JP4145901B2 - Karaoke control method and karaoke apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a karaoke control technique, and more particularly to a karaoke control method and a karaoke apparatus for displaying lyrics according to the progress of a song.

  In the karaoke apparatus, the accompaniment music excluding the singing portion of the song is reproduced, and the singer sings along with the reproduced accompaniment music. In the karaoke apparatus, in order to inform the singer of the lyrics, the lyrics are generally displayed on a display device such as a monitor. Furthermore, among the lyrics displayed on the display device, in order to clarify the character that the singer should utter, the karaoke device changes the color of the character displayed in advance to another color for the character to be uttered. .

  Under such circumstances, the present inventor has come to recognize the following problems. In general, a singer enjoys using a karaoke device by performing a singing according to the progress of the song. However, when a plurality of singers use the karaoke apparatus, they may sing different portions of one song in order. At that time, if the part to be sung is selected at random, the gameability is improved for the singer. However, if the singer to be sung is changed at a portion other than the break of the song, smooth singing becomes difficult for the singer who newly starts singing. On the other hand, if data different from normal karaoke data is created in order to use the karaoke apparatus by a plurality of singers, processing for data creation increases for the business operator.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a karaoke control technique for processing data used in karaoke so that a plurality of singers can perform singing while changing. There is to do.

  One embodiment of the present invention is a program. This program includes lyrics information including lyrics divided into a plurality of blocks via the network, timing information for displaying each block on the screen while sequentially switching each block according to the progress of the song, and lyrics information. The step of inputting the performance music associated with the included timing information, and the timing information included in the input lyrics information, respectively, derive the interval between adjacent blocks, based on the interval between adjacent blocks, A step of identifying the portion of the lyrics to be reproduced, a step of displaying the identified portion of the lyrics included in the input lyrics information on the screen, and reproducing the specified portion of the input accompaniment music, and , Execute on the computer.

  According to this aspect, for the lyrics information, the portion of the lyrics to be reproduced is specified based on the interval between adjacent blocks, so that a plurality of singers can change while using normal karaoke data. Data suitable for singing can be processed.

  The identifying step compares each of the block intervals derived in the step of deriving adjacent block intervals and the block derived in the deriving step with a threshold value, and determines a block in the subsequent stage of the block interval longer than the threshold value. The step of selecting, the step of combining consecutive blocks so that the block selected in the selecting step is the beginning, and being longer than a predetermined singing period, and the lyrics to be reproduced in the combining step And outputting as a part of the above. In this case, since the continuous blocks are combined, a portion that is longer than a predetermined singing period can be selected.

  The outputting step may exclude the combined block from the portion of the lyrics to be reproduced if the ratio of the interval between adjacent blocks is large in the combined block. In this case, if the ratio of the interval between adjacent blocks is large, it is excluded from the portion of the lyrics to be reproduced, so that it is possible to avoid the singer from selecting a portion having a short period to sing.

  The step of receiving the number of singers may be further provided, and the step of playing may execute display of lyrics and reproduction of accompaniment sounds while corresponding to each of the number of singers received in the step of receiving. In this case, reproduction corresponding to singing by a plurality of singers can be executed.

  The step of reproducing includes combining the parts specified in the specifying step to generate a plurality of groups, and each of the plurality of groups generated in the generating step as a unit. You may provide the step which allocates each to a singer, and performs the display of the lyric corresponding to the allocated part, and reproduction | regeneration of an accompaniment music, instruct | indicating the singer allocated by the step to allocate. In this case, the possibility that one singer sings the same part can be reduced.

  The step of performing may execute display of lyrics and reproduction of accompaniment music while mixing the order of the singer and the group. In this case, since the singer cannot predict when to sing, gameability can be improved.

  The performance information associated with the timing information included in the lyrics information input in the input step is acquired, and the timing information for playing each character to be uttered according to the progress of the music is extracted from the performance information. Based on the timing information extracted in the step and the extracting step, the lyric display is a count for notifying the singer of the timing to start singing and displaying the lyrics executed in the generating step A step of creating a count synchronized with the playback of the accompaniment music and displaying the created count on a screen may be further included. In this case, the singing can be smoothly started because the counting is performed in accordance with the timing of the song.

  One embodiment of the present invention is a karaoke apparatus. This apparatus includes lyrics information including lyrics divided into a plurality of blocks, timing information for sequentially switching each block according to the progress of the song, and displaying on the screen, and timing information included in the lyrics information The interval between adjacent blocks is derived from the input unit for inputting the performance music associated with and the timing information included in the lyrics information input at the input unit, and playback is performed based on the interval between adjacent blocks. Of the accompaniment music that is displayed on the screen, the part specified by the specific part of the lyrics included in the lyrics information input in the input part and the specific part that specifies the part of the lyrics to be input, And an instruction unit for reproducing the portion specified by the specifying unit.

  One embodiment of the present invention is a karaoke control method. In this method, a song is divided into a plurality of blocks, and the singer is allowed to sing the divided blocks while changing the singer.

  It should be noted that any combination of the above-described constituent elements and a conversion of the expression of the present invention between a method, an apparatus, a system, a recording medium, a computer program, etc. are also effective as an aspect of the present invention.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the data used in karaoke can be processed so that it may be suitable for performing a song while a plurality of singers change.

  Before describing the present invention in detail, an outline will be described. An embodiment of the present invention relates to a karaoke apparatus that displays lyrics corresponding to accompaniment music on a display device while outputting accompaniment music when a single singer performs a song. Furthermore, when a plurality of singers sing one song in order, the playability for the plurality of singers can be improved by concealing the portion that the singer should sing until just before. However, it is desirable that the portions sung by each of the plurality of singers be well separated. In consideration of the processing of the operator, it is desired not to newly create data for singing by a plurality of singers. That is, it is desired to use normal karaoke data for singing by a plurality of singers. In order to solve these requirements, the karaoke apparatus according to the present embodiment is configured as follows.

  The karaoke apparatus according to the present embodiment is connected to a network, and the karaoke apparatus downloads karaoke data from the network. The data for karaoke includes accompaniment music for reproducing accompaniment, lyric information for displaying lyrics on a monitor, and performance information for evaluating the degree of singing by a singer. In the singing information, a block is defined as a break when singing, and the lyrics included in the singing information are divided into a plurality of blocks. The lyrics information also includes timing information regarding the start time and end time of each block. The karaoke apparatus derives the interval between adjacent blocks based on the timing information and compares them with a threshold value. The karaoke apparatus selects a block arranged at a subsequent stage having an interval longer than the threshold value. Also, continuous blocks are combined with the selected block as the head until it becomes longer than a predetermined singing period. The combined block becomes one part. As a result of the above processing, a plurality of parts generated per song are randomly assigned to a plurality of singers, so that normal karaoke data is used, and a portion with a good separation is a plurality of singers. Assigned to each.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a karaoke apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The karaoke apparatus 100 includes a network 10, a microphone 12, a speaker 14, a monitor 16, a communication unit 20, a storage unit 22, a playback unit 24, a lyrics display unit 26, a monitor control unit 28, an operation unit 30, a determination unit 32, and a specification unit 34. , An instruction unit 36 is included. The specifying unit 34 includes a derivation unit 38, a selection unit 40, and a combining unit 42, the instruction unit 36 includes a generation unit 44, an allocation unit 46, and an execution unit 48, and the lyrics display unit 26 includes a counting unit 50. Including.

  The microphone 12 captures the voice uttered by the singer when performing the karaoke function. The speaker 14 reproduces accompaniment music and utterances by a singer input to the microphone 12. The monitor 16 displays the lyrics of the song.

  The network 10 is connected to the karaoke device 100, and the karaoke device 100 inputs predetermined data from a server (not shown) via the network 10. At that time, in the karaoke apparatus 100, the communication unit 20 executes communication processing. The storage unit 22 stores data acquired from the server through communication by the communication unit 20. In addition, pre-input data is also stored. The storage unit 22 may be configured by a hard disk for storing data, may be configured by a RAM (Random Access Memory) capable of temporarily storing data, or may be configured by a combination thereof. Good.

  Here, the data input to the storage unit 22 includes lyric information, performance information, and accompaniment music. The data is used when performing a karaoke function by a single singer, or karaoke by a plurality of singers. Commonly used when performing functions. The lyrics information includes timing information for displaying on the screen the lyrics corresponding to the song and the characters to be uttered as the song progresses. The lyrics are divided into a plurality of blocks according to pronunciation breaks, and the timing information includes information for displaying each block on the screen while sequentially switching the blocks according to the progress of the music. The performance information has a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) data format, which is associated with timing information included in the lyrics information. Accompaniment music has a data format such as Advanced Transform Acoustic Coding (ATRAC) or MP3 (MPEG Audio Layer-3), and is used to reproduce the accompaniment of a song. Accompaniment music is also associated with timing information included in the lyrics information.

  2A to 2B show the relationship between the lyrics information input to the storage unit 22 and the performance information. FIG. 2A shows the lyrics information, and FIG. 2B shows the performance information. In the figure, the horizontal direction corresponds to the time axis, and time elapses toward the right. In the lyrics information, “Title” is arranged at the beginning of the time axis, and “Lyrics” is arranged subsequently. In the performance information, a “silence period” is arranged at the head portion, and a “MIDI sound generation period” is arranged subsequently to the performance information. The head of the “title” of the lyrics information is arranged at a position advanced from the head of the “MIDI sound generation period” by the time “t1”.

  FIG. 3 shows the data structure of the lyric information input to the storage unit 22. As shown in FIG. 3, the lyrics information includes a block number field 70, a character string field 72, a display time field 74, an erasing time field 76, and a start time and end time field 78. Have a parallel format. The “block number column 70” is a number for identifying a plurality of blocks generated by dividing the lyrics, and is indicated by a number such that the block corresponding to the head of the lyrics is “1”. . Here, the “block” corresponds to one phrase in the lyrics such as one phrase in the lyrics or one line when displayed on the monitor 16. Therefore, the “block” generally includes a plurality of characters. The blocks are sequentially switched in accordance with the progress of the music, but the lyrics information and the like are input before the blocks are switched. The “character string column 72” corresponds to a plurality of characters obtained by dividing the lyrics so as to correspond to the block number column 70.

  The “display time column 74”, “erase time column 76”, and “start time and end time column 78” correspond to “display time”, “erase time”, “start time”, and “end time”, respectively. The “display time” indicates a time for displaying a plurality of characters included in the block on the monitor 16. The karaoke apparatus 100 is provided with a clock generator (not shown). For example, when accompaniment music is started, the clock of the clock generator is reset, and the clock is counted up as the accompaniment music progresses. The The “display time” is defined by the clock, and the same applies to other “erase times” and the like. That is, “time” is defined based on the clock. “Erase time” indicates a time when a plurality of characters displayed on the monitor 16 should be erased.

  “Start time” indicates the time at which each of the displayed characters should be sung by the singer. Here, since the block includes a plurality of characters, a plurality of start times are included for one block. The “end time” indicates the time at which each of the displayed characters is to be ended, and is defined so as to correspond to the “start time”. The numbers shown in the figure are defined by the aforementioned clock. Since there are a plurality of characters in each of the character string columns 72, the start time and the end time in the start time and end time column 78 are defined corresponding to each of the plurality of characters.

  FIG. 4 shows the data structure of the performance information input to the storage unit 22. The performance information includes a data number column 80, a time column 82, a pitch column 84, and a strength column 86. Here, the data number column 80 corresponds to the number assigned to each piece of data included in the performance information. For example, the data corresponds to each character included in the lyrics and each sound played. The time column 82 indicates the timing at which each data in the data number column 80 should be played. The timing to perform may be the timing to start the performance. The timing in the time column 82 is defined with reference to the beginning of the silent period in FIG. A pitch column 84 indicates a pitch when performing each data in the data number column 80. Here, “do”, “re” and the like are shown, but octave information may be further included. The strength column 86 indicates the strength of sound when each data in the data number column 80 is played. Here, “A” corresponds to a state where the sound is weakest, and the sound becomes stronger as “B” and “C”. With the above data structure, the performance information includes information on when, how long, and what pitch should be uttered.

  Returning to FIG. The description so far is common when executing a karaoke function by a single singer, or when executing a karaoke function by a plurality of singers. In the following, a description will be given first of the case where the karaoke function is performed by a single singer. The lyric display unit 26 erases the displayed characters and the display time for displaying the plurality of characters included in each block for each of the plurality of blocks into which the lyrics are divided based on the lyric information. The erasing time to be input, a plurality of start times for the singer to utter each of the displayed characters, and a plurality of end times for the singer to end the utterance are input. The lyrics display unit 26 causes the monitor 16 to display a plurality of characters included in the block when the display time is reached while sequentially switching the block according to the progress of the song. For example, when the block number column 70 in FIG. 2 is “1”, the character string “the track continues” is displayed. Here, the character to be displayed is defined by the size, color, shape, etc. of the predetermined character. The lyrics display unit 26 outputs a display instruction to the monitor control unit 28.

  The monitor control unit 28 displays a plurality of characters on the monitor 16 in accordance with instructions from the lyrics display unit 26. At that time, the monitor control unit 28 defines the coordinates so that the first character of one block is displayed at a predetermined position on the monitor 16. For example, when the character string of the block is “the line continues”, a plurality of characters included in the block so that the upper left portion of the first “line” character is a predetermined coordinate of the monitor 16 Each coordinate is defined. Here, the coordinates are defined with a predetermined position of the monitor 16 as an origin. Further, the coordinates of the reference character may be adjusted according to the number of characters included in the block.

  Further, the lyrics display unit 26 changes the display format of the characters that the singer should utter at the current timing among the plurality of characters displayed on the monitor 16. The change of the character display may be realized by changing the size of the character, the color, or the shape. For example, the size of the character to be sung is larger than the size of the displayed character. At that time, the characters may increase stepwise according to the time interval corresponding to the refresh rate in the monitor 16. As a result, the karaoke apparatus 100 informs the singer of the character to be sung by the enlarged character. The above instruction by the lyrics display unit 26 is also output to the monitor 16 via the monitor control unit 28 as described above.

  The reproducing unit 24 inputs accompaniment music data from the storage unit 22 and decodes it. The playback unit 24 outputs the decoded accompaniment music from the speaker 14. Further, the playback unit 24 also inputs a song uttered by the singer from the microphone 12, synthesizes it with the accompaniment music, and outputs it from the speaker 14.

  The determination unit 32 inputs voice data that should correspond to a plurality of characters displayed on the monitor 16 and is sung by a singer from the microphone 12. Here, voice data is sequentially input in units of one character while corresponding to the sung character. As described above, the audio data corresponds to each of a plurality of characters, but is further sampled at a plurality of points for one character. Note that audio data is generally composed of a pitch, tone color, and volume, but here the pitch is the target. The determination unit 32 inputs pitch data that should correspond to a plurality of characters displayed on the monitor 16 and should be compared with the pitch of the input voice data. Here, like the voice data, the pitch data is sequentially input in units of one character while corresponding to the sung character. Note that pitch data is included in the performance information described above.

  The determination unit 32 derives a pitch error between voice data and pitch data in units of sung characters. Here, the voice data is subjected to FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) to extract a fundamental frequency, and this is compared with the pitch data to derive a pitch error. As described above, the voice data is obtained by sampling one sung character by a plurality of points. Therefore, a plurality of FFT windows are defined for one sung character, and the fundamental frequency may be derived so as to correspond to each of the plurality of FFT windows. In that case, a pitch error is derived for each fundamental frequency, and these pitch errors are integrated to derive a pitch error for one character.

  The lyric display unit 26 deletes characters from the monitor 16 at a timing determined according to the degree of the derived pitch error. That is, the character whose pitch error is larger than the threshold value is erased from the screen based on the timing at which the display is switched in units of blocks, that is, the erase time. At that time, from the end time to the erasing time, the lyrics display unit 26 returns the character display format to the initial state and displays the character. On the other hand, a character whose pitch error is equal to or less than a threshold value is erased from the screen based on the end time of the timing at which the character should be uttered, that is, the end time. By such processing, when the singing of one block is completed, characters that were not sung with the correct pitch are displayed. The count unit 50 will be described later.

  The above instructions are also output to the monitor 16 via the monitor control unit 28. The monitor control unit 28 uses the coordinates for the character grasped in advance when executing the image processing in accordance with the instruction of the lyrics display unit 26. For example, a predetermined process is performed on the data on the coordinates corresponding to the corresponding character. The operation unit 30 receives a predetermined instruction from the singer. Here, singers include users who are not singing. The predetermined instruction includes selection of a song and a change in pitch. The operation unit 30 includes a remote controller, a keyboard, buttons, and the like.

  Next, a case where a karaoke function by a plurality of singers is executed will be described. The deriving unit 38 derives the interval between adjacent blocks from the timing information included in the lyrics information in the storage unit 22. In FIG. 3, the interval between adjacent blocks is derived by the difference between the “erasing time” for a given block and the “display time” for the next block. For example, the interval between block 1 and block 2 is derived by the difference between the “erasing time” for block 1 and the “display time” for block 2. The above processing is executed for all blocks. That is, when the number of blocks is “N”, the interval between adjacent blocks is derived by “N−1”.

  The selection unit 40 compares each of the block intervals derived by the deriving unit 38 with a threshold value. Here, the threshold value is defined in advance. As a result of the comparison, the selection unit 40 selects a block in the subsequent stage of the block interval longer than the threshold value. For example, if the interval between the block 1 and the block 2 is longer than the threshold value, the selection unit 40 selects the block 2. Here, the selected block is assumed to be a block arranged next to the break in the lyrics. Further, since the above processing is executed for the intervals between all adjacent blocks, a plurality of subsequent blocks are usually selected. Furthermore, block 1 is also selected.

  The combining unit 42 combines consecutive blocks so that the block selected by the selection unit 40 is the head and is longer than a predetermined singing period. Here, the singing period is a minimum period that one singer should sing continuously. For example, the singing period is determined as “30 seconds”. For example, when the block 1 is “10 seconds”, the block 2 is “15 seconds”, and the block 3 is “15 seconds”, the block 1 is shorter than the singing period. Join. However, even if the block 1 and the block 2 are combined, it is shorter than the singing period, so the combining unit 42 also combines the block 3. When the blocks 1 to 3 are combined, it becomes longer than the singing period. Therefore, the selection unit 40 sets the blocks 1 to 3 as one unit. In addition, even if it becomes longer than singing time by combining, the deletion with respect to one unit is not performed. In the above example, the combination of blocks 1 to 3 results in “40” seconds, but no deletion is performed so as to be “30” seconds.

  The above processing is executed for the block selected by the selection unit 40. Therefore, one block may be included in a plurality of groups. For example, when the block 1 and the block 2 are selected in the selection unit 40, the combining unit 42 generates a group constituted by the blocks 1 to 3 and a group constituted by the blocks 2 and 3. In addition, the combining unit 42 uses a single block as a part. For example, the group composed of blocks 1 to 3 is “part 1”. In general, multiple parts are generated. According to the above processing, the specifying unit 34 specifies a part based on the interval between adjacent blocks. In addition, if the ratio of the space | interval of an adjacent block, ie, the ratio of the part which does not have a song, is large, the coupling | bond part 42 will exclude the said coupled mass from a part. Here, if the period corresponding to the interval between adjacent blocks among the periods corresponding to one group is “25%” or more, the group is excluded from the part. “25%” is merely an example, and other values may be used. By the above process, it is avoided that there is little part which a singer sings.

  The operation unit 30 receives the number of singers from the user. The generating unit 44 generates a plurality of groups by combining the parts specified by the specifying unit 34. For example, “Group 1” is generated from Part 1 and Part 2. Here, the production | generation part 44 produces | generates the number of groups according to the frequency | count which one singer should sing. Therefore, the production | generation part 44 prescribes | regulates the relationship between the number of people received by the operation part 30, and the frequency | count which one singer should sing. For example, when the number of people is “2”, the number of times to sing is “3”, and when the number of people is “3”, the number of times to sing is “2” and the number of people is “4”. In some cases, the number of times to sing is “1”. Therefore, if the number of people received from the operation unit 30 is “2”, the generation unit 44 generates “3” groups.

  In addition, the generation unit 44 combines the parts so that the parts with the lower numbers become groups with the lower numbers. For example, if there are 6 parts, “Group 1” is formed from “Part 1” and “Part 2”, “Group 2” is formed from “Part 3” and “Part 4”, and “Group 3” is “Part 5” and “Part 6” are formed. If the number of parts is smaller than 6, the generation unit 44 keeps the number of parts included in the group with a large number as one. On the other hand, if the number of parts is greater than 6, the generation unit 44 increases the number of parts included in the group with the lower number, and sets the groups so that the number of parts included in each group is uniform. Form. As described above, the generation unit 44 generates a group from parts so that a group having a similar number includes a similar part of a song. That is, there is a high possibility that the same part will be included in groups with similar numbers.

  The assigning unit 46 assigns each of the parts included in the group to the singer in units of the plurality of groups generated by the generating unit 44. The assignment is performed independently for the singer. For example, when group 1 includes part 1 and part 2, either one of part 1 and part 2 is assigned to singer 1. On the other hand, one of part 1 and part 2 is also assigned to singer 2. A part other than the part assigned to the singer 1 may be assigned to the singer 2. That is, the assigning unit 46 may assign a part other than a part that has already been assigned to another singer. The above processing is executed for all groups.

  The execution unit 48 instructs the singer to sing based on the assignment by the assignment unit 46. Note that the execution unit 48 randomly selects the order of the singers. Furthermore, the order of the parts is also selected at random. That is, the execution part 48 mixes the order of a singer and a group. For example, when the number of singers is “3”, the execution unit 48 performs selection so that the order of the singers is not continuous. Furthermore, when the parts for one singer are “part 1”, “part 3”, and “part 5”, the execution unit 48 performs selection so that the order of the parts is not in ascending order or descending order. Here, when selecting a singer, the same singer may not be continuous. Further, the execution unit 48 instructs the singer by displaying the name of the singer on the monitor 16 via the lyrics display unit 26 and the monitor control unit 28. Further, the execution unit 48 instructs the playback unit 24 to play back the performance music corresponding to the selected part, and instructs the lyrics display unit 26 to display the lyrics corresponding to the selected part.

  That is, the instruction unit 36 causes the monitor 16 to display the part specified by the specifying unit 34 among the lyrics included in the lyrics information while displaying the names of the singers received by the operation unit 30. Further, the instruction unit 36 reproduces the performance of the part specified by the specifying unit 34 among the accompaniment music. The reproduction unit 24 reproduces the specified part of the accompaniment music in accordance with an instruction from the execution unit 48. In addition, the lyrics display unit 26 displays the specified part of the lyrics on the monitor 16 in accordance with an instruction from the execution unit 48. The determination unit 32 performs the above-described determination on the part corresponding to the instruction from the execution unit 48. Here, the determination unit 32 may give a score to each singer and display the result on the monitor 16 after the end of the song.

  The above configuration can be realized by a CPU, memory, or other LSI of an arbitrary computer in terms of hardware, and can be realized by a program loaded in the memory in terms of software. It depicts the functional blocks that are realized. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will understand that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by hardware only, software only, or a combination thereof.

  FIGS. 5A to 5D are data processed in the specifying unit 34 and the instruction unit 36, and indicate lyrics included in the lyrics information. FIG. 5A shows lyrics in the storage unit 22 and includes a plurality of blocks from “block 1” to “block N” as shown in the figure. FIG. 5B shows a block selected by the selection unit 40. Here, “block 1”, “block 2”, “block 4”, and the like are selected without selecting “block 3”, “block N−1”, and the like. FIG. 5C shows blocks that are combined by the combining unit 42, that is, generated parts. “Part 1” is formed starting with “Block 1” selected in FIG. 5B, “Part 2” is formed starting with “Block 2”, and “Block 6”. "Part 3" is formed starting from. Here, in FIG. 5B, “Block 4” is also selected, but the part is not formed because the ratio of the block interval due to the combination, that is, the ratio of the part without the song is large. . FIG. 5D shows a group generated by the generation unit 44. Three groups from “Group 1” to “Group 3” are generated, and the parts with the smallest order are included in the groups with the smallest order.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a procedure of selection processing in the derivation unit 38 and the selection unit 40. The deriving unit 38 calculates the interval between adjacent blocks (S10). If the interval is larger than the threshold value (Y in S12), the selection unit 40 extracts a subsequent block (S14). On the other hand, if the interval is not larger than the threshold value (N in S12), the selection unit 40 does not perform extraction. If there is a block not to be examined (Y in S16), the processing from step 10 is repeated. On the other hand, if there is no uninvestigated block (N in S16), the process is terminated.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the combining process in the combining unit 42. The combining unit 42 selects the block extracted by the selection unit 40 (S20). If the singing period corresponding to the block is not longer than the threshold (N in S22), the combining unit 42 combines consecutive blocks (S24), and returns to Step 22. On the other hand, if the singing period corresponding to the block is longer than the threshold (Y in S22) and the period without singing is not 25% or more (N in S26), the combining unit 42 selects the block as a part. (S28). On the other hand, if the period when there is no singing is 25% or more (Y of S26), the block is excluded from the part target. If the extracted block remains (Y in S30), the combining unit 42 returns to Step 20. On the other hand, if the extracted block does not remain (N in S30), the combining unit 42 ends the process.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a group generation procedure in the generation unit 44. The generation unit 44 acquires the number of singers from the operation unit 30 (S40). The generation unit 44 derives the number of times of singing (S42), and generates the same number of groups as the number of times of singing (S44). If the number of parts is greater than the number of groups (Y in S46), the generation unit 44 classifies the parts into groups (S48). On the other hand, if the number of parts is not greater than the number of groups (N in S46), the generation unit 44 classifies the parts into groups while overlapping the parts (S50).

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a procedure of assignment processing in the assignment unit 46. The assigning unit 46 selects a singer (S60) and assigns any part to the singer (S62). If the singer remains (Y in S64), the assigning unit 46 repeatedly executes the processing from step 60. On the other hand, if there is no singer (N of S64), the allocation unit 46 ends the process.

  The operation of the karaoke apparatus 100 having the above configuration will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a game procedure in the karaoke apparatus 100. The lyric display unit 26 displays the name of the singer who should sing next on the screen of the monitor 16 for 3 seconds (S70). The lyrics display unit 26 displays the lyrics on the screen of the monitor 16 from 2 seconds before the start of singing, and the playback unit 24 fades in the accompaniment (S72). The lyrics display unit 26 displays the lyrics on the screen of the monitor 16 until the singing is finished, and the playback unit 24 plays back the accompaniment (S74). The reproducing unit 24 fades out after 1 second after the singing is finished (S76). If the designation of the singer has not ended (N in S78), the karaoke apparatus 100 repeatedly executes the processing from step 70. On the other hand, if the designation of the singer is completed (Y in S78), the determination unit 32 displays the result on the screen of the monitor 16 (S80).

  Here, a modified example will be described. Until now, when a singer started singing, the timing to start singing was not notified. In particular, when a plurality of singers sing in order, the timing was not notified when a new singer started singing. When singing from the middle of a song, the singer may not know where to start singing. Therefore, it is desirable for the singer to notify the number of seconds until the start of singing by countdown such as “3”, “2”, and “1”. In addition, even in the middle of a song, for example, an interlude part, the singer can easily sing if the seconds until the start of singing are notified. However, if the countdown of seconds differs from the rhythm of the song, it may be difficult for the singer to start singing. Therefore, in the modified example, the following processing is executed.

  The count unit 50 included in the lyrics display unit 26 in FIG. 1 acquires the part specified by the execution unit 48 from the performance information in the storage unit 22. Here, the performance information includes information on rhythm and tempo. The count unit 50 generates a count based on the information. That is, a count that is faster as the rhythm or tempo is faster is generated. Moreover, the count part 50 performs a reverse calculation so that a count may be set to "1" at the timing which starts a song. Further, the count unit 50 performs display from the count that is “3” as a result of the reverse calculation. The count unit 50 displays the created count on the monitor 16 via the monitor control unit 28. This count is synchronized with the display of lyrics executed by the instruction unit 36 and the reproduction of accompaniment music. On the monitor 16, the count is displayed together with the lyrics. Apart from the above description, the count unit 50 may derive a period in which one character should be uttered while using timing information for uttering a character included in the lyrics. This may be derived by dividing the period in which a plurality of characters should be generated by the number of characters. Furthermore, the count unit 50 notifies the singer of the timing for starting the singing, such as “3”, “2”, and “1”, before starting the singing based on the derived period. You may create a count for

  FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a screen displayed on the monitor 16. As shown in the drawing, the lyrics corresponding to one block are displayed on the monitor 16. The counted number is displayed in the upper left part of the lyrics. As described above, the numbers are displayed while changing like “3”, “2”, and “1” based on the timing at which the character should be uttered.

  According to the embodiment of the present invention, if the interval between adjacent blocks is longer than the threshold for lyrics information, it is selected as a block to be a part target. You can choose. Moreover, since a part with good separation is selected, a part suitable for singing by a plurality of singers can be selected. Moreover, since the data for normal karaoke are used, the increase in the process with respect to a provider can be suppressed. Moreover, since the singing by a plurality of singers is enabled, the playability can be improved. In addition, a part whose singing period is longer than a certain level can be selected. Moreover, it can avoid selecting the part with a short period which a singer should sing. Moreover, reproduction corresponding to singing by a plurality of singers can be executed. Moreover, the possibility that one singer sings the same part can be reduced. In addition, since the singer cannot predict when to sing, gameability can be improved. Moreover, since the count according to the timing of music is made, singing can be started smoothly.

  In the above, this invention was demonstrated based on the Example. This embodiment is an exemplification, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the combination of each component and each processing process, and such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. .

  In the present embodiment, the selection unit 40 selects a subsequent block when the interval between adjacent blocks becomes longer than a predetermined threshold value. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the selection unit 40 may compare the intervals between adjacent blocks and select a predetermined number of subsequent blocks in order from the longest interval. Further, the threshold value may be determined by performing statistical processing on the interval between adjacent blocks. The threshold value may be determined based on tempo and rhythm information included in the performance information. According to this modification, a block can be selected in accordance with the tempo of the song. That is, it is only necessary to select a portion with good separation in the music.

  In the present embodiment, the instruction unit 36 generates a group, and assigns a singer to the parts included in the group. However, not limited to this, for example, the instruction unit 36 may assign a singer to a part without generating a group. At that time, the already assigned part may be excluded when the next singer is assigned. According to this modification, the process for generating a group can be omitted. In other words, various parts may be assigned so as to be equal.

  In the present embodiment, the karaoke apparatus 100 generates each part by dividing one piece of music into a plurality of parts. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and for example, the karaoke apparatus 100 may generate each part from a plurality of songs. According to this modification, a medley composed of a plurality of songs can be generated.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the karaoke apparatus which concerns on the Example of this invention. FIGS. 2A to 2B are diagrams showing the relationship between the lyrics information input to the storage unit of FIG. 1 and the performance information. It is a figure which shows the data structure of the lyric information input into the memory | storage part of FIG. It is a figure which shows the data structure of the performance information input into the memory | storage part of FIG. FIGS. 5A to 5D are diagrams illustrating data processed in the specifying unit and the instruction unit in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the selection process in the derivation | leading-out part and selection part of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the coupling | bonding process in the coupling | bond part of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the production | generation procedure of the group in the production | generation part of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the allocation process in the allocation part of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the game in the karaoke apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows the screen displayed on the monitor of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  10 network, 12 microphone, 14 speaker, 16 monitor, 20 communication unit, 22 storage unit, 24 playback unit, 26 lyrics display unit, 28 monitor control unit, 30 operation unit, 32 determination unit, 34 identification unit, 36 instruction unit, 38 derivation unit, 40 selection unit, 42 combination unit, 44 generation unit, 46 allocation unit, 48 execution unit, 50 count unit, 100 karaoke apparatus.

Claims (11)

The lyrics information including the lyrics divided into a plurality of blocks , the timing information for displaying each block on the screen while switching sequentially according to the progress of the song, and the timing information included in the lyrics information A step of inputting performance music;
Deriving the interval between adjacent blocks from the timing information included in the input lyrics information, and identifying the portion of the lyrics to be reproduced based on the interval between adjacent blocks;
Displaying the specified portion of the lyrics included in the input lyrics information on the screen and playing the specified portion of the input accompaniment music;
A program that causes a computer to execute. The identifying step includes:
Deriving the spacing between adjacent blocks respectively;
Comparing each of the block intervals derived in the step of deriving with a threshold value, and selecting a block at a later stage of the block interval longer than the threshold value;
Combining the consecutive blocks so that the block selected in the selecting step is at the head and is longer than a predetermined singing period;
Outputting the combined block in the combining step as a part of the lyrics to be reproduced;
The program according to claim 1, comprising: The outputting step excludes the combined block from the portion of the lyrics to be reproduced if the ratio of the interval between adjacent blocks to the combined block is larger than a predetermined value in the combined block. The program according to claim 2, wherein: Further comprising the step of accepting the number of singers,
4. The reproduction step includes displaying lyrics and reproducing accompaniment sounds while making the combined block correspond to each of the number of singers received in the receiving step. 5. The program according to any one. The reproducing step includes
Generating a plurality of groups by combining the parts identified by the identifying step;
Assigning each of the parts included in the group to the singer in units of each of the plurality of groups generated in the generating step;
Instructing the singer assigned by the assigning step, displaying the lyrics corresponding to the assigned part and playing the accompaniment music;
The program according to claim 4, further comprising:   6. The program according to claim 5, wherein in the generating step, a number of groups corresponding to the number of times a single singer should sing is generated.   The program according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the executing step executes display of lyrics and reproduction of accompaniment music while mixing the order of the singer and the group. The performance information associated with the timing information included in the lyrics information input in the input step is acquired, and the timing information for playing each character to be uttered according to the progress of the song is extracted from the performance information And steps to
Based on the timing information extracted in the extracting step, it is a count for notifying the singer of the timing to start singing, and the lyrics display and accompaniment executed in the generating step Creating a count that is synchronized with the music playback and displaying the created count on the screen;
The program according to claim 1, further comprising: The lyrics information including the lyrics divided into a plurality of blocks, the timing information for displaying each block on the screen while switching sequentially according to the progress of the song, and the timing information included in the lyrics information An input section for inputting performance music;
From the timing information included in the lyrics information input in the input unit, each of the adjacent block intervals is derived, and based on the adjacent block interval, a specific unit that identifies the portion of the lyrics to be reproduced,
Of the lyrics included in the lyrics information input in the input unit, the part specified by the specifying unit is displayed on the screen, and the part specified by the specifying unit of the accompaniment music input in the input unit is displayed. An instruction unit to play, and
A karaoke apparatus comprising: The lyrics information including the lyrics divided into a plurality of blocks, the timing information for displaying each block on the screen while switching sequentially according to the progress of the song, and the timing information included in the lyrics information A step of inputting performance music;
Deriving the interval between adjacent blocks from the timing information included in the input lyrics information, and identifying the portion of the lyrics to be reproduced based on the interval between adjacent blocks;
Displaying the specified portion of the lyrics included in the input lyrics information on the screen and playing the specified portion of the input accompaniment music;
Karaoke control method, characterized in that it comprises a. The lyrics information including the lyrics divided into a plurality of blocks , the timing information for displaying each block on the screen while switching sequentially according to the progress of the song, and the timing information included in the lyrics information A step of inputting performance music;
Deriving the interval between adjacent blocks from the timing information included in the input lyrics information, and identifying the portion of the lyrics to be reproduced based on the interval between adjacent blocks;
Displaying the specified portion of the lyrics included in the input lyrics information on the screen and playing the specified portion of the input accompaniment music;
A storage medium for storing a program for causing a computer to execute.

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