JPH1138985A - Karaoke device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a KARAOKE (orchestration without lyrics) device capable of scoring the difference of singing level. SOLUTION: First and second evaluation function operating section 510, 520 calculates respectively scored results Q1a, Q1b based on difference data Diffa, Diffb, a first comparing section 550 compares the graded result Q1a with the scored result Q1b. Also, third and fourth evaluation function operating sections 530, 540 calculates respectively scored results Q2a, Q2b based on difference data Diffa, Diffb, a second comparing section 560 compares the scored result Q2a with the scored result Q2b. Also, random numbers generating section 570 generates random numbers M. A discriminating section 580 performs discrimination of the difference of singing level based on compared results of the first and the second comparing section 550, 560 and random numbers M. Especially, when either of compared results of the first and the second comparing sections 550, 560 indicates coincidence, the difference of singling level is discriminated based on the other compared result. Also, when both compared results indicate coincidence, the difference of singing level is discriminated based on rundom numbers M.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a karaoke apparatus having a function of scoring a user's singing ability.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Hitherto, various karaoke apparatuses having a function of scoring the singing ability of a singer have been developed. Generally, in this type of karaoke apparatus, the volume and pitch (pitch) and the like are compared between the singing voice of the singer and the reference of the vocal part included in the karaoke music information. Singing ability is graded accordingly. In a karaoke apparatus, when a singer sings, a singing voice input from a microphone (hereinafter, referred to as a microphone) is amplified and sounded from a speaker.

[0003]

By the way, as a kind of music sung by the karaoke apparatus, a battle music in which two singers sing simultaneously and compete in singing ability is known. In the battle song, the singing ability of the two singers is scored by the same evaluation function, and the singing ability is determined based on the scoring result. The superiority of the singing ability is displayed on a monitor. Thereby, the atmosphere of the place is excited, and the singer and the audience can enjoy the singing of the music more positively. However, if the scores are the same even if the song is sung with great effort, there is a problem that the game is not determined to be superior or inferior, and the interest is reduced by half.

[0004] When two singers are scored independently as in the case of a battle song, singing ability is graded and judgment of superiority or inferiority is made in accordance with selection of a microphone. However, since it was not possible to know which singer was singing using which microphone, confusion sometimes occurred in judging superiority.

In a duet song, a male singing section in which only men sing, a female singing section in which only women sing,
Often, it is composed of mixed singing sections in which men and women sing simultaneously. However, singers who are not accustomed to singing duet songs sometimes get confused because they do not know when it is time to sing.

[0006] The present invention has been made under such a background, and an object of the present invention is to always give superiority in singing ability when two or more singers sing. Another object is to inform a singer of the type of microphone being sung.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a karaoke apparatus for performing a performance based on music data, a singing voice signal taken from a first microphone. Means for mixing or selecting a singing voice signal taken in from a second microphone and outputting the singing voice signal from a first output terminal and a second output terminal, and the singing voice signal output from the first output terminal A first extraction unit for extracting a feature amount of a music element based on the first data, and a first comparison result generated by comparing an extraction result of the first extraction unit with a first reference value indicated by the song data. First comparing means, second extracting means for extracting a characteristic amount of a music element based on the singing voice signal output from the second output terminal, and an extraction result of the second extracting means; Song data A second comparison means for comparing a second reference value to generate a second comparison result, and evaluating the first comparison result and the second comparison result based on one evaluation criterion, A first evaluation unit that determines the singing ability, and a second evaluation unit that evaluates the first comparison result and the second comparison result based on another evaluation criterion to determine the singing ability. When one of the evaluation results of the first evaluation unit and the second evaluation unit indicates no superiority and the other evaluation result indicates superiority, the evaluation result indicating superiority or inferiority is obtained. A switching unit for switching the selecting means and the first and second singing powers based on the song data based on the song data.
And control means for controlling the setting of the reference value in synchronism.

According to the invention described in claim 2, there is provided a random number generating section for generating a random number, and the determination section determines which of the evaluation results of the first evaluation section and the second evaluation section. In the case where also indicates that there is no superiority or inferiority, the superiority or inferiority of the singing ability is determined based on the random number generated by the random number generator.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in a karaoke apparatus for performing music and displaying lyrics on a monitor based on music data, a singing voice signal taken in from a first microphone and Selecting means for mixing or selecting a singing voice signal taken in from a second microphone and outputting the singing voice signal from a first output terminal and a second output terminal; and a singing voice signal output from the first output terminal. The first detecting means for detecting the singing volume based on the singing voice signal output from the second output terminal and the second detecting means for detecting the singing volume based on the singing voice signal output from the second output terminal. The shape of the first character is changed according to the singing volume and displayed on the monitor, and the shape of the first character is changed according to the singing volume detected by the second detecting means. Display control means for varying the size of the character and displaying the same on the monitor; and control for synchronously controlling switching of the selection means and setting of the first and second characters based on the music data. Means.

[0010] In the invention described in claim 4, the control means comprises a mixed singing section in which the music data is sung by two singers and a single singing section in which one singer sings. When it is detected that the singing voice signal is output from the first and second output terminals, the selecting unit controls the selecting means so as to output the mixed singing voice signal from the first and second output terminals. And changing the shapes of the first and second characters in accordance with the singing volume detected by the second detecting means, and outputting the singing voice signal from the first microphone to the first output in the single singing section. Output from the terminal
Controlling the selection means so as to output the singing voice signal from the microphone from the second output terminal, and according to the singing volume detected from the singing voice signal by the one singer, the corresponding character 4. The karaoke apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the karaoke apparatus is controlled so as to change the shape of the karaoke.

Further, according to the invention described in claim 5, in a karaoke apparatus for performing music based on music data, a singing voice signal captured from the first microphone and a singing voice signal captured from the second microphone. Selecting means for mixing or selecting the same and outputting from a first output terminal and a second output terminal, and extracting a characteristic amount of a music element based on the singing voice signal output from the first output terminal. A first extraction unit that compares an extraction result of the first extraction unit with a first reference value indicated by the music data,
First comparing means for generating a comparison result of the above, second extracting means for extracting a characteristic amount of a music element based on the singing voice signal output from the second output terminal, and the second extracting means A second comparing means for comparing the extraction result of the means with a second reference value indicated by the music data to generate a second comparison result; a random number generating unit for generating a random number; The second comparison result is evaluated based on a predetermined evaluation criterion to determine the superiority of the singing ability. If the evaluation result indicates no superiority or inferiority, the superiority or inferiority is determined based on the random number generated by the random number generator. And an evaluation unit for determining.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. A: Overall Configuration of Embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a karaoke apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 30 denotes a CPU for controlling each unit of the apparatus. The CPU 30 includes a ROM 31, a RAM 32, a hard disk device (HDD) 37, a communication control unit 36, a remote control receiving unit 33, a display panel 34, and a panel switch 3 via a bus BUS.
5, sound source device 38, audio data processing unit 39, effect DS
The P40, the character display unit 43, the LD changer 44, the display control unit 45, and the DSP 49 for audio processing are connected.

The ROM 31 stores an initial program required to start the karaoke apparatus. When the apparatus is turned on, the system program and application programs stored in the HDD 37 are loaded into the RAM 32 by the initial program. The HDD 37 stores the above system program, application program, music data file 370 for storing music data of about 10,000 music played during karaoke performance, animation data of animation played in battle music, and various character data. Is stored.

Here, the contents of the music data will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a format of music data for one music. FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrams showing the contents of each track of the music data. In FIG. 2, the music data includes a header, a musical sound track, a guide melody track, a lyrics track, an audio track, an effect track, and an audio data section. In the header, various information on the music data is written, for example, data such as a music number, a music title, a genre, a release date, and a music playing time (length) are written.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each track of the musical sound track or the effect track is composed of sequence data including a plurality of event data and duration data Δt indicating a time interval between each event. The CPU 30 reads out data of each track in parallel by a sequence program (application program for karaoke performance) during karaoke performance. When reading the sequence data of each track, Δt is counted by a predetermined tempo clock, and when the counting is completed, the subsequent event data is read and output to a predetermined processing unit. As shown in FIG. 3, tracks of various parts including a melody track and a rhythm track are formed on the musical tone track.

As shown in FIG. 4, the melody of the vocal part of the karaoke tune, that is, the melody sequence data to be sung by the singer is written in the guide melody track. The CPU 30 generates reference pitch data and volume data based on the data, and compares it with the singing voice. When there are a plurality of vocal parts (for example, a main melody and a chorus melody) as in a duet song, there is a guide melody track corresponding to each part.

The lyrics track is composed of sequence data for displaying lyrics on the monitor 46.
Although this sequence data is not musical sound data, this track is also described in the MIDI data format in order to unify the implementation and facilitate the work process. The type of data is a system exclusive message. The lyrics track usually includes a character code corresponding to one line of lyrics displayed on the monitor, its display coordinates on the monitor screen, display time, and wipe sequence data. The wipe sequence data is sequence data for changing the display color of the lyrics according to the progress of the song, and includes the timing of changing the display color (the time from when the lyrics are displayed) and the change position (coordinates). ) Is data sequentially recorded over the length of one line.

The audio track is a sequence track for specifying the generation timing of the audio data n (n = 1, 2, 3,...) Stored in the audio data section. The voice data section stores a human voice such as a back chorus which is difficult to synthesize by the sound source device 38. In the audio track, the audio designation data and the reading interval of the audio designation data, that is, the duration data Δt that designates the timing of outputting the audio data to the audio data processing unit 39 and forming the audio signal, are written. The voice designation data includes a voice data number, pitch data, and volume data. The audio data number is an identification number n of each audio data recorded in the audio data section. The pitch data and volume data are data for specifying the pitch and volume of the audio data to be formed. That is, a back chorus such as "Ah" or "Wawa Wawa" without words can be used many times by changing the pitch or volume. The pitch and volume are shifted based on and used repeatedly. Audio data processing unit 39
Sets the output level based on the volume data and sets the pitch of the audio signal by changing the reading interval of the audio data based on the pitch data.

In the effect track, DSP control data for controlling the effect DSP 40 is written. The effect DSP 40 applies reverberation or other reverberation-based effects to signals input from the sound source device 38 and the audio data processing unit 39. The DSP control data includes data for specifying the kind of the effect and data for specifying the degree of effect application such as the delay time and the echo level. Such music data is read from the HDD 37 at the start of the karaoke performance, and
Loaded to M32.

Next, the contents of the memory map of the RAM 32 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG.
2 is a program storage area 324 for storing loaded system programs and application programs.
In addition, an execution data storage area 323 for storing music data for karaoke performance, a MIDI buffer 320 for temporarily storing a guide melody, a reference data register 321 for storing reference data extracted from the guide melody, and a reference and singing A difference data storage area 322 for storing and storing difference data obtained by comparing sounds is set.
The reference data register 321 includes a pitch data register 321a and a volume data register 321b. The difference data storage area 322 includes a pitch difference data storage area 322a and a volume difference data storage area 322b.

Now, the configuration of the karaoke apparatus will be described again with reference to FIG. In the figure, the communication control unit 3
Numeral 6 downloads music data and the like from a host computer (not shown) via an ISDN line,
The music data received by the controller
Directly to the HDD 37 without going through. The remote control receiver 33 receives the infrared signal sent from the remote controller 51 and restores the input data. The remote controller 51 includes a command switch such as a music selection switch, a numeric key switch, and the like. When the user operates these switches, an infrared signal modulated with a code corresponding to the operation is transmitted. The display panel 34 is provided on the front of the karaoke apparatus, and displays the currently playing music code and the number of reserved music. The panel switch 35 is provided on the front of the karaoke apparatus, and includes a music code input switch, a key change switch, and the like. In addition, remote control 5
1 or panel switch 35 to turn on / off the scoring function
Off can be specified.

The tone generator 38 forms a tone signal based on tone track data of the music data. The music data is read by the CPU 30 during the karaoke performance,
A guide melody track, which is comparison data, is read out in parallel with the musical tone track. The sound source device 38
The data of each of the musical tone tracks is read out in parallel, and musical tone signals of a plurality of parts are simultaneously formed.

The audio data processing section 39 forms an audio signal having a specified length and a specified pitch based on audio data included in the music data. The audio data is a signal waveform which is hardly generated electronically by the sound source device 38 such as a back chorus and is directly converted into ADPCM data and stored. The tone signal formed by the sound source device 38 and the sound signal formed by the sound data processing section 39 are karaoke performance sounds, and these are input to the effect DSP 40. The effect DSP 40 adds effects such as reverb and echo to the karaoke performance sound. The karaoke performance sound to which the effect has been added is converted into an analog signal by the D / A converter 41 and then output to the amplifier speaker 42.

Reference numerals 47a and 47b denote singing microphones. Singing voice signals V1 and V2 input from the microphones 47a and 47b are amplified by a preamplifier (not shown), and then amplified by an amplifier speaker 42 and a selector 48. Respectively.

The selector 48 is controlled by the CPU 30
DSP for voice processing by selecting each singing voice signal V1, V2
49 is output. In this case, switching of the selector 48 includes:
The singing voice signal V1 supplied to the input terminal X1 is transmitted from the output terminal Y1 to the singing voice signal V2 supplied to the input terminal X2.
From the output terminal Y2.
Singing voice signals V1, V supplied to input terminals X1, X2
There is a mix mode in which 2 is mixed and then output to output terminals Y1 and Y2.

Here, the selection of the mode is determined by a combination of the music data and the operation of the remote controller 51.
For example, some songs have data of a hamori part, but whether or not to use the hamori function is left to the discretion of the user. If the user wants to sing using the hamori function, the user operates the remote controller 51 and inputs that fact, and the hamori part and the main vocal part are performed. On the other hand, when no operation is performed, Performance only by the main vocal part is performed. In this case, the straight mode is used if the hamori function is used, and the mixed mode is used if it is not used. In other words, the mode is selected based on the music data set by the user, including various effects.

Each of the singing voice signals V1 and V2 input to the voice processing DSP 49 is converted into a digital signal and then subjected to signal processing for scoring. The configuration including the voice processing DSP 49 and the CPU 30 realizes a function of a scoring processing unit 50 described later. The amplifier speaker 42 amplifies the input karaoke performance sound and each singing voice signal, and gives an effect such as an echo to each singing voice signal, and then emits the sound from the speaker.

The voice processing DSP 49 detects the levels of the singing voice signals V1 and V2 converted into digital signals, and generates volume data. The CPU 30 controls to change the size of the character displayed on the monitor 46 based on the volume data. Specifically, FIG.
As shown in (1), the face of an animated person may be used as a character, and the size of the face may be varied according to the level indicated by the volume data. In this case, for example, the character data is transmitted from the outside and transmitted to the HDD via the communication control unit 36.
37. The CPU 30 reads character data from the HDD 37 and expands the character data in the RAM 32. Then, image processing is performed on the character data using the volume data as a magnification to generate display data. The display data is transferred to the display control unit 45.

As a result, the input level of the singing voice can be displayed on the monitor 46 using the character. When singing a duet song, the microphone 47a,
If the selection of 47b is incorrect, accurate scoring cannot be performed, and if the microphones 47a and 47b are incorrectly selected when singing a battle song, the scoring result will be reversed. For this reason, in the present embodiment, two types of characters are prepared and corresponded to the microphones 47a and 47b. In this case, when the singer speaks toward each of the microphones 47a and 47b, the size of the corresponding character changes. Therefore, the singer can easily confirm whether he or she is going to sing with the correct microphone.

Next, when a character code is input, the character display unit 43 shown in FIG. 1 reads out font data such as a song title and lyrics corresponding to the character code from an internal ROM (not shown).
Output the data. In addition, the LD changer 44, based on the input video selection data (chapter number),
Play the background video of the corresponding LD. The video selection data is determined based on the genre data of the karaoke song. This genre data is written in the header of the music data, and is read by the CPU 30 at the start of the karaoke performance. The CPU 30 determines which background video is to be reproduced based on the genre data, and outputs video selection data designating the background video to the LD changer 44. The LD changer 44 contains about five laser disks, and can reproduce about 120 scenes of background video. One background video is selected from among them according to the video selection data and output as video data. The video data and font data such as lyrics output from the character display unit 43 are transmitted to the display control unit 4.
5, the superimposed image is displayed on the monitor 46. When the grading result is calculated by the grading processing unit 50, a character corresponding to this is displayed on the character display unit 4.
3 and displayed on the monitor 46.

When the display data indicating the input level of the microphone is transferred to the display control unit 45, the display control unit 4
Numeral 5 superimposes display data on video data. Furthermore, when singing a battle song, moving image data representing a scene in which the animation character fights is read from the HDD 37 and supplied to the display control unit 45. When the scoring result is calculated by the scoring processing unit 50, a character corresponding to the scoring result is output from the character display unit 43, and is displayed on the monitor 46.
Is displayed.

B: Scoring Processor 50 Next, the scoring processor 50 of this embodiment will be described.
This scoring processing unit 50 is the DSP 4 for audio processing described above.
9, composed of hardware such as the CPU 30 and software for scoring. FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the scoring processing unit 50. In FIG.
0 is composed of a first scoring unit 50A, a second scoring unit 50B, a synthesizing unit 50C, and an evaluating unit 50D. The first and second scoring units 50A and 50B include a pair of A / D converters 501.
a, 501b, data extraction units 502a, 502b, comparison units 503a, 503b, and filters 504a, 50
4b.

The A / D converters 501a and 501b are
The singing voice signal output from the selector 48 is converted into a digital signal. Data extraction units 502a and 502b
Is 100 ms from each digitized singing voice signal
The pitch data and the volume data are extracted every time. Comparison section 503
a, 503b are pitch data and volume data extracted from each singing voice signal and reference melody data #
A and #B are compared with the pitch data and the volume data, respectively, and the difference between them is calculated to obtain difference data Diffa and Diffb.
Output as

Here, the difference data Diffa and Diffb are composed of the following data. Ti: Measurement time data (measured by the relative time of the performance clock) ΔT: Duration data (time from the previous measurement time) Mi: Reference melody state data (whether or not a section requires singing, “1” in the singing section , Non-singing section “0”) Si: singing state data (singing presence / absence, singing “1”,
Fi: pitch difference data (pitch difference is log scale (cent
Li: Volume difference data (Volume difference is indicated by log scale (dB unit)) However, “i” indicates the i-th sample.

In this case, since the pitch difference data Fi and the volume difference data Li are represented on a log scale, the operation of the synthesizing section 50C at the subsequent stage can be simplified. Also,
The reference melody state data Mi is generated by the CPU 30 based on music data corresponding to each part recorded on the guide melody track. In particular,
It is generated from the note-on status and the note-off status in the music data. The singing state data Si
Are generated by the comparing units 503a and 503b by comparing each volume data supplied from the data extracting units 502a and 502b with a predetermined threshold value. In this case, the threshold is set to a level at which it is possible to determine whether the user is singing.

Here, referring to FIG. 8, singing voice data,
The reference data and the difference data Diff will be described. FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams showing examples of a guide melody as a reference. FIG. 7A shows the guide melody in a staff notation, and FIG. 7B shows the contents of the staff converted into pitch data and volume data with a gate time of about 80%. Volume is mp
→ Crescendo → Go up and down according to the instructions of mp.
On the other hand, FIG. 3C shows an example of a singing voice.
Both the pitch and volume slightly fluctuate from the values indicated by the reference. The singing state data Si in this case becomes “1” when the volume data exceeds the threshold as shown in FIG.
If it is less than that, it becomes "0". Evaluation unit 50D to be described later
Does not treat a sample whose singing state data Si is “0” as a valid sample. The reason for ignoring such a small volume is that in this section, the pitch difference data Fi or the volume difference data L
This is because the ratio of the noise component to i becomes large, and the scoring accuracy is degraded.

The pitch difference data Fi and the volume difference data Li usually fluctuate within a certain range. If these values fluctuate suddenly, an erroneous calculation due to malfunction due to noise or the like may occur. Can be considered done. If the singing ability is scored based on the pitch difference data Fi and the volume difference data Li affected by the noise, the singing ability of the singer cannot be properly evaluated. The filters 504a and 504b are provided to invalidate the pitch difference data Fi and the volume difference data Li in such a case.

Each of the filters 504a and 504b has a buffer, a subtractor, and a comparator therein.
The buffer stores pitch difference data Fi-1 and volume difference data Li-1 calculated for the immediately preceding sample. When the pitch difference data Fi and the volume difference data Li corresponding to the current sample are input, the subtractor
= | Li-Li-1 |, ΔFi = | Fi-Fi-1 | The comparator compares ΔLi and ΔFi with predetermined thresholds Lr and Fr, respectively, and outputs a control signal that becomes “1” when the threshold value is exceeded and “0” when the threshold value is exceeded. Here, each threshold value is determined so that an invalid sample can be determined from various types of actually measured data. And
When the control signal is "1", the filters 504a and 504b invalidate the current pitch difference data Fi and the volume difference data Li. As a result, it is possible to invalidate a sample having a large change as compared with the previous sample and properly evaluate the singing ability of the singer.

Next, the synthesizing unit 50C outputs the measurement time data T
i, difference data Diffa, D at the same time
The iffb is combined to generate combined difference data Diffc. The synthetic difference data Diffc includes the synthetic reference melody state data M in addition to the measurement time data Ti and the duration data ΔT.
i ′, synthesized singing state data Si ′, synthesized pitch difference data F
i ′ and the synthesized volume difference data Li ′.

Here, assuming that each data constituting the difference data Diffa is represented by a suffix “1” and each data relating to the difference data Diffb is represented by a suffix “2”, the combined reference melody state data Mi ′ is Mi1 The composite singing state data Si 'is calculated as the logical OR of Si1 and Si2 as the logical OR of Mi1 and Mi2. Also, the synthetic pitch difference data Fi ′
And the synthetic volume difference data Li ′ are calculated according to the following equations according to Mi1 and Mi2 and Si1 and Si2.

1) In the case of Mi1 * Mi2 * Si1 * Si2 = 1 In this case, regardless of the scoring performed in any scoring section, it is a valid singing section and a period during which the singer is singing. is there. Therefore, an average value of the difference data is calculated. Fi ′ = (Fi1 + Fi2) / 2 Li ′ = (Li1 + Li2) / 2

2) Mi1 * Si1 = 1, Mi2 * Si2 = 0 In this case, the scoring performed by the second scoring unit 50B is performed during a non-singing section or a period during which no singing is being performed. On the other hand, the scoring performed by the first scoring unit 50A is a period during which the singer is singing in the effective singing section. Therefore, the difference data Diffb is ignored. Fi '= Fi1 Li' = Li1

3) Mi1 * Si1 = 0, Mi2 * Si2 = 1 In this case, the scoring performed by the first scoring unit 50A is performed during a non-singing section or a period during which no singing is being performed. On the other hand, the scoring performed by the second scoring unit 50B is a period during which the singer is singing in the effective singing section. Therefore, the difference data Diffa is ignored. Fi '= Fi2 Li' = Li2

By configuring the synthesizing means 50C in this way, for example, in a mixed singing section of a duet song, if a male singer sings correctly and a female singer does not sing, the female singer will not sing. The score is excluded from the score, and the singing ability of a male singer who sings correctly can be used as both singing skills.
In addition, in a single singing section of a duet song, singing voices that should not be sung originally are not to be scored, and accurate scoring results can be obtained based only on originally planned singing voices.

Next, the evaluation unit 50D comprises a storage unit and the like (not shown), and calculates a scoring result based on the difference data Diffa, Diffb or the combined difference data Diffc. Difference data Diffa, Diffb or synthetic difference data Diff
When c is input, it is stored in the storage unit (that is, the difference data storage area 322 of the RAM 32). In this case, the CPU 30 controls which data of Diffa, Diffb, or Diffc is stored in the storage unit. This accumulation is performed at any time during the performance of the music.

When the performance of the music is completed, the evaluation unit 50D
The difference data stored in the storage unit is sequentially read, and these are accumulated for each musical element of pitch and volume, and subtraction values for scoring are obtained based on the accumulated values. Then, each subtracted value is subtracted from a perfect score (100 points) to obtain a score for each music element, and an average value of these is output as a scoring result.

The songs sung by the karaoke apparatus include battle songs provided for two singers to compete for singing ability. For singing battle songs, the selector 48
Is set to the straight mode, the first scoring unit 50A and the second scoring unit 50B perform scoring separately, and the difference data
Diffa and Diffb are generated. In this case, the evaluation unit 50D
Can be represented by the block diagram shown in FIG.

As shown in the figure, the evaluation section 50D comprises
It comprises a fourth evaluation function operation unit 510 to 540, first and second comparison units 550 and 560, a random number generation unit 570, and a determination unit 580. Here, the first and second evaluation function calculation units 510 and 520 perform scoring using the evaluation function Q1 (X) to calculate scoring results Q1a and Q1b.
In addition, the third and fourth evaluation function calculation units 530 and 540
Scoring is performed using the evaluation function Q2 (X), and the scoring result Q2
a, Q2b are calculated. The evaluation function Q1 (X) and the evaluation function Q2 (X) are different from each other. For example, in the evaluation function Q1 (X), the evaluation is performed with emphasis on the volume difference.
Assuming that the evaluation function Q2 (X) performs evaluation with emphasis on the pitch difference, the evaluation functions Q1 (X) and Q2 (X) are expressed by the following equations. Q1 (X) = k1 * Fi + k2 * Li Q2 (X) = k3 * Fi + k4 * Li where k1> k3 and k2 <k4.

The scoring results Q1a, Q1b, Q2a,
Q2b is represented by the following equation. Q1a = 100- (k1 * Fi1 + k2 * Li1) Q1b = 100- (k1 * Fi2 + k2 * Li2) Q2a = 100- (k3 * Fi1 + k4 * Li1) Q2b = 100- (k3 * Fi2 + k4 * Li2)

Next, the first comparing unit 550 determines the scoring result Q1
a and Q1b are compared to calculate their magnitude relationship.
There are three types of comparison results: large Q1a, large Q1b, and coincidence. By the way, in the first comparing section 550, when Fi1 = Fi2 and Li1 = Li2, or when the following equation is satisfied, Q1a = Q1b
Becomes k1 / k2 = (Li2-Li1) / (Fi1-Fi2) In this case, since the same scoring result is obtained, it is not possible to judge the singing ability. However,
The battle tune is sung by a singer or a surrounding audience to enhance the karaoke atmosphere according to the determination result. Therefore, if the determination result is a draw,
Even if you sing it, you will not enjoy it. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the third and fourth evaluation function operation units 53
0,540 is provided so that the singing ability can be evaluated by the second evaluation function Q2 (x).

Next, the second comparing section 560 determines the score result Q2
a and Q2b are compared to calculate their magnitude relationship.
There are three types of comparison results: large Q2a, large Q2b, and coincidence. Next, the random number generator 570 generates a binary random number and outputs the least significant bit as a random number M. The random number may be generated by using, for example, an M-sequence code generation circuit.

Next, the judging section 580 calculates the random number M based on the comparison result of the first and second comparing sections 550 and 560 and the random number M.
The singing ability is judged. First, the first comparison unit 550
If the comparison result indicates that Q1a is large or Q1b is large,
A determination is made based on these. In the case of Q1a large, the singer who sang with the microphone 47a wins, while Q1b
In the case of large, a determination result indicating that the singer sung by the microphone 47b wins is generated.

Next, the comparison result of the first comparison section 550 indicates a match, and the comparison result of the second comparison section 560 indicates Q2.
In the case of a large or Q2b large, the second comparison unit 56
The determination is made based on the comparison result of 0. Specifically, Q2
In the case of large a, a determination result is generated that the singer sung by the microphone 47a wins the microphone 47a, while in the case of the large Q2b, the singer sung by the microphone 47b wins.

Next, the first and second comparison units 550 and 560
If any of these indicate a match, the determination unit 580 makes a determination based on the random number M. Specifically, when the random number M is "1", the singer who sang with the microphone 47a wins, while when the random number M is "0", the microphone 47b
To generate a determination result indicating that the singer who has sung the song has won.

Thus, when a battle song is sung, even if the evaluations by the evaluation function Q1 (x) are the same for two singers, it is possible to determine the superiority of the singing ability by the evaluation function Q2 (x). . Further, the evaluation functions Q1 (x), Q2
Even if the evaluation by (x) is the same, it is possible to give priority by the random number M. As a result. Singing ability can always be added, and the atmosphere of singing can be enhanced.

C: Operation of Embodiment Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. In addition,
In this example, it is assumed that the singer is singing in the section to be sung and singing state data Si = 1 unless otherwise specified. C-1: Case of Singing a Battle Song First, a case where two singers sing a battle song will be described with reference to FIG. The battle song in this example is
As shown in FIG. 10, it is assumed that the preamble / interlude sections t1 and t5 and the first to third singing sections t2 to t4 are included. In this case, since it is necessary to score for each singer, the selector 48 is set to the straight mode as shown in FIG.

When the singing of the battle tune is designated by operating the remote controller 51, the CPU 30 detects this based on a signal from the remote controller receiving unit 33. After this, CPU3
0 reads a plurality of character data from the HDD 37 and displays them on the monitor 46. The singer selects a favorite character from the characters displayed on the monitor 46 by operating the remote controller 51. After this, C
The PU 30 displays characters to be played at the upper left and upper right of the screen of the monitor 46. In this case, the size of the character changes according to the input level of the singing voice. Therefore, the singer can confirm his or her own character by speaking into each of the microphones 47a and 47b.

The same reference melody data #A is supplied to the first scoring unit 50A and the second scoring unit 50B shown in FIG. Thus, when the singing voice signals V1 and V2 are input to the first and second scoring units 50A and 50B, the first scoring unit 50A and the second scoring unit 50B
Generate difference data Diffa and Diffb. In this case, it is necessary to perform scoring for each singer, so the evaluator 50D generates a scoring result based on the difference data Diffa and a scoring result based on the difference data Diffb, and determines the singing ability based on this. The determination is made for each singing section, and the overall superiority is determined at the end of the song. Then, an animation is displayed on the monitor 46 based on the determination result.

The display operation of the monitor 46 in each of the singing sections t2 to t4 will be described. When detecting the singing section based on the presence or absence of the guide melody data in the music data, the CPU 30 reads the moving image data from the HDD 37,
This is displayed on the monitor 46. The moving image data in this case represents a scene S1 in which each character is fighting as shown in FIG. The character used here matches the input level of the microphone with that represented by its size. Therefore, the remote controller 51 described above
Based on the character set specified by the operation of
The CPU 30 reads the moving image data from the HDD 37.

Next, at the end of each of the singing sections t2 to t4, moving image data representing the winning or losing of the character is displayed based on the judgment result generated by the judging section 580. For example, if two singers fight against each other using a boy and a girl, and the singing power of the song sung using the character of the girl is superior, as shown in FIG. The scene S2 is displayed on the monitor 46. Therefore, the CPU 30 reads the moving image data from the HDD 37 based on the combination of the determination result and the character.

C-2: Case of Singing a Normal Song Next, a case where one singer sings a normal song will be described. In this case, the difference data may be generated by one of the scoring units, but in this embodiment,
In order to reduce noise, the first and second scoring units 50
Processing is performed simultaneously at A and 50B, and scoring is performed based on the average value. For this reason, the selector 48 is set to the mix mode, and the first scoring unit 50A and the second
Are supplied with the same reference melody data #A. Then, the combining unit 50C calculates an average value of the difference data Diffa and the difference data Diffb, and outputs the average value as the combined difference data Diffc.

Generally, since the noise component is random noise, the average reduces the noise component by 3 dB. On the other hand, the signal component does not change even if the average is taken. Therefore, the SN ratio of the synthesized pitch difference data Fi ′ and the synthesized volume difference data Li ′ in the synthesized difference data Diffc is improved by 3 dB as compared with those of the difference data Diffa and the difference data Diffb. Thereby, the A / D converter 5
In 01a and 501b, it is possible to reduce a noise component caused by an error generated at the time of quantization, an error at the time of detecting a pitch, or the like, and to accurately score the singing ability.

C-3: Case of Singing Duet Song Next, a case where male and female singers sing a duet song will be described. In a duet song, there are generally a male singing section in which only men sing, a female singing section in which only women sing, a mixed singing section in which men and women sing simultaneously, and a prelude / interlude section in which both do not sing. In the hybrid section, since both sing at the same time, it is necessary to score the singing power in each of the first and second scoring units 50A and 50B. On the other hand, in the male singing section or the female singing section, scoring can be performed by generating difference data in one of them, but in the present embodiment, for the purpose of improving the scoring accuracy, Also in this case, difference data is generated using both the scoring units, and
C is averaged to obtain composite difference data.

This point will be specifically described with reference to FIG. In this example, the male is the microphone 47a.
And the woman sings with the microphone 47b.
FIG. 11A shows an example of the progress of a duet song. The duet song in this example is a prelude section T1 → a male singing section T2 → a female singing section T3 → a mixed singing section T4.
→ Proceed in the order of the interlude section T4. FIG. 11B shows the mode of the selector 48.
(C) shows the display of the character. In addition,
#M is reference melody data of male part, #W
Will be described as reference melody data of the female part. The CPU 30 determines each singing section based on section information in the music data.

First, since the prelude section T1 and the interlude section T5 are not original singing sections, there is no guide melody and they are excluded from scoring. Therefore, the selector 48
May be either the slate mode or the mix mode, but is set to the slate mode so that the microphones 47a and 47b can be easily checked. By the way, duet songs are generally sung by men and women in cooperation. For this reason, predetermined male and female characters are displayed on the monitor 46. In particular, only when the singer wants to change the character, the character is changed by operating the remote controller 51. In this example, the microphone 47a is a male character and the microphone 4a is
7b corresponds to a female character.

In the prelude section T1 and the interlude section T5,
As shown in FIG. 11C, the characters Ca and Cb are displayed on the upper left and upper right of the monitor 46. Here, assuming that the singer speaks toward the microphone 47a, the male character Ca becomes large and the character C becomes large.
a '. This allows the female singer to use microphone 4
If it is uttered toward 7a, it can be recognized that the microphone has been mistaken.

Next, in the male singing section T2, the selector 48 is set to the mix mode. In this case, C
The PU 30 has an input terminal X1 and an output terminal Y of the selector 48.
1 and Y2 are connected, and the input terminal X2
Is controlled to be in an open state. For this reason, microphone 4
Male singing voice signal V1 output from 7a is supplied to first scoring unit 50A and second scoring unit 50B. In this section, the reference melody data #M is supplied to the first and second scoring units 50A and 50B. Therefore, the male singing voice signal V1 and the reference melody data #M of the male part are included in the two scoring units 50A and 50A.
OB, and the average value is generated in the synthesis unit 50C. The evaluation unit 50D scores the section based on the combined difference data Diffc from the combining unit 50C.
The combined difference data Diffc in this case is the difference data Diffat,
The SN ratio is improved as compared with Diffb.

This section is a singing section only for men, but a singer who is not used to singing may not know this. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the character Cbs in which the size of the female character Cb is reduced is displayed on the monitor 46 so that the singer can recognize that the section is a section where a male sings. In this case, the data of the character Cbs is generated by the CPU 30 performing image reduction processing based on the data read from the HDD 37. The microphone 47b
, The size of the character Cbs does not change.

Next, in the female singing section T3, the selector 48 is set to the mix mode as in the male singing section T2. However, the connection state inside the selector 48 is different from the male singing section T2. In this case, the CPU controls the input terminal X2 of the selector 48 to connect to the output terminals Y1 and Y2, and controls the input terminal X1 of the selector 48 to open. Therefore, the male singing voice signal V1
Is not output from the selector 48. In a section in which only one of the two singers should sing, both singing voice signals are not mixed and output to the output terminals Y1 and Y2, and the input from the other microphone is opened, for example, This is because, in the singing section T3, when a male claps, the noise is mixed as noise, and the singing ability of the female cannot be properly evaluated.

In this way, when the female singing voice signal V2 is supplied to the first and second scoring units 50A and 50B, the first and second scoring units 50A and 50B receive the singing voice signal V2 based on the reference melody data #W. Make a comparison. The comparison result is averaged by the synthesis unit 50C, and the synthesized difference data Di
When output as ffc, the evaluation unit 50D scores the section based on the combined difference data Diffc. Also in this case, similarly to the male singing section T, the synthetic difference data Diffc
Means that the SN ratio is improved as compared with the difference data Diffat, Diffb.

Also, in order to make the singer recognize that this section is a singing section only for women, contrary to the male singing section, a character Cas in which the size of the male character Ca is reduced is displayed on the monitor 46. In this way, the singer is made to recognize that the section is a section where a woman sings (see FIG. 11C). In this case, the data of the character Cas is generated by the CPU 30 performing image reduction processing based on the data read from the HDD 37. In addition, the point that the size of the character Cas does not change even when uttered toward the microphone 47a is as follows.
This is similar to the point that the size of the character Cbs does not change in the male singing section.

Next, in the hybrid singing section, the selector 48 is set to the straight mode. In this case, CP
U30 is an input terminal X1 and an output terminal Y1 of the selector 48.
Are connected, and the input terminal X2 is controlled to connect the output terminal Y1. Therefore, the male singing voice signal V1 is supplied to the first scoring unit 50A, and the female singing voice signal V2 is supplied to the second scoring unit 50B. In this section, reference melody data #M and #W are supplied to the first and second scoring units 50A and 50B, respectively. Therefore, different difference data Diffa, Diffb are output from the first and second scoring units 50A, 50B. Combiner 50
C calculates the average value of the two, and generates composite difference data Diffc.

Here, if it is assumed that a woman does not sing in a part of the section, the combining section 5
0C does not calculate the average value, but the first scoring unit 5
The pitch difference data Fi1 and the volume difference data Li1 generated by 0A are output as combined difference data Diffc. Thereby, comprehensive scoring can be performed by the male singing ability.

In the hybrid singing section, characters Ca and Cb of normal size are displayed on the upper left and upper right of the monitor 46. In this case, the characters Ca,
The magnitude of Cb varies according to the level of the singing voice.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, a score is determined by using a plurality of evaluation functions in a battle tune to determine the priority, so that the number of draws can be reduced. If the results match, the priority is determined using the random number M, so that no draw can be made. In addition, each microphone 47a, 47b
Is displayed as the size of the character, so that the volume can be known at a glance. Further, it is possible to easily determine the type of microphone to be sung.

The CPU 30 controls the switching of the selector 48 and the reference guide melody data supplied to the first and second scoring units 50A and 50B based on the combination of the music data and the operation of the remote controller 51. By using the first and second scoring units 50A and 50B effectively, it is possible to calculate an accurate and appropriate scoring result. That is, when one singer sings, SN
A scoring result can be obtained based on the synthetic difference data Diffc with the improved ratio. In a duet song, an accurate and appropriate scoring result can be obtained by switching the operation of the synthesizing unit 50C according to the nature of the singing section. Can be calculated.

D: Modifications The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications as described below are possible. (1) For example, in the embodiment, a case in which a duet song is performed by karaoke is described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can be extended to accommodate a chorus singing composed of three or more vocal parts. In this case, the scoring processing unit 50 may be extended to a system corresponding to the number of parts, and guide melody may be prepared by the number of tracks corresponding to the number of parts. (2) Also, as in the embodiment, instead of obtaining the average value of each music element as the scoring result, the score of the pitch, volume or rhythm may be output as the scoring result for each music element.

(3) In the grading process, the grading is performed collectively after the music is completed. However, the basic evaluation may be performed in units of phrases and musical notes, and the evaluation may be totaled after the music is completed. Further, the scoring result may be displayed on the monitor 46 for each phrase unit, and the final scoring result may be displayed after the song ends. (4) In the embodiment, the average value of the scores obtained for each vocal part in the duet music is output.
You may make it output individually, or you may make it output both. In the case of outputting individually, the scoring result may be calculated by the evaluation unit 50D based on each of the difference data Diffa and Diffb. (5) In addition, the user's enjoyment can be further increased by adopting various display modes, such as highlighting the score of the highest scoring result among the plurality of singing voices.

(6) In the embodiment, the first,
The second evaluation function calculation units 510 and 520 perform evaluation function Q1
(X), while the third and fourth evaluation function calculation units 530 and 540 perform the calculation using the evaluation function Q2 (x), but the first and second evaluation function calculation units 510 and 52
0 may be operated in a time-sharing manner, and one may be omitted. Similarly, the third and fourth evaluation function calculation units 530 and 540 may be operated in a time division manner, and one of them may be omitted. Further, these functions may be performed by the CPU 30.

(7) In the embodiment, when singing a duet song, in a male singing section and a female singing section, characters corresponding to singing voice signals for which no singing is scheduled are reduced in size and monitored. Although the characters are displayed on the monitor 46, characters that do not correspond may not be displayed on the monitor 46. In this case, the CPU 30 may detect a male / female singing section based on the music data and select a character to be displayed on the monitor 46 based on the detection result.

(8) In the embodiment, the first,
Although the second evaluation function operation units 510 and 520 are provided, if one of the evaluation function operation units is used and the judgment is that there is no priority, the random number generation unit 570 determines the priority based on the random numbers generated. May be configured.

[0082]

As described above, according to the present invention, when two singers sing, the singing ability can be always determined. Also, since the singing volume is displayed on the monitor, the singer can know his or her singing volume. Also, when two singers sing, each singer can recognize the microphone to sing.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a data format of music data in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a music track of the music data.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a track other than a musical tone track of the music data.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing contents of a memory map of a RAM in the karaoke apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a relationship between a singing volume level and a character size in the karaoke apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a scoring processing unit in the karaoke apparatus.

8A is a diagram showing an example of a guide melody in the embodiment in a staff notation, FIG. 8B is a diagram showing pitch data and volume data of a reference based on the guide melody, and FIG. It is a figure which shows pitch data, volume data, and singing state data.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing functions of an evaluation unit 50D when a battle song is sung in the karaoke apparatus.

FIG. 10 is a timing chart when singing a battle song in the karaoke apparatus.

FIG. 11 is a timing chart in the case of singing a duet song in the karaoke apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

30 CPU (control means, scoring means), 31 ROM
32 RAM, 37 hard disk device, 38 sound source device, 46 monitor, 47a, 47b microphone (first,
A second microphone), 48 ... selector (selection means),
49 DSP for voice processing, 50 Scoring processing unit, 501
a, 501b... A / D converter, 502a, 502b
... Data extraction unit (first and second extraction means), 503a,
503b... Comparison unit (first and second comparison means), 510,
520: first and second evaluation function operation units (first evaluation unit) 550: first and second comparison units (first evaluation unit)
530, 540... Third and fourth evaluation function calculation units (second evaluation unit), 560... Second comparison unit (second evaluation unit), 5
70: random number generation unit, 580: judgment unit.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A karaoke apparatus for performing music based on music data, wherein a singing voice signal fetched from a first microphone and a singing voice signal fetched from a second microphone are mixed or selected and a first output terminal is provided. Selecting means for outputting a characteristic value of a music element based on the singing voice signal output from the first output terminal; selecting means for outputting a characteristic amount of a music element based on the singing voice signal output from the first output terminal; First comparing means for comparing the extraction result of the means with a first reference value indicated by the song data to generate a first comparison result; and based on the singing voice signal output from the second output terminal. A second extraction unit for extracting a feature amount of a music element by using the second extraction unit for comparing the extraction result of the second extraction unit with a second reference value indicated by the song data to generate a second comparison result. Means of comparison and A first evaluation unit that evaluates the first comparison result and the second comparison result based on one evaluation criterion to determine the singing ability; and a first evaluation unit that compares the first comparison result with the second comparison result. A second evaluation unit that evaluates the result based on another evaluation criterion to determine the superiority of the singing ability, and one of the evaluation results of the first evaluation unit and the second evaluation unit is In the case where the evaluation result indicates the superiority or inferiority, and the other evaluation result indicates the superiority or inferiority, switching of the selection means is performed based on the evaluation result indicating the superiority or inferiority and the determination unit that determines the superiority of the singing power and the music data. A karaoke apparatus, comprising: control means for controlling in synchronization with the setting of the first and second reference values. 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a random number generation unit configured to generate a random number, wherein the determination unit determines the random number when both of the evaluation results of the first evaluation unit and the second evaluation unit indicate that there is no priority. The karaoke apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the singing ability is determined based on a random number generated in the section. 3. A karaoke apparatus for playing a song and displaying lyrics on a monitor based on song data, wherein a singing voice signal captured from a first microphone and a singing voice signal captured from a second microphone are converted. Selecting means for mixing or selecting and outputting from a first output terminal and a second output terminal; and first detecting means for detecting a singing volume based on the singing voice signal output from the first output terminal. And the second
A second character detecting means for detecting a singing volume based on the singing voice signal output from the output terminal of the first character and a shape of the first character according to the singing volume detected by the first detecting means. While displaying on the monitor,
Display control means for changing the size of the second character in accordance with the singing volume detected by the second detection means and displaying the second character on the monitor; switching of the selection means based on the music data; A karaoke apparatus comprising: control means for controlling the settings of the first and second characters in synchronization with each other. 4. The control means, upon detecting that the music data is composed of a mixed singing section sung by two singers and a single singing section sung by one singer, In the singing section, the selecting means is controlled so as to output the mixed singing voice signal from the first and second output terminals, and the singing voice signal corresponds to the singing volume detected by the first and second detecting means. And the first and second
In the single singing section, the singing voice signal from the first microphone is output from a first output terminal, and the singing voice signal from a second microphone is output to the second singing section. Controlling the selection means so as to output from an output terminal, and controlling the shape of the corresponding character according to a singing volume detected from the singing voice signal by the one singer. The karaoke apparatus according to claim 3, wherein 5. A karaoke apparatus for performing a performance based on music data, wherein a singing voice signal fetched from a first microphone and a singing voice signal fetched from a second microphone are mixed or selected and a first output terminal is provided. Selecting means for outputting a characteristic value of a music element based on the singing voice signal output from the first output terminal; selecting means for outputting a characteristic amount of a music element based on the singing voice signal output from the first output terminal; First comparing means for comparing the extraction result of the means with a first reference value indicated by the song data to generate a first comparison result; and based on the singing voice signal output from the second output terminal. A second extraction unit for extracting a feature amount of a music element by using the second extraction unit for comparing the extraction result of the second extraction unit with a second reference value indicated by the song data to generate a second comparison result. Means of comparison and A random number generating unit for generating a number, the first comparison result and the second comparison result are evaluated based on a predetermined evaluation criterion, and the singing ability is determined, and the evaluation result is not superior A karaoke apparatus comprising: an evaluation unit that determines a priority based on a random number generated by the random number generation unit.