JPH10149183A - Karaoke equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Object] To provide a karaoke apparatus capable of detecting which of a plurality of users has performed a predetermined operation first and displaying the detection result on a screen or the like. In a karaoke apparatus using a plurality of microphones, an input state of each microphone is detected (S19 to S27), and when it is detected that any of the microphones has a voice input, information on the microphone is displayed on a display device. (S29).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a karaoke apparatus capable of performing a karaoke performance using a plurality of microphones.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A karaoke apparatus that can use a plurality of microphones has been known. The plurality of microphones are used, for example, when a user sings a duet song or when a plurality of users sing the same song at the same time.

In recent years, karaoke has been enjoyed in various places. In addition to store-type karaoke such as a so-called karaoke box, karaoke is widely enjoyed in, for example, wedding receptions and various parties. It is becoming. In a party, karaoke is usually enjoyed only for a part of the time, and the participants of the party enjoy the party by playing various other games and the like. Quiz and the like are often held at parties. Quizzes, such as those often performed on TV programs, that compete for the correct answer to multiple respondents quickly, are often used as a game that can be enjoyed by not only the respondents but also all the participants in the party. It is also performed at the venue.

[0004]

In the quiz described above, it is determined by operating a button or the like who gets the right to answer first. That is, a button is provided in advance for each respondent, and when a question is set, each respondent immediately presses the button. The input signal from each button is input to the detection device, and the respondent who pressed the button the earliest is specified.

[0005] However, in the above-described device, it is necessary to prepare wiring for buttons, various display devices, and the like.
Because of the relatively high cost, there have been many cases where the quiz game has not been executed despite the desire to play the quiz game as described above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to detect which of a plurality of users has performed a predetermined operation first by using a karaoke apparatus,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a karaoke apparatus capable of displaying the detection result on a screen or the like.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a karaoke apparatus for playing a song based on performance information and displaying an image on a display device based on the image information. Mode switching means for switching the operation mode of the karaoke apparatus to a second mode different from the performance mode for performing a tune, in the karaoke apparatus for synthesizing and outputting the audio signal from the microphone with the performance tune, and the karaoke apparatus While operating in the second mode, state detection means for detecting a voice input state of each of the plurality of microphones, based on a detection result of the state detection means, at least one of the plurality of microphones Determining means for determining whether the voice input state has reached a predetermined state. Accordingly, when the karaoke apparatus operates in the second mode by the mode switching unit, the determination unit determines whether at least one of the plurality of microphones has reached a predetermined state based on detection of a voice input state of the microphone. Can be.

[0008] In the karaoke apparatus according to the second aspect, the predetermined state is a state in which a voice is input.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the karaoke apparatus is characterized in that the determination means determines only one of the plurality of microphones whose voice input state has reached the predetermined state earliest. Thereby, it is possible to determine which of the plurality of microphones has the earliest voice input state in the predetermined state.

In the karaoke apparatus according to the fourth aspect, when the karaoke apparatus is operating in the second mode, it is detected that the input state has reached the predetermined state earliest. An audio output control means for acquiring and outputting only an audio signal from the microphone whose input state is the predetermined state earliest and invalidating a signal from another microphone.
Thereby, it is possible to acquire and output only the audio signal of the microphone whose input state has reached the predetermined state earliest, and to invalidate the signal from another microphone.

[0011] In the karaoke apparatus according to the fifth aspect, when the karaoke apparatus is operating in the second mode, information on the microphone whose input state has been changed to the predetermined state earliest is transmitted. A display control unit that controls the display unit so as to display the image on the display device. As a result, the display means displays information on the microphone whose input state has reached the predetermined state the earliest.

In a karaoke apparatus according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the karaoke apparatus further comprises a display control means for controlling the display means so as to display information on a result of the judgment by the judgment means on the display device. Thus, the display means displays information on the result of the determination by the determination means.

In the karaoke apparatus according to the present invention, the switching of the operation mode from the performance mode to the second mode by the switching device is performed only when there is no music to be played in the performance mode. It is characterized by being acceptable. As a result, the mode is switched to the second mode only when there is no music played in the performance mode.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the karaoke apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. The karaoke apparatus 1 has a control unit C for controlling the operation of the entire apparatus.
It has a PU12. The CPU 12 includes an input device 10 as an input unit for performing reservation of music and the like, and a CPU 12.
, A work area when the CPU 12 executes the program, and a RAM 1 for storing reservation contents of karaoke songs input by the user through the input device 10.
4. an external storage device 11 for storing music information composed of performance information and image information required for performing a karaoke song;
An audio reproducing device 18 for generating a performance audio signal based on performance information;
A video reproducing apparatus 20 for reproducing a background image displayed on the CRT 22 from a laser disk, a video compact disk, or the like, generating a subtitle image to be displayed on the CRT 22 based on subtitle data, and other information displayed on the CRT 22. A display information generation device 19 for generating an image signal, a background image signal output from the video reproduction device 20 and a display image signal output from the display image generation device 19 are combined to generate a CRT.
And a synthesizing circuit 21 for outputting the result to the synthesizing circuit 22. further,
The A / D converter 17 is also connected to the CPU 12. A /
Microphones 15a, 15b,.
Are connected. The amplifier 16 is further connected to a speaker 16M that outputs the audio signal amplified by the amplifier as audible sound. The CRT 22 is a synthesizing circuit 2
1 connected.

Although not shown in detail, the input device 10 is a panel switch or a remote controller provided on the main body of the karaoke apparatus 1. The karaoke apparatus 1 of the present embodiment can operate in two operation modes. That is, a performance mode for performing a normal karaoke performance,
There are two modes, a fast-press detection mode as a second mode, in which a plurality of microphones are used to detect which microphone has a voice input first. The input device 10 is provided with an early-press detection key 10a for switching the operation mode from the performance mode for performing a normal karaoke performance to the above-mentioned early-press detection mode.

An ordinary karaoke performance will be briefly described. The operation when the karaoke apparatus 1 of the present embodiment operates in the performance mode is the same as that of the conventional karaoke apparatus, and therefore will only be briefly described below.

The operation of the karaoke apparatus 1 in the performance mode is as follows. First, the user uses the input device 10 to input a requested song. The CPU 12 stores the music number of the music input from the input device 10 in the RAM 14. Next, the music data corresponding to the music number stored in the RAM 14 is read from the external storage device 11. The data read from the external storage device 11 has performance data and subtitle data. The performance data is MIDI data, and audio data based on the performance data is generated in the above-described audio reproducing device 18. On the other hand, a background image is reproduced by the video reproducing device 20 based on the image data, and a subtitle image is generated by the display information generating device 19 based on the subtitle data, is synthesized by the synthesizing circuit 21, and is displayed on the CRT 22. The audio signal output from the audio reproducing device 18 is synthesized by the amplifier 16 with the singing voice of the user input from the microphones 15a, 15b,.
M outputs an audible sound. As long as the music requested by the user is stored in the RAM 14, the above-described performance processing is repeatedly performed.

In the above configuration, the audio reproducing device 18, the amplifier 16, and the speaker 16M constitute a karaoke performance means. Further, the display information generating device and the video reproducing device 20, the synthesizing circuit 21, and the CRT 22 constitute a display unit. The amplifier 16 also functions as voice synthesis means for synthesizing the karaoke performance and the singing voice of the user input from the microphones 15a, 15b,.

Next, a description will be given, with reference to the flow chart of FIG. 2, of the fast-press detection mode, which is a feature of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 uses a plurality of microphones to detect to which microphone the voice was first input,
5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of the CPU 12 when the karaoke apparatus 1 operates in the fast-press detection mode. First, in S11, the CPU 12 determines whether or not there is a reserved song. As described above, when the user inputs a music number from the input device 10, the music number of the performance music is stored in the music number storage area (not shown) on the RAM 14.

Therefore, in S11, it is determined whether or not there is a reserved music piece based on whether data is stored in the music number storage area of the RAM 14. If the music number of the reserved music is stored in the RAM 14 (S11: YES), the CPU 12 reads the head of the music number stored in the music number storage area of the RAM 14 in S13, and Then, the music data corresponding to the music number is read out, and a karaoke performance is performed in accordance with the above-described processing (S13). As described above, the switching from the performance mode for performing karaoke to the early press detection mode, which is the second operation mode of the karaoke apparatus 1, is performed by the input device 10.
Is switched by operating the fast-press detection key 10a provided in the
When data is stored in the reserved music storage area of the AM 14 (that is, when the reserved music remains in the RAM 14), mode switching is prohibited, and after all of the reserved music have been played (S11: NO) ), It is possible to switch the operation mode to the quick-press detection mode.

If the music number of the performance music is not stored in the music number storage area on the RAM 14 (S11: NO), the quick-press detection key 10a on the input device 10 is released at S15.
Check if is pressed. Quick press detection key 10a
If has not been pressed (S15: NO), the process returns to S10, and it is checked whether or not there is a reserved song by checking if there is data in the song number storage area on the RAM 14.

If the reserved music is not stored in the reserved music storage area of the RAM 14 and the quick-press detection key 10a is pressed (S15: YES), the CPU 12 controls the display information generating device 19 Displays a predetermined default screen indicating that the operation mode has entered the quick-press detection mode on the CRT.
22. This default screen can be arbitrarily set by the user, for example, when a game such as a quick-press quiz is played, a screen notifying the start of the quiz is provided. In this embodiment, only the screen display is controlled. However, a predetermined sound (for example, fanfare) may be output when the default screen is displayed.

Next, the CPU 12 obtains the number of microphones connected to the karaoke apparatus 1 in S19, and stores the number in a counter C used as a pointer when checking the microphone input state later (S19). ). The counter C is a variable stored on the RAM 14.

Here, each of the microphones 15a, 15
b,..., 15i and the connection between the CPU 12 and FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. The amplifier 16 is provided with a switch unit 16SW for connecting each of the microphones 15a, 15b,..., 15i, and each microphone is connected to the internal circuit of the amplifier via the switch of the switch unit 16SW. It is connected to the D converter 17. Switch unit 16SW is C
Each switch is independently controlled to be opened and closed by the PU 12. In the case of a normal karaoke performance, all the switches of the switch unit 16SW are closed, and the input from any microphone is input to the internal circuit of the amplifier. Therefore, when performing a karaoke, no matter which microphone is used for singing, the singing voice is similarly generated by the speaker 16S.
Output from

On the other hand, the karaoke apparatus 1
Operates, the CPU 12 operates the switch unit 1
The open / close state of the 6SW switch is changed. One end of each switch of the switch unit 16SW is connected to a microphone, the other end is connected to an internal circuit of the amplifier, and is connected to a predetermined input port of the CPU 12 via an A / D converter 17. The CPU 12 includes an A / D converter 17
It is possible to determine whether or not sound has been input to each microphone based on a signal corresponding to each microphone input from.

In the fast-press detection mode, the CPU 12
First, all switches of the switch unit 16SW are closed. Then, it is determined whether an audio signal is input to each of the connected microphones by sequentially detecting a signal input to an input port of the CPU 12 corresponding to each microphone. If it is determined that an audio signal has been input to any of the microphones, the CPU 12 opens all the switches of the switch unit 16SW except for the switch connected to the microphone. That is, if the voice input at a certain microphone is earlier than the voice input at another microphone, only the voice of the microphone is input to the internal circuit of the amplifier 16, and the voice signal from the other microphone is in the open state of the switch unit 16SW. Therefore, it is not input to the internal circuit of the amplifier 16.

In S21 of FIG. 2, the CPU 12
By checking the input signal of the input port of the CPU 12 corresponding to the microphone, it is determined whether or not the audio signal is being input to the microphone C. If the input state of the microphone is determined to be voice input (S23: YES), the microphone number,
That is, a screen as shown in FIG.
The information is displayed on the RT 22 to indicate which user input the voice to the microphone earliest, and is notified to all the users (S29). Then, in S31, the CPU 12
Closes only the switch corresponding to the C-th microphone of the switch unit 16SW and opens the other. As a result, only the sound input from the microphone is input to the internal circuit of the amplifier 16.

When it is determined in S23 that the voice input state for the C-th microphone is no input (S23:
NO), the counter C is decremented by 1 to check the input state of the next microphone (S25). However, when the counter is 0 (S27: YES), S19
Then, the number of microphones is reset to the counter C and the counter C is initialized. By repeatedly performing the above processing from S19 to S27 until YES is determined in S23, the input states of all microphones are repeatedly scanned, and the microphone with the earliest voice input can be detected. That is, it is possible to specify the microphone that has entered the predetermined state first.

Note that S21 executed by the CPU 12
Steps S27 to S27 correspond to the state detection means in claim 1 of the present invention, and particularly, the processing of S23 corresponds to the determination means. The audio output control means in claim 4 is a CPU.
12. The display control means according to claim 5 and claim 6, wherein the display control means is realized by the CPU 1
2 is realized by the processing of S29 executed by the second step.

In the karaoke apparatus which operates as described above, it is detected which of the plurality of microphones as sound input devices already attached to the karaoke apparatus has been input earliest, and It is possible to display the detection result on the screen etc., and it is possible to give the right to answer the person who took a predetermined action early in a TV program etc. This can be easily realized by a karaoke apparatus without adding special equipment.

In the above-described embodiment, the microphones other than the microphone to which the voice was input first are disconnected from the amplifier 16, but this configuration is omitted, and the microphone to which the input is initially input is simply omitted. If only display is performed, the switch unit 16SW can be omitted, and the use of the karaoke apparatus can be expanded with a simpler system configuration.

Further, in the above embodiment, "early press" is detected by using a microphone.
For example, if a button device configured to output a predetermined audio signal when a button is pressed is changed to a microphone and connected to the amplifier 16, a quick-press detection device that detects the rapid press of a button can be easily configured. be able to.

Further, in the above arrangement, if each button device outputs a sound signal of a different frequency,
By determining the frequency of the earliest input signal, it is also possible to specify the button that was pressed quickly.

[0034]

According to the karaoke apparatus of the first aspect, it is possible to determine whether at least one voice input state of the plurality of microphones has reached a predetermined state. The microphone of the karaoke apparatus can be used not only as an input but also as an input means of a so-called fast-push competition.

According to the karaoke apparatus of the second aspect,
Since the earliest voice input microphone can be specified, the user can enjoy a so-called "early press competition" simply by speaking to the microphone without having to operate buttons. .

According to the karaoke apparatus of the third aspect,
Of the plurality of microphones, it is configured to determine only the earliest one whose input state has reached the predetermined state, and since the input order of voices to other microphones is not detected, with a simple system configuration and simple control, It is possible to build a quick-press detection system.

According to the karaoke apparatus of the fourth aspect,
Since the earliest input state acquires and outputs only the audio signal from the microphone in the predetermined state, the signal from the other microphones is configured to be invalid. In the case of performing a quick-press quiz in which a voice input is given a right to answer, a microphone of a user who does not have the right is automatically turned off, so that the game progresses smoothly.

According to the karaoke apparatus of the fifth aspect,
The user can easily know the microphone which is in a predetermined state at first, and does not need to use any device other than the karaoke device.

According to the karaoke apparatus of the sixth aspect,
Since the information regarding the microphone whose input state has been changed to the predetermined state earliest is displayed on the display means, all users can easily know the microphone whose state has been changed to the predetermined state earliest. There is no need to use a device other than the karaoke device.

According to the karaoke apparatus of the seventh aspect,
Even if you accidentally operate the switch button during karaoke operation,
Since the mode is not switched as long as there is a requested song, it is possible to provide a user-friendly karaoke apparatus that is easy to use and prevents erroneous operations.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a fast-press detection process in which the CPU of the karaoke apparatus according to the present embodiment detects a microphone to which a voice has been input first;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of a detection result displayed on a CRT 22 when a microphone having an earliest voice input is detected.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a switch unit 16SW for controlling connection between each microphone and an amplifier.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 Karaoke device 10 Input device 10a Quick press detection key 11 External storage device 12 CPU 13 ROM 14 RAM 15a, 15b, ..., 15i Microphone 16 Amplifier 17 A / D converter 18 Audio reproduction device 19 Display information generation device 20 Video Playback device 21 synthesis circuit 22 CRT

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A karaoke apparatus for playing a tune based on performance information, displaying an image on a display device based on the image information, and synthesizing voice signals from a plurality of microphones with the performance tune and outputting the karaoke. Mode switching means for switching an operation mode of the apparatus to a second mode different from a performance mode for performing music, and when the karaoke apparatus is operating in the second mode, each of the plurality of microphones is State detecting means for detecting a voice input state; and determining means for determining whether at least one voice input state of the plurality of microphones has reached a predetermined state based on a detection result of the state detecting means. A karaoke apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. The karaoke apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined state is a state in which a voice is input. 3. The karaoke apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines only the earliest one of the plurality of microphones whose voice input state has reached the predetermined state. 4. When the karaoke apparatus is operating in the second mode, when the earliest detection of the input state being the predetermined state is detected, the earliest input state is detected. 4. The karaoke apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: a voice output control unit that acquires and outputs only a voice signal from the microphone in the predetermined state and invalidates a signal from another microphone. . 5. When the karaoke apparatus is operating in the second mode, the display is configured to display information on the microphone whose input state is the predetermined state at the earliest time on the display device. 5. A display control means for controlling the means.
A karaoke apparatus according to claim 1. 6. The karaoke apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising display control means for controlling said display means to display information on a result of the judgment by said judgment means on said display device. 7. The switching of the operation mode from the performance mode to the second mode by the switching device is allowed only when there is no music to be played in the performance mode. Item 4. A karaoke apparatus according to item 1.