JP3471724B2 - Karaoke device with advance reservation table - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a performance reservation control system in a karaoke apparatus, and more particularly, to a performance reservation control corresponding to a usage mode of the karaoke apparatus in which a performance reservation of a music piece scheduled to be performed at a later date is registered in advance. Regarding the scheme.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, a general karaoke apparatus manages a music number input by a user as a performance reservation queue, and sequentially plays karaoke music in the order of reservation. FIG. 1 shows a functional block diagram of a general karaoke apparatus. According to this figure,
The reservation management and performance control of karaoke songs will be described.

The central control unit 2 has a CPU, a RAM,
A microcomputer including a ROM, which performs data communication with each peripheral component via the data bus 100 and the control bus 110,
It controls this karaoke device 1. The hard disk device 3 generates music generation data, which is the origin of the karaoke accompaniment music described in the MIDI format, and lyrics drawing data, which is the origin of the lyrics image that is drawn in synchronization with the music performance, for many karaoke songs. And are stored.

The lyrics drawing data is a character string in which all the lyrics characters are divided into appropriate measures, and information such as the display / erase order of the character string (lyric drawing sequence) and the display position of the character string, and each character string. Each information such as the display / erasure timing of, and the color change timing (instruction of singing timing) of each character in the character string is described.

Further, the CD-ROM changer 13 divides long-time video data (MPEG1 format or the like), which is the origin of the mood video used as the background of the lyrics image, into a large number of CD-ROMs for storage. ing. And C
It incorporates a player of one system or a plurality of systems including a D-ROM drive device and a decoding circuit of video data. Under control of the central control unit 2, the CD-ROM changer 13 drives an appropriate CD-ROM with a built-in player, decodes video data at an appropriate recording position, and outputs it as a mood video signal. .

<Performance Reservation Management and Performance Sequence Control> The central control unit 2 receives via the operation control unit 7 the music number of the request music designated and input through the user interface such as the remote control transmitter 5 and the operation panel 6. And a performance reservation table in which the input order and the music number are associated with each other are stored in the RAM and managed as a music performance reservation queue. The central control unit 2 controls the performance sequence based on the performance reservation table. That is, the music numbers listed in the performance reservation table are picked up according to the performance order, and the music generation data and the lyrics depiction data corresponding to the music numbers are extracted from the hard disk device 3 and processed.

The music generation data is sequentially transferred to the synthesizer 8. The audio signal of the accompaniment music generated here is input to the mixing amplifier 9 together with the audio signal input from the microphone 11, and both audio signals are mixed and output from the speaker 10.

On the other hand, the lyrics depiction data is processed in synchronization with the music generation data to generate a lyrics image in synchronization with the accompaniment music, and the bitmap image is sequentially expanded in the video RAM 12. The video control unit 14 superimposes the lyrics image on a video signal of an appropriate mood video reproduced by the CD-ROM changer 13, and displays and outputs the mood video including the lyrics image on the display 15.

The central control unit 2 performs the music performance processing and the performance reservation management in parallel, deletes the music number from the performance reservation table for the already-operated music, and the music in the lower performance order. The playing order of numbers is moved up. Further, the newly reserved input music number is stored under the music numbers in the last performance order in the performance reservation table. Further, the music title corresponding to the music number is described in the performance reservation table, and the music title list is displayed on the display 15 at a proper time such as when the performance processing is stopped.

The central control unit 2 also performs a performance sequence control corresponding to an interrupt performance instruction given by a user. When the interrupt reservation registration of a certain music is received by the user input, the interrupt reserved music number is entered before the music number to be played next in the performance reservation table, and the performance order of the music numbers after the next music is set. Move back one by one. As a result, the interrupted music piece is played instead of the next music piece, and then the performance sequence according to the original performance reservation table is restarted.

[0011]

The karaoke apparatus is used not only in a dedicated karaoke facility such as a karaoke box but also in a party venue such as a wedding or a banquet. The applicants of the present application first invented a karaoke device suitable for party use and applied for a patent for it (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-
20868). This karaoke system is intended for use in facilities with multiple party venues, and is a "stand-alone karaoke playback system" in which the body of the karaoke system and casters and ancillary equipment such as a display and speakers are integrated into a movable body with casters. Device ". Therefore, it is possible to move the karaoke device to a necessary place and temporarily install / use it without having to permanently install the karaoke device in all of the plurality of party venues. FIG. 2 shows an external view of this independent karaoke reproducing apparatus.

By the way, when a karaoke apparatus is used at a party venue, the songs to be played and their order are often known in advance. Therefore, the party venue side may provide a pre-reservation service for registering a performance reservation of the music piece scheduled to be performed in the karaoke device in response to a request from the party organizer. If you use this service,
The party organizer or facilitator need only give performance instructions at the party venue without performing a performance reservation operation, and the party can proceed smoothly. However, in the above-mentioned independent karaoke reproducing apparatus, the power must be turned off each time it is moved / installed, and the performance reservation table stored in the RAM is volatilized by the movement / installation. The above-mentioned advance reservation service cannot be provided in a facility such as a wedding hall where parties are held multiple times a day at each of a plurality of party venues. Even if karaoke equipment is permanently installed in all party venues without using an independent karaoke player, it is normal for the karaoke equipment to be powered off when the party venue is closed. Applicable only to the performance of the day. Even if the power is always turned on, if two or more parties are held consecutively at the same venue, it will be difficult to provide advance reservation service.

In addition, there are cases where the party organizer or facilitator tries to enliven the venue by interrupting and playing an appropriate piece of music in accordance with the atmosphere and duration of the venue. Due to the progress of the party, the number of songs that can be played by interrupt reservation is not limited to one song.
On the contrary, the place turns white. If the registration process takes a lot of time, the party itself will be interrupted.

Therefore, the present invention relates to a karaoke device,
The purpose is to provide a performance reservation control method suitable for use at a party venue.

[0015]

The karaoke apparatus according to the present invention is specified by the following items (1) to (9). (1) User interface, non-volatile storage means,
A karaoke device including a control means and a playing means, (2) a user interface capable of displaying information to the user and accepting an input by the user, (3) a non-volatile storage means, Storing the advance reservation table, (4) The control means is capable of performing the advance reservation song reception process, the request reception process, and the performance process. (5) The user interface receives the advance reservation song reception process. Assign a table number to the permutation of the song numbers and write it in the advance reservation table. (6) Request reception processing is to register the song number or table number input from the user interface in the queue. (7) Perform processing The song numbers and table numbers registered in the queue are read out sequentially. (8) The performance process is performed when the song number is read out. If the table number is read, the registered content of the advance reservation table of the table number is displayed on the user interface, and the performance instruction of the song is instructed. Accepting the input of, and causing the playing means to play the musical composition instructed,

According to the present invention, in addition to the basic matters (1) to (9) for specifying the invention, the following matters (a) are
(B) and (c) can be appropriately combined selectively. (A) The performance process accepts an input of a performance instruction for each song registered in the advance reservation table when the table number is read, and (b) the performance process when the table number is read. Accepting an input of a performance instruction to sequentially play all the songs registered in the advance reservation table, (c) the request accepting process, when the table number is entered, puts the table number at the top of the queue. Register,

[0017]

[0018]

[0019]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention is a performance reservation control system in a karaoke apparatus, and the hardware configuration of the karaoke apparatus itself is almost the same as that of a conventional karaoke apparatus. The data structure and program (software resource) processed by the central control unit 2 are different, such as the user interface environment related to the performance reservation registration work, the performance reservation table management method, and performance sequence control based on the performance reservation table. ing. Hereinafter, the data processing and operation of the embodiment of the karaoke apparatus adopting the performance reservation control system of the present invention will be described with reference to the functional block diagram of FIG.

=== Performance Reservation Table === The performance reservation system of the present invention manages two types of performance reservation tables. One is a performance reservation table (regular performance reservation table) registered / managed in the conventional karaoke apparatus, and the other is an advance reservation table which is an essential part of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of the advance reservation table. The table structure in which the playing order, the music number, and the music name are associated with each other is similar to the normal performance reservation table, but the table itself is identified and managed by a table number in the same format as the music number. Further, in this embodiment, it is possible to create a plurality of advance reservation tables, and the table number is assigned one of the song numbers within a predetermined song number range. Such an advance reservation table is stored in a nonvolatile storage unit such as the hard disk device 3.

=== Preparation of Advance Reservation Table === In this embodiment, in order to prepare the advance reservation table, an interactive user interface environment through the display 15 is provided. That is, the central control unit 2
When the pre-reservation table creation mode is activated by a predetermined user input, the user responds to various user inputs related to the pre-reservation table creation procedure and expands the predetermined image data stored in the hard disk device 3 into the video RAM 12. To go. FIG. 4 shows an outline of the user interface environment, and illustrates transition states of screens sequentially displayed on the display in (A) to (C).

According to a predetermined user input, a menu screen (A) for activating an auxiliary function other than the normal karaoke music performance mode is called. In this embodiment, when a predetermined music number is keyed in as in the case of performance reservation, the menu screen (A) is displayed. Next, when a "tune number memo" for instructing to create the advance reservation table is instructed according to the instruction displayed on the screen (A), the central control unit 2 sets an area for creating the advance reservation table in the internal RAM. And then (B)
Display the song number memo screen shown in. On this screen, the table number of the advance reservation table to be created and its creation procedure are displayed.

When the user operates the operation panel 6 or the like according to the instruction on the screen and sequentially inputs the music number, the central control unit 2 registers the music number in the advance reservation table created in the creation area. I will do it. Also, each time a song number for one song is input, the song name associated with that number is specified, and the screen (C) for displaying the song name instead of the number is also generated. Then, when the music numbers corresponding to the required number of music are input and the registration instruction of the advance reservation table is given by a predetermined key input, the advance reservation table created in the RAM is copied and stored in the hard disk device 3.

When it is desired to change the prepared advance reservation table, the previous music number memo function is activated and the table number to be changed is designated. As a result, a list of music names registered in the table is displayed. Similar to the case of creating a new table, the table changing operation may be performed by moving the cursor key to specify the song name to be changed and inputting the song number of the song to be replaced with the song.

=== Advance Reservation Music Performance Sequence === The central control unit 2 controls the normal performance sequence to perform the music performance based on the normal performance reservation table and the advance reservation to perform the music performance based on the advance reservation table. The music registered in each table is played while appropriately switching the music performance sequence control. In this embodiment, as the switching system, two systems of a normal reservation interlocking system and an interrupt switching system are installed. In addition, there are various methods in the advance reserved music performance sequence control itself activated by these methods.

<Normal reservation interlocking system> The music number and the table number are input from the remote control transmitter 5 and the operation panel 6. A table number is registered as a music number in the normal performance reservation table created in the RAM. Central control unit 2
Manages the queue of music performance processing by this normal performance reservation table, and when the table number is picked up as the processing target, the corresponding advance reservation table is taken out from the hard disk device 3 and described in the table. Musical piece numbers are picked up in sequence according to their playing order, and music generation data corresponding to the picked up musical piece numbers are processed. When the performance of all the music pieces described in the advance reservation table is completed, the music piece number of the next music piece in the normal performance reservation table is picked up by the normal performance sequence control, and the performance control of the music piece is performed.

<Interrupt Switching Method> When the table number of the advance reservation table is input as the number of the interrupt performance reserved music, this table number is written in the highest performance order of the normal performance reservation table at the time of the input. Then, as soon as the data processing of the music being played is completed, it is switched to the pre-reserved music performance sequence control, the music numbers listed in the pre-reservation table are picked up in order, and the corresponding music is played in sequence.

<Advance reserved music performance sequence control> As a method of advance reserved music performance sequence control, a method of automatically playing all the music registered in the advance reservation table as described above, and a method input by the user There is a control method. FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a screen displayed on the display 15 when the user setting is performed.

On this screen, a list of music titles described in the advance reservation table and a procedure and method for user setting the performance sequence of the advance reservation music are shown. In the present embodiment, it is possible to make settings for switching whether or not all registered music pieces in the advance reservation table are successively played in order, and setting for playing only one arbitrary music piece.

When the pre-reserved music performance sequence is set by the user input, the central control unit 2 appropriately controls the performance according to the setting. When a pre-reserved tune playing sequence is set when the pre-reserved table is created, and when this table number is picked up by the normal reserved tune sequence control, the registered tunes in the pre-reserved table are continuously played according to the setting, It is also possible to display the setting screen for the pre-reserved music performance sequence shown. Of course, it is also possible to unconditionally display the setting screen for the advance reserved music performance sequence control.

Further, in this embodiment, when a pre-reservation table has been created and the music number is not registered in the normal performance reservation table, a predetermined user input such as input of the table number is made. The setting screen of the advance reservation table is displayed and the advance reservation music performance sequence control is activated.

[0032]

According to the performance reservation control system of the present invention, the advance reservation table is stored in the non-volatile storage section. Therefore, even if the power of the karaoke machine is turned off, you can pre-register the music you want to play at a later date,
On the day of use of the karaoke device, it is possible to eliminate complicated reservation registration work.

Further, since the advance reservation table is managed using the table number in the same format as the music number as an identifier,
Musical performance can be performed while flexibly switching between normal performance sequence control based on the normal performance reservation table created by the normal performance reservation control method and advance reserved music performance sequence control based on the advance reservation table.

It is also possible to activate the pre-reserved music performance sequence control at an arbitrary timing, and when the karaoke apparatus is used for a party or the like, the party organizer or the facilitator of the party can quickly play an appropriate music at any timing. Can be played. This will surely make the party more exciting. Of course, since there is no time involved in the registration work at the party venue, the party will not be delayed.

By creating a plurality of advance reservation tables,
Even in a usage mode in which one karaoke device is carried around in a plurality of venues and temporarily moved / installed, it is possible to support advance reservation registration of music.

A variety of types assumed in the karaoke apparatus can be obtained by allowing a user input for displaying a music list corresponding to the contents of the advance reservation table or activating a advance reservation music performance control sequence at any time. It is possible to flexibly cope with various usage forms.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an example of a conventional karaoke device as a functional block diagram.

FIG. 2 shows an external view of a stand-alone karaoke player.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing an example of an advance reservation table processed by an embodiment of a karaoke apparatus adopting the performance reservation control system of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a screen displayed on the display of the above-described example when creating the advance reservation table, and the transition states of the screen are shown in the order of (A) to (C).

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a setting screen of a pre-reserved performance sequence displayed on the display of the above embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Karaoke device 2 Central control unit 3 hard disk drive 6 Operation panel 15 display

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A karaoke device comprising a user interface, a non-volatile storage means, a control means, and a performance means, wherein the user interface is capable of displaying information to a user and accepting an input by the user. The non-volatile storage means stores a pre-reservation table, the control means enables pre-reservation song acceptance processing, request acceptance processing, and performance processing, and the pre-reservation song acceptance processing is performed by the music number received by the user interface. The table numbers are assigned to the permutations of the table and written in the advance reservation table.The song number and table number input from the user interface are registered in the queue for request reception processing, and the song number and table numbers registered in the queue are used for performance processing. The table numbers are read out in sequence, and when the song number is read out, that song is played by the playing means. , When reading the table number, the karaoke apparatus for playing the registered contents of the reservation table of the table number is displayed on the user interface receives an input of a performance instruction of the music, the performance means the music that is played instructed. 2. The karaoke apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the performance process, when the table number is read, an input of a performance instruction is received for each song registered in the advance reservation table. 3. The karaoke apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the performance process receives an input of a performance instruction to sequentially play all the songs registered in the advance reservation table when the table number is read. 4. The karaoke apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the request receiving process registers the table number at the top of the queue when the table number is input.