JPH1165583A - Karaoke sing-along communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a KARAOKE sing-along communication system, capable of immediately playing a desired music of a KARAOKE sing-along terminal system making a request, even if the request from a certain KARAOKE sing-along terminal device doubles the playing with another terminal device. SOLUTION: A KARAOKE sing-along data storage means 1 of a central unit A stores playing data and background video. A central control means 2 reads out the playing data according to the request from a KARAOKE sing-along terminal device B. A central side communication means 3 executes the transmission of the playing data and the background video and reception of the music assignment data sent from the KARAOKE sing-along terminal device through a transmission circuit. A mode changeover means changes over the transmission and reception modes of the central control means. The KARAOKE sing-along terminal device B receives the playing data and background video data, stores the playing data, forms a voice signal and text video by a music- converting means, composites the text video and the background video and outputs the same to a display means.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a karaoke communication system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, one karaoke device for business use has usually been installed for each store. However, with the spread of karaoke software, the amount of karaoke software that must be kept has become enormous, and the storage of such karaoke software has become very costly.

Therefore, in recent years, a karaoke communication system for transmitting performance data from a central device to a plurality of karaoke terminals has been developed.

In a conventional karaoke communication system, a plurality of karaoke terminals installed in individual stores or rooms are connected to a central device having an enormous amount of karaoke software via a transmission line.

When a desired song is requested from the karaoke terminal device via the transmission line to the central device, the central device transmits the performance data relating to the request to the karaoke terminal device via the transmission line. The karaoke terminal device reproduces the transmitted performance data in real time and outputs the performance.

In such a karaoke communication system, each store does not need to have an enormous amount of karaoke software, and there is an advantage that cost can be reduced accordingly.

[0007]

However, when a certain karaoke terminal device requests a certain song from the central device, the performance data of another song requested by another karaoke terminal device has already been transmitted. In such a case, the karaoke terminal device requested later may not be able to transmit the performance data of the desired song until the performance of the previously requested song ends, and may cause the karaoke user to wait. .

[0008] The speed of transmission of performance data from the central unit to the karaoke terminal device must be substantially the same as the speed of performance at the karaoke terminal device, so that the karaoke user has to wait for a long time. There was a problem that it was quite long.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. Even if a request made from one karaoke terminal device is duplicated with a performance on another karaoke terminal device, the karaoke terminal which made the request is provided. It is an object of the present invention to make it possible to immediately play a desired song on a device.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To achieve this object, the present invention provides a central device which stores a large number of performance data, background images, etc., composed of music data and lyric data for karaoke performance, and a tone conversion system. In a karaoke communication system in which a plurality of karaoke terminals having input means for selecting a desired tune to be played are connected by a transmission line to exchange data and the like, a central unit is used by a plurality of terminals commonly used by the plurality of terminals. Karaoke data storage means for storing the performance data and the background video of the karaoke data, and music designation data transmitted from the karaoke terminal device through the transmission line from among the large number of performance data and the background video stored in the karaoke data storage means. Central-side control means for reading out at least performance data in response thereto, sending out the performance data and the background video to the transmission line,
A central communication means for receiving music designation data transmitted from the karaoke terminal device via the transmission line; a transmission mode for transmitting performance data and background video by the central communication means; and a reception mode for receiving music designation data. Mode switching means for switching between the modes, the karaoke terminal device receives the performance data and the background video data transmitted from the central device via the transmission line, and reads out at least the performance data to the central device. Terminal-side communication means for transmitting song designation data to the central unit via the transmission line, input means for inputting song designation data to be sent from the terminal-side communication unit to the central unit via the transmission line, and reception by the terminal-side communication unit. Karaoke data storage means for storing at least the played performance data, and performance data stored in the karaoke data storage means. Terminal-side control means for reading at least data, musical sound conversion means for generating a karaoke sound signal from music data in the performance data read by the terminal-side control means, and lyrics data in the performance data read by the terminal-side control means. A synthesizing output means for generating a lyric image from the image data, synthesizing the lyric image with a background image received by the terminal side communication means from the central device through a transmission line, and displaying the output of the synthesizing output means. Are provided.

The karaoke data storage means provided in the central unit of the karaoke communication system of the present invention having the above configuration stores a large number of performance data and background images which can be commonly used by a plurality of terminal devices. The central control unit reads out at least performance data from a large number of performance data and background images stored in the karaoke data storage unit in accordance with music designation data transmitted from the karaoke terminal device via the transmission line, and The communication means transmits the performance data and the background image to the transmission line, and receives the music designation data transmitted from the karaoke terminal device through the transmission line,
The mode switching means switches the mode of the central communication means between a transmission mode for transmitting performance data and background video and a reception mode for receiving music designation data.

Next, the terminal side communication means provided in the karaoke terminal device receives the performance data and the background video data transmitted from the central device via the transmission line, and sends at least the performance data of the performance data to the central device. The music designation data instructing the reading is transmitted to the central device through the transmission line. The input means inputs music designation data to be transmitted from the terminal communication means to the central unit through the transmission line, and the karaoke data storage means stores at least performance data received by the terminal communication means, and the terminal control means Reads out at least the performance data stored in the karaoke data storage means, and the tone conversion means generates a karaoke sound signal from the music data of the performance data read by the terminal-side control means. On the other hand, the synthesizing output means generates a lyric image from the lyric data of the performance data read by the terminal-side control means, and combines the lyric image with the background image received by the terminal-side communication means from the central device through the transmission line. The output is combined and the display means displays the output of the combined output means.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an overall schematic configuration of the karaoke communication system.

The karaoke communication system includes, as major components, one central device A, a plurality of karaoke terminal devices B, and a transmission line C that bidirectionally connects the central device A and each karaoke terminal device B. ing. The plurality of karaoke terminal devices B may be provided for each store in one building, or may be provided separately for different buildings.

The central apparatus A is composed of a large-capacity karaoke data storage means 1, a central control means 2, and a central communication means 3.

The karaoke data storage means 1 stores an enormous amount of karaoke data (performance data and background video data) of karaoke software. For example, a magnetic disk or a large number of laser disks are used. .
The performance data includes music data and lyrics data.

The central control means 2 stores corresponding karaoke data (performance data and background video data) from the karaoke data storage means 1 in response to a request transmitted from the karaoke terminal device B via the central communication means 3. It has a reading function and a function of controlling the central communication unit 3 so as to transmit the read performance data and background video data to the karaoke terminal device B. This central control means 2 is constituted by a microcomputer.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of one karaoke terminal apparatus B.

The karaoke terminal device B includes a terminal-side control means 4
, Input means 5, terminal-side communication means 6, karaoke data temporary storage means 7, D / A converter 8, audio amplifier 9, microphone 10, speaker 11
, A graphic processor 12, and a monitor display 13. The D / A converter 8
The audio amplifier 9 and the microphone 10 constitute the tone conversion means 14.

The input means 5 is for designating a desired music piece. The terminal-side communication means 6 is bidirectionally connected to the central communication means 3 of the central device A via the transmission line C, and transmits one request code corresponding to the music designation number inputted from the input means 5 to the central communication device. In addition to transmitting to the device A, the performance data and the background video data read by the central device A are received.

The karaoke data temporary storage means 7 is for temporarily storing karaoke data (performance data and background video data) transmitted from the central unit A and received by the terminal side communication means 6. Any of a hard disk, a floppy disk, a semiconductor memory, a magneto-optical disk, and a bubble memory is used as the karaoke data temporary storage means 7 as the buffer memory.

The D / A converter 8 constituting the tone conversion means 14 converts music data of the performance data read from the karaoke data temporary storage means 7 into analog karaoke sound signals. The audio amplifier 9 includes a karaoke audio signal from the D / A converter 8 and
It mixes and amplifies a singing voice signal from the microphone 10 by the singer and outputs it to the speaker 11.

The graphic processor 12 generates a lyrics video signal and a background video signal from the lyrics data and the background video data of the performance data read from the karaoke data temporary storage means 7, respectively, and combines them, for example, The image is spar imposed and output to the monitor display 13. This graphic processor 12
Corresponds to the combining output means described in the claims, and the monitor display 13 corresponds to the display means.

The terminal-side control means 4 controls the entire karaoke terminal B and is constituted by a microcomputer.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic appearance of the karaoke terminal B, in which the input means 5, the speaker 11 and the monitor display 13 are shown. The input means 5 has a numeric keypad 5a for inputting a song designation number and an indicator 5b for displaying the entered song designation number. The monitor display 13 depicts a state where the background image a and the lyrics image b are displayed.

Next, the operation of the karaoke communication system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the central device A, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the karaoke terminal device B.

In the karaoke terminal apparatus B, the karaoke user operates the numeric keypad 5a of the input means 5 to input the designated number of the music desired to be played (S1). The terminal-side control means 4 generates a request code based on the input music designation number, switches the terminal-side communication means 6 to the transmission mode (S2), and displays the music designation number on the indicator 5b of the input means 5. I do.

The terminal-side control means 4 further comprises a terminal-side communication means 6
Then, the request code is transmitted to the central communication device 3 of the central device A via the transmission line C (S3). And
When the transmission is completed (S4), the terminal side communication means 6 is switched to the reception mode (S5). The central communication unit 3 of the central device A receives the request code and transfers it to the central control unit 2. The central control means 2 always sets the central communication means 3 to the reception mode (S10), and waits for transmission of a request code from the karaoke terminal device B (S1).
1). When the request code has been transferred, the request code is received (S12), and a reception message is transmitted to the karaoke terminal device B via the central communication means 3 and the transmission line C.

The central control means 2 of the central unit A searches the karaoke data storage means 1 on the basis of the transferred request code, and stores karaoke data corresponding to the request code, that is, performance data and background video data. It is read from the means 1 (S13). Further, the central control means 2 switches the central communication means 3 to the transmission mode (S14).

The central control means 2 transmits the performance data and background video data read out via the central communication means 3 to the terminal communication means 6 of the karaoke terminal B via the transmission line C (S15). When the transmission is completed, the central communication unit 3 is switched to the reception mode and the transmission of the request code is waited. The terminal side communication means 6 receives the transmitted performance data and background video data. Terminal side control means 4
Temporarily stores the received performance data and background video data in the karaoke data temporary storage means 7 sequentially (S
6).

After the storage of the performance data and the background video data is completed, the terminal-side control means 4 sequentially reads out the performance data and the background video data from the karaoke data temporary storage means 7, and The music data is sent to the D / A converter 8 in the tone conversion means 14 and, in synchronism therewith, the lyrics data and the background video data of the performance data are transmitted to the graphic processor 12.
(S7).

The D / A converter 8 converts the input music data into an analog karaoke sound signal and outputs it to the audio amplifier 9. The audio amplifier 9 amplifies the karaoke sound audio signal and outputs the amplified karaoke sound signal to the speaker 11, and the karaoke sound is played and output from the speaker 11.

In parallel with this, the graphic processor 12 generates a lyrics video signal and a background video signal from the input lyrics data and background video data, respectively, superimposes them and outputs them to the monitor display 13. The lyrics image b is displayed on the monitor display 13 together with the background image a (see FIG. 3).

The singer sings in accordance with the performance output while referring to the lyrics displayed on the monitor display 13. The singing voice is input from a microphone 10 to the audio amplifier 9 as a singing voice signal, where the karaoke sound signal and the singing voice signal from the D / A converter 8 are mixed and output from the speaker 11.

The other karaoke terminal device B performs the same operation as described above.

As described above, each of the plurality of karaoke terminals B in the karaoke communication system temporarily stores the karaoke data (performance data and background video data) transmitted from the central apparatus A in response to the request. Since the data temporary storage means 7 is provided, the transmission of the performance data and the background video data from the central device A to the karaoke terminal device B can be performed at a much higher speed than the transmission speed adapted to the performance of the music.

Then, while the other karaoke terminal apparatus B that has requested the karaoke data transmission has completed the reception of the karaoke data and is performing, the karaoke terminal apparatus B of the other party requests the karaoke data transmission. In this case, since the transmission of the karaoke data to the other karaoke terminal device B has been completed in the central device A,
We can immediately accept requests from us,
Moreover, the requested karaoke data is transmitted at a high speed.

Therefore, any karaoke terminal device B can immediately play the desired music without waiting for the end of the performance at the other karaoke terminal devices B.

The format of the music data in the performance data may be music score information.
Instead of the A converter 8, a synthesizer having sound sources of various musical instruments may be used.

[0041]

As is clear from the above description,
According to the present invention, since each karaoke terminal device has the karaoke data storage means for storing at least the performance data from the central device, the central device can transmit the karaoke data more than the transmission speed corresponding to the performance of the music. The performance data and the background video can be transmitted at a high speed, and therefore, during the performance of the performance data that has been received by the other karaoke terminal device that has made the request, the request from the karaoke terminal device is immediately sent to the central device. Since the received performance data and the background video are transmitted at a high speed, any karaoke terminal device can immediately play the desired music without waiting for the end of the performance on the other karaoke terminal devices. Further, in the karaoke terminal device, a lyric image is generated from lyric data of the transmitted performance data, and the lyric image is synthesized with the background image and output to the display means.
For example, the cost for one karaoke song can be reduced as compared to a case where a master tape in which a lyric image is synthesized with a background image for each music piece is created.

Further, the mode switching means switches the mode between the transmission mode for transmitting the performance data and the background image to the central communication means and the reception mode for receiving the music designation data. Immediately after transmission to the karaoke terminal device, the mode switching means can switch the central communication means of the central device to a mode in which music designation data can be received. Therefore, there is a unique effect that music designation data from a plurality of karaoke terminals can be received immediately.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a karaoke terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an overall schematic configuration of a karaoke communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic external view of a karaoke terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the central device of the karaoke communication system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation of the terminal device of the karaoke communication system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List A Central device B Karaoke terminal device C Transmission line 1 Karaoke data storage means 2 Central control means 3 Central communication means 4 Terminal control means 5 Input means 6 Terminal communication means 7 Karaoke data temporary storage means 12 Graphic processor 13 Monitor display 14 Music conversion means

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A karaoke terminal having a central device for storing a large number of performance data and background images composed of music data and lyrics data for karaoke performance, and a tone conversion means and an input means for selecting a desired music piece. In a karaoke communication system for connecting a device with a transmission line and exchanging data and the like, the central device is a karaoke data storage means for storing a large number of performance data and background images that can be commonly used by the plurality of terminal devices. A central control means for reading out at least performance data from a large number of performance data and background images stored in the karaoke data storage means in accordance with music designation data transmitted from the karaoke terminal device through the transmission line; Transmitting the performance data and the background video to the transmission line,
A central communication means for receiving music designation data transmitted from the karaoke terminal device via the transmission line; a transmission mode for transmitting the performance data and the background video to the central communication means; and a reception mode for receiving the music designation data. Mode switching means for switching the mode between the mode and the mode, wherein the karaoke terminal device receives performance data and background video sent from the central device through the transmission line, and A terminal-side communication means for transmitting at least song designation data for instructing reading of performance data to the central device through the transmission line; and a song designation data to be transmitted to the central device via the transmission line from the terminal-side communication means. Input means, and karaoke data storage means for storing at least performance data received by the terminal-side communication means; Terminal-side control means for reading at least performance data stored in the karaoke data storage means; musical-tone conversion means for generating a karaoke sound signal from music data in the performance data read by the terminal-side control means; Synthesizing output means for generating a lyric image from lyric data of the performance data read by the control means, and synthesizing and outputting the lyric image and a background image received by the terminal side communication means from the central device through a transmission line. A karaoke communication system comprising: a display unit for displaying an output of the synthesis output unit.