stick 1 X-axis", the system control unit 401 assigns the operation "Stick 1 X-axis" to the control item "Pan". If it determines in S1204 that the user operation has not been received within a certain time (No in S1204), the processing of the flow shown in Figure 12 is terminated.

[0057] As described above, the processing shown in Figure 12 allows the system to highlight suitable operation options for the control item to which the user currently wants to assign an operation. This prevents users from mistakenly selecting binary operations such as "Button 1" for control items that are suitable for multi-stage operations, such as the multi-stage control items "Pan" or "Tilt".

[0058] (Embodiment 3) In this embodiment, we will describe an embodiment that performs display control on a window for assigning operations to control items, as well as a window for operation testing, in response to the operation of control values ​​from the input device 110. In the following, we will mainly describe the parts that differ from the embodiments described above, and the same or equivalent components and processes as in the embodiments described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0059] Figure 13 shows the information that the control device 401 in this embodiment displays on the display 207, and includes window 1301, window 1302, and GUI button 1303. Here, window 1301 has the same function as window 500 described in Figures 5(a) to (d), window 1302 has the same function as window 700 described in Figures 7(a) to (c), and GUI button 1303 has the same function as GUI button 800 shown in Figures 8(a) to (b). In this embodiment, the control device 401 further performs the following processing. That is, for example, the control device 401 obtains a control value from the input device 110 indicating that the first button of the button section 303 of the input device 110 has been pressed by the user. Upon obtaining the control value, the control device 401 changes the display mode of the "button 1" icon corresponding to the first button, as shown in Figure 13. Furthermore, as shown in window 1301 in Figure 13, the control device 401 changes the display mode of the control item "Preset 1" to which the operation "Button 1" is currently assigned. Note that, as indicated by GUI button 1303, the control of the imaging device 120 is disabled at this time, and therefore the imaging device 120 is not controlled. In this way, in response to the acquisition of control values ​​by the operation of the input device 110, display control corresponding to the operation is performed in the operation test window 1302, and display control corresponding to the operation is also performed in the window 1301 for setting the assignment of operations to control items. By doing so, the control item corresponding to the operation on the input device 110 is highlighted, so that the user can easily confirm the control item corresponding to the operation.

[0060] (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by a process in which one or more processors read and execute a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments. The program may be supplied to a system or device having a processor via a network or storage medium. Furthermore, the present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments.

[0061] Furthermore, although the present invention has been described with reference to embodiments, these embodiments are merely examples of concrete implementations of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited by them. In other words, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from its technical concept or its main features. For example, combinations of each embodiment are also included in the disclosure of this specification. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 100 Information Processing Devices 110 Input Device 120 Imaging device 301 First Stick Section 302 Second Stick Section 303 Button section 401 System Control Unit

Claims

1. A display control means that displays each of several control items related to the control of a shooting device using an input device on a display means, It includes setting means for setting the assignment of operations of the input device to the plurality of control items in response to user operations, The display control means is For a first type of control item among the multiple control items, the display means displays one or more options of operations belonging to the first group from among the multiple operations of the input device as options for operations of the input device that can be assigned by user operation. An information processing device characterized in that, for a second type of control item that is different from the first type of control item among the plurality of control items, the display means displays on the display means one or more options of operations belonging to the second group, which is different from the first group, among a plurality of operations performed by the input device, as options for operations of the input device that can be assigned by user operation.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first type of control item is one of the pan, tilt, and zoom control items of the imaging device.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the second type of control item is a control item that corresponds to a control that changes the pan, tilt, and zoom of the imaging device to a first preset position of predetermined pan, tilt, and zoom values.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the second type of control item is a control item for switching a predetermined function of the imaging device on and off.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the input device is a joystick having an operating part that can be tilted in at least one of the X-axis and Y-axis directions.

6. The one or more operation options belonging to the first group are operation options for an operation unit capable of multi-stage input of three or more stages, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that one or more operation options belonging to the second group are operation options for an operation unit capable of binary input.

7. The input device has an operating section that can be tilted in a predetermined direction. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that one or more operation options belonging to the first group include options for inclining the operation unit in the predetermined direction.

8. The input device has an operating section that can be tilted horizontally or vertically. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that one or more operation options belonging to the first group include an option for inclining the operation unit in the horizontal direction and an option for inclining the operation unit in the vertical direction.

9. The input device includes at least a first button and a second button that can be pressed, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that one or more operation options belonging to the second group include the operation options for the first button and the operation options for the second button.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the display control means causes the display means to display a window for an operation test in which it executes display control corresponding to an operation on the input device.

11. A first display control step involves displaying each of several control items related to the control of a shooting device using an input device on a display means, A second display control step involves displaying on the display means one or more options belonging to the first group of operations from among the operations of the input device as options for operations of the input device that can be assigned by user operation for a first type of control item among the plurality of control items; A third display control step involves displaying on the display means one or more options of operations belonging to the second group, which is different from the first group, among a plurality of operations performed by the input device, as options for operations of the input device that can be assigned by user operation, for a second type of control item that is different from the first type of control item among the plurality of control items; An information processing method characterized by comprising a setting step of setting the assignment of operations of the input device to the plurality of control items in response to user operations.

12. A program for causing a computer to function as one of the means of an information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

Images