JP2002189482A - Song selection reserving system for karaoke singing equipment using musical composition retrieval site managed on information communication network - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a song selection reserving system which can retrieve a KARAOKE musical composition whose title is not known with high accuracy. SOLUTION: The song selection reserving system is provided with a global communication control means for a TCP/IP communication, a local communication control means to communicate with KARAOKE singing equipment, and a user interface control means based on an interactive GUI. The system carries out processing in which information on a plurality of musical composition retrieval sites is registered on a site information table, the information is managed, and each musical composition retrieval site is presented by GUI to a user as an available site, processing in which a query inputted by the user is sent to a musical composition retrieval site accessed according to corresponding information registered on the site information table in response to the issuance of a command that a certain musical composition retrieval site is used, processing in which a retrieval report for the query is received and presented to the user by GUI, and processing in which communication with KARAOKE singing equipment is performed to reserve the performance of the musical composition in response to the issuance of a reservation command about a certain musical composition included in the retrieval report.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a song selection reservation system for instructing a karaoke apparatus of a song desired by a user, and more particularly to a search for a desired song from fragmentary information on a karaoke song. In addition, the present invention relates to a music selection reservation system using an external music search site.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a user requests a karaoke apparatus to play a desired music, the user inputs a music number (music ID) using a remote control transmitter attached to the karaoke apparatus. The remote control transmitter transmits a reservation command including the music ID to the karaoke device. When the karaoke device receives the music ID in the reservation command, the input order and the music ID
Are managed in a queue for performance reservation. Then, when the performance order of the music comes, the corresponding karaoke music is played.

[0003] The most common method for searching for a song ID is to use a karaoke table of contents. In the table of contents, the music number of the target karaoke music is described by a plurality of classification methods so that the music number, the singer, the genre, or the like can be searched. The user uses the table of contents book to directly search for a song to be requested by song name, or searches for a song name by relying on the singer's name, and confirms the song ID associated with the requested song.

Recently, some karaoke stores have adopted a music selection reservation system in which a remote control transmitter is equipped with a table of contents function. This system manages song names, singer names, and song IDs for a large number of karaoke songs, and inputs a portion of song names and singer names to display a list of the corresponding karaoke songs. If there is a desired karaoke song in the list, the user simply instructs the song in the list and the corresponding song ID is transmitted to the karaoke apparatus.

[0005]

When a song to be requested is a theme song of a TV program or a CM song, the song may be remembered by a program name or a commercial product name rather than a song name. Some songs are memorized only by phrases and melodies. In such music, the user may not know the name of the music or the name of the singer at all. Enter the TV program name, CM product name, maker name, etc. to display the song name and singer of the corresponding karaoke song, and reserve the song selection so that the song ID is sent to the karaoke song just by pointing to the displayed song title It would be easy to configure the system. Also,
There is actually a music search system that inputs a melody played by a user by voice and presents a karaoke tune corresponding to the melody, and this search system can be incorporated in a music selection reservation system. However, if an advanced music search function is installed, the cost of the music selection reservation system increases. In addition, there are various search systems, and a satisfactory search result may not be obtained depending on a search algorithm in the adopted search system. Also, the technology related to the music search algorithm is improving day by day, and the running cost increases if a new search system is introduced each time.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a song selection reservation system for a karaoke apparatus which allows a user to search for a desired karaoke song with high accuracy without introducing an advanced karaoke song search system.

[0007]

The first invention for achieving the above object is specified by the following items (1) to (4). (1) Global communication control means for performing TCP / IP communication with an external computer via an information communication network, local communication control means for communicating with a karaoke apparatus for which performance reservation is to be made, and a user using an interactive GUI This is a music selection reservation system for a karaoke device, which is constituted by a computer having a user interface control means for communicating with the karaoke device. (2) The music selection reservation system registers and manages search site information relating to the location and use of a plurality of music search sites operated on the information communication network in a site information table. The music search site is presented to the user as an available site through the interactive GUI. (3) In response to the user issuing a use command for the music search site presented by the interactive GUI, the music selection reservation system executes the music search site in accordance with the corresponding information registered in the site information table. Communicating, allowing the user to access the music search site by the interactive GUI, delivering a query entered by the user to the music search site, receiving a search report for the query, and using the query by the interactive GUI. To the person. (4) The final song selection reservation system communicates with the karaoke apparatus in response to the user issuing a reservation command for a certain song included in the search report presented by the interactive GUI, and reserves the performance of the song. I do.

In a second aspect based on the first aspect, a search is performed based on a history of access to each music search site and a history of issuance of the reservation command originating from the search report received for each access opportunity. A song selection reservation system for a karaoke apparatus including means for creating site utilization data and recording the search site utilization data in association with the relevant search site information.

[0009] In the second invention, the search site utilization data in each of the music retrieval sites is compared with predetermined reference utilization data, and the comparison result corresponds to the search site utilization data that is equal to or less than the reference. For the karaoke apparatus, a song selection reservation system for deleting corresponding search site information from the site information table is described in the third section.
And the invention.

[0010] In any one of the first to third inventions, the local communication control means communicates with a management computer which collectively manages the search site information, and registers the new search site information sent from the management server. A fourth aspect of the present invention is a song selection reservation system for a karaoke apparatus, which includes means for updating the site information table in accordance with information indicating that the search is to be performed or information indicating that certain search site information is to be deleted.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS === System Configuration === The music selection reservation system of the present invention does not employ a form including an advanced music search system, and uses a TC such as the Internet.
It is characterized by using a music search function mounted on an external computer connected to a communication network based on P / IP communication. Then, a query is given to the external computer (music search site) to receive a search report.

FIG. 1 shows a network configuration diagram including a music selection reservation system in an embodiment of the present invention. The music selection reservation system of this embodiment is mainly composed of a general personal computer (room PC) 1, and this room PC
The music selection reservation function is realized by the software installed in 1. A plurality of guest room PCs 1 are installed in each guest room 5 together with one karaoke device 2, and each guest room P
C1 is connected to other information processing equipment in the karaoke store such as the karaoke device 2 and a computer (management server) 3 managed by the karaoke store by the LAN 6.

A LAN 6 and an external communication network 7 based on TCP / IP communication such as the Internet are connected via a router 4 coupled to a management server 3. A global IP address is assigned to the router 4 (or the management server 3), and each guest room PC 1
Is assigned a local IP address by the NAT function of the router 4 or the like. Thereby, the guest room PC
1 is an external music search site 8 specified by an IP address
And TCP / IP communication.

The management server 3 is a personal computer installed at a reception of a karaoke store or the like. The management server 3 manages the operating state of the guest room PC 1 and the karaoke apparatus 2 and performs accounting for each guest room based on the operating state. Processing, etc. The reservation command including the music ID of the requested music specified by the user in the guest room PC1 is LA
A process for transferring the requested music to the corresponding karaoke device 2 by performing transfer to the karaoke device 2 in the same guest room as the guest room PC1 via N6 is also executed.
Further, it functions as a firewall and a proxy server for relaying TCP / IP communication between the external communication network 7 and the information processing device in the LAN 6. The present invention is not limited to the above configuration, and a mode in which the guest room PC 1 and the karaoke apparatus 2 are connected one-to-one is also conceivable. Also, a dedicated information processing device that functions only as a music selection reservation system without using a general-purpose personal computer may be used.

=== Outline of Music Search Function === According to the music selection reservation system of the present invention, a user selects a karaoke music that he / she wants to request without knowing the name of the karaoke music or the name of the singer, and makes a performance reservation. be able to. There are a plurality of music search sites 8 that can be used in the present embodiment, and each provides its own music search service. For example, a humming search service that receives a melody played by a user as a query, identifies the karaoke song by analyzing the query with a unique algorithm, and returns the karaoke song as a search report, or “○ × There is an "ambiguous search service" for searching for a target musical piece from a character string that is vaguely expressed, such as "Theme song of a TV drama in which" has appeared. " Even if the service content is the same, the search algorithm and the user interface environment (query input environment, search report format, etc.) may be different. Therefore, a plurality of music search sites providing the same service may be available.

The location of each music search site 8 is specified by an IP address.
On the basis of IP communication, higher layers communicate using a dedicated protocol. Further, since a communication procedure, a query input environment, and a search report processing method are different for each search site 8, a dedicated program (site use program) is used for each music search site 8 to be accessed.

=== Configuration of Music Selection System === FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram when the guest room PC of this embodiment operates as a music selection reservation system. As described above, the music selection reservation system is a general-purpose PC, and the PC body 1
Reference numeral 0 designates a central control unit 11 composed of a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and the like as a main body of the computer, a hard disk device 12, a LAN interface 13 such as 10BASE-T standard, an audio interface 14 for processing audio signals, and the like as main components. Built-in. The audio interface 14 has an input / output terminal for an audio signal, samples the audio signal from the audio input terminal, converts it into PCM data, and transfers it to the central control unit 11. Also, the PCM data transferred from the central control unit 11 is D / A converted and an analog audio signal is output from an audio output terminal. In this example, a microphone and a speaker are connected to a voice input / output terminal, respectively.
Comes with 1.

As an input device, in addition to a keyboard 21 and a mouse 22, a touch panel 23 provided on a screen of a display 20 is attached. Operation input information from these input devices is transmitted to an interface 16 of a standard conforming to each of them. Are transferred to the central control unit 11 through. The graphic control unit 19 converts the bitmap image developed in the built-in video RAM into a video signal and outputs the video signal to the display 20.

The hard disk drive 12 has a guest room PC 1
And a karaoke song information such as a song ID, a song name, and a singer name for a large number of karaoke songs managed by the program. In addition, a search site information table in which locations (IP addresses) and usage methods (such as programs to be used) are associated with a plurality of music search sites is also stored.

In this embodiment, the operation input from the karaoke user is received from the touch panel 23. The guest room PC1 has a GUI environment for appropriately switching the display screen of the display 20 in response to a user input from the touch panel 23.
The music selection reservation system is operated through an interactive user interface by the user.

=== Karaoke Song Search Procedure === FIGS. 3A to 3C show, as a transition diagram of a screen displayed on a display, an operating state of a song selection reservation system program (song selection program) in the guest room PC. ing. When the guest room PC starts up as a music selection reservation system, an initial screen on which a plurality of icons 31a to 31c are arranged is displayed (A). The music selection program includes the icons 31a to 31
The start position of the predetermined program is associated with the display position of c and managed. Each icon 31a- on the initial screen
Each program for designating a karaoke song in the same way as a normal table of contents book, such as selecting a song by inputting a part of a song name or a singer's name or selecting a genre, etc., is associated with 31c. Icon 31a, and an icon 31b corresponding to a plurality of available music search sites,
31c, and icons 31b and 31c corresponding to each site are associated with a dedicated site use program. Here, it is assumed that the icon 31b of a certain music search site A that provides a hamming search service is designated.

The music selection program starts a corresponding site use program in response to the instruction operation of the icon 31b. The use program first executes a process of setting a tempo of humming in which the user hums, and displaying a screen (B) for urging the humming in accordance with the tempo toward the handset to hum. Next, the Hamming voice signal input from the microphone of the handset is represented by P
A process of receiving the data from the audio interface as CM data, analyzing the PCM data, and converting the data into MIDI format data is executed. At this time, the input status of the audio signal is displayed in real time on the graph 32 on the B screen. In response to the user instructing the instruction button 33 to send the converted MIDI data to the search site as a query, the user specifies a predetermined IP address from the search site information table based on the relevant search site information. To access the Internet. Then, when it is recognized that a session with the music search site has been established, the MIDI data is sent as a query. When a search report is returned from the music search site as a processing result for the query, the report is displayed as a standard search result screen (C).

In this embodiment, the search report returned from the music search site is the MI sent by the query.
This is data in which a karaoke song including a phrase approximated to the DI data is selected as a song selection candidate and a plurality of song selection candidates are ranked according to the degree of approximation. The song name and the song ID of each karaoke song to be the song selection candidate are described. I have. The search result screen displays a list of song names and singer names of karaoke songs as candidate song selections, and each line 34 displaying song names is associated with a program for issuing a reservation command. Therefore, when a user inputs to select a row 34 in which an arbitrary song name in the search result screen is described, a reservation command including the ID of the song is sent to the corresponding karaoke apparatus on the LAN. Sent out.

=== Recording of Search Site Utilization Data and Updating of Site Information Table === It is also assumed that the music search service for the music selection reservation system is provided by a company different from the karaoke store operator. In such a case, it is common to think that a corresponding service provision fee will be paid to the service provider side with respect to the number of times the search service is used and the search report actually linked to the issuance of the reservation command. Therefore,
It is necessary to calculate a service fee to a search service provider according to the use results. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the number of actual accesses (access results) for each music search site, the number of reservation commands issued from the search report sent at the access opportunity (reservation command issuance results), and the like are used as search sites. The operation of recording as data is also performed.

Furthermore, it is necessary to stop using music search sites having poor search performance. In the present embodiment, stop / continue use is determined by comparing search site utilization data for each music retrieval site with predetermined reference utilization data. Specifically, the management server tallies the number of accesses to the music search site that occurred in each guest room PC and the number of times of issuing a reservation command originating from the access, and the number of accesses during a certain period meets the reference number. For a music search site that was not found or for a music search site in which the number of times of issuing a reservation command with respect to the number of accesses is equal to or less than a reference ratio, each room PC is instructed to delete the relevant search site information. Each guest room PC updates the site information table according to this instruction.

[0026] Further, when a higher performance music search site appears due to the advancement of technology, there is also a demand that the site be made available. In this embodiment, a function for registering new search site information is also provided.The karaoke store registers the location and use method of the new music search site in the management server, and the management server updates the registration information in a timely manner. Is delivered to each guest room PC. Of course, if a new site use program is required to use the new music search site, that program may be distributed as well.

=== Supplement / Modification / Application Example === In the above-described embodiment, the communication network was connected via the router. However, in a store or the like where only one karaoke device is installed, the room PC is used. In this mode, a communication interface such as a modem or a TA is directly connected. In addition, guest room PC
The karaoke apparatus will be directly connected to the karaoke apparatus by an interface of an appropriate standard such as RS232C.

The guest room PC and the music search site communicated with a dedicated protocol using a dedicated program. Therefore, it is assumed that the music search site is connected to the Internet, but its IP address and the like are not disclosed. Alternatively, the configuration is such that no access other than access by a dedicated site use program is accepted. Of course, the present invention is not limited to this mode, and an access mode using a general-purpose program such as a well-known protocol published on the Internet, such as HTTP, or a browser may be considered. In this case, the search report is returned as a Web page described in HTML, but if the appearance of the page such as which part of the Web page indicates the music title is known in advance, the site A search result screen can be generated on the use program side. In addition, if a Web page is described in XML, a song name and a song ID can be freely defined, and a search result screen can be generated on the site use program side according to the definition without depending on the format of the Web page. .

[0029]

According to the music reservation system of the present invention, a karaoke music desired by the user can be selected from fragmentary information using a plurality of music search sites. Therefore, an advanced music selection reservation system can be constructed without introducing an expensive search system.

Further, by recording search site utilization data, it can be used as appropriate, for example, as a basis for calculating a usage fee for a search service. Further, based on a comparison between the search site utilization data and the reference utilization data, it is possible to stop using a search site with a low use value, and use only a music search site with higher performance.

In accordance with a karaoke shop in which a music selection reservation system is installed in correspondence with each of a plurality of karaoke apparatuses, communication is performed by a local communication control means with a management computer for collectively managing search site information. Can also. As a result, a plurality of music selection reservation systems can access the music search site based on the common site information table, and the music search performance among the music selection reservation systems can be made uniform.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a network configuration diagram including a music selection reservation system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a functional block diagram in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 shows a screen displayed on a display in an operation state of the above-described embodiment by using transition diagrams (A) to (C).

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 music selection reservation system (room PC) 2 karaoke device 3 management server 4 router 6 LAN 7 Internet 8 music search site 11 central control unit 20 display 23 touch panel

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. The invention specified by the following items (1) to (4). (1) Global communication control means for performing TCP / IP communication with an external computer via an information communication network, local communication control means for communicating with a karaoke apparatus for which performance reservation is to be made, and a user using an interactive GUI This is a music selection reservation system for a karaoke device, which is constituted by a computer having a user interface control means for communicating with the karaoke device. (2) The music selection reservation system registers and manages search site information relating to the location and use of a plurality of music search sites operated on the information communication network in a site information table. The music search site is presented to the user as an available site through the interactive GUI. (3) In response to the user issuing a use command for the music search site presented by the interactive GUI, the final music selection reservation system determines the music search site according to the information registered in the site information table. Communicating, allowing the user to access the music search site by the interactive GUI, delivering a query input by the user to the music search site, receiving a search report for the query, and using the query by the interactive GUI. To the person. (4) The music selection reservation system communicates with the karaoke device to reserve the performance of the music in response to the user issuing a reservation command for a certain music included in the search report presented by the interactive GUI. I do. 2. The search site utilization data according to claim 1, based on a history of access to each music search site and a history of issuance of the reservation command originating from the search report received for each access opportunity. And a means for recording the search site utilization data in association with each search site information and recording the karaoke device. 3. A music search site according to claim 2, wherein the search site utilization data of each of the music search sites is equal to or less than a reference, and the corresponding search site information is deleted from the site information table. Song selection reservation system for karaoke equipment. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said local communication control means communicates with a management computer which collectively manages said search site information, and registers said new search site information sent from said management server. A song selection reservation system for a karaoke apparatus, comprising: means for updating the site information table in accordance with information indicating that a search site information is to be deleted or information indicating that certain search site information is to be deleted.