JP2002287777A - Karaoke recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a Karaoke recorder which enables a user to freely select pieces of music to be recorded in a plurality of portable mediums, respectively. SOLUTION: The Karaoke recorder is provided with an interface which acquires Karaoke accompaniment music and singing voices, a temporary storage device for a recording file, a first recording control means which writes the acoustic signals of the accompaniment music and singing voices into the temporary storage device as a recording file of a music unit, a data writer which writes data into portable recording mediums, a storage part for a plurality of portable recording mediums, a means which supplies a portable recording medium taken out from the storage part to the data writer, a means which defines a plurality of arbitrary recording files on the temporary storage device as an album, a user interface which accepts a dump request for recording files from a user, and a second recording control means which accepts the dump request and writes, by using the data writer, the recording files in appropriate portable mediums assigned to individual albums.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a karaoke recording apparatus for recording karaoke accompaniment music played by a karaoke apparatus and a singing voice of a user singing along with the accompaniment music on an appropriate recording medium. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a karaoke store or the like, as an optional service, a karaoke recording service capable of recording karaoke accompaniment music sound output from a karaoke apparatus and a singing voice of a user singing to the music on an appropriate recording medium. There is a place that offers.

A karaoke recording device is a device for recording karaoke accompaniment music and a singer's voice.
This is a CD recorder body using DR as a recording medium. CD
The recorder inputs a mixed voice signal of karaoke accompaniment music and singing voice input to the microphone from the karaoke apparatus, samples the voice signal, converts the sampled voice signal into PCM data conforming to the CD audio standard, and converts the PCM data into CDM data. Write to -R and "record". The karaoke apparatus and the CD recorder are connected via an interface such as RS232C, and exchange appropriate control information such as synchronizing the performance start timing on the karaoke apparatus side with the recording start timing on the CD recorder side. ing.

[0004]

In a conventional karaoke recording apparatus, when recording is started, the singing voice is recorded even if the singing fails. If the recording medium is a CD-R, the recorded content cannot be deleted. Of course, it is possible to invalidate the recorded data area so that the recorded voice cannot be reproduced, but the recorded data area is wasted. Regardless of the content, if you use the karaoke recording service, you must pay a predetermined service provision fee and receive the recorded recording medium.
If the singing fails, the service fee will be a wasteful expense for the user, and the recording medium on which the failed content has been recorded must be collected. Therefore, the present inventors have invented a karaoke recording apparatus that can prevent recording on a portable recording medium when singing fails,
This was filed earlier (Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-382131).

When using a karaoke facility such as a karaoke box, it is rarely used alone. Usually used in groups. Therefore, this group will use the karaoke recording device jointly, and as a result, music pieces recorded by a plurality of persons will be mixed in one portable recording medium. If each member of the group wants to individually bring back the medium on which only their own singing has been recorded, the conventional karaoke recording device cannot cope. Even when using karaoke alone, there is a case where a plurality of music pieces need to be recorded on a plurality of media. Certainly, it is possible to continuously record the music to be recorded on one medium and then record it on the next medium. However, with this, recording on the next medium cannot be started until recording on one medium is completed. If you want to distinguish the medium for each individual, you can not record your singing until the recording of a certain person is completed.Even if you separate the medium for each song, you must decide in advance the order of the songs requested to the karaoke device Not too cumbersome.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a karaoke recording apparatus capable of freely selecting a music piece to be recorded on each of a plurality of portable media while eliminating useless recording on a portable recording medium.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording input interface for acquiring karaoke accompaniment music output from a karaoke apparatus and singing voice output from a microphone. A readable and writable temporary storage device as a temporary storage location of a recording file, and a first storage device for writing the audio signal of the karaoke accompaniment music and the singing voice to the temporary storage device as the recording file in music units in a predetermined data format. Recording control means, a data writing device for writing data to a portable recording medium, a medium storage unit for storing a plurality of portable recording media, and an appropriate portable recording medium exchangeable from the medium storage unit. The medium transport means for taking out and supplying the data to the data writing device and the plurality of recording files on the temporary storage device are appropriately combined. Means for defining a group of files as an album, a user interface for accepting a dump request from the user for the recorded file on the temporary storage device, and the portable medium suitable for each defined album Second recording control means for receiving the dump request from the user and writing the recording file for each album read from the temporary storage device to the portable recording medium corresponding to the album by the data writing device. And a karaoke recording device equipped with:

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, ID input means for inputting a personal ID for identifying a singer, and the personal ID obtained by the input means corresponds to an appropriate recording file. A personal karaoke recording device for defining an album for each personal ID based on the association between the personal ID and the recording file by the personal ID management means. .

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS === Configuration of Karaoke Recording Apparatus =
== FIG. 1 schematically shows a connection state between a karaoke recording apparatus and a karaoke apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The karaoke recording device 1 includes a general-purpose personal computer (room PC) 2 and a CD-R attached to the room PC 2.
And the changer 3. Room PC2
Receives various control signals such as data for instructing the performance start timing from the karaoke apparatus 5 via a communication interface of the RS232C standard, and outputs a mixed voice including karaoke accompaniment music and singing voice output from the karaoke apparatus 5 as sound. Various controls for inputting a signal and recording this mixed audio signal on a CD-R4 in an appropriate data format
Execute the process. Therefore, the guest room PC 2 operates as a control unit in the karaoke recording device 1.

The CD-R changer 3 has a plurality of CD-Rs.
And a built-in medium storage mechanism, medium transport mechanism, medium drive mechanism, and the like for writing data to an appropriate CD-R 4. Then, the designated data is written to the designated CD-R according to the control signal from the guest room PC2.

FIG. 2 shows that the guest room PC 2 is a karaoke recording device 1.
Is a functional block diagram when operating as a control unit. The main body 10 of the guest room PC 2 is a CPU, RAM, RO
M and the like, a central control unit 11 constituted by a computer, a hard disk device 12, an RS232C
A control information interface 13 conforming to the standard, a SCSI interface 15 serving as an interface with the CD-R changer 3, a recording input interface 14 for processing an audio signal from the karaoke apparatus 5, and the like are incorporated as main components. The recording input interface 14 has a voice input terminal, inputs a mixed voice signal of karaoke accompaniment music and singing voice output from the voice output terminal of the karaoke apparatus 5 from this voice input terminal, and samples the mixed voice signal. The data is converted into PCM data and transferred to the central control unit 11.

The guest room PC 2 has, as input devices operated by the user, a touch panel 23 provided on a screen of a display 20 in addition to a keyboard 21 and a mouse 22. Operation input information from these input devices is Are transferred to the central control unit 11 via the interfaces 16 to 18 of the respective standards. 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.

In this embodiment, when the guest room PC 2 functions as the control unit of the karaoke recording apparatus 1, most of the operation is received from the touch panel 23. The guest room PC 2 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 user is G
The karaoke recording service is used through an interactive user interface through a UI.

On the other hand, a karaoke apparatus 5 for supplying a recording source to the cabin PC 2 is a well-known communication karaoke performance terminal.
For a large number of karaoke songs identified by song numbers (song IDs), music generation data described in MIDI format and lyrics rendering data from which lyrics images are generated are stored in an appropriate external storage. Then, it processes the music generation data and the lyrics rendering data corresponding to the music ID specified by the user, and synchronously generates the karaoke accompaniment music and the lyrics image. In addition, the singing voice of the user input through the microphone and the karaoke accompaniment music are mixed and the voice signal is output as sound. The lyrics image is output as a video image on a display attached to the karaoke apparatus 5.

=== Overview of Karaoke Recording Function === The karaoke recording apparatus of the present invention appropriately converts a voice signal from the karaoke apparatus as a recording file for each music piece in response to a case where the singing content is unsatisfactory. "Temporary recording" by temporarily writing to the storage device. Then, a user input to transfer (dump) the provisionally recorded content to a portable recording medium is received, and the corresponding recording file is written to the portable recording medium. In addition, a function of discriminating and transferring an arbitrary file from a plurality of temporarily recorded recording files to a designated portable recording medium (hereinafter, an album creation function) is provided.

In the present embodiment, the hard disk device 12 is used as a storage device for temporarily storing the recording file, and the CD-R4 is adopted as a portable recording medium. Hereinafter, the recording operation by the karaoke recording device 1 will be described.

=== Karaoke Recording Operation === When the user operates the guest room PC 2 and inputs that the karaoke recording service is used, the guest room PC 2 starts karaoke performed by the karaoke apparatus 5 after the operation input. Control information interface 1 for starting performance of music
Get through 3. Note that the guest room PC 2 can also recognize the performance start timing by detecting the audio signal input from the recording input interface 14 without depending on the control signal from the karaoke device 5. Of course, the performance start timing can be manually instructed by a user input.

The guest room PC2 secures an appropriate area of the RAM as a recording data storage area, and stores PCM data from the recording input interface 14 in this area in synchronization with the start of performance of a certain karaoke song. . And
The storage of the PCM data is stopped at the timing of the end of the music performance, for example, when the end signal of the music performance from the karaoke apparatus 5 is received via the control information interface 13. The end timing of the music performance can also be recognized at the time when the voice input becomes a silent state or by an instruction from a user input.

When the data storage operation is stopped, a screen for inquiring the user as to whether or not to save the recorded contents is displayed on the display 20. If there is a storage instruction, the stored PCM data includes a music ID, a music title, and the like. Then, a recording file of a predetermined format (such as a WAV file) appropriately named is created, and this file is stored in an appropriate recording area (a directory, a folder, or the like) of the hard disk device 12 and provisionally recorded. Of course, if the RAM capacity is large enough,
Instead of being transcribed to the hard disk device 12, the recording file may be stored in the RAM as it is.

On the other hand, if an instruction not to save the recorded contents is input within a fixed time after the performance or during the performance due to a failure in singing or the like, the PC stored in the RAM is stored.
Erase M data. Alternatively, the previous data is overwritten with PCM data input at the next performance opportunity. A plurality of recording files respectively created at several performance occasions as described above are stored in the hard disk device 12.

=== Editing and Transcription of Album === When the user performs an operation of displaying a list of recording files stored in the hard disk device 12, a list of temporarily recorded recording files is displayed on the display 20. Is done.
In this embodiment, the names of the karaoke songs from which the recording files are generated are displayed in a list. The user selects an appropriate file from the plurality of recorded files displayed in the list, and specifies a CD-R to which the selected file is to be dumped. As a result, each recording file is stored on the appropriate CD
Recording files that are associated with R and are dumped for each CD-R are defined as albums. FIG. 3 shows an example of a GUI screen displayed on the display 20 for defining an album. In this example, an arbitrary CD-R number can be designated for the title of the karaoke song from which the recorded file originated.

After the album is defined by the user, the guest room PC 2 receives a “dump request” for writing each album to the CD-R 4, and then receives the CD-R changer 3.
To control the recording files included in the album
According to the format, the data is sequentially written on the CD-R4 and "recorded". As a procedure for creating this album, one album may be recorded on one CD-R4 and then replaced with a second CD-R to create the next album.
Recording may be performed while exchanging the CD-R4 for each recording file, so that a plurality of albums are created in parallel.

=== Second Embodiment === In the above embodiment (hereinafter, the first embodiment), an album is defined by a user input after a recording file is created. However, if you create an album for each user, enter some information that identifies each user individually,
By associating the information with the recording file, an album can be defined for each individual. Therefore, a method of defining an album for each individual is described below as a second embodiment.

Here, an example in which each user uses a remote control transmitter (personal remote control) owned by an individual will be described.
The individual remote controller stores an individual identifier (remote control ID), and when a request music is designated to the karaoke apparatus using the remote control, the remote control ID is transmitted to the karaoke apparatus together with the music number of the request music.

The individual remote controller distributes personal information (name, contact information, etc.) to members registered by the karaoke company, gives points to the member every time a karaoke song is requested, and is specified by the remote controller ID. It is actually used for such purposes as providing coupon services to members according to their points.

If the remote control ID of the individual remote controller is used as information for specifying the individual (personal ID), the personal ID is input to the karaoke apparatus when requesting a karaoke song. Then, when performing karaoke recording at a performance occasion of a certain requested music, it may be configured to receive a personal ID for requesting input of the music from the karaoke apparatus to the guest room PC.

As a specific operation method of the karaoke recording apparatus according to this configuration, first, a user brings his / her personal remote controller, or a karaoke shop lends a personal remote controller for each user. If you want to lend it,
Notify D to the user. When requesting a karaoke song to be recorded, the user uses the personal remote controller.

When the karaoke apparatus to be recorded is played, the karaoke apparatus notifies the guest room PC of the personal ID via the control information interface and the music is provisionally recorded in the same operating environment as in the first embodiment. The personal ID is associated with the temporarily recorded recording file.

When the user gives an instruction to display a list of temporarily recorded recording files to the guest room PC after the temporary recording operation is completed, the guest room PC also displays the correspondence between the recorded files and the personal ID. I do. FIG. 4 illustrates the list display state. The personal ID, the recorded file name (song name), and the number of the dump destination CD-R have already been associated with each other. Which CD-R is assigned to which personal ID may be appropriately determined based on the input order of the personal IDs (order of request for karaoke music). The user confirms the recording file associated with his / her ID from this recording file list, and issues a dump request to the guest room PC.
To create a personalized album.

In the second embodiment shown here, the personal ID is
It is configured to be input to the karaoke apparatus 5 at the time of request, and to be transferred to the guest room PC 2 when the requested music is played. However, it is easy to attach a remote control signal receiving device to the guest room PC 2 instead of this configuration.
When the karaoke song to be recorded is played or during temporary recording, the personal ID is timely transmitted directly to the guest room P via this receiver.
By inputting the information to C2, an album can be created based on the personal ID.

=== Modification Example === In each of the above-described embodiments, the karaoke apparatus and the karaoke recording apparatus correspond to each other on a one-to-one basis. However, if a karaoke recording device including a CD-R changer is attached to each karaoke device, a store having many karaoke devices will spend a lot of capital investment. In addition, maintenance and management become complicated. Therefore, a method for centrally managing mixed audio signals from a plurality of karaoke apparatuses is described below.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a karaoke recording apparatus in the centralized management system. Each guest room 20 is provided with a karaoke device 5 and a guest room PC 2. Each guest room PC 2 and karaoke device 5 are connected to a CD-R changer 3 by LAN.
Is connected to a computer (management PC) 30 accompanying the In this mode, guest room PC2, management PC30, CD-
The karaoke recording device 1 is constituted by the R changer 3.

The guest room PC 2 inputs a karaoke accompaniment music and a singing voice from the karaoke device 5 in the same guest room 20 as in the above embodiments, and creates a recording file or an album. Then, when the user of each guest room 20 performs an album dump request operation, data (album definition data) describing which recording file is included in which album and the recording file body are transferred to the management PC 30.
Software for controlling the CD-R changer 3 is mounted on the management PC 30, and the CD-R is changed for each album.
Write a recording file to R. Also, which room P
By managing which file has been transferred from C2, an album created in another guest room PC2 is prevented from being mixed into another CD-R.

The network configuration in the centralized management system includes a plurality of CD-R changers and a plurality of management Ps for controlling the respective CD-R changers.
C may be used, or a plurality of CD-R changers may be connected to one management PC.
Of course, the control function similar to that of the management PC may be incorporated in the CD-R changer itself without going through the management PC. It is also possible to connect a CD-R changer to some guest room PCs.

=== Example of Changing User Interface ==
= The user interface environment in the karaoke recording apparatus is not limited to the above embodiments. By simply changing the software that generates the GUI, the user interface environment can have various variations. Below, the variation is illustrated.

(A) For a recording file to be dumped to a CD-R, the recording order can be specified. As a result, even when an album is created in consideration of the recording order, it is not necessary to determine the performance designation order of the request music in advance.

(A) The user does not activate the provisional recording process in response to a recording instruction, but provisionally records the recording at every performance opportunity, and inputs an instruction as to whether or not to dump the recorded content after the performance. To do.

(C) The user can select a file to be dumped from the temporarily recorded recording file. For example, after displaying a list of all temporarily recorded files,
Accepts user's file selection input. Then, the selected file is written on the CD-R.

(D) The same recorded file can be transferred to a different CD-R
To be able to write to In the configuration of the first embodiment, the user interface may be such that a plurality of CD-Rs can be associated with a recording file. In the configuration of the second embodiment,
It is sufficient that a personal ID can be additionally input when a list of recorded files is displayed.

(E) In the second embodiment, the personal ID input method using the individual remote controller is described, but the personal ID may be directly input by key. Or personal ID
Instead of, for example, the user's name and initials are registered in the guest room PC in advance, and the names and initials are associated with the music to be recorded when performing karaoke music or instructing temporary recording. It would also be possible to output a screen prompting the user to do so. In addition, individual I
The key input of D may be configured to be accepted by either the guest room PC or the karaoke device.

(F) The number of recorded files that can be written to one CD-R may be limited. In this case, for example, when a predetermined number of recorded files are associated with one CD-R or one personal ID, an album may be automatically defined and dump processing may be executed.

=== Supplemental === The configuration of the karaoke recording apparatus is not limited to the configuration mainly using the guest room PC, and may be a dedicated apparatus or a form incorporated in the karaoke apparatus. .

In the above embodiment, the karaoke apparatus is configured to input the mixed voice signal of the karaoke accompaniment music and the singing voice to the karaoke recording apparatus. However, the karaoke apparatus receives the karaoke accompaniment music and the microphone. Some singing voices are output from individual voice output terminals. In correspondence with such a karaoke apparatus, the recording input interface may be provided with a plurality of audio input terminals for individually inputting audio signals of karaoke accompaniment music and singing voice input through the microphone. Thereby,
For example, it is possible to create a recording file in which either the karaoke accompaniment music or the singing voice is emphasized or muted by controlling the volume of the audio signal from one of the input terminals.

As a matter of course, as a portable recording medium in the karaoke recording apparatus of the present invention, CD-
Not only R but also an appropriate medium such as MD / DVD-RAM can be used. The data format of the recording file is not limited to the PCM format, but may be various compressed audio data formats (MP-3, AT
RAC etc.) can be adopted. Of course, if the temporarily recorded file is D / A converted to analog data,
Analog audio recording media such as audio cassette tapes can also be used.

[0045]

According to the present invention, in a karaoke recording apparatus for recording on a portable recording medium, it is possible to start over even if singing of karaoke fails. Moreover, a portable recording medium of a dump destination can be selected for each recording file, and when a karaoke recording device is shared by a group, a plurality of users can individually bring the portable recording medium back.

When the portable recording medium is brought back for each individual, the work of associating the recording file with the portable recording medium (defining an album) is simplified by associating the recording file with the personal ID.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a connection example between a karaoke recording device and a karaoke device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a guest room PC constituting the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a screen displayed on a display, showing an example of a GUI realized in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a screen displayed on a display, showing an example of a GUI realized by the karaoke recording apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic configuration diagram of a karaoke recording device employing a centralized management system as a modified example of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Karaoke recording device 2 Guest room PC 3 CD-R changer 5 Karaoke device 11 Central control unit 12 Hard disk device 14 Recording input interface

Claims (2)

[Claims] A recording input interface for acquiring karaoke accompaniment music output from a karaoke device and singing voice output from a microphone; a readable and writable temporary storage device serving as a temporary storage location of a recording file; First recording control means for writing the audio signals of the karaoke accompaniment music and the singing voice into the temporary storage device in a predetermined data format as the recording file in music units, and data writing for writing data to a portable recording medium A device, a medium storage unit that stores a plurality of portable recording media, and a medium transport unit that replaceably removes an appropriate portable recording medium from the medium storage unit and supplies the portable recording medium to the data writing device. An album definition method for defining a file group in which a plurality of the recording files on the temporary storage device are appropriately combined as an album. And a user interface for receiving a dump request from the user for the recording file on the temporary storage device, allocating the appropriate portable medium to each of the defined albums, and receiving the dump request from the user. Second recording control means for receiving and writing a recording file for each album read from the temporary storage device to a portable recording medium corresponding to the album by the data writing device. apparatus. 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an ID input means for inputting a personal ID for identifying a singer, and the personal ID obtained by the input means are managed in association with an appropriate recording file. Personal album management means, wherein the album definition means includes a personal ID based on a correspondence between the personal ID and the recording file by the personal ID management means.
A karaoke recording device characterized by defining an album for each.