JP3367584B2 - Karaoke equipment - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a karaoke device in which connection / expansion is simplified by connecting each device constituting the karaoke device via a LAN.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a karaoke apparatus has been connected with a cable through a pin jack on the rear surface, like a normal audio device.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional karaoke apparatus, a large number of connection terminals for image, sound, communication, etc. are provided on the back surface. For example, two terminals are connected to a stereo. For example, one device has a plurality of terminals, and the terminals to be connected to each are determined, and if they are mistaken, they will not operate normally.

Further, although a monitor and a speaker may be added in some cases, in order to add them, a dedicated terminal for them is further required, which causes a problem that labor and cost are required.

In addition, when a plurality of devices connected to a plurality of devices are installed, complicated star-shaped wiring is required, the number of wires is extremely increased, it is difficult to run the wires, and the rear surface of the device is confused. There was a drawback to

According to the present invention, by using a LAN,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a karaoke device that suppresses an increase in the number of lines and that can be easily added.

[0007]

According to the invention of claim 1 of this application, a tone signal generator for generating a tone signal of a karaoke performance, and a video signal corresponding to the tone signal are provided in parallel with the tone signal. The video signal generator for generating, the sound output device for acoustically outputting the music signal, and the video display device for displaying the video signal are configured as separate component devices housed in separate housings, and each component A LAN (Local Area Network) that connects devices and exchanges packets between each component device.
Network device ) , the musical tone signal generator divides the generated musical tone signal into units of a predetermined size, and generates a packet containing address information for the unit and the musical tone output device. , The packet is transmitted via the LAN , the video signal generator divides the generated video signal into units of a predetermined size, and generates a packet containing address information for the unit and the video display device. together, the packet transmitted via the LAN, the audio output device, the L
A packet for an own device transmitted via the AN is received, a tone signal is restored based on the packet and acoustically output, and the video display device for the own device transmitted via the LAN. Is received, and a video signal is restored and displayed based on the packet.

The invention of claim 2 of this application is based on the above invention.
Oite, said LAN is provided with a junction box having a plurality of connector terminals, each device is characterized in that it is connected to the junction box at each 1 Tsunoke <br/> over b le.

[0009]

According to the present invention, the tone signal generator and the video signal generator are provided.
With cable means, multiple devices necessary for performing a karaoke performance, such as a live device, a musical sound output device, and a video display device, are used.
Connected In the embodiment described below, the tone signal generation
Device, video signal generator, musical sound output device, video display device
Are the karaoke main unit 1, the video unit 2, and the
The audio devices 3 and 6 and the monitor device 5 correspond to each other. Ke
In Buru means, since all signals are converted into data transmission Den <br/>, a specific terminal for a specific device as in the conventional device connection when installing the particular terminal of the other specific devices There is no need to make connections, and even for stereo signals and 4-channel signals (hot side), only one connection is required.

Further, in this invention, comprises a di-catcher down action box, respectively and each of the devices and the junction box
The connection was made with one cable means. As a result, even when a plurality of operating devices are vertically stacked as in the conventional case, the simple connection can be performed as described above.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a LAN connection type karaoke apparatus which is an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 (A), (B)
FIG. 3 is a rear view of the same LAN connection type karaoke device. This L
In the AN connected karaoke apparatus, a plurality of devices necessary for executing a karaoke performance are the local area network LA.
Connected by N. The devices connected by LAN are the karaoke body device 1, the video device 2, the audio device 3, and the download device 4.

The karaoke main unit 1 comprises a sequencer 10, a storage 11, a microphone 12 and a node 13. The storage 11 is a hard disk device that stores thousands of pieces of music data that is karaoke performance data. The sequencer 10 is a device that reads the music data of the karaoke music selected by the user from the storage 11 and executes the karaoke performance. The node 13 controls transmission / reception of data via the LAN. The sequencer 10 has a sound source unit, an effect imparting unit, a microphone amplifier, a mixer and the like built therein.

Here, the music data is composed of a header, a musical sound track, an effect track, a voice track, a lyrics track, a voice data section, etc., and the sequencer 10
Reads the event data of each track in synchronization with the progress of karaoke and executes the corresponding processing.

In addition to the song title of this song data, the header contains genre data for selecting a background image. The sequencer 10 determines a background image based on this genre data at the start of karaoke performance, and notifies the video device 2 of this.

The musical tone track is composed of sequence data for producing a karaoke performance tone. The event data of the musical sound track is input to the sound source section. The sound source section forms a karaoke performance sound based on this event data.

The effect track is composed of sequence data for controlling the operation of the effect imparting section. The effect imparting unit imparts an effect such as echo or reverb to the karaoke performance sound formed by the sound source unit.

The audio track is composed of sequence data for controlling the read timing of a plurality of audio data stored in the audio data section. The voice data is data obtained by converting a human voice such as a back chorus into ADPCM, and the voice track controls the read timing of each voice data.

The lyrics track is composed of sequence data in which character codes of lyrics displayed on the monitor are stored as event data. The character code read as the event data is transmitted to the video device 2 via the node 13 to display the character code on the monitor. In addition,
The character code may be converted by the karaoke main unit 1 into video signal data of a character pattern and then transmitted.

The mixer built in the sequencer 10 synthesizes the tone signal formed by the tone generator, the back chorus signal of ADPCM and the karaoke singing signal input from the microphone 12 into a stereo signal. The combined signal is output from the node 13 as audio signal data. The audio signal data is not limited to two channels. For example, the accompaniment sound and the singing sound may be output as separate stereo signals and mixed by the audio device. In this case, the audio signal has four channels in total.

The video device 2 includes a monitor 20 and a display controller 2.
1, a CD-ROM changer 22 and a node 23. The node 23 receives background image determination data, lyrics character fonts, display position data, etc. transmitted from the karaoke main unit 1. CD-ROM changer 2
Reference numeral 2 has about 5 CD-ROMs built-in, and expands and reproduces a compressed background image such as a landscape based on the input background image determination data. The display controller 21 is a CD-ROM
The lyrics character font is superimposed on the background image output from the changer 22 and output to the monitor 20.

The CD-ROM changer 22
Can play other background images by replacing the built-in CD-ROM alone, but in order to prevent the theft of the CD-ROM alone, the lid cannot be opened and closed simply by switching on as in the conventional case. That is, a key portion with a numeric keypad is provided, and the lock is unlocked only when the registered personal identification number is input.

The audio device 3 includes left and right speakers 30.
The L, 30R, D / A amplifier 31 and node 32 are provided. The node 32 is sent from the karaoke main unit 1. Receive audio signal data. The D / A amplifier 31 converts the audio signal data received as digital data into an analog signal and then amplifies it. The amplified signal is output to the left and right speakers 30L and 30R.

The download device 4 comprises an ISDN terminal 40 and a node 41. The ISDN terminal 40 communicates with the karaoke center to download the music data of the new music. Downloaded song data is L
It is transmitted to the karaoke main unit 1 via the AN.

Further, a monitor and a speaker are added to this LAN connection type karaoke apparatus. The additional monitor device 5 and the additional audio device 6 are also connected to the LAN.

The extension monitor device 5 comprises a monitor 25, a display controller 26 and a node 27. Here, the video device 2 synthesizes the compressed background image expanded by the display control unit 21 and the character data of the lyrics by superimposing, and the synthesized image signal is compressed again in the MPEGII format to be the node 23 as the video data. Is output from. The add-on monitor device 5 receives the video data at the node 27, decompresses the MPEGII compression at the video control unit 26, and restores the normal video signal. This video signal is the monitor 2
Input to 5.

On the other hand, the add-on audio device 6 has exactly the same configuration as the audio device 3, and receives audio signal data output from the karaoke body device 1 at the node 37 and D / A amplifier 36 at the D / A amplifier 36. After A conversion / amplification, output from the speaker 35.

FIG. 2 shows an example of LAN wiring. FIG. 1A shows an example in which a plurality of devices are connected via a junction box. The junction box is provided with a plurality of connectors. Further, the karaoke main unit 1, the video device 2 (excluding the monitor 20), the audio device 3 (excluding the speaker 30), the download device 4, the additional monitor device 5 (excluding the monitor 25) and the additional audio device 6 (excluding the speaker 35). (Except) are stacked vertically with the junction box, and connector terminals are provided on the back surface of each of them. The connector terminal of each device is internally connected to the node, and is also connected to an arbitrary connector of the junction box by a cable. Since the LAN identifies the other party of data transmission / reception by the address, it is not necessary to specify the terminal at the time of connection.

As described above, the karaoke machine 1 has the node 1
3, the control data for controlling each device, the audio signal data for the karaoke performance / singing sound, and the character font data for displaying the lyrics are output to the LAN, and the download device 4 is transmitted from the center via the LAN. Receive downloaded music data.

Further, the audio signal data is received by the audio device 3 and the additional audio device 6. The character code data is received by the video device 2. The video device outputs to the LAN video signal data in which the background image and the character pattern are combined. This video signal data is received by the additional monitor device 5.

These data are divided into units of a predetermined size and sent to the LAN as packets. LA
N has a data transmission capacity of 30 Mbps, and can process the above-mentioned plurality of types of data even when they are simultaneously in the transmission state.

FIG. 3A shows the packet structure. The packet consists of header, address, data type, data body,
It consists of CRC and footer. The header is a code indicating the start of the packet. The address indicates the destination of this packet. If the audio device 3 and the additional audio device 6 are set to the same address, the same audio signal data transmitted by the karaoke body device 1 can be received. The data type is a code indicating what kind of data this packet is. Therefore, each device may judge this data type and input only the data relevant to the device itself. CRC is an error check code. The footer is a code indicating the end of this packet.

Further, FIG. 1B shows the maximum LAN of each data.
It is a figure which shows an occupancy rate. The control data has a transmission width of one channel and occupies a data transmission rate of about 2 Mbps. When the audio signal is a 4-channel signal, the audio signal data is approximately 3.5M for 4 channels.
Occupies bps. When two video signals (for example, background image and character pattern image) are transmitted, the video signal data is 10 to 15 Mbps (14.5 Mbps in this figure) as MPEGII-compressed 2-channel data.
Occupy Data communication such as music data is data of 10 channels and occupies a maximum of 10 Mbps. In this way, the LAN will not be overloaded even when all data is in the transmission state.

In the above embodiment, the devices are vertically stacked as shown in FIG. 2A and the LAN is constructed by using the junction box. However, as shown in FIG.
May be configured only with a cable and each device may be connected in a chain system. This is convenient even when each device is installed in a remote place.

[0034]

As described above, according to the present invention, all the signals are packetized and transmitted through the cable means , so that a specific terminal of a specific device can be installed at the time of installation like a conventional device connection. The trouble of connecting to a specific terminal of another specific device is eliminated, and even for multi-channel signals, transmission of all channels can be performed with only one system connection. Also, even when adding the operation device, since it only may be connected to the device to network, eliminates the need to install additional its equipment dedicated terminal to a specific device, additional becomes extremely easy.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a karaoke device that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a rear surface of the karaoke apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a configuration of a packet transmitted between operating devices of the karaoke apparatus and a LAN occupation rate.

[Explanation of symbols]

LAN-Local Area Network 1-Karaoke Main Unit, 2-Video Unit, 3-Audio Unit, 4-Download Unit, 5-Expansion Monitor Unit,
6-Additional audio equipment.

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page       (56) Reference JP-A-6-308983 (JP, A)                 JP-A-3-58540 (JP, A)                 JP-A-7-64579 (JP, A)                 Nikkei MAC No. 15, 1994, 6,               p. 198-199

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A musical tone signal generator for generating a musical tone signal for karaoke performance, a video signal generator for generating a video signal corresponding to the musical tone signal in parallel with the musical tone signal, and acoustically outputting the musical tone signal. The tone output device and the video display device that displays the video signal are configured as separate component devices housed in separate housings, and each component device is connected and packets are exchanged between the component devices. LAN (local area)
A network)) , wherein the musical tone signal generator divides the generated musical tone signal into units of a predetermined size and generates a packet containing address information for the unit and the musical tone output device. At the same time, the packet is transmitted via the LAN , and the video signal generator divides the generated video signal into units of a predetermined size, and generates a packet containing address information for the unit and the video display device. At the same time, the packet is transmitted via the LAN , and the voice output device receives the packet for the own device transmitted via the LAN , restores a tone signal based on the packet, and reproduces the sound signal. outputting, the image display apparatus receives the packet of the communication device for transmitted via the LAN, creating the basis of the packet Karaoke apparatus and displaying restores the image signal. 2. The LAN includes a junction box having a plurality of connector terminals, and each device has one junction box.
One of the karaoke apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it is connected to the junction box with cables.