JP4213058B2 - Karaoke device that can output model vocals - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a karaoke apparatus with a vocal assist function, and more particularly, to a technique for automatically controlling the appropriateness of use of an exemplary vocal according to the level of singing ability of a person who requests a song.

  As an incidental function of a karaoke device, a guide vocal function for reproducing and outputting a recorded voice of an exemplary vocal sung by a professional or semi-professional vocalist is known. This function is a voice output of the model vocal so that the singer can not follow the accompaniment music and the singing is not interrupted, assist the singer to follow the song naturally, or when the singer becomes silent The purpose is to prevent the accompanying person from feeling uncomfortable. The singing voice by the model singer is recorded in ADPCM format or the like, and the recorded data is prepared in association with karaoke music. Then, the recorded data is reproduced in synchronization with the performance of the karaoke music, and the singing voice from the microphone, the karaoke accompaniment music, and the model vocal are mixed and outputted as sound.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-29598 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-298793 disclose a technique for controlling the volume of an exemplary vocal according to the presence or absence of singing sound from a microphone. Is disclosed. This is because the model vocal is disturbed when the singer normally sings, and the volume of the model vocal needs to be controlled according to the singing voice. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-47677 discloses a technique for automatically controlling the volume of the exemplary vocal when the volume of the singing voice is reduced. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-267677 discloses a technique for automatically controlling the volume of an exemplary vocal according to the strength of the singing voice.
JP-A-3-29598 JP-A-4-298793 JP 2000-47677 A JP 2000-267777 A

  Karaoke songs contain a huge number of new music every month according to the trend of music. Therefore, it is difficult to create complete karaoke data from the beginning when it appears as a new record, and it is often provided in a simple format with simple accompaniment music added to the main melody. After that, depending on the popularity ranking and the user's request, there are cases where high-quality karaoke music is provided in sequence by creating full-part accompaniment music data or recording live performances.

  The recorded data of the model vocal is no exception. Basically, karaoke music does not contain vocal sounds, but additional model vocals are provided for the practice of users with low proficiency levels or for excitement. It is a thing. Therefore, model vocal data is not prepared for all karaoke songs from the beginning provided as karaoke songs, and is often provided later according to demands and popularity.

  On the other hand, a model vocal that can be a “model” for all users is meaningless unless it is highly complete. Then, the model vocal needs to record and produce a professional singer's song. To do so, it is necessary to request a professional singer with high singing ability to record model vocals. Naturally, not only the professional singer's guarantee is high, but the enthusiasm for recording by the singer and the staff is also great, and the required recording technology becomes sophisticated. After all, the cost and time required for production are enormous.

  However, the level of the model vocal actually required varies depending on the singing level of the user. For example, for a beginner level user, the vocal of the model level is sufficiently fulfilled by singing at the intermediate level or higher. That is, if it is a singing of a level higher than a user's singing level, it can become a model vocal. In the first place, the lower the singing level, the more the model vocal is needed, the higher the level of the model vocal, the less frequently used.

  Therefore, the present inventor prepares as many model vocals as possible mainly at the intermediate level and uses them according to the user's singing level, thereby providing model vocals that meet the purpose while reducing production costs. I thought this was useful and I created the present invention.

The karaoke apparatus according to the first invention is specified by the following items (1) to (4).
(1) The karaoke apparatus is provided with a karaoke database and a control means. (2) The karaoke database includes music with an exemplary vocal. (3) The exemplary vocal for each musical piece is a singing of the exemplary vocal itself. Grade information indicating skill evaluation is associated (4) When the control means plays a song with an example vocal, the grade information of the example vocal of the song and a person who sings the song input Compare with the singing ability grade information, and based on the comparison result, whether or not the example vocal of the song is output as a sound so that a low-evaluated example vocal is not output when a person with high singing ability sings To decide

The karaoke apparatus according to the second invention is specified by the following items (11) to (19).
(11) A karaoke device provided with a karaoke database, individual singing performance results table, user interface, and control means (12) The karaoke database includes songs with exemplary vocals (13) Each song The model vocal of the model vocal is associated with grade information indicating the skillful evaluation of the singing vocal of the model vocal itself (14) The individual singing ability result table stores the personal ID and the singing ability grade information in association with each other. (15) The user interface acquires the personal ID of the person who requested it along with the requested song. (16) The control means performs the first to third processes when playing a song with an exemplary vocal (17 ) The first process is to extract the grade information of the model vocal of the song. (18) The second process is the individual singing performance based on the personal ID of the person who requested the song. Deriving grade information from the table (19) The third process compares the two grade information that has been drawn, and based on the comparison result, when a person with high singing ability sings, the low-evaluation model vocal is not output. in, that the model vocal of the song determining whether to sound output

  Preferably, in the second invention, the control means creates / updates the individual singing ability result table based on the data output by the singing scoring means during karaoke performance.

  Preferably, the control means enables an upload process and a download process. The upload process communicates with the host device to transmit an individual singing performance report, and the download process assigns an individual ID to the host device. The personal singing performance result table corresponding to the individual ID is received from the host device.

  In short, according to the karaoke apparatus of the present invention, when a song requested by a person who is not very good at singing is played, the grade information of the person's singing ability is grade information of the model vocal attached to the requested song ( If it is clearly lower than that of the model vocal and the singing ability level, the model vocal of the song can be output as sound. On the other hand, if the person who requested the song is very good at singing but the performance of the model vocal of the requested song is not so good, control is performed so that the model vocal is not output. By configuring the karaoke device in this way, you can work on software production under the concept of adding model vocals to more songs within the limited budget for recording model vocals, but you are good at singing. Users who are not good at singing will not be dissatisfied with the user, and will receive a favorable reception saying that there are many songs with model vocals.

=== Network configuration ===
This embodiment is based on singing ability grade information determined by the user's singing grading history and self-reporting to users who want to sing with model vocals at karaoke stores scattered throughout the country. An appropriate level of exemplary vocals is provided from among various levels of exemplary vocals provided by the operator.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration example in which the present invention is applied to a karaoke collective system installed in a karaoke store having a large number of guest rooms. A wide area intranet is constructed by connecting a VPN 110 (Virtual Private Network) 70 using the Internet to a LAN 110 and a host device 90 installed in karaoke stores 100 at various locations of karaoke businesses. The karaoke device 1 and the devices attached thereto are installed in each guest room 120 of the karaoke store 100 in each place, and the karaoke device 1 communicates with the host device 90 via the VPN 70.

=== Basic functions of karaoke equipment ===
The karaoke apparatus 1 in each guest room 120 has a function equivalent to a performance terminal of a known communication karaoke system. FIG. 2 shows a functional block configuration of the karaoke apparatus 1. A central control unit 11 including a CPU, a RAM, and a ROM controls the peripheral components and controls the karaoke apparatus 1. The hard disk device 12 stores karaoke data including accompaniment music data mainly composed of MIDI data and lyric rendering data that is a generation origin of the lyric image for a large number of karaoke songs identified by the music ID. Some karaoke data is accompanied by model vocal data that records the vocals of the model vocals. The hard disk device 12 also stores moving image data for a long time in a predetermined format and script data that defines a processing sequence of moving image data. The central control unit 11 identifies karaoke data and script data of each music piece by music ID and manages this as a karaoke database.

  The karaoke apparatus 1 communicates with the host apparatus 90 connected via the network interface 23 in a timely manner, obtains karaoke data about new music pieces, and updates the contents of the karaoke database as needed. Further, the karaoke apparatus 1 records its own operating state and performance history in a log, and transmits this log to the host apparatus 90 at an appropriate communication opportunity.

  The operation control unit 13 accepts user instruction information input from the operation panel 14 or the remote control transmitter 26 of the karaoke apparatus 1 main body. When the operation control unit 13 receives a performance reservation command from the operation panel 14 or via the light receiving unit 15, the central control unit 11 stores the music ID included in the command in the internal RAM and queues for performance processing. Manage as. The music numbers are sequentially extracted from the queue, the corresponding karaoke data is read from the hard disk device 12, and the accompaniment music data in the karaoke data is transferred to the synthesizer 19 to generate accompaniment music.

  In addition, the lyric rendering data is processed in synchronization with the accompaniment music, and the lyric image in which the portion to be sung is changed in color is sequentially developed in the video RAM. Also, predetermined moving image data is sequentially transferred to the video controller 17 in a predetermined order based on the script data, and the background moving image of the lyrics image is decoded.

  The mixing amplifier 20 mixes and amplifies the accompaniment music and the singing voice input to the microphone 22 and outputs the sound from the speaker 21. The video control unit 17 superimposes the lyric image on the decoded moving image and outputs it on the display 18.

  The karaoke apparatus 1 includes a singing scoring unit 24 and can execute a well-known singing scoring function. Singing skill is scored based on the pitch of the main melody (pitch reference value) in the accompaniment music data and the singing voice signal input from the microphone. That is, the pitch reference value is sequentially extracted from the karaoke data of the performance music, the singing voice signal input from the microphone is sampled and converted into digital singing voice data, and the singing voice pitch is extracted from this singing voice data. Then, the pitch reference value is compared with the singing voice pitch, and the score based on the comparison result is sequentially output with a maximum of 100 points.

  Further, the operation control unit 13 of the karaoke apparatus 1 can accept an input of a user ID (personal ID) for identifying the user. As a user ID, in addition to a telephone number or a number assigned by a karaoke store, an identification mark such as a name, a nickname, or a photograph registered in advance by the user, a fingerprint, an iris, or the like can be applied.

=== Personal Singing Performance Table ===
The karaoke apparatus 1 can leave a history of scoring results for each user together with the singing scoring function. When the karaoke device 1 receives a performance reservation command including a user ID and a music ID, when the singing scoring function is activated, the score of the scoring result is associated with the user ID and an appropriate storage unit To remember. Then, it is transmitted to the host device 90 at an appropriate opportunity such as when the operating status log is transmitted (upload processing).

  When the host device 90 receives the singing scoring history with the user ID, the host device 90 stores and manages it as a personal singing performance score table using the user ID as key information. FIG. 3 shows an example of the logical configuration of the individual singing ability result table. When storing the received history, for a user who already has a score recorded in the individual singing performance score table, for example, the latest 10 histories are left.

  Furthermore, based on the scoring results of each user, the level of singing ability is classified into beginner, intermediate and advanced. For example, the average score of the singing grading history is classified as beginner level, less than 50 points and less than 70 points are intermediate, and more than 70 points are advanced. Then, the level of this singing ability is stored in association with the individual singing ability result table as grade information.

  The karaoke apparatus 1 obtains an individual singing performance score table managed by the host apparatus 90 at an appropriate opportunity (downloading process), and stores and manages the user ID as key information in an appropriate storage unit. For example, when a certain user designates a user ID and starts using karaoke, the user ID is transmitted to the host device 90, and the individual singing ability result table of the user is ordered.

  In addition, the individual singing ability result table may be a total of scoring results by individual and by music. In this case, when the karaoke apparatus 1 downloads the individual singing ability result table from the host device 90, the user ID and the song ID are designated, and the singing ability result table for the user's song is obtained. It is also possible to order.

=== Basic guide vocal function ===
The karaoke apparatus 1 has a guide vocal function and an ADPCM decoder 25 for decoding exemplary vocal data. When the central control unit 11 receives a guide vocal output instruction input by the user via the remote control transmitter 26 or the operation panel 14, the central control unit 11 transfers exemplary vocal data of the music to the ADPCM decoder 25. The voice signal of the guide vocal reproduced by the ADPCM decoder 25 is input to the mixing amplifier 20, mixed with the accompaniment music and the singing voice, and output from the speaker 21.

  The guide vocal output instruction is accepted together with the music ID during performance of karaoke music or at the time of performance reservation. If it is accepted at the time of performance reservation, the instruction is also managed in association with the music ID in the queue, and if the guide vocal output instruction is associated with the music ID extracted from the queue, the performance processing Sometimes activates the guide vocal function.

=== Configuration of model vocal data ===
The exemplary vocal data according to the present embodiment is produced by a karaoke company and distributed to the karaoke database of each karaoke apparatus 1 through the host apparatus 90 at an appropriate opportunity.

  The model vocal data of each karaoke piece is mainly composed of ADPCM format voice data obtained by digitally recording model vocal voices sung by a vocalist.

  This audio data is accompanied by a singing level (grade information) that is divided into a beginner level, an intermediate level, an advanced level, and a teacher level along with the music ID. For example, a vocalist's singing is scored as appropriate at the time of recording, and based on the scoring results, less than 50 points are intermediate, 50 to less than 70 are intermediate, 70 to less than 90 are advanced, 90 are more than teacher level, In this way, the level is determined.

  Note that the beginner level is considered inappropriate as an exemplary vocal and should be excluded from the distribution target. Alternatively, a karaoke company may appoint a vocalist suitable as an example for each level of karaoke user under an original standard, and attach the grade information.

  Each karaoke apparatus 1 that receives the distribution of the exemplary vocal data stores the music ID as key information in the karaoke database and manages it together with other karaoke data.

  When higher-level model vocal data is supplied to the host device 90 for the same music piece, the original model vocal data is deleted and overwritten and stored, or a predetermined number of model vocal data is recorded in descending order of level. Is convenient because the storage capacity can be reduced.

  In addition, as a model vocal data supply method, a well-known karaoke recording device (karaoke device 1 with a recording function) is used, and a user records a song to produce a song recording work. A method of transmitting (submitting) model vocal data to the host device 90 is also applicable. When recording, the singing scoring function is also activated, and the grade information determined based on the scoring results is attached. By adopting such a method, model vocal data can be supplied more quickly and reasonably.

=== Procedure for providing model vocals ===
FIG. 4 shows a processing flowchart when the guide vocal function is activated in the karaoke apparatus according to the present embodiment.
When a user designates and inputs a user ID for a certain musical piece and instructs the activation of the guide vocal function (steps 401 and 404 in FIG. 4), the karaoke apparatus 1 uses the karaoke data for the musical piece for the musical performance. If the exemplary vocal data is included (step 402), it is extracted and reproduced and output.

  At this time, reference is made to the grade information attached to the exemplary vocal data (step 403), and if there is the individual singing ability result table of the user, the singing ability grade information of the user is extracted with reference to this. (Steps 405 to 406). Then, the singing ability grade information is compared with the grade information attached to the model vocal data (step 407). If the model vocal data is appropriate for the user, the model vocal data is extracted and reproduced. To do. If a plurality of model vocal data are prepared, an appropriate level is selected from the appropriate levels.

    Here, the appropriate model vocal is a case where the grade information attached to the model vocal data indicates a grade higher than the grade information of the user's singing ability (step 408). For example, when the grade information of the user's singing ability is “intermediate”, if the grade information of the prepared model vocal is higher, that is, “advanced” or “instructor grade”, the sound reproduction output set to target. On the other hand, if the grade information of the model vocal is less than the grade information of the user's singing ability, that is, “Beginner” or “Intermediate”, the model vocal will be output as sound that there is no appropriate model vocal data. Do not do.

  In the case where the activation of the guide vocal function is instructed but the exemplary vocal data is not prepared, naturally the acoustic output of the exemplary vocal is not performed. For songs for which model vocal data is not prepared, it may be configured such that an instruction cannot be input to activate the guide vocal function.

  Moreover, when the user who instructed the start of the guide vocal function does not specify the user ID, or when the user ID is specified, the singing history is not left and there is no individual singing performance report For example, the prepared example vocal data is reproduced and output as it is.

=== Others ===
The grade information of a user's singing ability is good also as a score of a scoring result. In this case, the score band of the scoring result is associated with the grade information of the model vocal, and if there is model vocal data of the grade information (or higher) corresponding to the band to which the user's score belongs, it is appropriate. As an example vocal data, it is targeted for sound output. This is convenient because the user's leveling is simplified.

  Furthermore, the grade information of the model vocal may also be a score of the scoring result. In this case, if there is model vocal data with a score higher than the score of the user, it is determined as appropriate model vocal data and is set as a target for sound output. This is convenient because the levels of both can be easily compared.

  Moreover, in the said Example, although the level of a user's singing power shall be determined using the singing power result table based on this user's singing score history, it is not restricted to this. For example, the user may self-diagnose the level of singing ability and input an instruction with a predetermined command. According to this method, the guide vocal function can be activated by flexibly taking in the user's wishes.

  In the above embodiment, the model vocal data is distributed to the karaoke apparatus 1 at an appropriate time and stored and managed in the karaoke database. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It is also possible to manage the model vocal data in the database of the host device 90 and download it for each musical piece when performing karaoke performance.

  Moreover, although the example applied to a communication karaoke system was shown in the said Example, it is natural that this invention is applicable also to a karaoke apparatus single-piece | unit. In that case, the collection and management of individual singing performance results and model vocal data are all carried out by karaoke equipment.

It is a network block diagram including the karaoke apparatus which employ | adopted the exemplary vocal provision system which concerns on this invention. It is a functional block diagram of the said karaoke apparatus. It is the figure which illustrated the logic structure of the individual singing ability result table which concerns on a present Example. It is a processing flow figure at the time of starting the guide vocal function which concerns on a present Example.

Explanation of symbols

1 Karaoke device 11 Central control unit 90 Host device

Claims (4)

A karaoke apparatus comprising a karaoke database and control means,
The karaoke database contains songs with model vocals,
The model vocal for each song is associated with grade information indicating the skill evaluation of the singing vocal of the model vocal itself ,
The control means, when playing a song with an example vocal, compares the grade information of the example vocal of the song with the grade information of the singing ability input by the person who sings the song, and based on the comparison result , A karaoke apparatus that determines whether or not to output an exemplary vocal of the song so that a low-evaluated exemplary vocal is not output when a person with high singing ability sings . A karaoke apparatus comprising a karaoke database, an individual singing performance report, a user interface, and a control means,
The karaoke database contains songs with model vocals,
The model vocal for each song is associated with grade information indicating the skill evaluation of the singing vocal of the model vocal itself ,
The individual singing ability results table stores the personal ID and singing ability grade information in association with each other,
The user interface obtains the personal ID of the person who requested it along with the requested song,
The control means performs the first to third processes when performing a song with an exemplary vocal,
The first process pulls out the grade information of the model vocal of the song,
The second process draws grade information from the individual singing ability score table based on the personal ID of the person who requested the song,
The third process compares the two extracted grade information and, based on the comparison result, outputs the model vocal of the song so that the low-evaluated model vocal is not output when a person with high singing ability sings. Karaoke device that decides whether or not to do. The karaoke apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control means creates / updates the individual singing ability result table based on data output by the singing scoring means during karaoke performance. The control means enables upload processing and download processing,
The upload process communicates with the host device and sends the individual singing performance report,
The karaoke apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the download process transmits an individual ID to the host device and receives an individual singing performance score table corresponding to the individual ID from the host device.

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