JPH10319978A - Karaoke sing-along machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable the continuous and successive transfer of musical pieces to be played by starting the data processing of the next music by another system while the output signal from one system is outputted and controlling switching in a manner as to nearly avoid the interruption of sounds and videos, thereby obviating the occurrence of a blank time in the sounds and the videos at the time of switching to the next music. SOLUTION: When the playing of the musical piece approaches the end or when the playing to the next music is instructed by user input, another KARAOKE sing-along data processing section 40b begins to process the KARAOKE sing-along data set of the next music during the course of the data processing by one KARAOKE sing-along data section 40a. The sound signal and video signal of the next music are then outputted. Consequently, the sounds outputted to a speaker 60 are gradually increased in the sound volume of the next music with a gradual decrease in the sound volume of the musical piece under playing. Then, the switching of the musical pieces with the continuous expression is possible and, therefore, the amusement characteristic of the KARAOKE sing-along machine is improved without putting a damper to the atmosphere of a growing livelier place.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a karaoke apparatus, and more particularly, to a karaoke apparatus for eliminating a blank time between music pieces successively played in a request order.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional karaoke apparatus, data encoded to generate accompaniment music, lyric images, background images, and the like of karaoke music are appropriately combined for each music, and an appropriate storage medium is provided as a karaoke data set. Has been accumulated. An appropriate data set is read from this storage medium and processed in response to a request input by the user, so that the audio signal of the accompaniment music in the karaoke music and the video signal of the background video in which the lyrics image is superimposed are output to the speaker and the display. Is output. If a plurality of requested music pieces are reserved for performance, the data set of the next music piece is read and processed.

As described above, when the reserved music pieces are processed in the order of request, a blank time for data transfer occurs between the music pieces. In particular, a large volume of individual data such as a background image is recorded on an optical disk such as a CD-ROM, and it is necessary to prepare a plurality of such disks. The plurality of optical disks are stored in a CD-ROM changer or the like, and are selectively exchanged as appropriate. This disc replacement time is the main cause of the above-mentioned blank time. Therefore,
During this blank time, BGM is played or a list of reserved songs is displayed so that the user does not feel a waiting time. In the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-35288, two sets of optical disks on which the same background video data is recorded are prepared, and one set is stored in each of two optical disk devices. By alternately driving the two optical disk devices, the time required to exchange disks is reduced.

[0004]

It is natural for a karaoke user to want to sing more songs at the karaoke venue. Therefore, it is desirable that the blank time between musical pieces is short. In the case where the karaoke venue is charged on an hourly basis, the blank time is a wasteful time, and the demand for reducing the blank time is urgent. It is obvious that flowing BGM during the blank time has no effect on such a demand. Furthermore, this BGM
It can be frustrating and irritating to the user, which can cause the scene to be lost. Therefore, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-352
The use of the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 88-208 can shorten the exchange time of optical discs, but preparing two sets of optical discs having the same contents significantly lowers the data storage efficiency and provides a wide variety of background images. Can not do. Therefore, there is a possibility that the user may be bored immediately. In addition, users often forcibly switch to the next song without playing the song to the end in order to save time. Time arises.

[0005] On the other hand, switching to the next song in the middle of a performance has a short period of time after the music is suddenly interrupted,
Then, when the next song starts playing, the natural flow of performance is forcibly stopped, and the atmosphere of the exciting place is filled with water. For this reason, there is a high demand for the user to want the music to change continuously and gradually.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a karaoke apparatus that does not generate a blank time in audio or video when the requested music is switched to the next music in the order of reservation or by the user's interrupt input, and that the performance music continuously shifts gradually. It is intended to provide.

[0007]

In a karaoke apparatus,
The following requirements (a) to (c) were provided. (A) A karaoke data set is formed by appropriately combining data encoded to generate accompaniment music, lyrics image, background video, and the like for each song. A karaoke database is constructed by integrating this karaoke data set on an appropriate digital recording medium for a large number of karaoke songs.

(B) Database access means for sequentially taking out the corresponding karaoke data sets from the database in accordance with the order of requests by user input and temporarily storing them in a predetermined data buffer unit, wherein the access means is for one music Is transferred in a time that is sufficiently short compared to the performance time of the music.

(C) Two systems of karaoke data processing means for taking out a karaoke data set for one song from the data buffer unit and outputting an audio signal and a video signal of the karaoke song while processing it in real time; Signal switching means for outputting an output signal from a processing means of one system to a speaker and a display, and a state in which an output signal from the processing means of one system is output to the speaker and the display by the signal switching means. Sequence control means for starting the data processing of the next music piece by the processing means of the other system and for switching and controlling the signal switching means so that audio and video from the speaker and the display are not substantially interrupted.

More preferably, the signal switching means includes signal synthesizing means for appropriately synthesizing output signals from the two systems of processing means, and the sequence control means executes a signal processing procedure in the signal synthesizing means. An instruction is to control the signal switching means so that the sound and video from the speaker and the display are gradually switched while overlapping with appropriate expressions.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

=== Configuration of Embodiment of the Present Invention === FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a karaoke apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The central control unit 10 is a computer including a CPU, a RAM, and a ROM therein, and controls the karaoke apparatus 1 by controlling each of the peripheral components. The central control unit 10 and the peripheral components are connected via a data bus 100 and a control bus 200. The CD-ROM 21 stores accompaniment music, lyric images, and digital data encoded for generating background video in karaoke music.
The CD-ROM changer 20 storing a plurality of CD-ROMs 21 has an n-speed CD-ROM drive (n is a number greater than 1). Thereby, the appropriate CD-
The ROM 21 is selected, and the data recorded on the CD-ROM 21 is read out at n times the normal speed. (In the present embodiment, about 4 to 12 times speed is assumed, but the speed is not limited to this speed.) The data buffer unit 30
This is a memory area for temporarily storing data read by the D-ROM changer 20.

The operation control unit 80 receives a user input such as a music request from the remote control transmitter 81 or the operation panel 82 and transfers the input information to the central control unit 10.
The two karaoke data processing units 40a and 40b have the same internal configuration and the same processing function. In other words, the data temporarily stored in the data buffer unit 30 is read out at a normal speed, processed in real time, an audio signal of the accompaniment music of the karaoke music is output, and the video signal of the background video in which the lyrics image is superimposed. Is output. The two karaoke data processing units 40a and 40b
The signal switching unit 50 connected to the output path of the audio signal and the video signal outputs the audio signal and the video signal of one system to the speaker 60 and the display 70. With the above configuration, the karaoke apparatus 1 performs the following operation.

=== Operation of Karaoke Apparatus According to Embodiment =
== (A) Data Structure of CD-ROM FIG. 2 schematically shows the data structure of a CD-ROM.
Data stream 300 recorded on CD-ROM
Is composed of a number of blocks 301 having a fixed data length. Each block 301 is composed of a user data area, a header and a footer. In the user data area, data for generating accompaniment music of karaoke music, background video, and lyrics images are stored. One type of data is stored in the user data area of each block. In this embodiment, the accompaniment music and the background video are recorded as MPEG audio data and MPEG video data compressed and encoded in the MPEG1 format.
The lyric image is recorded as lyric rendering data in which a lyric character and its display sequence, font or display position are specified. As a result, blocks 301a to 301c
Will be mixed in the data stream. In the data stream 300, in addition to the blocks 301a to 301c described above, a table of contents for indicating the disc identification code of the CD-ROM, the title of the song recorded on the disc, and the content thereof (genre, singer, lyrics of singing, etc.) Blocks with recorded data are also mixed.
The header describes the synchronization signal, the address of this block, the content of data recorded in the user data area in this block (including the type of data, the identification code of the music, the time-series information in the music, and the like). Data is recorded. An error correction code and the like are recorded in the footer.

Each piece of data in a karaoke song is managed as a karaoke data set in which accompaniment music, lyric images, and background images appropriately assigned to the songs are combined. The background video assigned to each song may always be the same, or multiple background video cuts may be appropriately selected or randomly extracted based on the genre of the song, and assigned to each music performance. You may. Of course, the background video to be assigned may be recorded on a different disc.

(B) Data transfer and storage When the requested music is specified by a user input, the central control unit issues a data transfer command to the CD-ROM changer. The CD-ROM changer extracts a block in which the corresponding data is recorded from an appropriate CD-ROM and transfers it to the data buffer unit.

FIG. 3 schematically shows a data storage state in the data buffer unit 30. Data buffer unit 30
Has areas 31 and 32 for storing two karaoke data sets. CD-ROM changer is 1
In order to transfer the data set of a song at a speed sufficiently faster than the performance time of the song, the karaoke data set of the next song is stored in parallel while the performance process of a certain requested song is being performed. be able to. And
The karaoke data sets transferred in the order of the request are stored alternately in the two karaoke data set storage areas 31 and 32. Further, in each karaoke data set storage area, the data is classified and stored for each data type.

(C) Data Processing and Music Generation FIG. 4 schematically shows the configuration of the karaoke data processing units 40a and 40b and the signal switching unit 50. The karaoke data processing units 40a and 40b are configured to separately process the MPEG audio data, the MPEG video data, and the lyrics rendering data in the karaoke music.
It includes G audio decoding units 41a and 41b, MPEG video decoding units 42a and 42b, and lyrics rendering units 43a and 43b, respectively. The signal switching unit 50 responds to the audio signal and the video signal output from the two systems of the karaoke data processing units 40a and 40b by using an audio signal level adjuster 51a,
51b and video signal level adjusters 52a and 52b. Further, an audio mixer 53 and a video mixer 54 for synthesizing audio signals and video signals from the respective systems are provided.

Two systems of karaoke data processing units 40a, 4
0b exclusively processes the data stored in the two karaoke data set storage areas of the data buffer unit. The processing is performed alternately for each music in accordance with the request order. When a performance command is issued from the central control unit, the karaoke data processing unit in charge of the karaoke data set of the music whose order is earlier is processed. The karaoke data processing unit 40 processes the data of the music to be played.
If the karaoke data processing unit 40a
Reads out each data of this music piece from the corresponding karaoke data set storage section according to the time series. MPEG
The audio data and the MPEG video data are expanded and decoded by the MPEG audio decoding unit 41a and the MPEG video decoding unit 42a, and then D / A-converted and output as an audio signal of the accompaniment music and a video signal of the background video. The lyrics rendering data is processed by a lyrics rendering unit 43a including a video RAM therein. The lyrics rendering unit 43a develops bitmap data of the lyrics image in the video RAM in accordance with the display sequence, and outputs the analog RGB signals of the image in synchronization with the accompaniment music. Then, the video synthesizing unit 44a
Superimposes the lyrics image on the video signal of the background video and outputs the video signal.

(D) Switching output from performance music to next music The audio signal and video signal output from the karaoke data processing unit 40a are converted to an audio signal level adjuster 51 of the signal switching unit 50.
a and the video signal level adjuster 52a. These adjusters 51a and 52a are volumes for controlling the output of the input signal. At this time, each of the adjusters 51a and 52a corresponding to the system 40a processing the data outputs the input signal as it is without lowering the level. Each of the adjusters 51b and 52b that inputs a signal from the karaoke data processing unit 40b keeps the output level to a minimum state and cuts off the signal from the system 40b. Therefore, the audio and video output to the speaker and the display via the audio mixer 53 and the video mixer 54 are only those of the music currently being played by the karaoke data processing unit 40a.

When the performance of this music approaches the end or when the performance of the next music is instructed by a user input, the other karaoke data processing unit 40b performs the next karaoke data processing while the karaoke data processing unit 40a performs the data processing. Start processing the karaoke data set for the song. Then, the audio signal and the video signal of the next music are output. In the signal switching section 50, the audio signal level adjuster 51a and the video signal level adjuster 52a gradually lower the signal level input from the system 40a during the performance processing under the control of the central processing section. On the other hand, the audio signal level adjuster 51b and the video signal level adjuster 52b gradually increase the signal level from the system 40b on the next music side which has started the processing. The signals from the two systems whose levels are thus adjusted are combined by the audio mixer 53 and the video mixer 54. As a result, as for the sound output to the speaker, as the volume of the music being played gradually decreases, the volume of the next music gradually increases. In addition, the video output to the display in synchronization therewith gradually fades in as the video of the music being played gradually fades out while the video of the next music overlaps with the video of the previous music. Note that the video mixer 54 is not limited to such expression, and can be controlled so as to output the image at the time of switching in various expressions.
Of course, it is also possible to instantly switch to the next song.

=== Other Embodiments === In this embodiment, the data buffer section has areas for storing two karaoke data sets, and each area corresponds to two systems of data processing sections. However, the area of the data buffer unit is not limited to two songs, and the CD-RO
The karaoke data set transferred from the M changer may be stored as long as its capacity allows. And
Two systems of karaoke data processing units may sequentially read data to be processed according to the request order. Also,
The data processing unit may extract data for each type from the karaoke data set and transfer the corresponding data to a predetermined decoding unit without storing the data for each type in the storage area of each karaoke data set. .

Further, the data format of the karaoke music is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Accompaniment music can be prepared as PCM data which can be expected to have high sound quality even if the data amount is large, and the accompaniment music and the lyric image have the data amount. Synthesizer control data in a MIDI format or the like that can increase the efficiency of data storage in a storage medium to a small extent may be used.
When the accompaniment music and the lyric image are MIDI data or the like, even if the data transfer is started at the time of music switching, the data processing unit can be in time for real-time processing, so that high-speed transfer is not required. Therefore, the data processed in parallel with the high-speed reading operation may be only that of the background video.

The data recording medium is not limited to a CD-ROM, but may be another medium. Alternatively, different recording media such as a CD-ROM and a magneto-optical disk may be mixed, and a device for driving each medium may be prepared. of course,
DVD-ROM for CD-ROM and DVD-ROM
A CD-ROM can also be used in the drive. MIDI data and the like may be stored on a hard disk. Further, the disc on which the background video is recorded and the disc on which the accompaniment music is recorded may be separated and each disc may be exclusively driven by two driving devices.

[0024]

According to the karaoke apparatus of the present invention, when the requested music is shifted to the next music in the order of reservation or by the user's interrupt input, no blank time is generated in the audio or video.
In addition, it is also possible to make a transition so that the performance music changes continuously and gradually. Therefore, the use efficiency of the karaoke venue is improved, and the music can be switched in a continuous expression, so that the entertainment of karaoke can be improved without watering the atmosphere of the exciting place.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a data structure recorded on a CD-ROM in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a data storage state in a data buffer unit in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of two data processing units and a signal switching unit coupled thereto in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Karaoke apparatus 10 Central control unit 20 CD-ROM changer 21 CD-ROM 30 Data buffer unit 40a, 40b Karaoke data processing unit 50 Signal switching unit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A karaoke apparatus having the following requirements (1) to (3). (1) Karaoke data sets encoded to generate accompaniment music, lyrics images, background images, and the like for each song are collected on a suitable digital recording medium for a large number of karaoke songs, and a karaoke database is constructed. I have. (2) There is provided a database access means for accessing the database, sequentially taking out the corresponding karaoke data sets in accordance with the order of requests by user input, and temporarily storing the karaoke data sets in a predetermined data buffer unit. The time required for transferring one karaoke data set by this access means is sufficiently shorter than the performance time of the music. (3) Two systems of karaoke data processing means for taking out a karaoke data set for one song from the data buffer unit and outputting an audio signal and a video signal of the karaoke song while performing real-time processing; Signal switching means for outputting an output signal from the means to the speaker and the display; and outputting the output signal from the processing means of one system to the speaker and the display by the signal switching means, A sequence control means for starting data processing of the next music piece by a processing means of the system and for controlling switching of the signal switching means so that audio and video from the speaker and the display are not interrupted substantially. 2. The signal switching device according to claim 1, wherein the signal switching device includes a signal synthesizing device for appropriately synthesizing output signals from the two systems of processing devices, and the sequence control device includes a signal synthesizing device. A karaoke apparatus, wherein the karaoke apparatus controls the signal switching means so as to instruct a processing procedure to gradually switch the sound and the video from the speaker and the display while appropriately overlapping each other.