JP2018098531A - Controller, controlled device, and control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow for changing the values of parameters in a controlled device according to the operation thereof, without increasing the processing load of each device or the traffic between the devices significantly, even when the operation for changing the values of many parameters in a short time is performed in a controller.SOLUTION: A controller CS performing remote control of a mixer engine EN, i.r., a controlled device, is provided with an UDP transmission unit 126 for transmitting the values of multiple parameters for use in the mixer engine EN, collectively and periodically, to the mixer engine 125 by a specific communication protocol with no delivery guarantee. The mixer engine EN is provided a parameter control unit 221 for controlling the values of parameters, received this time, to be overwritten on the parameter memory 221 and stored, when the values of parameters received from the controller CS this time, are different from the corresponding values of parameters received from the same controller CS previous time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a control device that controls a controlled device, a controlled device that is controlled by such a control device, and a control system that includes the control device and the controlled device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a control system in which a sound signal processing device such as a mixer engine can be controlled by an external remote control device. In such a control system, a user can operate a control device to manipulate values of parameters used by the controlled device for signal processing.

  In this case, the control device may inform the controlled device of the operation performed by the user. However, the parameter values used by the controlled device are also stored on the control device side so that the parameter values after the change according to the operation can be quickly displayed on the control device side. The contents of the operation are temporarily reflected in the parameter values stored on the control device side, and then the changed content is notified to the controlled device.

  As a technique related to such a control system, for example, techniques described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 are known.

JP 2013-110537 A JP 2012-74903 A JP 2012-74904 A

  By the way, in the technique described in each of the above patent documents, when the control device detects a change operation of the parameter value by the user, the control device immediately instructs the controlled device to change the parameter value according to the operation (Patent Document 1). FIG. 9, see Patent Document 2 and FIG. 7 of Patent Document 3).

  However, with this method, when a large number of parameter values are changed in a short time, it is necessary to transmit a large number of change commands from the control device to the controlled device in a short time. For this reason, the processing load temporarily increases and the amount of communication increases. For this reason, if the processing load of the CPU in any of the devices is high for some reason or the network is congested, there is a possibility that the increased communication cannot be processed in real time. In that case, if a protocol such as TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) with arrival guarantee is used in order to improve reliability, the packet of the change command that has been lost without being processed will be lost over time. The parameter value may be confused when it reaches the controlled device.

  The present invention solves such a problem, and does not significantly increase the processing load of each device and the communication amount between devices even when an operation of changing a large number of parameter values in a short time is performed in the control device. An object of the present invention is to make it possible to change the value of a parameter in a controlled device in accordance with the operation.

  In order to achieve the above object, a control device of the present invention is a control device for remotely controlling a controlled device, a storage unit for storing values of a plurality of parameters for use by the controlled device, and a user In accordance with the operation received from the editing unit that changes the values of the plurality of parameters stored in the storage unit, and the values of the plurality of parameters stored in the storage unit are collectively and periodically, And a transmission unit for transmitting to the controlled device using a specific communication protocol without arrival guarantee.

  In such a control device, a receiving unit that receives the values of the plurality of parameters that are collectively transmitted from the controlled device using the specific communication protocol, and a response that the receiving unit receives the parameter values. If the value of the parameter received by the receiving unit at that time is different from the value of the corresponding parameter previously received by the receiving unit, the parameter value received at that time is overwritten and stored in the storage unit. A reflection unit may be provided.

  The controlled device according to the present invention is a controlled device that is remotely controlled by the control device, and stores a plurality of parameter values to be reflected in the operation of the controlled device, and arrives from the control device. A receiving unit that receives the values of the plurality of parameters transmitted in a batch with a specific communication protocol without guarantee, and the receiving unit receives the parameter values when the receiving unit receives the parameter values. When the parameter value and the corresponding parameter value previously received by the receiving unit from the same control device are different, a reflecting unit is provided for overwriting and storing the parameter value received at that time in the storage unit. Is.

  In such a controlled device, it is preferable to provide a transmission unit that periodically and collectively transmits the values of the plurality of parameters stored in the storage unit to the control device using the specific communication protocol.

  Furthermore, an editing unit may be provided that changes the values of the plurality of parameters stored in the storage unit in accordance with an operation received from the user.

  Furthermore, it is preferable that the transmission unit is remotely controlled by a plurality of control devices, and the transmission unit transmits the values of the plurality of parameters stored in the storage unit to the plurality of control devices by multicast.

A control system according to the present invention is a control system including any one of the above control devices and any one of the controlled devices that are remotely controlled by the control device.
The present invention can be implemented as an apparatus or system as described above, and can be implemented in any manner such as a method, a program, and a recording medium.

  According to the configuration of the present invention as described above, even when an operation for changing a large number of parameter values in a short time is performed in the control device, the processing load of each device and the communication amount between the devices are not significantly increased. The value of the parameter in the controlled device can be changed according to the operation.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of the remote control system which is one Embodiment of the control system of this invention. It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of the controller shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions of the mixer engine shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the operation panel with which the controller shown in FIG. 1 is provided. It is a figure which shows the function structure of each apparatus which comprises the control system shown in FIG. 1 focusing on the function relevant to control of a parameter value. It is a figure which shows the example of the data memorize | stored in the parameter memory with which each apparatus which comprises the control system shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of the data memorize | stored in the transmission buffer and reception buffer of each apparatus which comprise the control system shown in FIG. It is a flowchart of the process at the time of detecting the change operation of a parameter value performed by the controller side. It is a flowchart of the regular transmission process performed on the controller side. It is a flowchart of the process according to reception of a UDP packet performed by the mixer engine side. It is a flowchart of the process at the time of detecting the change operation of a parameter value performed by the mixer engine side. It is a flowchart of the regular transmission process performed by the mixer engine side. It is a flowchart of the process according to reception of a UDP packet performed on the controller side. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement sequence of each apparatus at the time of parameter value change operation with respect to the controller CS1 in the control system shown in FIG. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an operation sequence continued from FIG. 14. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement sequence of each apparatus when the change operation of the parameter value with respect to the controller CS1 and the controller CS2 in order in the control system shown in FIG. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an operation sequence continued from FIG. 16. It is a flowchart of a parameter reflection prohibition process executed on the controller side and the mixer engine side. It is a flowchart of a parameter reflection prohibition release process executed on the controller side and the mixer engine side. It is a flowchart of the process according to the scene recall operation performed on the controller side and the mixer engine side. It is a flowchart of the process according to reception of a UDP packet performed by the controller side in a modification. It is a figure showing an example of composition of a control system provided with a plurality of controlled devices.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.
[Embodiment: FIGS. 1 to 20]
First, FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a remote control system which is an embodiment of the control system of the present invention.
A remote control system Sys shown in FIG. 1 is configured to connect controllers CS1 and CS2 that are embodiments of a control device of the present invention and a mixer engine EN that is an embodiment of a controlled device of the present invention via a network N. Connected and configured.

  Among these, the mixer engine EN is a sound signal processing device that processes an input sound signal through a plurality of signal processing channels (ch) and outputs the processed sound signal. The user can control the sound signal processing operation performed by the mixer engine EN by operating one of the controllers CS1 and CS2. Control of this operation includes editing the values of parameters used by the mixer engine EN for sound signal processing.

  Further, the controller CS1 and the controller CS2 have equivalent functions, and the user can edit the parameter values used by the mixer engine EN by operating any of them. Further, the current value of the parameter in the mixer engine EN is displayed on both the controllers CS1 and CS2. For this reason, the current values of the parameters in the mixer engine EN are shared by all the devices of the controllers CS1 and CS2 and the mixer engine EN, although there is a slight time difference.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mixer engine EN is also provided with an operator for accepting an operation by the user, and can edit a parameter value used by itself for sound signal processing in accordance with the operation from the user. Of course, the result of this editing is also shared by all the devices of the controllers CS1 and CS2 and the mixer engine EN.
As the network N, UDP (User Datagram Protocol) and TCP (Transmission), which will be described later, are used.
As long as communication between apparatuses using the Control Protocol is possible, a communication path of any standard can be adopted regardless of wired wireless communication.

Next, FIG. 2 shows a hardware configuration of the controller shown in FIG. In the following figures, when it is not necessary to distinguish between individual controllers, the symbol “CS” that does not include numbers is used.
As shown in FIG. 2, the controller CS includes a CPU 101, a flash memory 102, a RAM 103, a display device 104, an operation element 105, and a communication I / F 106, which are connected by a system bus 107.

Then, the CPU 101 executes a required program stored in the flash memory 102 to control the operation of the entire controller CS, and various functions including a function to be described later for controlling the mixer engine EN. Realize.
The flash memory 102 is a storage unit that stores data that should be retained even when the controller CS is turned off, such as a program executed by the CPU 101.
The RAM 103 is a storage unit that stores data used by the CPU 101 as a work area or temporarily used.

The display device 104 is a display means for displaying the operating state of the controller CS, the value of a parameter edited by the controller CS, and the like. For example, it can be constituted by a liquid crystal display or a lamp.
The operation element 105 is an operation means for accepting an operation from the user. For example, a button, a rotary encoder, a slider, or the like can be used, or a touch panel integrated with the display unit 104 can be used. The display 104 and the operator 105 may be externally attached.
The communication I / F 106 is an interface for connecting the controller CS to the network N.

  Here, it is assumed that the controller CS described above is an apparatus specialized for controlling the mixer engine EN, which includes an operation panel 300, which will be described later with reference to FIG. However, it is also conceivable that a general-purpose PC (personal computer) is used as hardware and a necessary operation is received by a GUI displayed on a display.

Next, FIG. 3 shows a hardware configuration of the mixer engine shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the mixer engine EN includes a CPU 201, a flash memory 202, a RAM 203, a communication I / F 204, a display unit 205, an operator 206, a signal processing unit (DSP) 207, and a sound signal input / output unit 208. These are connected by a system bus 209.

The CPU 201 executes a required program stored in the flash memory 202 to control the overall operation of the mixer engine EN and implement various functions including a function for receiving control by the controller CS. To do.
The flash memory 202, the RAM 203, the communication I / F 204, the display 205, and the operation element 206 have the same concept as that on the controller CS side.

The DSP 207 has a function of processing a sound signal supplied from the sound signal input / output unit 208 according to a predetermined parameter value and supplying the processed sound signal to the sound signal input / output unit 208.
The sound signal input / output unit 208 is an interface for inputting a sound signal from the outside of the mixer engine EN and outputting the sound signal to the outside of the mixer engine EN.

  Here, it is assumed that the mixer engine EN described above is an apparatus including the operation panel 300 similar to that on the controller CS side as a part of the display 205 and the operation element 206. However, if it is sufficient to edit the value of the parameter used for signal processing only from the controller CS, the display 205 and the operator 206 provided in the mixer engine EN are, for example, a simple display composed of a small display and a small number of buttons. It may be a thing.

Next, FIG. 4 shows a schematic configuration of an operation panel provided in the controller CS.
The operation panel 300 shown in FIG. 4 includes a ch (channel) strip unit 301, a display 330, a rotary encoder 340, and a switch group 350.
Among these, the ch strip unit 301 allocates 16 signal strips (310-1 to 310-310-) that are used for assigning signal processing channels included in the mixer engine EN to be controlled and operating parameter values of the signal processing channels. 16 and thereafter, when it is not necessary to distinguish between individuals, the code "310" is used).
Each channel strip 310 includes a fader 315 by a slider operator in addition to a rotary encoder and buttons.

  The display 330 is used to display the value of the parameter being operated. In addition, a touch panel is stacked on the display 330 and can be used as an operator for receiving an operation on a GUI displayed on the screen. The rotary encoder 340 is used to manipulate the value of the assigned specific parameter. The switch group 350 includes a number of switches that are used to manipulate values of specific parameters that are fixedly or dynamically assigned.

  The CPU 101 of the controller CS monitors the operations on each of these operators, and performs operations (such as pressing a button, rotating a rotary encoder, moving a fader knob, etc.) to instruct a change in the value of a parameter used by the mixer engine EN. When detected, a process for changing the value of the parameter is executed according to the operation (change instruction indicated) by the process of FIG.

  By the way, among the above operators, the fader 315 is used as an operator for operating a parameter of continuous values such as a level. For example, every time it is detected that the knob 315a has been moved by a predetermined amount, the CPU 101 determines that an operation to instruct the fader 315 to change the parameter value has been performed. Therefore, when the knob 315a is moved greatly, the CPU 101 needs to handle a large number of change instructions in a short time. Also, one of the reasons why a large number of faders 315 are arranged side by side is to allow the user to operate a large number of faders simultaneously using the fingers of both hands, and such an operation is naturally assumed. When such an operation is performed, the CPU 101 needs to handle a larger number of change instructions in a shorter time than when only one fader 315 is operated.

  One of the features of this embodiment is that even when a large number of change instructions are given in such a short time in the controller CS, the change is made without significantly increasing the processing load of each device and the communication amount between devices. This is because the instruction is reflected in the value of the parameter used by the mixer engine EN.

Hereinafter, functions and operations of each device related to this feature will be described.
First, FIG. 5 shows a configuration of functions provided in the controllers CS1 and CS2 and the mixer engine EN shown in FIG. 1, focusing on functions related to editing of parameter values. The functions of the units shown in FIG. 5 are realized by the CPU of each device controlling required hardware such as those shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. However, realization with dedicated hardware is not prevented.

As shown in FIG. 5, the controller CS includes a parameter control unit 121, a parameter memory 122, an operation reception unit 123, a scene library 124, a transmission buffer 125, a UDP transmission unit 126, a UDP reception unit 127, a reception buffer 128, and a previous data storage. Unit 129 and TCP transmission / reception unit 130.
In FIG. 5, the controller CS1 and the controller CS2 have equivalent functions, the function on the controller CS1 side is given the subscript “−1”, and the function on the controller CS2 side is the subscript “−2”. " However, if it is not necessary to specify which controller has a function, the description will be made using a reference character without a subscript.

  Among the above, the parameter control unit 121 shares an appropriate value edited according to the user's operation as the value of each parameter used by the mixer engine EN which is the controlled device, to each device in the remote control system Sys. Therefore, a function for executing various processes described with reference to the flowcharts in FIG.

The functions of the parameter control unit 121 are roughly the following (A) to (C).
(A) Function for changing the parameter value stored in the parameter memory 122 of the controller CS according to the user operation received by the controller CS itself (B) The change made in the above (A) is sent to the mixer engine EN Function for reflecting (C) Function for reflecting in parameter memory 122 of controller CS changes in parameter values made according to operations accepted by other devices

  The parameter memory 122 has a function of storing a set of parameter values that can be operated from the controller CS and used by the mixer engine EN to be controlled. This function may be realized using the RAM 103. The parameter memory 122 and the transmission buffer 125 correspond to a storage unit. The parameter values are handled as a set of parameter factors as will be described later, and this point will be described with reference to FIGS.

The operation accepting unit 123 has a function of accepting a user's operation using the operator shown in FIG. When the parameter control unit 121 detects that the operation received by the operation receiving unit 123 is an operation for instructing the change of the parameter value, the parameter memory 122 according to the detected operation is performed by the function (A). Change the value of the parameter stored in.
Thus, the reason why the detected operation content is first reflected in the parameter memory 122 is to reflect the change in the parameter value according to the operation performed on the controller CS side in the display on the controller CS with good response.

  Next, the scene library 124 has a function of storing a plurality of parameter value patterns (only parameters to be stored in the parameter memory 122) used by the mixer engine EN. Each pattern is called a “scene”. The scene library 124 may be realized using the flash memory 102. This scene library 124 corresponds to the pattern storage unit. The user can select any one of the scenes and call it to the parameter memory 122 using the operator shown in FIG. This calling function is a part of the function (A).

  The transmission buffer 125 has a function of storing parameter values to be transmitted to the mixer engine EN using UDP among the parameter values stored in the parameter memory 122. When the parameter value to be stored in the transmission buffer 125 among the parameter values stored in the parameter memory 122 is changed, the parameter control unit 121 immediately changes the parameter value to the transmission buffer 125 by the function (B). To reflect.

  The UDP transmission unit 126 has a function of periodically transmitting parameter values (and factors) stored in the transmission buffer 125 to the mixer engine EN collectively using UDP. If at least all the parameter values to be transmitted are included in one UDP packet and transmitted, it means that they are transmitted "in batch". However, when it does not fit in one UDP packet, it is not hindered to divide it into a plurality of UDP packets for transmission. Even in this case, if the parameter values are reflected in the parameter memory 222 after confirming that all the packets are prepared on the mixer engine EN side, for example, by assigning serial numbers to the packets, the data is transmitted “in a lump”. Can be considered.

  The UDP receiving unit 127 has a function of receiving a UDP packet transmitted from the mixer engine EN and storing the parameter value included therein in the reception buffer 128. This UDP packet is assumed to include parameter values of the same items as those stored in the transmission buffer 125.

  The reception buffer 128 has a function of temporarily storing the parameter value received by the UDP reception unit 127. The previous data storage unit 129 has a function of storing the previously received parameter value for comparison with the parameter value newly received and stored in the reception buffer 128. The functions of the reception buffer 128 and the previous data storage unit 129 may be realized using the RAM 103.

  When a new parameter value is stored in the reception buffer 128, the parameter control unit 121 compares this with the parameter value stored in the previous data storage unit 129 by the function (C) described above. Based on this, necessary parameter values are reflected in the parameter memory 122. Details of the process, such as the determination criteria, will be described later. In any case, after this reflection, the parameter control unit 121 moves the parameter value stored in the reception buffer 128 to the previous data storage unit 129.

The TCP transmission / reception unit 130 has a function of performing transmission / reception of data using the TCP with the mixer engine EN. For example, when the parameter value to be transmitted to the mixer engine EN using TCP is changed among the parameter values stored in the parameter memory 122, the parameter control unit 121 uses the function (B) to A change notification indicating this is transmitted from the TCP transmitting / receiving unit 130 to the mixer engine EN. Conversely, when the TCP transmission / reception unit 130 receives a change notification from the mixer engine EN, the TCP transmission / reception unit 130 passes the change notification to the parameter control unit 121, and the parameter control unit 121 uses the function (C) above to set the parameter memory 122. The stored parameter value is changed according to the change notification.
The above is the function on the controller CS side.

  On the other hand, the mixer engine EN includes a parameter control unit 221, a parameter memory 222, an operation reception unit 223, a scene library 224, a UDP reception unit 225, a reception buffer 226, a previous data storage unit 227, a transmission buffer 228, a UDP transmission unit 229, and A TCP transmission / reception unit 230 is provided.

  In FIG. 5, among the above, the UDP reception unit 225, the reception buffer 226, the previous data storage unit 227, and the TCP transmission / reception unit 230 show functional blocks corresponding to each controller CS that controls the mixer engine EN. . The functional block corresponding to the controller CS1 is indicated by adding a subscript “−1” to the above-mentioned symbol, and the functional block corresponding to the controller CS2 is indicated by adding the subscript “−2”. However, if it is not necessary to specify which controller corresponds to which functional block, a description will be given using reference numerals without subscripts.

  Among the above, the parameter control unit 221 is configured so that each device in the remote control system Sys appropriately shares a value edited according to a user operation as a value of each parameter used by the mixer engine EN. A function corresponding to the parameter control unit 121 on the controller CS side is provided.

The functions of the parameter control unit 221 are roughly the following (D) to (F).
(D) Function for changing the parameter value stored in the parameter memory 222 of the mixer engine EN according to the user's operation accepted by the mixer engine EN itself. (E) The parameter value made according to the operation accepted by another device. (F) Function for reflecting the changes made in the above (D) and (E) to each controller CS

  The parameter memory 222 has a function of storing a set of parameter values used by the mixer engine EN. Here, values are stored for parameters of the same items as the parameter memory 122 of the controller CS, but there may be parameters that are not stored on the controller CS side. The function of the parameter memory 222 may be realized using the RAM 103. The parameter memory 222 and the transmission buffer 228 correspond to a storage unit. In addition, the parameter value is handled as a set with a factor as in the controller CS side.

  The function of the operation accepting unit 223 is the same as that of the operation accepting unit 123 except that the operator to be used is on the mixer engine EN side. Then, when the parameter control unit 221 detects that the operation received by the operation receiving unit 223 is an operation for instructing a change of the parameter value, the parameter memory 222 according to the detected operation is performed by the function (D). Change the parameter value stored in.

  Next, the scene library 224 has a function of storing a plurality of parameter value patterns to be stored in the parameter memory 222 as “scenes”. The point that the contents of the “scene” can be called to the parameter memory 222 according to the user's operation is the same as the function on the controller CS side.

  The UDP receiving unit 225 has a function of receiving a UDP packet transmitted from the corresponding controller CS and storing the parameter value included therein in the corresponding reception buffer 226. This UDP packet is assumed to include parameter values of the same items as those stored in the transmission buffer 228. Even when a plurality of UDP receivers 225 are provided corresponding to a plurality of controllers CS, it is not necessary to separately prepare hardware for them. However, the following reception buffer 226 and previous data storage unit 227 are provided so that data corresponding to each controller CS can be stored separately.

  The reception buffer 226 has a function of temporarily storing the parameter value received as described above. The previous data storage unit 227 has a function of storing the parameter value received last time in order to compare with the parameter value newly received and stored in the corresponding reception buffer 226. The functions of the reception buffer 226 and the previous data storage unit 227 may be realized using the RAM 103.

  When a new parameter value is stored in the reception buffer 226, the parameter control unit 221 compares it with the parameter value stored in the corresponding previous data storage unit 227 by the function (E). Based on the result, necessary parameter values are reflected in the parameter memory 222. Details of the process, such as the determination criteria, will be described later. In any case, after this reflection, the parameter control unit 221 moves the parameter value stored in the reception buffer 226 to the previous data storage unit 227.

  The transmission buffer 228 has a function of storing parameter values to be transmitted to the controller CS using UDP among the parameter values stored in the parameter memory 222. When the parameter value to be stored in the transmission buffer 228 among the parameter values stored in the parameter memory 222 is changed, the parameter control unit 221 immediately changes the parameter value to the transmission buffer 228 by the function (F). To reflect.

  The UDP transmission unit 229 has a function of periodically transmitting parameter values (and factors) stored in the transmission buffer 228 to the controller CS using UDP. The meaning of “collectively” is the same as that described for the UDP transmission unit 126. When there are a plurality of controllers CS that control the mixer engine EN, the UDP transmission unit 229 transmits a UDP packet to all the controllers CS by multicast. Therefore, unlike the reception buffer 226, the UDP transmission unit 229 and the transmission buffer 228 do not need to be provided for each controller CS. However, it is not essential to use multicast. A separate transmission buffer is prepared for each controller CS, and it is not hindered to transmit packets individually.

The TCP transmission / reception unit 230 has a function of performing transmission / reception of data using TCP with the corresponding controller CS. Further, even when a plurality of TCP transmission / reception units 230 are provided corresponding to a plurality of controllers CS, it is not necessary to separately prepare hardware for them. The function regarding the transmission / reception of the change notification using the TCP transmission / reception unit 230 and the reflection to the parameter memory 222 is the same as the function on the controller CS side.
The above is the function on the mixer engine EN side.

Next, parameter data handled by the controller CS and the mixer engine EN will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 6 shows an example of data stored in the parameter memories 122 and 222 of each device.
As shown in FIG. 6, the parameter memories 122 and 222 store “item”, “transfer method”, “value”, and “factor” data for each parameter used by the mixer engine EN for signal processing. Yes.

  Among these, “item” is an identifier of a parameter and indicates what the corresponding parameter is a parameter. For example, in the example of FIG. 6, “CHIN” indicates an input channel, “CHOUT” indicates an output channel, and the number immediately after that indicates a channel number. In addition, the character string after the underbar indicates which signal processing element in the channel is the parameter. “PAN” indicates a parameter related to pan (sound image localization), “FADER” indicates a fader (level adjustment), and “ON” indicates a parameter relating to on (on / off switching).

  The “transfer method” indicates which communication protocol is used to transmit the value of the corresponding parameter to another device. In this example, the value of “transfer method” is either “TCP” or “UDP”. The data of the “transfer method” does not necessarily need to be included in the same table as the “value” below as long as the correspondence relationship with the “item” of the parameter is known, and is stored in a place other than the parameter memories 122 and 222. May be. “Value” indicates the value of the corresponding parameter. In the figure, a character string such as “VAL (xxx)” is shown, but these indicate specific values.

“Factor” is information indicating a device in which the operation of changing the value of the corresponding parameter was last performed. In this embodiment, since the “factor” value is used only when the parameter value is transferred using UDP, the “factor” is stored only for the parameter whose “transfer method” is “UDP”. In this embodiment, since the controller CS1 and CS2 and the mixer engine EN can change the parameter value, the value of “factor” becomes identification information of one of these three devices. . In this embodiment, it is assumed that the identification information of each device is a code of the device (“CS1” if the controller CS1).
Of the above, the “value” and “factor” data may vary between devices in the short term. In addition, one of the characteristic points of this embodiment is that the “factor” data is prepared for each parameter item.

FIG. 7 shows an example of data stored in the transmission buffers 125 and 228 and the reception buffers 128 and 226 of each device.
This data is obtained by extracting “item”, “value”, and “factor” data from the data in FIG. 6 stored in the parameter memories 122 and 222 for the parameter whose “transfer method” is “UDP”. is there.

  The data stored in the transmission buffers 125 and 228 is synchronized with the data in the parameter memories 122 and 222 in the same apparatus, except when a special value described later is set as the “factor”. However, the data to be stored in the reception buffers 128 and 226 is data transmitted from the communication partner, and is assumed to be data related to the parameters of the “item” that is the same as the data stored in the transmission buffers 125 and 228. The “value” and “factor” data may be different from those stored in the transmission buffers 125 and 228.

  In the remote control system Sys described above, each device is not notified of the contents of a plurality of predetermined parameters every time a change instruction is detected, but at a regular transmission timing, A function is provided in which the latest values reflecting the change instruction up to that point are collectively notified to other devices using a communication protocol without guarantee of arrival (in this case, UDP).

As a result, it is possible to notify the partner device of the latest parameter value by always sending a constant amount of data regardless of the amount of change instruction, so even if a large number of change instructions are concentrated, the communication load Will not increase. Although some internal processing load is generated according to the change instruction, the amount of increase in load is not significant compared to the case of communicating with an external device for each change instruction.
Therefore, by applying such periodic batch transmission to parameters such as faders that need to handle a large number of change instructions in a short time, the processing load of each device and between devices Thus, each device can share the changed value according to the latest change instruction without significantly increasing the communication amount.

  However, periodic transmission is continued even though there is no change instruction and there is no particular information to be transmitted to the counterpart device. In this case, the amount of communication is smaller when transmission is performed for each change instruction. However, since each parameter value has a small amount of data, the amount of communication is not a problem even if the constant transmission is continued as long as the transmission is continuously performed for a plurality of parameters. However, instead of performing batch periodic transmission as described above for all parameters, batch periodic transmission should be performed only for parameters that are expected to require handling a large number of change instructions in a short time. Thus, the amount of communication that occurs even when there is no change instruction can be reduced, which is more preferable.

Also, if a communication protocol without guarantee of arrival is used, there is a possibility that some data may not reach the destination device. Before that, the data after the missing part reaches the partner device. In the operation of the parameter value, it is important that the latest value is shared by each device, so there is no big problem even if the intermediate value is lost.
On the other hand, if a lost packet is retransmitted using a communication protocol with guaranteed arrival, the old value may reach the destination device later. For this reason, in the receiving apparatus, it is necessary to check whether or not the received value is the latest value and reflect it in the parameter memory, which complicates the processing. Such an adverse effect can be prevented by using a communication protocol without guarantee of arrival.

  In the configuration of FIG. 5, for example, when the controller CS1 changes the value of the fader parameter that is the target of periodic transmission described above according to the operation accepted by itself, the controller CS1 sets the changed value (referred to as “A”) to the mixer. The information is transmitted to the engine EN, and the mixer engine EN reflects this value A in its own parameter memory 222. Since this change is also reflected in the transmission buffer 228, the value A is notified to the controller CS1 by periodic transmission from the mixer engine EN.

Here, it is assumed that the fader parameter value is changed continuously in the controller CS1, and the fader parameter value has been changed to “B” before the notification from the mixer engine EN. To do. Then, when viewed from the controller CS1, a value A different from the current value for the fader parameter is notified from the mixer engine EN. From the value alone, it is difficult to determine which of A and B is the latest value. This is because the parameter value transmitted from the mixer engine EN may be a “latest” value set in accordance with an operation received by the mixer engine EN or another controller CS2. However, if the controller CS1 reflects the value A in the parameter memory 122-1, it would actually be restored to the old value before being changed to the value B, which is not desirable.
In the remote control system Sys, in order to cope with such a problem, each device can appropriately determine whether or not the parameter value periodically transmitted from the other device should be reflected in its own parameter memory. Yes. For this purpose, the above-described “factor” information is used.

  Hereinafter, the processing corresponding to the function of each unit shown in FIG. 5 executed by the CPU of the controller CS and the mixer engine EN, including the processing related to the use of the “factor”, will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. I will explain. In the following description, in order to make the description easy to understand, it is assumed that the processing shown in each flowchart is executed by the controller CS or the mixer engine EN.

First, FIG. 8 shows processing when a change operation of a parameter value executed on the controller CS side is detected.
When the controller CS detects that an operation for editing the value of the parameter (here, parameter Pa) is performed on the operator provided in the controller CS, the controller CS starts the process shown in the flowchart of FIG.

In this process, the controller CS changes the value of the parameter Pa stored in the parameter memory 122 in accordance with the detected operation (S11). Next, the controller CS determines whether or not to transfer the value of the parameter Pa using UDP in accordance with the “transfer method” data in the parameter memory 122 (S12).
If Yes, the controller CS registers the identifier of the controller CS itself in the parameter memory 122 as a parameter Pa factor (S13), and overwrites the transmission buffer 125 with the changed parameter Pa value and factor. (S14), and the process ends. The overwritten values and factors are transmitted to the mixer engine EN during regular transmission.

On the other hand, if No in step S12, the changed parameter Pa value is transmitted to the mixer engine EN to be controlled using TCP (S15), and the process ends. When TCP is used, transmission is performed when the parameter value is changed. In this embodiment, since no factor is used, the recording and transmission thereof are unnecessary. However, similarly to the case of parameters transmitted using UDP, control using factors may be performed.
The above processing corresponds to the function of the parameter control unit 121, and the CPU 101 of the controller CS functions as an editing unit in steps S11 and S13.

Next, FIG. 9 shows a periodic process executed on the controller CS side.
This process is a process related to the periodic transmission of parameter values and factors by UDP. When the controller CS detects that the regular transmission timing has come, the controller CS transmits the data in the transmission buffer 125 to the controlled mixer engine EN collectively using UDP by the process of FIG. 9 (S21). .
This process is a process corresponding to the function of the UDP transmission unit 126, and in step S21, the CPU 101 of the controller CS functions as a transmission unit.

Next, FIG. 10 shows processing according to reception of the UDP packet, which is executed on the mixer engine EN side.
When the mixer engine EN receives a UDP packet from one of the controllers (here, the controller CSx), the mixer engine EN starts the process shown in the flowchart of FIG.
In this process, the mixer engine EN records the values and factors of the parameters included in the received packet in the CSx reception buffer 226-x (S31). Then, the processing in steps S32 to S35 is repeated with all parameters in the reception buffer 226-x being sequentially processed. Here, the parameter to be processed is Px.

In this repeated portion, the mixer engine EN first determines whether or not the factor of the parameter Px is a specific value indicating that the reflection of the parameter value is prohibited (S32). This specific value will be described later. If Yes in step S32, the parameter Px value is not reflected in the parameter memory 222, and thus the process related to the parameter Px is terminated.
If No in step S32, the mixer engine EN (L1) has the value of the parameter Px in the reception buffer 226-x equal to the value of the same parameter Px in the previous data storage unit 227-x for the controller CSx of the packet transmission source. And (L2) whether the factor of the parameter Px in the reception buffer 226-x is the identifier of the controller CSx is determined (S33).

  The condition (L1) indicates that the parameter value received this time is different from the corresponding parameter value received last time from the same controller, and the condition (L2) is the identifier of the transmission source controller. It shows that there is. When both of these are satisfied, it is considered that the value of the parameter Px received this time is a value changed according to the operation performed on the transmission source controller CSx. Therefore, in this case, the mixer engine EN overwrites the data of the parameter Px in the parameter memory 222 with the value and factor of the parameter Px in the reception buffer 226-x (S34). Further, the same value and factor are also overwritten on the data of the parameter Px in the transmission buffer 228 (S35), and the processing relating to the parameter Px is ended. The value overwritten in step S35 is transmitted to each controller CS during regular transmission.

  If NO in step S33, the mixer engine EN ends the process related to the parameter Px without overwriting the parameter memory 222 and the transmission buffer 228. If (L1) is not satisfied, it is considered that there is no change in the parameter value in the controller CSx and no reflection is necessary (in this state, the parameter value in the reception buffer 226-x and the parameter memory 222 If the parameter value is different, the latter is considered a newer value). If (L2) is not satisfied, it can be seen that the parameter value notified this time is in accordance with the change operation received by a device other than the controller CSx, and the parameter value is stored in the parameter memory according to the notification from the received device. This is because it is reflected in 222 (in many cases, it is already reflected). Since the mixer engine EN is a control target, notifications of parameter values from each controller CS are collected. However, by reflecting only the notifications from the controller that has actually accepted the change operation in the parameter memory 222, the most recent information is obtained. Changes can be selected and reflected.

When the mixer engine EN completes the processing of steps S32 to S35 for all the processing targets, it moves the values and factors of the parameters in the CSx reception buffer 226-x to the previous data storage unit 227-x for CSx. (S36), and the process ends.
The above processing corresponds to the function of the parameter control unit 221. In steps S33 and S34, the CPU 201 of the mixer engine EN functions as a reflection unit.

FIG. 11 shows processing when a change operation of a parameter value executed on the mixer engine EN side is detected.
This process is the same as the process on the controller CS side described with reference to FIG. 8 except that the transmission destination in step S15 ′ is each controller that controls the mixer engine EN itself.
The processing in FIG. 11 described above corresponds to the function of the parameter control unit 221. In steps S11 and S13, the CPU 201 of the mixer engine EN functions as an editing unit.

The next processing of FIG. 12 is processing related to periodic transmission of parameter values and factors by UDP, which is executed on the mixer engine EN side. This process is also the same as the process on the controller CS side described in FIG. 9 except that the transmission is performed by multicast transmission to all the controllers CS that control the mixer engine EN.
This process is a process corresponding to the function of the UDP transmission unit 229. In step S41, the CPU 201 of the mixer engine EN functions as the transmission unit.

Next, FIG. 13 shows processing according to reception of a UDP packet, which is executed on the controller CS side.
When the controller CS receives the UDP packet from the mixer engine EN, the controller CS starts the process shown in the flowchart of FIG.
In this process, the controller CS records each parameter value and factor included in the received packet in the reception buffer 128 (S51). Then, the processes in steps S52 to S55 are repeated for all the parameters in the reception buffer 128 as processing targets. Here, the parameter to be processed is Px.

  The processing in step S52 at this repeated portion has the same purpose as step S32 in FIG. If NO in step S52, the controller CS determines that the value of the parameter Px in the (M1) reception buffer 128 is different from the value of the same parameter Px in the previous data storage unit 129, and (M2) the reception buffer 128. It is determined whether or not the inside parameter Px factor is different from the identifier of the controller CS itself (S53).

  The condition (M1) indicates that the parameter value received this time from the mixer engine EN is different from the corresponding parameter value received last time. The condition (M2) is that the parameter value is set by the controller CS itself. Indicates that it is not a thing. When both of these are satisfied, the value of the parameter Px transmitted this time is considered to be a notification of the change of the parameter value made according to the operation accepted by the mixer engine EN or another controller CS. Therefore, in this case, the controller CS overwrites the value of the parameter Px in the reception buffer 128 and its factor on the data of the parameter Px in the parameter memory 122 (S54). Further, the same data is overwritten on the data of the parameter Px in the transmission buffer 125 (S55), and the process related to the parameter Px is ended. The value overwritten in step S55 is transmitted to the mixer engine EN during regular transmission.

  If NO in step S53, the mixer engine EN ends the process related to the parameter Px without overwriting the parameter memory 122 and the transmission buffer 125. This is because if (M1) is not satisfied, there is no change in the parameter value in the mixer engine EN and it is considered that there is no need to reflect it. By not reflecting in this case, it is possible to reduce the processing load caused by the regular notification. This is because if (M2) is not satisfied, the parameter value notified this time is in accordance with the change operation accepted by the controller CS itself and is already reflected in the parameter memory 122 and is considered to be not the latest.

When the processing of steps S52 to S55 is completed for all processing targets, the controller CS moves the values and factors of the parameters in the reception buffer 128 to the previous data storage unit 129 (S56), and ends the processing.
The above processing corresponds to the function of the parameter control unit 121, and the CPU 101 of the controller CS functions as a reflection unit in steps S53 and S54.

  As described above, in the remote control system Sys, the controller CS and the mixer engine EN manage the factor indicating the value of the parameter according to the change operation accepted by the device in association with the value of the parameter. In addition, when parameter values are periodically transmitted from other devices, the same parameter values are repeatedly reflected in the parameter memory by deciding whether to reflect the parameter values in the parameter memory with reference to the above factors. It is possible to prevent the parameter values already reflected in the past from being reflected again.

This point will be further described with reference to two operation sequence examples shown in FIGS.
First, in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, the operation sequence of each device according to the flowcharts of FIGS. 8 to 13 when the controller CS1 changes the value of the parameter Pa to X is used to control the parameter Pa. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing attention.
In this case, the controller CS1 changes the value of the parameter Pa in its own parameter memory 122-1 to X and the value of the factor to CS1 in accordance with the detected change operation (S111) (S112, S113). These are operations corresponding to the processing of FIG. Then, when the UDP regular transmission timing is reached (S114), the controller CS1 transmits the value X of the parameter Pa and the factor CS1 at that time to the mixer engine EN (S115). These are operations corresponding to the processing of FIG.

  On the other hand, the mixer engine EN that has received the data in step S115 has a value of the received parameter Pa that is different from the value received from the previous controller CS1 (the value before changing to X), and the factor is the identifier of the transmission source device. (S116). That is, it is determined Yes in step S33 of FIG. For this reason, the received value is overwritten in its own parameter memory 222, and the value of the parameter Pa in the parameter memory 222 is changed to X and the value of the factor is changed to CS1 (S117, S118). These are operations corresponding to the processing of FIG.

  Then, when the UDP regular transmission timing is reached (S119), the mixer engine EN transmits the value X of the parameter Pa and the factor CS1 at that time to the controllers CS1 and CS2 that control the mixer engine EN (S120, S127). These are operations corresponding to the processing of FIG.

On the other hand, the controller CS1 determines that the received parameter Pa is different from the previous value received from the mixer engine EN (the value before changing to X), but the factor is its own identifier (S121). ). That is, it is determined No in step S53 of FIG. Therefore, the parameter value is not updated according to the current reception (S122).
Therefore, at the next UDP periodic transmission timing (S123), the controller CS1 transmits the value X of the parameter Pa and the factor CS1 (same as the value transmitted in the previous step S115) at that time to the mixer engine EN. (S124). These are operations corresponding to the processing of FIG.

  On the other hand, the mixer engine EN that has received the data in step S124 determines that the value of the received parameter Pa is the same as the value received from the controller CS1 last time (in step S115) (S125). That is, it is determined No in step S33 of FIG. For this reason, the parameter value is not updated according to the current reception (S126).

  On the other hand, the controller CS2 that has received the data of step S127 is that the value of the received parameter Pa is different from the value received from the previous mixer engine EN (the value before changing to X) and the factor is not its own identifier. Judgment is made (S128). That is, it is determined Yes in step S53 of FIG. Accordingly, the received value is overwritten in its own parameter memory 122-2, and the value of the parameter Pa in the parameter memory 122-2 is changed to X, and the value of the factor is changed to CS1 (S129, S130). These are operations corresponding to the processing of FIG. By this operation, the change of the parameter value according to the change operation detected by the controller CS1 transmitted through the mixer engine EN can be shared by the controller CS2. Up to here, the change of the parameter value according to the change operation detected by the controller CS1 is shared by all the devices constituting the remote control system Sys.

  Thereafter, the operation proceeds to the portion shown in FIG. 15, and the controller CS2 next transmits the value X of the parameter Pa and the factor CS1 to the mixer engine EN at the UDP periodic transmission timing (S131) ( S132). These are operations corresponding to the processing of FIG.

  On the other hand, the mixer engine EN that has received the data in step S132 differs in the value of the received parameter Pa from the value (the value before changing to X) received from the controller CS2 last time, but the factor is the identifier of the transmission source device. It is determined that it is not (S133). That is, it is determined No in step S33 of FIG. For this reason, the parameter value is not updated according to the current reception (S134).

  Then, when the UDP regular transmission timing is reached (S135), the mixer engine EN transmits the value X of the parameter Pa and the factor CS1 at that time to the controllers CS1 and CS2 that control the mixer engine EN (S136, S136). S139). These are operations corresponding to the processing of FIG.

  This time, it is determined that the value of the received parameter Pa is the same as the previously received value on both the controller CS1 side and the controller CS2 side (S137, S140), and the parameter value is not updated (S138, S141). Thereafter, as in the flow of steps S123 to S138 between the controller CS1 and the mixer engine EN, neither the parameter value nor the factor is updated in any apparatus unless a new change operation is performed. That is, it is possible to stably maintain a state in which the change of the parameter value according to the change operation detected by the controller CS1 is shared by all the devices.

  Next, in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17, there is an operation for changing the value of the parameter Pa to X in the controller CS1, and immediately after that, there is an operation for changing the value of the same parameter Pa to Y in the controller CS2. The operation sequence of each apparatus according to the flowcharts of FIGS. 8 to 13 is shown with attention paid to the control of the parameter Pa.

  Also in this operation, steps S111 to S118 are the same as those in FIG. However, in the example of FIG. 16, the controller CS2 also changes the value of the parameter Pa in its own parameter memory 122-2 to Y and the value of the factor to CS2 in accordance with the detected change operation (S151) (S152). , S153). These are operations corresponding to the processing of FIG. Then, when the UDP regular transmission timing is reached (S154), the controller CS2 transmits the value Y of the parameter Pa and the factor CS2 at that time to the mixer engine EN (S155). These are operations corresponding to the processing of FIG.

  On the other hand, the mixer engine EN that has received the data of step S155 differs from the value of the parameter Pa received from the previous controller CS2 (the value before changing to Y), and the factor is the identifier of the transmission source device. (S161). That is, it is determined Yes in step S33 of FIG. Therefore, the received value is overwritten in its own parameter memory 222, and the value of the parameter Pa in the parameter memory 222 is changed to Y and the value of the factor is changed to CS2 (S162, S163). These are operations corresponding to the processing of FIG.

  Then, the process proceeds to the part shown in FIG. Thereafter, when the UDP periodic transmission timing comes (S164), the mixer engine EN transmits the value Y of the parameter Pa and the factor CS2 at that time to the controllers CS1 and CS2 that control the mixer engine EN (S165, S173). . These are operations corresponding to the processing of FIG.

  On the other hand, the controller CS1 that has received the data in step S165 differs from the value (the value before changing to X) the parameter Pa received from the previous mixer engine EN, and the factor is its own identifier. It is determined that it is not (S166). That is, it is determined Yes in step S53 of FIG. Accordingly, the received value is overwritten in its own parameter memory 122-1, the value of the parameter Pa in the parameter memory 122-1 is changed to Y, and the value of the factor is changed to CS2 (S167, S168).

By this operation, the change of the parameter value according to the change operation detected by the controller CS2 transmitted through the mixer engine EN can be shared by the controller CS1. For this reason, there is no change in the parameter value according to the change operation detected by the controller CS1 before the change operation detected by the controller CS2.
Thereafter, when the next periodic transmission timing of UDP is reached (S169), the controller CS1 transmits the value Y of the parameter Pa and the factor CS2 at that time to the mixer engine EN (S170). These are operations corresponding to the processing of FIG.

  The mixer engine EN that has received the data in step S170 determines that the received parameter Pa is different from the value X received from the controller CS1 last time, but that the factor is not the identifier of the transmission source device (S171). That is, it is determined No in step S33 of FIG. For this reason, the parameter value is not updated according to the current reception (S172).

On the other hand, the controller CS2 that has received the data in step S173 has a different value of the received parameter Pa from the value received from the previous mixer engine EN (the value before being changed to X in step S116). (S174). That is, it is determined No in step S53 of FIG. For this reason, the parameter value is not updated according to the current reception (S175).
Thereafter, when the next periodic transmission timing of UDP is reached (S176), the controller CS2 transmits the value Y of the parameter Pa and the factor CS2 at that time to the mixer engine EN (S177). These are operations corresponding to the processing of FIG.

The mixer engine EN that has received the data in step S177 determines that the value of the received parameter Pa is the same as the value Y received from the controller CS2 last time in step S155 (S178). That is, it is determined No in step S33 of FIG. For this reason, the parameter value is not updated according to the current reception (S179).
Then, when the UDP periodic transmission timing is reached (S180), the mixer engine EN transmits the value Y of the parameter Pa and the factor CS2 at that time to the controllers CS1 and CS2 that control the mixer engine EN (S181, S184). These are operations corresponding to the processing of FIG.

  This time, it is determined that the value of the received parameter Pa is the same as the previously received value on both the controller CS1 side and the controller CS2 side (S182, S185), and the parameter value is not updated (S183, S186). As long as there is no new change operation, neither the parameter value nor the factor is updated in any device. That is, it is possible to stably maintain a state in which the change of the parameter value according to the change operation detected by the controller CS2 is shared by all the devices.

  For example, in the operation of FIG. 16, if the transmission in step S155 is before the transmission in step S115, the parameter value is changed in all the devices according to the change operation detected by the controller CS1 in the subsequent processing. It becomes a shared state. In this case, priority is given to the change operation detected previously. However, if there is no significant timing difference between the change operation in step S111 and the change operation in step S151, the user will not feel much discomfort as the operation of the system, regardless of which is shared within the system. It is useful that one parameter is quickly shared without the value of parameter Pa in each device fluctuating between X and Y.

Next, the “specific value” of the factor referred to in step S32 in FIG. 10 and step S52 in FIG. 13 will be described with reference to FIGS.
In step S32 in FIG. 10, the mixer engine EN and in step S52 in FIG. 13, the controller CS prevents the received parameter value from being reflected in the parameter memory if the parameter factor is a specific value. .

  Then, as shown in FIG. 18, the controller CS registers the specific value as a factor of each parameter in the transmission buffer 125 when the specific first condition is satisfied (S61). In the process of FIG. 18, the CPU 101 of the controller CS functions as a specific factor setting unit. The mixer engine EN has a similar function.

In this way, when the first condition is satisfied, the change of the parameter value in the own device can be prevented from being reflected in other devices. That is, it is possible to maintain a state in which the parameter values in the parameter memory are different between devices constituting the remote control system Sys over a long period of time. Even in this state, each device can change the parameter value in its own parameter memory according to the change operation detected by itself. The first condition in the mixer engine EN may be different from the first condition in the controller CS.
Such a function is useful when it is desired to stop the reflection of parameter values to other devices for some reason. Note that the above specific value is different from the identification information of any device constituting the remote control system Sys.

Further, as shown in FIG. 19, when the specific second condition is satisfied, the controller CS registers a corresponding value in the parameter memory 122 as a factor of each parameter in the transmission buffer 125 (S71). ). The mixer engine EN has a similar function.
In this way, when the second condition is satisfied, the factor of each parameter in the transmission buffer 125 is returned to normal data, and the state in which the change of the parameter value in the own device is not reflected in the other device is released. Can do.

  In the processing of FIGS. 18 and 19 described above, if there is a parameter value changing operation for the controller CS after the first condition is satisfied, the parameter factor is changed by the processing of FIG. Is allowed. That is, the operation after the first condition is satisfied is reflected on other devices. However, when it is desired to strictly control the stop and release of the reflection of the parameter value according to the first and second conditions, the change of the factor registered in step S61 is prohibited after step S61 in FIG. The prohibition may be canceled before step S71. In this case, the parameter value changing operation performed on the controller CS after the first condition is satisfied is not reflected on other devices until the second condition is satisfied.

Next, FIG. 20 shows a flowchart of processing according to the scene recall operation.
The processing in FIG. 20 is common to the controller CS side and the mixer engine EN side, but the controller CS side will be described as a representative.
When the controller CS detects an operation for calling a specific scene (scene W in this example) stored in the scene library 124, the controller CS starts the process shown in the flowchart of FIG.
In this process, the controller CS first reads the parameter value of the scene W from the scene library 124 and overwrites the parameter memory 122 (S81). The data in the scene W may be copied after the entire contents of the parameter memory 122 are once erased.

Next, the controller CS registers its own identifier as a factor of all parameters transmitted by UDP in the parameter memory 122 (S82). Then, the values and factors of all parameters transmitted by the UDP in the parameter memory 122 are overwritten in the transmission buffer 125 (S83), and the process is terminated. Also in step S83, necessary data in the parameter memory 122 may be copied after erasing all the contents of the transmission buffer 125 once.
The processing in FIG. 20 described above corresponds to the function of the parameter control unit 121. In the above processing, the CPU 101 of the controller CS functions as a calling unit.
In addition, with the above processing, the controller CS can call a parameter value pattern stored in advance as a scene, and all the parameter values have been changed in the controller CS. And the operation can be used to reflect the change in the parameter memory of another device.

[Other modifications: FIGS. 21 and 22]
This is the end of the description of the embodiment. However, the number of devices constituting the control system, the specific procedure of processing, the data configuration, the communication protocol to be used, and the number of parameters whose values are transmitted using a communication protocol without arrival guarantee. Of course, the type and the like are not limited to those described in the above embodiment.

  Of course, it is not necessary to provide all the functions of the remote control system Sys of the above-described embodiment at the same time. For example, in the remote control system Sys, (1) a plurality of parameter values stored in the parameter memory (after being copied to the transmission buffer), a specific communication protocol with no guarantee of arrival at a time (2) Registering the identifier of the device that has received the change operation reflected in the current value of the parameter from the user as the factor of each parameter, A function for determining whether or not to reflect the received parameter value in the parameter memory by referring to the received factor value, and (3) A function is provided to prevent the received parameter value from being reflected in the parameter memory when the factor is a specific value.

However, these functions (1) and (2) can be provided independently, and the function (3) is not essential for providing the function (2).
For example, if the functions (2) and (3) are not provided, the determination in steps S52 and S53 is unnecessary in the processing of FIG. 13, and the processing in step S56 for preparing for the next determination in step S53 is also unnecessary. Become. Therefore, the process of FIG. 13 can be simplified as shown in FIG. Of course, the registration of the factor itself is not necessary, and step S13 in FIGS. 8 and 11 is not necessary.

If the collective transmission function (1) is not provided, the parameter values and factors in the processing of FIGS. 9 and 12 may be transmitted individually for each parameter. Even in this case, the effect on the stable sharing of the parameter value by the function (2) can be obtained.
Further, as in the above-described embodiment, it is not essential to use TCP and UDP together, and all parameter values may be transmitted using UDP. Of course, parameter values other than the fader may be transmitted using UDP. Further, the protocol used for communication is not limited to TCP or UDP. TCP is merely an example of a communication protocol with guaranteed arrival, and UDP is only an example of a communication protocol without guaranteed arrival. The function (2) is particularly effective when used to periodically transmit parameter values using a communication protocol without arrival guarantee. There are no particular restrictions.

  Further, the number of control devices constituting the control system of the present invention is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more. Further, the number of controlled devices is not limited to one, but may be a plurality. When there are a plurality of controlled devices, each control device may be provided with a parameter memory for storing a set of parameter values used by the controlled device for each controlled device to be controlled. Then, the contents of each parameter memory may be synchronized with the parameter memory of the corresponding controlled device and the corresponding parameter memory of another control device.

For example, FIG. 22 shows the configuration of the control system when there are two control target mixer engines (ENa and ENb).
In this case, the controllers CS1 and CS2 may be provided with parameter memories 122-1a and 122-2a corresponding to the mixer engine ENa and parameter memories 122-1b and 122-2b corresponding to the mixer engine ENb, respectively. The parameter memories 122-1a and 122-2a and the parameter memory 222-a of the mixer engine ENa share parameter values and factors in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment. Independently, it is conceivable that parameter values and factors are similarly shared between the parameter memories 122-1b and 122-2b and the parameter memory 222-b of the mixer engine ENb.

Further, the functions of the controller CS and the mixer engine EN provided in the above-described embodiment are provided in a distributed manner in a plurality of devices, and it is not impeded that they function together as the controller CS or the mixer engine EN. In addition, it is not impeded that the functions of a plurality of devices are provided in one housing, such as one controller CS and the mixer engine EN being integrated.
Further, the controlled device is not limited to the sound signal processing device, and may be any device. For example, it is conceivable to apply the present invention to control of illumination intensity in a lighting device or control of a broadcasting device.
Further, the configurations and modifications described above can be applied in appropriate combinations within a consistent range.

  As is apparent from the above description, if the present invention is used, the processing load of each device and the amount of communication between devices will be remarkably increased even when an operation for changing a large number of parameter values in a short time is performed in the control device. It is possible to configure a control system that can change the value of the parameter in the controlled apparatus according to the operation without increasing it.

CS: controller (control device), EN: mixer engine (controlled device), N: network, Sys: remote control system, 101, 201: CPU, 102, 202: flash memory, 103, 203: RAM, 104, 205 : Display, 105, 206: Operator, 106, 204: Communication I / F, 107, 209: System bus, 121, 221: Parameter control unit, 122, 222: Parameter memory, 123, 223: Operation receiving unit, 124, 224: Scene library, 125, 228: Transmission buffer, 126, 229: UDP transmission unit, 127, 225: UDP reception unit, 128, 226: Reception buffer, 129, 227: Previous data storage unit, 130, 230: TCP transmission / reception unit, 207: signal processing unit (DSP), 208: sound signal input / output unit , 300: operation panel, 301: ch strip section, 310: ch strip, 315: fader, 315a: knob, 330: display, 340: rotary encoder, 350: switch group

Claims (8)

A control device for remotely controlling a controlled device,
A storage unit for storing values of a plurality of parameters to be used by the controlled device;
In accordance with an operation received from a user, an editing unit that changes the values of the plurality of parameters stored in the storage unit;
A control apparatus comprising: a transmission unit configured to transmit the values of the plurality of parameters stored in the storage unit to the controlled device collectively and regularly using a specific communication protocol with no arrival guarantee. The control device according to claim 1,
A receiving unit that receives values of the plurality of parameters transmitted from the controlled device in a batch using the specific communication protocol;
In response to the reception unit receiving a parameter value, the parameter value received by the reception unit at that time is different from the corresponding parameter value received by the reception unit last time. A control device comprising: a reflection unit that overwrites and stores the value of the parameter that has been stored in the storage unit. A controlled device remotely controlled by a control device,
A storage unit for storing values of a plurality of parameters to be reflected in the operation of the controlled device;
A receiving unit for receiving the values of the plurality of parameters transmitted in a batch from a specific communication protocol with no arrival guarantee from the control device;
In response to receiving the parameter value by the receiving unit, when the parameter value received by the receiving unit at that time is different from the corresponding parameter value the receiving unit previously received from the same control device, A controlled apparatus comprising: a reflection unit that overwrites and stores the parameter value received at that time in the storage unit. The controlled device according to claim 3,
A controlled apparatus comprising: a transmission unit that periodically and collectively transmits the values of the plurality of parameters stored in the storage unit to the control apparatus using the specific communication protocol. A controlled device according to claim 4,
A controlled device including an editing unit that changes values of the plurality of parameters stored in the storage unit in accordance with an operation received from a user. A controlled device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein
Remotely controlled by multiple control devices,
The controlled device transmits the values of the plurality of parameters stored in the storage unit to the plurality of control devices by multicast. A control system comprising a control device and a controlled device remotely controlled by the control device,
The control device is
A control-side storage unit that stores values of a plurality of parameters to be used by the controlled device;
In accordance with an operation received from a user, a control-side editing unit that changes values of the plurality of parameters stored in the control-side storage unit;
A plurality of parameter values stored in the control-side storage unit, and a control-side transmission unit that periodically and collectively transmits to the controlled device using a specific communication protocol with no arrival guarantee;
The controlled device is
A controlled storage unit that stores values of the plurality of parameters to be reflected in the operation of the controlled device;
A controlled-side receiving unit that receives the values of the plurality of parameters that are collectively transmitted from the control device using the specific communication protocol;
In response to the controlled-side receiving unit receiving a parameter value, the controlled-side receiving unit receives the parameter value at that time, and the controlled-side receiving unit previously received from the same control device A control system comprising: a controlled reflection unit that overwrites and stores the parameter value received at that time in the controlled storage unit when the parameter value is different. The control system according to claim 7,
The control device further comprises:
A control-side receiving unit that receives values of the plurality of parameters that are collectively transmitted from the controlled device using the specific communication protocol;
When the control-side receiving unit receives a parameter value, the parameter value received at that time by the control-side receiving unit is different from the corresponding parameter value received by the control-side receiving unit last time. A control-side reflection unit that overwrites and stores the value of the parameter received at that time in the control-side storage unit,
The controlled device further includes:
A controlled transmission unit that transmits the values of the plurality of parameters stored in the controlled storage unit collectively and periodically to the control device using the specific communication protocol is provided. Control system.

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