JP3221273B2 - Music playback system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a music reproducing system such as a communication type karaoke apparatus comprising an information center and a terminal device, and more particularly to a music reproducing system which facilitates setting of an operation mode of a terminal device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art It is well known that, in recent years, karaoke apparatuses equipped with video, which reproduce video and audio simultaneously from audio-only apparatuses, have rapidly spread due to technical development of karaoke apparatuses.

Heretofore, karaoke apparatuses have mainly been single karaoke apparatuses installed in dedicated spaces such as karaoke rooms, and this single karaoke apparatus has a large number of recordings suitable for the needs of the user and the times. Since it is necessary to always prepare a medium, the size of the apparatus tends to increase.
For this reason, a large number of recording media on which video and audio are recorded are centrally managed in one place, and the use of centralized karaoke and communication karaoke systems that can be distributed according to a user's request has been developed. That is the current situation.

As a centralized karaoke system of this type, terminals are arranged in hotels, inns, snacks, karaoke rooms, and the like, and when a user uses the terminal, an operation section of the terminal is operated to provide a central information center. (Central database) can be appropriately called up using a telephone line or the like to receive necessary software.

[0005] This type of device includes a device in which music information and video information are fixedly recorded on an optical disk or the like, and a device in which music and video are selectively reproduced and finally mixed and output. The latter can select the selected music and video as appropriate,
The so-called communication karaoke apparatus, which has been developed in recent years because of its continual variety, is often used.

In the above-mentioned communication type karaoke apparatus, the number of pre-recorded karaoke disks is not held as many as necessary, and frequently used songs are stored on a hard disk or the like having a large storage capacity. In normal use, the image and music information are read from the hard disk and reproduced. Infrequently used songs and the like are called from an information center through a public line for use, and are extremely effective in using new songs and special songs.

[0007] Each music playback device as the above terminal device determines what kind of music is played as BGM during music playback,
Alternatively, it is possible to set various operation modes such as what kind of video is used as a background image for music reproduction, on-screen at the time of music selection, and music selection information such as the best ten in the whole country.

[0008]

By the way, in each music reproducing apparatus which is the above terminal apparatus, the various operation mode settings as described above are performed by sequentially operating various operation sections arranged in each section of the apparatus. This is an operation mode unique to the terminal device.

[0009] These music playback devices are functionally enhanced as necessary, or are replaced at the installation site for maintenance work and repair of the device. It may be possible to relocate to an area.

[0010] Under the above circumstances, the user tends to set the terminal device to the same operation mode as the favorite operation mode used previously, and it is necessary to readjust a large number of setting parts again, which is extremely troublesome. Operation. In addition, there is a problem that such an operation mode is not changed to a memo or the like, and there is a problem that much time is required for starting up the apparatus.

[0011]

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information center (2) having storage means (3) for storing a plurality of pieces of music information.
And a plurality of terminal devices (1) each of which transmits and receives information to and from the information center (2) via the communication means (6) and has a music playback function, respectively.
In a music playback system capable of resetting an operation mode unique to each terminal device of the plurality of terminal devices (1) to the same operation mode as a previously used operation mode, each terminal device (1) Transmitting operation mode information relating to a terminal device-specific operation mode set by the terminal device (1) itself to the information center (2) via the communication means (6), and the information center (2) A storage unit (3) for linking and storing the operation mode information unique to the terminal device and the identification information unique to the terminal device transmitted from the terminal device (1), and transmitting the identification information unique to the terminal device. A music reproduction system characterized by returning operation mode setting information stored linked to identification information unique to the terminal device (1). "I will provide a. Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention described in claim 2 of the present application is directed to a terminal device, wherein the information center (2) transmits identification information unique to the terminal device via the communication means (6). The music playback system according to claim 1, wherein additional information for further adding a new function is transmitted to (1).

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of a music reproduction system according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a system diagram of a communication type music reproducing system employing the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining transmission and reception of operation modes of a music reproducing apparatus in the system.

Prior to the description of the present invention, an outline of the system will be described with reference to FIG. An information center 2 that manages a plurality of music playback devices 1 (11, 1n), which are terminal devices, manages MIDI information (music information), lyric character information, chorus information, still image information, and the like for a large number of songs. The main information, the genre of the music (pops, enka, etc.), background image information indicating the content of the background image, the operation mode (information) unique to the reproduction device set in the music reproduction device 1 of each terminal device, and the like. It has a large-capacity recording medium 3 such as a hard disk for storing, and these various kinds of information are stored in a database. Here, MIDI (Musicacl Instrument
"Digital Interface" refers to a hardware and software standard established to enable information exchange by connecting to a musical instrument such as a synthesizer or an electronic piano.

The center control unit 4 has a communication device and the like, which will be described later, and manages the operation of the information center 2 as a whole. The center control unit 4 stores information stored in response to a request from the music reproducing device 1 via the interface 5. Distribution is performed via communication means 6 such as a public line. Information distributed from the information center 2 is taken into the music reproducing apparatus 1 via the interface 7 of the apparatus.

The control means 8 controls the entire operation of the music reproducing apparatus 1, and is composed of, for example, a microcomputer, and stores therein the communication apparatus 8a, which is a feature of the present invention, and the operation mode of the apparatus. And an operation mode memory 8b.

The main storage means 9 stores, via the control means 8, a large number of pieces of music stored in advance and a large number of pieces of music information distributed from the information center 2 as necessary, and stores a large amount of data. For this reason, it has a hard disk which is inexpensive and has a large storage capacity. Here, MIDI information, chorus information, lyrics character information, and still image information are stored as data.

The multi-disc player 10 has a large number of moving image discs and functions as moving image information storage means. It has a plurality of, for example, two reproducing players 10A and 10B. The changeover switch 11 is appropriately switched via the control unit 10b by a signal to output a background moving image of one of the reproducing players 10A and 10B.

As moving image information, music of various genres such as enka and pops are prepared in the disk storage unit 10a as is well known.

The input means 12 includes a keyboard, a remote controller, and the like, and has an operation section 12A for selecting music and setting the tempo of the music in response to a request from the user.

The reproducing means 13 reproduces the MIDI information, chorus information and lyric character information read from the main storage means 9 via the control means 8 based on the request information input from the input means 12. Memory (high-speed access storage unit) for temporarily storing information such as a lyrics character area, a MIDI area, a chorus area, and a lyrics character video display processor (VDP)
And a still picture VDP, a MIDI playback section, a chorus playback section, and the like. The reproducing means 13 synchronizes the above-mentioned information read from the main storage means 9 with the moving image information (background image) corresponding to the requested music reproduced from the multi-disc player 10 while synthesizing the lyric character information. The superimposed moving picture information is displayed on a display 16, and the accompaniment music and chorus are mixed with the singing voice from the microphone 14 by a mixing means (MIX) 17 and output from a speaker 15.

Here, the transmission and reception of the operation mode of the music reproducing device on the terminal side in the system of the present invention will be described with reference to the explanatory diagrams of FIGS.

An operation mode unique to the music reproducing device 1 of the terminal,
For example, the type of BGM to be played during music playback (empty time), the type of background image for music playback, the on-screen content at the time of music selection, and the mode setting such as the best ten in the country as service information are set by operating the input means 12. It is appropriately arranged on the unit 12A and the main operation panel of the apparatus.

The music playback device 1 (installation location A), the music playback device 2 (installation location B), and the music playback device 3 (installation location C), which are terminal devices connected to the information center 2.
Are connected to each other by the communication means 6 as described above. For example, in the music reproducing device 3 arranged at the installation location C in a predetermined area, the operation mode set uniquely for the device as described above is the operation mode. It is stored in the memory 8b, and is taken from the communication device 8a into the large-capacity recording medium 3 as a hard disk via the communication device 4a of the information center 2. The setting operation mode of the music reproducing device 3 may be transmitted sequentially at the time of setting, or may be transmitted collectively at the end of setting.

The operation mode unique to the device transmitted from the music reproduction device 3 of the terminal is registered (stored) in a predetermined area of the recording medium 3 of the information center 2 such that the installation location, the terminal ID, the operation mode, etc. are linked to each other. ) Is done.

As shown in FIG. 3, for example, the music reproducing device 3
For example, when replacing with another music playback device 4 or the like used in another installation location for maintenance work and repair, the operation mode set so far in the music playback device 3 used in the installation location C Therefore, it is necessary to set an operation mode newly adopted previously.
In this case, the new music reproducing device 4 transmits the installation location information or the serial number unique to the terminal device to the information center 2 as the terminal ID via the communication device 8a. The information center 2 receives the unique identification information transmitted from the music reproducing device 4 by the communication device 4a,
The storage medium (hard disk) 3 is accessed according to a command from the center control unit 4, and the operation mode of the device at the installation location C stored therein is transmitted to the music reproduction device 4, and the transmitted operation mode is music reproduction. The data is fetched into the operation mode memory 8b via the communication device 8a of the device 4, and the device is set again to the previous operation mode by a command from the control means 8.

When the communication means is ISDN,
Since the originating telephone number is automatically transmitted to the information center 2 on the receiving side, using this as the installation location information, the input operation of the installation location information can be omitted, and malfunctions caused by setting mistakes and the like can be avoided. Can be avoided. By transmitting and managing the information unique to the music playback device of the terminal to the information center 2 in this manner, it is possible to transmit and receive information such as an operation mode.

Alternatively, a device in which the operation mode is not set at all, such as a new music reproducing device with an improved function, can be set in the same manner.

As described above, the operation mode information and the like of the music reproducing device, which is a terminal device, are collectively stored in the information center 2 so that, for example, the weather forecast mode as service information which is not provided in the conventional device can be stored in each terminal device. It can be distributed all at once, and at the same time can be upgraded and managed.

[0030]

According to the music reproducing system of the present invention described in detail above, it is possible to manage information unique to the music reproducing device on the terminal side, and to readjust even when the device is replaced or the installation location is changed. There is an effect that the device can be quickly started without necessity.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing an overall configuration of a music reproduction system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a transmission / reception mode between an information center and a music playback device of a terminal.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a transmission / reception mode of a terminal exchanged with an information center and a music reproducing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Music reproduction apparatus, 2 ... Information center, 3 ... Recording medium, 4
... Center control unit, 4a ... communication device, 8 ... Control means, 8a
... communication device 8b ... operation mode memory, 9 ... main storage means,
13. Reproduction means.

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] An information center having storage means for storing a plurality of pieces of music information, and a plurality of information centers respectively transmitting and receiving information to and from the information center via communication means and each having a music reproduction function. A terminal device, the operation mode unique to each terminal device of the plurality of terminal devices,
In a music reproduction system capable of resetting to the same operation mode as a previously used operation mode, each of the terminal devices transmits operation mode information relating to a terminal device-specific operation mode set by the terminal device itself to the communication unit. The information center has a storage unit for linking and storing the operation mode information unique to the terminal device and the identification information unique to the terminal device transmitted from each of the terminal devices. And reproducing operation mode setting information stored in link with the terminal device-specific identification information to the terminal device transmitting the terminal device-specific identification information. system. 2. The information center according to claim 1, wherein said information center transmits identification information unique to said terminal device via said communication means.
2. The music playback system according to claim 1, further transmitting additional information for adding a new function.