JPH1078788A - Karaoke sing-along machine and karaoke signal distribution system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a KARAOKE sing-along machine and KARAOKE signal distribution system which prevent the occurrence of useless communication costs and are capable of distributing the KARAOKE musical pieces necessary for respective KARAOKE sing-along machine at all times. SOLUTION: A host computer 17 receives the information stored in a stored musical piece information memory section 16 from the CPU section 7 of the KARAOKE sing-along machine 1, confirms the KARAOKE musical pieces stored in a main storage device 6, selects only the musical tone data of the KARAOKE musical pieces to be transmitted and transmits this data to the KARAOKE sing-along machine 1. When the CPU section 7 receives the musical tone data of the KARAOKE musical pieces, these musical tone data are stored in the main storage device 6 and the information of the management information memory section of the main storage device 6 and the information to be stored in the stored musical piece information memory section 16, by which the operation to store the musical tone data of the KARAOKE musical pieces is ended.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a karaoke apparatus and a karaoke distribution system, and more particularly to a karaoke apparatus configured to store music data of a plurality of karaoke songs distributed from the karaoke song distribution apparatus. The present invention relates to a karaoke distribution system including the karaoke device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a karaoke apparatus of this kind, as represented by a communication karaoke apparatus, music data of a plurality of karaoke songs distributed from a host computer via a telephone line is stored on a hard disk or a DVD-RAM. And stored in a fast-access and rewritable storage medium such as
2. Description of the Related Art A karaoke apparatus configured to reproduce accompaniment music, lyric image, and background image of a karaoke song from music data of a karaoke song selected by a singer is well known.

Further, in a recent karaoke distribution system, when a karaoke music to be distributed is completed, a host computer as a distribution source automatically accesses each karaoke device and distributes the karaoke music. ing.

[0004]

However, in the above-described karaoke distribution system, the karaoke music stored in each karaoke device cannot be known. There is a problem that a situation occurs in which the same music is distributed, which causes unnecessary communication costs, and there is a karaoke apparatus in which required karaoke music is left undistributed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and prevents unnecessary communication costs from being generated.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a karaoke apparatus and a karaoke distribution system capable of always delivering required karaoke music to each karaoke apparatus.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a karaoke apparatus for storing music data of a plurality of karaoke songs distributed from a karaoke song distribution apparatus. In the configured karaoke apparatus, a storage unit that stores information specifying the plurality of karaoke songs, and a transmission unit that transmits information specifying the plurality of karaoke songs stored in the storage unit to the karaoke song distribution device. It is characterized by having.

A karaoke distribution system according to a second aspect of the present invention is a karaoke distribution system including a karaoke device configured to store music data of a plurality of karaoke songs distributed from the karaoke song distribution device. ,
The karaoke apparatus includes storage means for storing information specifying the plurality of karaoke songs, and transmission means for transmitting information specifying the plurality of karaoke songs stored in the storage means to the karaoke music distribution apparatus. It is characterized by doing.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a karaoke distribution system according to the present invention, and shows a basic configuration when applied to a communication karaoke system. Further, the karaoke apparatus 1 according to the present invention is shown in the outer broken line in FIG.

Reference numeral 17 denotes a host computer, which is automatically connected to each karaoke apparatus via a telephone line and distributes music data of karaoke music to the karaoke apparatus 1 and other karaoke apparatuses (not shown). . Reference numeral 7 denotes a CPU, which controls the entire karaoke apparatus 1;
In addition to the microprocessor, it is composed of a ROM 7a for storing a control program and a RAM 7b having a plurality of flag areas necessary for control and temporarily storing data and the like. Performs memory management and data processing.

Reference numeral 12 denotes an operation unit which includes various keys, switches, and a remote controller (not shown) for setting various states of the karaoke apparatus 1. Reference numeral 13 denotes a display unit, which includes an LCD, an LED, and the like for displaying information necessary for setting various states of the karaoke apparatus 1 to an operator. 5
Is a modem, which exchanges data with the host computer 17 via an analog communication line such as a telephone line, and converts music data transmitted from the host computer 17 into a digital signal. This music data is
It is data necessary to play karaoke songs,
It consists of control data and performance data. The control data is composed of, for example, information indicating the number of start clocks and the number of end clocks of chorus of karaoke music.
It is composed of performance music data, which is data, and lyric image data indicating lyrics of the performance music composed of character information, color change information, genre information, and the like.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a main storage device, which is composed of a rewritable storage medium such as a hard disk, a semiconductor memory, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM and a DVD-RAM, and a read-only storage medium. The music data taken in by the modem 5 is stored below. Further, in a management information storage unit (not shown) of the main storage device 6, information necessary for managing the stored music data is stored as a management table. , The stored date (year / month / day), and information indicating the number of music selections since the storage.

Normally, the music data is stored in a compressed state in order to minimize the storage capacity of the main storage device 6. The music data is not only taken in at the request of the user of the karaoke apparatus 1 but also automatically taken in a time zone when the karaoke apparatus 1 is used less frequently, such as at night. Reference numeral 16 denotes a stored music information storage unit, which is information to be transmitted to the host computer 17; music numbers of all stored karaoke music;
Information indicating the version of the music, the stored date (year, month, day) and the number of music selections after the storage are stored as a table. By transmitting the information stored in the stored music information storage unit 16 to the host computer 17, the CPU unit 7 can notify the host computer 17 of the information of the karaoke music stored in the karaoke apparatus 1.

Reference numeral 15 denotes a musical piece information storage unit which is generally constituted by a rewritable and high-speed accessible storage medium such as a semiconductor memory, and which is reserved and input from the operation unit 12 under the control of the CPU unit 7. In addition to the information specifying the karaoke song, information indicating whether the karaoke song was played, information indicating whether the karaoke song was played within a predetermined number of songs, and whether the karaoke song was played within a predetermined time period This information is stored, as well as information designating a karaoke tune that has been disabled for the singer to sing later.

Reference numeral 14 denotes a performance data storage unit, which is generally constituted by a rewritable and high-speed accessible storage medium such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory.
Under the control of, the music data read from the main storage device 6 is stored in a decompressed state. Reference numeral 2 denotes an external video reproducing device, which is widely used in VTRs, video CD players, LD players, and recently, MPEG (Mo
wing PictureElement Group
p) Players and DVDs (Digital VideoD)
isk) A player or the like that reproduces and outputs a video signal from video data recorded on a video tape or various discs as a recording medium under the control of the CPU unit 7.

Reference numeral 9 denotes a superimpose unit, which is a CP.
The U unit 7 supplies character information, color change information, and the like in the lyrics video data obtained by searching the music data stored in the performance data storage unit 14. The superimposing unit 9 combines a background image signal supplied from the external image reproducing device 2 with an instruction from the CPU unit 7 with a lyrics image based on lyrics image data indicating the lyrics of the music to be played. The image is output to the video display unit 3 described later.

Reference numeral 3 denotes an image display unit, which is a display device capable of simultaneously displaying a plurality of images such as a wide TV and a monitor TV, which have been widely used recently, in a plurality of windows. The video display unit 3 includes a plurality of video display devices 1 to N, and each video display device simultaneously displays a video based on a video signal input from the superimposition unit 9.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a MIDI tone generator, and a CPU 7
Thus, MIDI data in the music data stored in the performance data storage unit 14 is supplied, and the MIDI data is output as a performance music signal by the function of the electronic musical instrument. Reference numeral 10 denotes a mixer / amplifier section, which synthesizes and amplifies a performance music signal output from the MIDI sound source section 8 and a singer's singing signal captured by the microphone 4 and outputs the resultant signal to the speaker 11 to perform performance. The music and the singing voice of the singer are reproduced as audible sounds.

Next, the operation of the karaoke apparatus and the karaoke system according to the present invention configured as described above will be described separately for the operation of storing karaoke music data and the performance operation. (1) Storing operation: When the karaoke apparatus 1 is connected to the host computer 17 of the karaoke distributor by the communication function of the karaoke apparatus 1, the host computer 17 transmits the data via the telephone line and the modem 5 to the CPU.
The communication with the unit 7 is performed according to a predetermined communication procedure.
Transmits the information stored in the stored music information storage unit 16 to the host computer 17.

The host computer 17 grasps all the karaoke songs already stored in the karaoke apparatus 1 based on the received information, prepares music data of the karaoke songs to be transmitted, and informs the CPU of the fact. Notify part 7. The CPU unit 7 checks the internal state of the karaoke apparatus 1 necessary for storing the karaoke music, such as the storage capacity of the main storage device 6, and notifies the host computer 17 of the result.

The host computer 17 transmits the music data of the karaoke music to be transmitted to the karaoke apparatus 1 based on the result, and ends the communication. The CPU unit 7
When the music data of the karaoke music is received, the main memory 6
The music data of the karaoke music is ended by rewriting the information in the management information storage unit of the main storage device 6 and the information stored in the stored music information storage unit 16 while ending the operation of storing the music data of the karaoke music.

(2) Performance operation: The operator selects a music by operating the remote control included in the operation unit 12 and inputting the music number of the music to be played, while watching the information displayed on the display unit 13, for example. Then, the CPU unit 7 temporarily stores the music number data of the input performance music in the RAM 7b.

Then, the CPU section 7 adds the karaoke song reservation number data, the karaoke song reservation time data, and the karaoke song to the song number data of the music piece to be added to the next reserved song stored in the RAM 7b. Performance completion information indicating whether or not the performance has been performed is added to the performance music information storage unit 1.
5 is stored. Normally, the CPU section 7 reproduces the performance music in accordance with the registration order of the music number data stored in the performance music information storage section 15. However, in order to simplify the description, before the performance music is registered, nothing is registered. Suppose not.

The CPU section 7 constantly searches the music piece information storage section 15 to determine whether or not there is a music piece to be reproduced. In this case, only one piece of music number data is registered. Immediately, the operation immediately proceeds to the operation of playing the music piece. CP
The U section 7 searches the music data stored in the main storage device 6 for music data corresponding to the music number, based on the music number data stored in the performance music information storage section 15, and searches for MIDI data required for performance. The data, character information, color change information, genre information, etc. in the lyrics data of the music to be played are obtained and stored in the performance data storage unit 14.

Then, the CPU section 7 performs MIDI processing based on the MIDI data fetched into the performance data storage section 14.
By controlling the sound source section 8, a music signal required for playing the music is reproduced, and the music signal is output to the mixer / amplifier section 10. The mixer / amplifier unit 10 reproduces the performance music and the singing voice as audible sound by synthesizing the performance signal and the singer's voice signal input from the microphone 4 and outputting to the speaker 11.

The CPU 7 controls the external video reproducing device 2 based on the genre information in the music data, and outputs a background video signal corresponding to the genre of the music to the superimposing unit 9. When the CPU unit 7 outputs the character image information to the superimposing unit 9 based on the character information and the color change information in the music data, the superimposing unit 9 outputs the background image output by the external image reproducing device 2. By outputting a synthesized video signal obtained by synthesizing the signal and a text video signal based on text video information to the video display unit 3, a lyric video and a background video are displayed.

[0026]

As described above, according to the karaoke apparatus and the karaoke distribution system according to the present invention, the karaoke music stored in each karaoke apparatus can be grasped. There is no unnecessary communication cost due to retransmission of the music, and the karaoke music to be distributed is not left undistributed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a karaoke apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 Karaoke device 2 External video playback device 3 Video display unit 5 Modem 6 Main storage device 7 CPU unit 7a ROM 7b RAM 8 MIDI sound source unit 9 Superimpose unit 10 Mixer / amplifier unit 12 Operation unit 13 Display unit 14 Performance data storage unit 15 Performance music information storage unit 16 Stored music information storage unit 17 Host computer

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A karaoke device configured to store music data of a plurality of karaoke songs distributed from the karaoke song distribution device, wherein: storage means for storing information designating the plurality of karaoke songs; Transmitting means for transmitting to the karaoke music distribution device information specifying a plurality of karaoke music pieces stored by the means. 2. A karaoke distribution system including a karaoke device configured to store music data of a plurality of karaoke songs distributed from the karaoke song distribution device, wherein the karaoke device includes the plurality of karaoke songs. A karaoke distribution system, comprising: storage means for storing information designating a plurality of karaoke songs stored in the storage means; and transmission means for transmitting information designating a plurality of karaoke songs stored in the storage means to the karaoke song distribution device. .