METHOD FOR MANAGING PERSONAL SET INFORMATION FOR SOUNDER
Description Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method for managing personal set information for sounder and a computer- readable storage medium that stores a program to implement the method, and more particularly, to a method for managing personal set information for sounder and a computer- readable storage medium that stores a program to implement the method, which provide an effect just like using a user' own intrinsic equipment by recovering and using preset user's own information, and additionally storing/updating new information, in case where a plurality of persons uses a same sounder (karaoke system) or other sounders.
Background Art
A karaoke system or musical accompaniment service system is equipment that allows users to select any of songs stored in a memory and sing to words of the selected song displayed on a screen. These days, the general public tends to go to a karaoke room and sing through a karaoke system installed therein so as to dispel or mitigate the stress.
Such karaoke systems are generally provided with functions of searching titles of songs (such as search for new songs, search for titles, search for each singer, search for numbers, search for each genre, search for years, search for words, search for popular songs, search for each event, etc.). In addition, there are functions (tempo, tone, chorus, melody, removal of prelude or interlude, word jump, word return, ending for halting during singing, sing for first paragraph only, volume adjustment for each
musical instrument or channel, etc.) used during the song is being played. And also, there are functions (performance of a single song, repeat performance, continuous performance, random performance, and so on) used between songs; and functions (external input mode, still image mode, moving image mode, etc.) of changing background image. And there are medley functions (singer medley, dance medley, favorite medley, etc.), and also functions such as words position control, words removal, ruby control, luminosity control of screen, reserved song editing, and so on. As described above, the information that can be set by each single person via the karaoke system is named as "personal set information for karaoke system" .
In this karaoke system, when a user who sings via it selects a desired song each time and then the selected song (sound source) starts to play, it needs to adjust tone, tempo and melody of that song, together with echo and volume of audio equipment linked to the karaoke system and the functions for his/her own taste. As such, the user has to input the "personal set information for karaoke system" to adapt to his/her taste.
Of course, when the user wants to use later songs the user's own or companion sang, convenience may be improved by remembering each of them upon later selection thereof. However, the above-mentioned system is problematic that there is a limit to the remembrance and also it is not easy to remember each of tone, tempo, melody, etc. Although the system takes the "personal set information for karaoke" by means of memo to overcome the limitation to the remembrance, there still exists any inconvenience that it must accompany minimum input steps by user upon selection of song or when adjusting the tone, tempo and melody of song.
Disclosure Technical Problem
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a method for managing personal set information for sounder and a computer-readable storage medium that stores a program to implement the method that help use a karaoke system more conveniently by recovering and using preset user's own information, and adding and storing/updating new information.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method for managing personal set information for sounder and a computer-readable storage medium that stores a program to implement the method, which provides an effect just like using a user's own intrinsic equipment by recovering and using preset user's own information, and additionally storing/updating new information, in case where a plurality of persons uses a sounder (e.g., karaoke system) or other sounders connected to a server via Internet.
Technical Solution
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network-based personal set information management method in environments that use sounders connected over a network, the method comprising the steps of: registering accounts though a connection to a server, and setting intrinsic or personal information, to be referred when the sounder is used, for each account; connecting to the server via one of the sounders, and downloading and classifying personal information of at least one corresponding account user from the server; and when a song is being played through said one sounder, extracting personal information of the corresponding account user and presenting a performance environment based on the personal information of the account user, and automatically reflecting changed matters in the personal
information upon change of the personal information.
In addition, the invention further comprises the steps of connecting to the server via said one sounder or other sounders, and downloading the personal information of the corresponding account user that reflects the changed matters from the server; and when a song is being played through said one sounder or other sounders, extracting personal information of the corresponding account user and presenting a performance environment based on the personal information of the corresponding account user that reflects the changed matters, and automatically reflecting changed matters in the personal information upon change of the personal information.
Moreover, the invention further comprises the step of automatically storing a title of played song, performance information on the song, and performance result information in the corresponding account under a state that the account is activated.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium that stores a program in a personal set information management system having a processor in environments that use sounders connected to a server over a network, the program comprising the functions of: registering accounts though a connection to the server, and setting intrinsic or personal information, to be referred when the sounder is used, for each account; connecting to the server via one of the sounders, and downloading and classifying personal information of at least one corresponding account user from the server; and when a song is being played through said one sounder, extracting personal information of the corresponding account user and presenting performance environment based on the personal information of the account user, and automatically reflecting changed matters in the personal information upon change of the personal
information.
When a plurality of persons uses a same karaoke system or other systems which are connected to a server that stores and manages the "personal set information for karaoke system" via Internet, the present invention stores in the server the information on the status or operation of the karaoke system used by user's own, list of songs the user's own or companion sang and related information, personal information, information stored by the user such as recoded songs, list of favorite songs, character, voice, image and picture photograph, and echo or volume as set information of audio equipment linked with the karaoke system. After storing, when necessary, the information can be read out to the karaoke system, and recovered and used in the state set by the user; and newly updated and stored, thereby enabling more convenient use of the karaoke system. Namely, the set "personal set information for karaoke system" can be recovered and used and new information can be updated and stored in any karaoke system; and also the updated and stored "personal set information for karaoke system" can be recovered and used in other karaoke systems.
In the foregoing, in case where the plurality of persons uses the karaoke system, they can read and recover their own "personal set information for karaoke system" from the server using their respective names or accounts, thus providing an effect just like using their own equipments. That is, the users can select desired songs from the list of their favorite songs and also reappear the previously played circumstance (tone, tempo, melody, echo, volume, background screen, etc.) as it is when the same song is being played.
The other objectives and advantages of the invention will be understood by the following description and will also be appreciated by the embodiments of the invention more clearly. Further, the objectives and advantages of
the invention will readily be seen that they can be realized by the means and its combination specified in the claims.
Advantageous Effects
The present invention as described above and will be below has an effect just like using a user's own intrinsic equipment by recovering and using user's own preset information, and additionally storing/updating new information, in case where a plurality of persons uses a sounder (e.g., karaoke system) or other sounders connected to a server via Internet.
Moreover, the present invention can automatically implement only user's own karaoke system environment without inputting the "personal set information for karaoke system" thereby giving a further convenience to the user.
Description of Drawings
The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a personal set information management system for sounder, to which a first embodiment of the present invention is applied;
Fig. 2 shows a detailed flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a procedure of using and updating/storing personal set information in a personal set information management system for sounder in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a personal set information management system for sounder, to
which a second embodiment of the invention is applied;
Fig. 4 is a detailed flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a procedure of subscribing for a service and registering personal set information in a personal set information management system for sounder in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; and
Fig. 5 provides a detailed flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a procedure of using and updating/storing personal set information in a personal set information management system for sounder in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.
Best Mode for the Invention
The above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages will be more apparent by the following detailed description in association with the accompanying drawings; and based on this, the invention will be readily conceived by those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. Further, in the following description, well-known arts will not be described in detail if it seems that they could obscure the invention in unnecessary detail. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be set forth in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig.l is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a personal set information management system for sounder, to which a first embodiment of the present invention is applied.
As shown in Fig. 1, the personal set information management system for sounder, to which the present invention is applied, comprises a sounder (karaoke system) 101 having a database 103 for storing "personal set information for karaoke system."
The database 103 serves to store and manage various information that is manually prepared by the user or
automatically prepared by the sounder (karaoke system) 101.
Fig. 2 shows a detailed flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a procedure of using and updating/storing the personal set information in the personal set information management system for sounder in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention.
First, when a registered user (account user) visits a karaoke room and then inputs his/her own ID (and password) or account information corresponding to the ID at step 201, the sounder (karaoke system) 101 searches at step 203 user information, ID (and password) or account information. If there are "personal set information for karaoke system" corresponding to the user information, each user moves to his/her account [(it is assumed that a plurality of users simultaneously use a single sounder (karaoke system) 101); and then searches and reserves desired songs at step 205. At this time, it is possible to select the desired songs via a list of favorite songs, and also to reserve a pair of title of song and account together upon reservation. In other words, if the user moves to his/her own account and then makes search and reservation of any song, the account is automatically reserved with the number of that song. By doing so, when the song designated by the user is being played, previous performance circumstance (such as tone, tempo, melody, echo, volume, background screen, and display of image or character designated by the user on screen or output of sound stored) is reappeared as it is.
Thereafter, when the performance of song designated by the account user is started, the process of the invention moves to or extracts the "personal set information for karaoke system" of the account user and recovers the operation state of the corresponding sounder (karaoke system) 101 using the "personal set information for karaoke system" of the account at step 207. Simultaneously, the image or character designated by the account user is
displayed on the screen or an operation to output sound stored is performed. And, once the song initiates to play, the process recovers previously stored performance information at step 209. That is, if the performance of the song designated by the account user is started, information on the status or operation of the sounder (karaoke system) 101 is recovered based on the "personal set information for karaoke system" of the account user. And also, information associated with the performance of song such as tempo, tone, singer or chorus, melody, removal of prelude or interlude, sing for first paragraph only, and information on echo or volume for an operation of audio equipment linked with the sounder (karaoke system) 101 are recovered. Meanwhile, if the song is ended, various information about title of song, marks, and number of times sang are first temporarily stored in the sounder (karaoke system) 101 for each account. Then, upon end of the account at step 213, the process updates/stores the "personal set information for karaoke system" of the account user in the database 103 of the sounder (karaoke system) 101 using the stored information (title of song, marks for each title of song, and the number of times sang) at step 215. This is to recover and use the updated and stored "personal set information for karaoke system" upon the next use. At this time, the list of songs the user's own sang or other persons sang using the user' s own account may be automatically stored in the list of favorite songs, together with the information related to the performance of song such as the marks and number of times sang for each song. The above information may be employed as statistical data. Of course, if the account user selects recording, the song recorded is automatically stored in the corresponding account; and thus, the user can again hear the recorded song later.
However, there are many instances where a plurality of persons uses the same karaoke system or other karaoke systems whenever they do. In the karaoke system for business purpose that is used in the karaoke room, although the users use the same equipment, a limitation of memory capacity is presented for storing the "personal set information for karaoke system" of all of the persons using that equipment.
Accordingly, there has been required a system and method for managing personal set information in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention which connects the sounder (karaoke system) to a server over a network such as Internet and provides the "personal set information for karaoke system" . Hereinafter, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 3 to 5.
Fig. 3 shows a diagram illustrating a configuration of a personal set information management system for sounder, to which the second embodiment of the invention is applied. As depicted in Fig. 3, the personal set information management system for sounder, to which the present invention is applied, comprises a server 303 having a database 305 for storing "personal set information for karaoke system", and a plurality of user terminals 301 and a plurality of sounders (karaoke systems) 307 which use and store the information.
In this structure, the database 305 serves to store and manage various information that is manually prepared by users or automatically prepared by the sounders (karaoke systems) 307. And the server 303 is configured to operate in response to requests of the sounders (karaoke systems) 307 or the user terminals 301 using the above information.
The inventive personal set information management system for sounder employs and updates/stores the "personal set information for karaoke system" over the information
network. Under this environment, the user first connects to the server 303 via the user terminal 301 or the sounder (karaoke system) 307 and then subscribes for a service. Subsequently, the user sets (registers/stores/updates) the "personal set information for karaoke system." Therefore, one of the sounders (karaoke systems), 307-1, may recover and use the preset "personal set information for karaoke system"; and also update and store new information. And also, the sounder 307-1 itself or the other sounder (karaoke system) 307-2 may recover and use the updated and stored "personal set information for karaoke system."
The information network connects communication lines between the user terminals 301 and the server 303 to enable the setting (registration/storage/update) of "personal set information for karaoke system." And also, it connects communication lines between the sounders (karaoke systems) 307 and the server 303 to allow the recovery (use) and update/storage of the set "personal set information for karaoke system." The information network used herein refers to satellite or terrestrial broadcasting network for wire/wireless Internet {Wireless Application Protocol/Mobile Explorer (WAP/ME), WEB}}, intranet, Local Area Network (LAN), Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), portable Internet {Wireless Broadband Internet (WiBro)}, and Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB).
Therefore, the user terminal 301 may be not only Personal Computer (PC) and notebook but also mobile communication terminal such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) , cellular phone or Personal Communication Services (PCS) phone, next generation mobile communication terminal such as International Mobile Telecommunication-2000 (IMT- 2000), WAP terminal, WEB terminal, and so on. The type of the terminal is not limited as long as it is possible to establish (register/store/update) the "personal set information for karaoke system" via the network connection
with the server 303.
On the other hand, the "personal set information for karaoke system" for each service user is stored in the database 305. Namely, there are stored in the database for user name or account (title) the information on the status or operation of the sounder (karaoke system) 307 the user's own used, list of songs the user's own or companion sang and related information, personal information, information stored by the user such as recoded songs, list of favorite songs, character, voice, image, and picture photograph, and echo or volume as set information of audio equipment linked with the sounders (karaoke systems) 307.
The server 303 stores and manages the "personal set information for karaoke system" on the basis of the information stored in the database 305; and is connected to the user terminals 301 and the sounders (karaoke systems) 307 over the information network and operates in response to requests of the sounders (karaoke systems) 307.
Now, a procedure of subscribing for a service and registering the "personal set information for karaoke system" will be described in detail referring to Fig. 4.
First of all, the user makes a connection to the server 303 via the wire/wireless Internet (WEB, WAP/ME) or wire/wireless communication network (PSTN, mobile communication network, etc.) using the terminal 301 or the sounder (karaoke system) 307 at step 401. Then, the user subscribes for a service (registers account) by inputting personal information such as ID, password, name, age, sex, citizenship, where to make contact, etc. via the connection guide screen of the server 303 at steps 403 and 405.
Once the account is established, the "personal set information for karaoke system" can be added, edited and stored. That is, the service subscriber prepares, stores and registers the information on the status or operation of the sounder (karaoke system) 307, personal information,
information prepared by the user such as recoded songs, titles of favorite songs, voice, image, and photograph, and information on echo or volume of audio equipment linked with the sounder (karaoke system) 307 at steps 407 and 409. The "personal set information for karaoke system" may be stored and managed for each service subscriber; and changed and stored at any time when the subscriber wants. Namely, it is feasible for the service subscriber to register, store, and update the "personal set information for karaoke system" .
Specifically, if the registered user (account user) wishes to change his/her own "personal set information for karaoke system" and store new information, he/she can connect to the server at step 401, input ID and password to get authenticated that he/she is just service user at step 411, and register the user's own "personal set information for karaoke system" at steps 407 and 409.
In addition, at step 413, the number of times of failures may be limited to, e.g., three, through the drive of timer at the registering steps 407 and 409.
On the other hand, to use the information stored in the server 303, the registered user (account user) inputs ID (and password) or account information corresponding to the ID to the sounder (karaoke system) 307 connected to the server 303 via the network, and starts to take and use the user's own "personal set information for karaoke system" from the server 303. Upon end of use, the revised information and newly collected information are automatically updated and stored in the database 305 (implemented for each user account) of the server 303. At this time, in case where the sounder (karaoke system) 307 is used in a time or coin manner, it may be implemented that it appears to be the end of use when the used time has expired or coin is nothing, and then the information until that time is stored in the database 305 of the server 303.
For example, if a plurality of users simultaneously utilizes one of the sounders (karaoke systems) 307, each user may select his/her own account (at this time, there may be used a button for each user or a single button to sequentially change and select each of users); and ' then retrieve, recover and use his/her own "personal set information for karaoke system." At this time, the updated information is classified, stored and updated for each user (account) . Meanwhile, in case of using the sounders (karaoke systems) 307, there may be an instance where it needs to reserve any song in advance. If the number of the song is reserved together with user account when the song is reserved, it is possible to reappear the previous performance circumstance (tone, tempo, melody, echo, volume, background screen, and display of image or character designated by the user on the screen or output of sound stored) as it is upon the performance of the song. Of course, when a desired song is selected through the list of favorite songs and its performance is started after inputting the user's own account, it is obvious to reappear the previous performance circumstance (tone, tempo, melody, echo, volume, background screen, and display of image or character designated by the user on the screen or output of sound stored) as it is.
At this time, when the performance of song designated by the account user is started, the information on the state or operation of the sounder (karaoke system) 307 is recovered based on the "personal set information for karaoke system." And also, the information related to the performance of song such as the tempo, tone, singer or chorus, melody, removal of prelude or interlude, and sing of first paragraph only and information such as echo or volume about operation of audio equipment linked with the sounder (karaoke system) 307 are recovered.
In the meantime, if the song is ended, the sounder (karaoke system) 307 or audio equipment is recovered to conventional state. And it is implemented in such a way that the information associated with the number and performance of song and information on state or operation of the sounder (karaoke system) 307 are transmitted to the server 303 to enable the update/storage of the user's own "personal set information for karaoke system" (the update/storage is made in the user's own account). Through such implementation, the updated and stored "personal set information for karaoke system" can be updated and used upon the next use. At this time, the list of songs the user' s own or other persons sang may be automatically stored in the list of favorite songs; and the information on the performance of song such as the marks and number of times sang for each song may be also automatically stored. The above information may be employed as statistical data.
Of course, if the account user selects recording, the recoding operation is started together with the initiation of performance of the related song. If the performance of the song is ended, the recording operation is also completed and the recorded song is automatically stored in the related account. Accordingly, the account user can again hear the recorded song using the list of recorded songs later.
In addition, in case where the account user has set tone field as default, the tone field of the selected song is searched and compared with the user's tone field. If the tone field of the selected song is within the user's tone field, the tone is not changed; and otherwise, that is, if the tone field of the selected song is outside the user's tone field, the tone is changed to allow the tone field of the selected song to be within the user's tone field. Fig. 5 presents a detailed flowchart illustrating an
embodiment of a procedure of using and updating/storing the personal set information in the personal set information for sounder in accordance with the invention.
At first, when a registered user (account user) visits a karaoke room and inputs the user's own ID (and password) or account information corresponding to the ID to the sounder (karaoke system) 307 connected to the server 303 over the network at step 501, the sounder (karaoke system) 307 sends the server 303 the user information, ID (and password) or account information. Then, in response to the receipt of the information, the server 303 transmits the "personal set information for karaoke system" corresponding to the user information to the corresponding sounder (karaoke system) 307 over the network. Next, if the "personal set information for karaoke system" of the corresponding account user is normally- downloaded at step 503, the sounder (karaoke system) 307 stores the "personal set information for karaoke system" of the account user in a memory and then displays information notifying that the account is prepared at step 505.
As described above, if the account has been prepared, each user moves to his/her account (it is assumed that a plurality of users simultaneously use a single sounder (karaoke system) 307) to search and reserve a desired song at step 507. At this time, it is possible to select the desired song via the list of favorite songs, and also to reserve a pair of title of song and account together upon reservation. In other words, if the user moves to his/her own account and then makes search and reservation of any song, the account is automatically reserved with the number of that song. Therefore, when the song designated by the user is being played, the previous performance circumstance (tone, tempo, melody, echo, volume, background screen, and display of image or character designated by the user on the screen or output of sound stored) may be reappeared as it
is.
Thereafter, when the performance of the song designated by the account user is started, the process moves to or extracts the "personal set information for karaoke system" of the account user and recovers the operation state of the sounder (karaoke system) 307 using the "personal set information for karaoke system" of the account user at step 509. Simultaneously, the image or character designated by the account user is displayed on the screen or an operation to output sound stored is conducted. And, once the song commences to play, the process recovers previously stored performance information at step 511.
That is, if the performance of the song designated by the account user is started, information on the status or operation of the sounder (karaoke system) 307 is recovered based on the "personal set information for karaoke system" of the account user. And also, information associated with the performance of song such as tempo, tone, singer or chorus, melody, removal of prelude or interlude, sing for first paragraph only, and information on echo or volume for an operation of audio equipment linked with the sounder (karaoke system) 307 are recovered.
Meanwhile, if the song is ended, various information about title of song, marks, and number of times sang are first temporarily stored in the sounder (karaoke system) 307 for each account. Then, upon end of the account at step 515, the process transmits the stored information (title of song, marks, and number of times sang) to the server 303 to update/store the "personal set information for karaoke system" of the account user at step 517.
In other words, if the song is ended, the sounder (karaoke system) 307 and the audio equipment are recovered to conventional state, and the information on the number and performance of song and information on the status or
operation of the sounder (karaoke system) 307 and the audio equipment are transmitted to the server 303 to update/store the user's own "personal set information for karaoke system." This is to recover and use the updated and stored "personal set information for karaoke system" upon the next use. At this time, the list of songs the user sang or other persons sang using the user's own account may be automatically stored in the list of favorite songs, together with the information related to the performance of song such as the marks and number of times sang for each song. Such information may be employed as statistical data. Of course, if the account user selects recording, the song recorded is automatically stored in the corresponding account and thus the user can again hear the recorded song later.