JP2000099041A - Portable karaoke unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain the portable KARAOKE unit which is rich in portability by performing reproduction from various sources including a united memory and a detachable storage medium which are stored with songs and program data. SOLUTION: A display 110 displays a text and images while the KARAOKE unit 100 is instant operation. The key pad 120 of an input mechanism has a set of keys and performs functions for the playing, pause, stop, and number selection of a song, key-tempo and sound volume control, etc. A cartridge 135 can be inserted into the KARAOKE unit 100 by a detachable storage interface 130 and song data including audio data, texts, etc., are stored. The cartridge 135 is preferably programmable and a user is able to store new data and edit existent data. The data are downloaded to the KARAOKE unit 100 through a communication port 162.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a provisional patent application No. 60/1998, filed March 20, 1998, entitled "Portable Karaoke Unit".
No. 078,726, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.

[0002] The present invention relates to music playback, and more particularly to a portable karaoke unit for playing music while displaying corresponding graphics and lyrics. Karaoke singing has become widespread across many levels of society. The so-called karaoke unit plays music from popular songs, allows the user to sing with a microphone, and mixes the user's voice with the music. To teach the singers the lyrics, the karaoke unit displays the lyrics of the song on a screen. The lyrics can be brightened or specified according to the singing part of the lyrics. Graphic and video images can be displayed along with the lyrics.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Current karaoke units have some limitations in terms of operation. For example, current systems store only data of one type of storage medium, either memory integrated into the unit or memory that can be removed from the unit. further,
The data on the medium is unprogrammable by the user, and the user is restricted from selecting or changing songs and programs on the storage medium as desired.

[0004]

Due to the nature of the karaoke system, portability is an important factor in terms of user convenience. In the past, such systems were bulky and bulky. While it may be convenient to use large, high quality peripherals such as displays and amplification systems, it is more desirable that the unit be portable without cables or external equipment.

[0005] In short, it is desirable to provide a karaoke machine that is flexible in use. Therefore, a portable karaoke unit that does not have the limitations of current systems is desirable. The present invention provides a portable karaoke unit that is more mobile than current systems.
It functions as a portable unit or can be connected to conventional external equipment.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In an embodiment of the present invention, a song and program data are stored and can be reproduced from various sources, including an integrated memory and a removable storage medium. The karaoke unit reads data from any type of medium and converts it into audio and visual signals. The visual signal is displayed on either an integrated internal or external display.
The visual signal includes a graphic image stored on a storage medium or a video image from an external source. Audio signals can be output to conventional means such as speakers or headsets, or transmitted wirelessly at radio frequencies. The karaoke unit is controlled by either a portable keypad or a remote control device provided in the unit.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a removable storage medium is programmable so that a user can program new data or edit existing data on the removable storage medium. Is available. The data can be downloaded from various sources such as personal computers and the Internet for storage on removable storage media. Music data is an MI widely used in the music industry for storing and manipulating music data.
It is stored in a compressed format such as DI. Other compression formats, such as LZW or other formats, can also be used.

Further, program data such as a game program can be stored in an internal memory or a removable storage medium. The control of the karaoke unit's processor can be transferred to the program by user command.

[0009] Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings. The reference numerals indicate similar features.

[0010]

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a front side and a rear side of a portable karaoke unit 100 according to the present invention. The karaoke unit 100 is housed in a casing of a convenient size that can be carried by a user. In this particular embodiment, it is substantially rectangular in shape, although other shapes and sizes may be preferably used. Said size and shape are convenient to use and attractive in appearance.

An internal display 110 is mounted on the top of the karaoke unit 100. During operation of the karaoke unit 100, it is used to display lyrics and images to the user. In a particular embodiment, the internal display 110 is a black and white liquid crystal display (LCD) with a 122 × 32 pixel resolution. An 8-bit database for read and write operations,
8051 with address bus and control signal
Includes compatible microcontroller. Of course, other types of display screens can also be used preferably. LCD of a specific embodiment
Displays have the advantage of relatively low power consumption, thereby extending battery life over less efficient displays.

However, as the technology advances, other displays, known or later developed, may also be advantageous and anticipated for use in the present invention. In certain embodiments, the internal display 110 mainly displays lyrics and other verbatim information; however, in alternative embodiments, the internal display 110 may also display graphic and video images. It has become.

The karaoke unit 100 also has a keypad 120. The keypad 120 serves as an input mechanism for sending a control command from the user to the karaoke unit 100. The keypad 120 is preferably a set of keys, which are used to perform songs such as singing, pausing, stopping, selecting a song number, key control, tempo control, volume control, game control, and menu selection. Function is performed. A remote control receiver 125 is also included. Remote control receiver 125 allows a user to input similar commands from a similar keyset remote control device (not shown).

A detachable storage interface 130 is also provided on the karaoke unit 100. The removable storage interface 130 allows the cartridge 13
5 can be inserted into the karaoke unit 100. Although referred to as a cartridge here, the cartridge 135 may be any removable non-volatile memory that can store digital data. The cartridge 135 is
It stores song data including audio data, lyrics, timing information and graphic image data. It can also store program data such as game programs. In certain embodiments, cartridge 135 is an integrated circuit cartridge, but may be a compact disc, DVD,
Other storage media such as diskettes and the like can also be used.
The cartridge 135 is preferably programmable so that a user can store new data or edit existing data. The data in the cartridge 135 is preferably compressed so that much data can be stored. Many types of compression methods can be used, including lossless and lossy types of compression, but it is recognized that some compression methods may be more appropriate depending on the application.

Although designed to be portable,
The karaoke unit 100 has several input / output ports for connection to external devices. These input / output ports include audio output port 140,
A headphone output port 142, a video input port 150, and a power port 155 are included. Each of these are standard connectors that connect to various external devices known in the art. Particular embodiments have two separate microphone input ports 144 so that two singers can have microphones, but can include any number of microphone ports 144. The contrast adjuster 157 allows a user to adjust the contrast of the internal display 110.

An antenna 150 is also provided. Antenna 160 allows audio signals at FM frequencies to be transmitted for reception by an external FM receiver. The design of the FM antenna is well known, and an appropriate antenna design can be used.

With the communication port 162,
The data is downloaded to the karaoke unit 100.
In certain embodiments, communication port 1
62 is an RS-232 interface, the details of which are well known in the art, for example EIA-232
You can find out in the specifications. In an alternative embodiment, a universal serial bus interface is provided, but other serial or parallel interfaces can also be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Power is supplied from a power port 155 or a battery (not shown). A three position power / display selector switch 165 is provided to allow the user to turn the karaoke unit on and off, and to use either the internal display 110 or an external display to display the image. It has become.

FIG. 2 shows a printed circuit board having various components constituting the karaoke unit 100. The processor 210 is the main controller of the karaoke unit 100 and controls the operation of all other modules according to the program and the input from the user. Processor 210 may be a general-purpose microcontroller, but a specific embodiment is a
Using a bit microcontroller. Other controllers, known or to be developed, can also be used preferably. Details of the other components shown in FIG. 2 will be operatively described with reference to FIG. 3 below.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating the interaction of the various components of the karaoke unit 100. The processor 210 controls the operation of the karaoke unit 100 by executing the program stored in the memory 220. It is keypad 120 or remote control receiver 1
25 receives a user command. Processor 2
The primary function of 10 is to transform the song data into various parts to be played, including songs, lyrics corresponding to the songs, graphic images and timing information for their playback and display. In this particular embodiment, the song data is compressed so that more data can be stored in a given storage area. The processor 210 decompresses the song data, but in some embodiments decompresses with the help of hardware. The processor 210 also executes a program stored in the cartridge 135 or the memory 220, such as a game program, according to a user's request.

The karaoke unit 100 has two modes for displaying a visual image. In the internal mode, lyrics are displayed on the internal display 110. The processor determines the time point of the lyrics display depending on the timing information in the song data.
In the external mode, the processor outputs the lyrics to the video output port 146 for display on an external display (not shown), such as a television.
A graphic image from the song data or a video image from the video input port 150 is combined with the lyrics and displayed on an external display. In other embodiments, the same information is output to both types of displays.

A memory 220 is connected to the processor 210. It has both ROM and RAM components. The main program executed by the processor 210 when the karaoke unit 100 is powered on is generally stored in a ROM component. The memory 220 also stores music data,
Song data including lyrics data, lyrics timing information, and graphic images is stored. In many cases, song data is compressed to save space. The processor 210 retrieves song data from the memory 220 as needed. Other programs, such as game programs, are also stored in the memory 220.

The song data and program data are also stored on the cartridge 135. In certain embodiments, cartridge 135 is an integrated circuit memory module that is inserted into removable memory interface 130. This allows users to purchase cartridges with songs, programs and / or graphics for use in their karaoke units. The data in the cartridge 135 is stored in the memory 220.
Is similar to the one stored in. In one aspect of the invention, processor 210 can retrieve song data, graphic images or program data from either memory 220 or cartridge 135. The processor 210 can retrieve the data from the cartridge 135 if it resides on the removable storage interface 130, or the processor 210 can
Has the option of selecting whether to draw from memory 220 or from cartridge 135.

Preferably, the cartridge 135 is programmable. That is, the user can use the cartridge 13
5. New data or existing data can be edited.
FIG. 4 illustrates an example system for downloading data to cartridge 135 for storage. Digital system 4
00 is connected to the karaoke unit 100 by a cable 410. A connection is provided at the communication port 162 to perform a handshaking protocol for data transfer. In certain embodiments, communication port 162 is a universal serial port, such as found on many personal computers. In other embodiments, it is an RS232 interface, IRDA, RF interface or various other communication interfaces that are both serial and parallel. The digital system 400 also has a communication port 425 for connecting a cable 410.

FIG. 4 shows a simple downloading system having a direct connection. Between the digital system 400 and the karaoke unit 100, many switches and systems are arranged. The digital system 400 may be a personal computer known in the art, a set-top box specially designed to download data to the karaoke unit 100, or a computer capable of connecting to the Internet and downloading data from the Internet to the cartridge 135. Or another device. In addition, the digital system 400 is used to edit the data in the cartridge 135 as described below with respect to FIG.

Referring again to FIG. 3, the sound module 240 is connected to the processor 210. Processor 210 retrieves the song data from one of the memories and outputs the audio portion to a MIDI format sound module 240. The sound module 240 transforms the MIDI information into a stereo music signal that can be played on a conventional sound system.
The sound module 240 is, for example, a Yamaha or other compatible wavetable synthesizer. As is known in the art, 16-bit stereo sound is generated using an internal or external wavetable. Operating at a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz, the sound module outputs very high quality sound. Of course, depending on the application, other methods of converting MIDI information to stereo sound can be used, or other formats besides MIDI can be used.

The effects generator 250 is connected to the output of the processor sound module 240. It also has a microphone input port 1
Also connected to 44 is one or more microphones (not shown) or other audio input devices via the port. In some embodiments, one of the microphones (not shown) is
Can be stored inside. The effects generator 250 receives voice data from the microphone and incorporates sound effects such as echo and reverb.
Echo, reverb, and volume are controlled by processor 210 by user commands. The effects generator 250 also mixes the altered voice data with the output from the sound module 240 and outputs the audio output port 140,
The mixed sound is output via the headphone output port 142 and / or the radio frequency transmitter 245. In certain embodiments,
Radio frequency transmitter 245 is an FM transmitter, so that its frequency modulates the audio signal and transmits it via antenna 160.

The processor 210 includes a graphic image and video overlay / display module 2
Video process 70 and the associated video image. The video overlay and display module 270
Lyrics data and graphic image data are received from the processor 210, and a video signal is received from the video input port 150. It turns lyrics data into characters for display by generating a specific font. The characters are overlaid on the graphic image or video signal and output of the video output 146. Of course, when operating in the internal display mode, the characters are displayed on the internal display 110.
Will be displayed. In a particular embodiment, video overlay and display module 270 is a Yamaha or compatible graphics processor and ROHM video overlay and encoder. That is analog R
It outputs a GB video signal, but other analog or digital video formats, such as YUV, can also be used.

FIG. 5 is a high level flow diagram of the main program 500 which is executed by the processor 210 whenever the karaoke unit 100 is powered on. First, when the karaoke unit 100 is turned on, the main program 500 automatically starts performing step 510. In step 510,
Various components of the karaoke unit 100 are initialized, including the processor 210, the sound module 240, the video overlay and display unit 270, the internal display 110, and the effects generator 250. At step 510, the processor 210 checks the position of the power / display selector switch 165 to determine whether to operate in the internal display mode or the external display mode.

After initialization step 510, processor 210 proceeds to step 520. At step 520, processor 210 waits for a command input by the user. For example,
Commands are input by the keypad 220 or the remote control receiver 125. Examples of commands include, for example, “display cartridge operation”, “play song”, “volume up”, “volume down”, “skip forward”, “skip backard”, “stop”, “program song” (ie, , A pre-selection of a series of songs to be played) and various other commands that are recognized by those skilled in the art. If no commands have been entered, processor 210 remains in step 520 until a command is entered. If the processor 210 detects the command, the main program 5
00 proceeds to step 530.

At step 530, processor 210 determines whether the command is a cartridge command or a sound command. If the command is for cartridge operation, at step 535,
Processor 210 outputs the menu to the selected display unit. This menu includes a selection of an operation for which the user requests an operation on the cartridge 135. Examples of menu selections include "download", "run cartridge program", "edit cartridge", and "exit cartridge menu". Processor 210 waits at this step until the user selects one of the menu choices. If one choice is selected, processor 210 proceeds to the appropriate step with this selection.
For example, if the user selects "download," processor 210 proceeds to step 540 (described below in connection with FIG. 6). If the user selects "Run Cartridge Program", processor 210 proceeds to step 545 to execute the program stored on the cartridge. This program is, for example, a game program. Similarly, when the user selects an "edit cartridge", the processor 210
Goes to step 550 (described below in connection with FIG. 7). Finally, when the user selects the “exit cartridge menu”, the processor 210
Return to step 20 and wait for another user command.

Referring again to step 530, if the input is not a cartridge command, processor 210 moves to step 560, where it is either a command to play a song or a karaoke unit 100 command. Determine whether the command is a parameter setting command. If it is a command to play a song, the processor 21
A 0 enters step 565 and checks whether it is in external display mode or in internal display mode. If it is in internal display mode, processor 210 proceeds to step 570
(Described later with reference to FIG. 8A). If it is in external display mode, the processor 21
0 performs step 575 (described later with respect to FIG. 8B). After step 570 or step 575 is performed,
Processor 210 returns to step 520, where it waits for another user command.

Referring again to step 560, if the command is something other than a play song command, processor 210 performs step 580. Step 5
At 80, the user can adjust some parameters. For example, the user can set the volume or control the key and tempo of the song, the user can program a series of songs to sing in sequence,
The display of lyrics and other operations on the display can be controlled. Upon completion of each command, processor 210 returns to step 520, where it waits for the next command. Once the user has programmed a series of songs, then at step 520, the command to play the next song is automatically entered by processor 210 rather than the user.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating more details of step 540 where song data or program data is downloaded to cartridge 135 via communication port 162. When the processor 210 recognizes the command from the user to download the data, the processor proceeds to step 610 and prompts the user to confirm the download. If the user resounds that he did not intend, the procedure ends. Otherwise, processor 210 proceeds to step 620.

At step 620, the processor determines whether the download operation is legal. For example, if the cartridge 135 is not a compatible cartridge, the recognition information stored in the cartridge 135 is invalid, or if the cartridge 135 is write-protected or a read-only type memory storage medium, Download operations are not legal. If not legal, at step 630, the karaoke unit 100 displays information about the non-legal operation and the routine ends. If the operation is legal, downloading of the data package is started. The data package contains a header, data fields, and a trailer, but in some embodiments includes different fields. The header includes its size, whether it is compressed, the number of pad bits at the end of the data, and the like. The data field contains the actual data and the trailer contains information such as error detection information or error correction information.

In step 640, the data is downloaded to processor 210. From the header information, the processor 210 determines in step 645 whether there is enough space in the cartridge 135 to store the data in the data field. If there is not enough space, at step 650, information about the cartridge space is displayed on any selected screen. Then, at step 660, a message indicating that the operation has failed is displayed, and the routine ends.

Referring again to step 645, if there is sufficient storage space available for all packets, at step 665 the data field is downloaded to the removable cartridge 135. After all data has been downloaded at step 670,
A method determines whether the download was completed successfully. This includes various known error detection techniques,
For example, it can be performed by parity checking, CRC checking, or the like. Error detection information is included in the trailer field. If you know the error,
Processor 210 proceeds to step 660, where an error message is displayed, and download step 5
40 ends.

Although not shown, step 670 can be extended to include error correction and error detection. Many error correction methods are well known,
A suitable method can be included in step 670.

FIG. 7 shows a cartridge editing step 550.
The details are shown below. At step 700, the processor 210 waits for an edit command from a user. If this command is a display status command,
In step 710, cartridge information, such as cartridge ID, capacity, content table and other related information, will be displayed on any of the selected displays. After the information is displayed, the routine returns to enter the selection step and wait for another command. If the input command is a cartridge edit command, the routine proceeds to step 720 where the editing of the cartridge is completed. This is, for example, the communication port 162
By downloading new data to some or all of the cartridges. Edit commands include downloading new data items, erasing data items, and erasing cartridge contents. When the editing step 720 is completed,
The routine returns to step 700 again and waits for another selection. The routine remains in the editing step 550 until the user decides to exit, at which point step 730 is performed and the editing step 550 ends.

FIG. 8A shows a step 5 in which the song is played and its lyrics are displayed on the internal display 110.
70 is a flow diagram showing the details of Step 70. In step 810, the first step after the play song command is entered, the processor 210 determines the location of the song in memory and starts a timer. The song data is in either the memory 220 or the cartridge 220. The processor 210 uses a timer to determine when to enter lyrics.

In step 820, processor 210 retrieves the song data and decompresses it. From the uncompressed song data to the processor 21
0 extracts the music data and inputs it to the sound module 240 in MIDI format. It also extracts the lyrics data and sends it to the internal display for display. Using a timer,
Determine at what point in the music the lyrics should be displayed and highlighted. The processor 210
Does the user enter the command (step 83
0) or continue to output music and lyrics until it detects when the song has ended (step 840).

When the user commands, for example, by pressing one of the keys on keypad 120 or with a remote control device, processor 210
Determine if the command indicates that the song should be stopped. The command to stop the song includes "stop", "advance to next track", and the like. In step 850, the key is examined to determine if it is one of the stop commands, and if so, step 5
70 ends. If the command is not a stop command, it is highly likely that the command is a parameter set command such as volume control, pause, key change, tempo control, and the like. In step 860, the command, whatever it is, is executed and the song continues until it is finished or another key is pressed. Step 570 ends with the end of song or a stop command.

FIG. 8B shows the details of step 575 where the song is played with the lyrics and the image is displayed on an external display such as a television set. First, in step 870, the processor 210
Finds the location of the song in memory and starts the timer. Again, the song data is stored in memory 220
Alternatively, it is found on the cartridge 135. Graphic image data is also stored in the memory 220 or the cartridge 135.

In step 875, processor 210 retrieves the song data and decompresses it. From the uncompressed song data to the processor 21
0 extracts the music data and inputs it to the sound module 240 in MIDI format. It also extracts the lyrics data and sends it to the video overlay and display module 270. A timer is used to determine at which point in the music the lyrics should be displayed and highlighted.
Processor 210 continues to output music and lyrics until the user enters the command (step 887) or detects when it has reached the end of the song (step 895).

Step 880 determines whether there is a video input at video input port 150.
If there is a video input, the video input is mixed with the lyrics data in the video overlay and display module 270 and the combined image is output to the video output 146. If there is no video image at video input 150, the picture is decompressed from the graphic image in either memory 220 or cartridge 135. This graphics image is overlaid on the lyrics data in the video overlay and display module 270, and the combined image is output on video output 146. The output of this data continues until the key is pressed or the song ends.

Processor 210 measures the points at which various users input in a manner similar to steps 830 to 860 in FIG. 8A, and determines whether step 575 ends in the same manner as steps 887 to 895.

FIG. 9A is a diagram depicting what the external display screen looks like immediately after the initialization step 510 of FIG. The screen remains in this state until a command is entered by the user. Of course, different screen layouts and content may be substituted for those shown without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

The area marked A on the screen is
The product information about the karaoke unit 100 is displayed. It includes, for example, the logo or trademark of the company that made the karaoke unit 100. In the area marked B, the result of the current command from step 520 is displayed, and in area C, the product name and / or various alternative command input prompts are displayed. In a particular embodiment, the product name and command input prompt alternates with area C.

FIG. 9B is a diagram of the internal display 110 after initialization. Here, the areas B and C include the same information as described in FIG. 9A, but are displayed in the area B at the right end area of the internal display 110, and the area C fills the rest of the screen. The layout of the internal display 110 is simpler than the layout of the external display,
This is because in certain embodiments, a black and white LCD display without the color and resolution of the external display is used. However, a high resolution color screen can be used as the internal display,
The layout described for the external display in FIG. 9A and the other diagrams discussed below are more appropriate.

FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B show that the internal and external displays correspond to, for example, step 535 in FIG.
Is a diagram of what it looks like while displaying the cartridge menu during the operation of the main program 500 for the. Here, the menu choice is displayed as shown on each screen. Figure 9 is the company logo
(A) is displayed in the area A of the external display as described above. Of course, in alternative embodiments, if another cartridge edit command is made, that other command will also be displayed as a menu choice on the screen.

FIGS. 11A-11B are diagrams of the appearance of the external display during a song performance. In that background, a graphic or video image is displayed on the entire screen. The area shown white in the figure is overlaid on the graphic or video image. Again, area A displays the company logo. Area B displays the previous command from step 520.

FIG. 11A is a diagram of the external display at the start of a song. In the area D,
The song title is displayed. Region E displays song credits, such as the names of artists, producers, and poets. After the song starts, this information is
As shown in FIG. 1 (B), it disappears because it is replaced.

FIG. 11B is a diagram of the external display during a song performance. The area F provides a display for instructing the singing person about information about singing. Area G
Displays the lyrics of the song. In many cases, the lyrics of the song are highlighted each time they sing.

FIGS. 12A to 12C are diagrams showing the appearance of the internal display when a song is played.
Area B displays the result from the previous command execution of step 520. FIG. 12A shows that at the start of the song performance, the song title is displayed in the area marked D. FIG. 12B shows that when the song is started, the instruction is displayed in the area F and the lyrics of the song are displayed in the area G along with the highlighted lyrics part. During the performance of the song, the instruction to start singing the song disappears as shown in FIG.

[0054] Of course, the screens shown are merely exemplary. Alternative aesthetic or functional screen shapes can be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Further, it is clear to those skilled in the art that
As screen technology advances, internal displays 1
Better visual effects including graphic images as background at 10 and alternative screen shapes are also desirable and can be used.

The foregoing description of a specific embodiment of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to limit or limit the invention to the exact form described. Many modifications and variations are possible with the above teachings. The present invention will best describe the principles of the invention and its practical aspects, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications, as appropriate for the particular use envisioned. Examples have been chosen and described for this purpose. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined only by the claims appended hereto.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a front view of a portable karaoke unit of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a rear view of the portable karaoke unit of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating major components on the front and back sides of a printed circuit board in certain embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the karaoke unit of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a karaoke unit of the invention coupled to a digital system for programming a karaoke unit.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a main program of the karaoke unit of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a subroutine for downloading data to a karaoke unit.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a subroutine for editing data in a cartridge.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of a subroutine for enjoying a song on an internal display unit.
(B) Flow diagram of a subroutine for enjoying a song on an internal display unit; (B) is a flow diagram of a subroutine for enjoying a song on an external display unit;

9A is a diagram of an external display screen immediately after a karaoke unit is initialized, and FIG. 9B is a diagram of an internal display screen immediately after a karaoke unit is initialized.

10A is a diagram of an external display screen while displaying a cartridge operation menu, and FIG. 10B is a diagram of an internal display screen while displaying a cartridge operation menu.

FIG. 11A is a diagram of an external display screen at the beginning of a song, and FIG. 11B is a diagram of an external display screen while enjoying a song.

12A is a diagram of the external display screen at the beginning of the song, FIG. 12B is a diagram of the internal display screen when the user starts singing, and FIG. Fig. 2 is a diagram of the internal display screen while the computer is running.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (71) Applicant 599080856 14 Jalan Intan, Singapore 668774 Singapore

Claims (32)

[Claims] 1. A music playback device comprising: a fixed memory; a programmable memory in which data is stored in the fixed memory; a processing unit for producing images and audio signals from the data;
A display unit for displaying the image; and an audio output for outputting the audio signal. 2. The music reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data includes one or more sets of audio data, voice data, sound data, program data, game program data, text data, lyrics data, and graphic data. . 3. The music playback device of claim 1, wherein said programmable memory is removable by a user. 4. The music playback device of claim 1, wherein said programmable memory is an integrated circuit module. 5. The music playback device of claim 1, further comprising: a communication port connected to the programmable memory; and a programming device connected to the communication port, wherein the programming device is the programmable memory. Is programmed with the data. 6. The music playback device according to claim 5, wherein the programming device is one of a group consisting of a personal computer, a set-top box, and an Internet modem. 7. The communication port is a universal serial bus interface, RS2.
The music playback device according to claim 5, wherein the music playback device is one of a group consisting of 32 interfaces, a serial interface, a parallel interface, an IRDA, and an RF interface. 8. The music reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said fixed memory stores program data and controls operation of said processing unit. 9. The image produced by the processing unit comprises a graphic image.
Music playback device. 10. The music playback device according to claim 9, wherein the processing unit produces a graphic image from data stored in the fixed memory. 11. The music playback device according to claim 10, wherein the processing unit produces a graphic image from data stored in the programmable memory. 12. The music playback device according to claim 1, wherein the image produced from the processing unit includes text. 13. The music playback device according to claim 1, wherein the image produced by the processing unit includes superimposed text on a graphic image. 14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a video input for receiving a video image, wherein the image includes a video image from the video input. 15. The music playback device of claim 14, wherein said processor unit produces text and said image includes text superposed on a video image from said video input. 16. The data according to claim 1, wherein said data is compressed.
Music playback device. 17. The music reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a decompression module for decompressing data. 18. The music playback device of claim 1, further comprising: a headset connector for connecting a headset to the audio output; a speaker connector for connecting a speaker to the audio output; and the audio. Transmitter to send signals wirelessly to external speakers. 19. The music reproducing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said transmitter operates as an FM transmitter. 20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the audio signal is output to at least two of the headset connector, the speaker connector, and the transmitter substantially simultaneously. 21. The music reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display unit is physically wrapped in a housing containing the processing unit. 22. The display unit, comprising: an LCD;
22. The music playback device according to claim 21, which is a display. 23. The music playback device of claim 21, further comprising: a video port for outputting the image; and an external display for displaying the image. 24. The music playback device according to claim 1, further comprising a keypad for receiving a user's instruction. 25. The music playback device according to claim 1, further comprising a remote control receiver for receiving a user's instruction. 26. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is portable.
Music playback device. 27. The music playback device of claim 1, wherein said data is downloadable from the Internet and stored in a programmable memory. 28. The music playback device of claim 1, wherein the data comprises program data, and wherein the processing unit executes the program data from the programmable memory. 29. A karaoke unit comprising: a memory for storing data; a microphone input for connection to a microphone; a processor for producing an audio signal from data stored in said memory; a signal from said microphone input. Mix the audio signal to
A mixer for producing a mixed audio signal; and a transmitter for transmitting the mixed audio signal in a radio frequency range. 30. The karaoke unit of claim 29, further comprising: a first memory integrated within said karaoke unit; and a second memory removably connected to said karaoke unit. The processor produces the audio signal from data in either a first memory or a second memory. 31. The karaoke unit according to claim 29, further comprising a remote control sensor for receiving a user command from a remote control device. 32. A music playback device comprising:
A memory for storing data; a microphone input for connection to a microphone; a processor for producing an audio signal from the data stored in the memory; a mixing and mixing of the audio signal with the signal from the microphone input; Mixer for making audio signals;
A transmitter for transmitting the mixed audio signal in a radio frequency range; a first memory integrated in the karaoke unit; and a second memory detachably connected to the karaoke unit, the processor comprising: Produces the audio signal from the data in either a first memory or a second memory.