JP4357377B2 - Karaoke equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a karaoke apparatus having a key control function, and more specifically to a karaoke apparatus in which performance key settings of karaoke accompaniment music can be changed stepwise by an up / down operation on a remote controller or main unit.

  As is well known, a general karaoke apparatus has a key control function and can variably set performance keys (pitch) of karaoke accompaniment music within a certain range. The performance key is set to a standard state (default) for each music piece, but can be changed step by step by a semitone by the user performing an up / down operation with the remote controller or the operation unit of the main unit. In order to allow the user to easily perform this change operation in an easy-to-understand manner, in this type of karaoke apparatus, the up / down operation is performed according to the direction using two operation keys, UP (UP) and DOWN (DOWN). A user interface is provided which displays the state of the set performance keys in correspondence with the visual position. Specifically, a number (for example, 11) of LEDs corresponding to the number of semitone steps from the upper limit to the lower limit of the performance keys are arranged in the vertical direction, and the LED located at the center of the arrangement is a standard for each musical piece. Corresponds to the key setting status (default). In general, an LED at a position corresponding to the height of the performance key set by the up / down key is selectively lit.

  In the apparatus described above, the down key is operated to lower the performance key. The performance key is lowered by a semitone by the operation of the down key, and the LED corresponding to the lowered performance key is lit accordingly. When the performance key reaches the lower limit and goes to the place where the lowest LED is lit, the down is a dead end that does not go down even if the down key is operated. Conversely, to raise the performance key, the up key is operated. In this case, the performance key is raised by a semitone by the operation of the up key, and the LED corresponding to the raised performance key is lit. When the performance key reaches the upper limit and the LED at the uppermost position is lit, the upper end is a dead end that does not rise even if the up key is operated. Therefore, the user can set the desired state by moving the performance key up and down within a predetermined range by operating the up and down keys separately, and the setting state is indicated by an LED. Can be confirmed.

  In the above-described apparatus, for example, it is assumed that a male user notices that a key does not match and tries to sing a song with a female performance key as a standard, and performs an operation of lowering the key. This key down operation is performed by using the down key described above. If the key does not match even if the performance key is lowered to the lower limit, the user sings without matching. But sometimes I quit without singing.

  Actually, when a man sings a song for women, it is convenient to raise the performance key several times, and if it sings one octave below with that key, it fits. However, because of the preconception that women's keys are high, there are not a few male customers who start the lowering operation, and they get stuck as described above. A knowledgeable user can then move back and up to reach the target key, but once the key has been lowered to the lower limit, return it to the standard position and move further up from there. The operation of taking it to the position is cumbersome and inefficient.

  In order to improve the complexity of the above-described operation, there are some which provide more than the necessary number of semitone step variables to the variable range of performance keys, that is, the upper limit or the lower limit. For example, the upper limit is expanded to “+7” and the lower limit is expanded to “−7” with respect to the standard “0”. In this way, even if the performance key is raised and lowered, the standard range user may be able to manage by the extended lower limit or upper limit. However, in this case as well, there is no change in the existence of the upper and lower limits, and the complexity and inefficiency when performing key alignment by re-raising the keys once lowered to the lower limit are not improved. Excessive deterioration due to expansion of the lower and upper limits.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and its purpose is that the user gets stuck in the operation even when the user goes down with the performance key raised or vice versa. An object of the present invention is to provide a karaoke apparatus that can easily and efficiently reach an appropriate performance key state.

The karaoke apparatus having a key control function includes 12 display elements arranged in a circle like a clock face indicating 0 o'clock to 11 o'clock, and has a standard key control setting. In the case of the performance key, the display element at the 0 o'clock position is set to a specific display form different from the other 11 display elements, and the display element to be set to the specific display form in response to the key control up operation input is set to 1 in the clockwise direction. And a display control means for moving one display element having a specific display form counterclockwise in response to a key operation down operation input.

Preferably, in the present invention, “+1” is added to the display element at the 1 o'clock position, “+2” is added to the display element at the 2 o'clock position, and “+3” is added to the display element at the 3 o'clock position. "+4" is added to the display element at 4 o'clock, "+5" is added to the display element at 5 o'clock, "± 6" is added to the display element at 6 o'clock, and 7 o'clock "-5" is added to the display element at the position of "8", "-4" is added to the display element at the position of 8 o'clock, and "-3" is added to the display element at the position of 9 o'clock. It is assumed that “−2” is added to the display element and “−1” is added to the display element at the 11 o'clock position. More preferably, it is configured such that “standard” is added to the display element at the 0 o'clock position.

  According to the karaoke apparatus according to the present invention, even when the user should have raised the performance key and lowered, or vice versa, the operation key can be easily and efficiently obtained without being stuck. You can get there well. Thus, it is not necessary to prepare a large variable range of performance keys, that is, a variable number of semitone steps, and it is sufficient to prepare 6 steps (+ 6 / −6) above and below the standard setting “0”. Accordingly, it is sufficient to display the setting state of the performance key if there are display elements for 12 to 13 digits.

  FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing the main part of a karaoke apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the karaoke apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 3 shows an example of the configuration of the part for instructing and displaying the performance key setting state.

=== Configuration of Karaoke Device ===
As shown in FIG. 2, the main unit of the karaoke apparatus includes a main control unit 1 including a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and the like, and a karaoke execution unit 2 that operates under the control of the main control unit 1. The main control unit 1 includes a communication I / F (interface) 11, a remote control I / F 12 that receives a wireless operation signal using infrared rays, a main body operation unit 13, a main body display unit 14, and the like. A request from a customer is taken into the main control unit 1 via the remote control I / F 12, and the main control unit 1 controls the operation and state of the karaoke execution unit 2 based on the request and the like.

  The karaoke execution unit 2 includes a karaoke database 21, an audio processing unit 22, a video processing unit 23, and the like. The karaoke database 21 is configured by using a large-capacity storage device such as a CD-ROM or HDD, stores karaoke music data for tens of thousands of songs in a state that can be searched for by ID or genre, and includes lyrics data and music for each song. Stores effect video data that is displayed separately or according to the music content.

  The audio processing unit 22 includes a performance processing unit (synthesizer) 31, a mixing processing unit 32, and the like. The performance processing unit 31 has variable performance key settings, and performs performance processing on music data such as MIDI read from the karaoke database 21 with predetermined performance keys to generate karaoke accompaniment music. Reading of music data from the karaoke database 21 is performed based on a request issued by a remote control operation. The performance processing of the music data is performed with standard performance keys set in advance for each music, but when the user performs an up / down operation with a remote controller or the like, the performance keys changed by the operation are used. Done. The remote control and / or the main body operation unit 13 is provided with an up key for performing an operation for raising the performance key in a semitone step and a down key for performing the reverse operation.

  The mixing processing unit 32 mixes the karaoke accompaniment music generated by the performance processing unit 31 and the singing voice collected from the microphone 41 and outputs the mixed sound to the speaker 42 for sound reproduction. The video processing unit 23 causes the display 43 to display lyrics and effect videos according to the performance music.

=== Performance key setting operation ====
The performance keys for karaoke accompaniment music are set as defaults for each song, but a user interface is provided in the above-described karaoke apparatus so that the user can change the default settings with the remote controller or the up / down key of the main body operation unit 13. Has been. The main part of the user interface is realized by software under the control of the main control unit 1. For this reason, the main control unit 1 incorporates a program for executing control as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, when the up / down key of the remote controller or the main body operation unit 13 is operated by the user, it is determined which of the up and down keys is operated (S11, S21).
When the down key is operated (S11), it is determined whether or not the performance key has already reached the lower limit (−6) (S12). If the performance key has not yet reached the lower limit, the performance key is set from the current setting. Is also lowered by 1 (semitone) (S13). However, if the performance key has already reached the lower limit (−6), the performance key is reset to (+5) (S14).

  If the up key has been operated (S21), it is determined whether or not the performance key has already reached the upper limit (+6) (S22). If the upper key has not yet been reached, the performance key is set higher than the current setting. Increase by 1 (semitone) (S23). However, if the performance key has already reached the upper limit (+6), the performance key is reset to (-5) (S24).

  As is well known, a key that is +6 up and -6 down from the standard key is exactly one octave different. Accordingly, the present invention is configured as described above. For example, if a male user should have raised the performance key to sing a song for women, the performance key should be held one octave above, even if the operation is reversed. can go. Similarly, in the opposite case, the performance key can be waited one octave below where key alignment is possible.

=== Display of performance key setting ===
For example, three embodiments shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are suitable as display means for clearly indicating to the user the performance key setting state described above. The display element 51 shown in each of the embodiments (A), (B), and (C) is constituted by, for example, an LED, and selectively turns on the LED at a position corresponding to the set height of the performance key. Thus, the height of the performance key is visually displayed so that it can be recognized intuitively and easily.

  In the embodiment of FIG. 3A, the display element 51 corresponding to the (standard) performance key is arranged at the 0 o'clock position of the watch. From here, it is arranged in the order of (+1), (+2), (+3), (+4), (+5) in the clockwise direction, and (+6) and (-6) are the same display element at the 6 o'clock position. 51 (± 6) is placed. Subsequently, as shown in (-5), (-4), (-3), (-2), (-1), all 12-digit display elements are arranged in a circle. If the up operation is repeated here, for example, the lighting elements change in the order of (+4), (+5), (± 6), (−5), and (−4). On the other hand, when the down operation is repeated, the lighting elements change, for example, (−4), (−5), (± 6), (+5), and (+4). This makes it possible for the user to recognize the state of the circulation type setting described above intuitively and easily.

  Alternatively, the display elements 51 may be linearly arranged as shown in FIGS. In this case, the circular arrangement of (A) may be rearranged linearly as in (B), or (+6) and (−6) may be further separated as in (C). Good.

  The performance key instruction display unit 5 is suitably provided on the main body display unit 14, but may be provided on other portions.

  Further, instead of the instruction display unit 5 described above, a performance key setting state may be displayed using a display 43 that displays lyrics and effect images. In this case, a bar graph or the like representing the performance key setting state may be inserted and combined in the video processing unit 23.

It is a flowchart which shows the principal part of the karaoke apparatus by this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the whole structure of the karaoke apparatus by this invention. It is a layout figure which shows the structural example of the part which instruct | indicates and displays the setting state of a performance key.

Explanation of symbols

1 Main control unit 11 Communication I / F 12 Remote control I / F
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 Main body operation part 14 Main body display part 2 Karaoke execution part 21 Karaoke database 22 Audio processing part 23 Image | video processing part 31 Performance processing part (synthesizer) 32 Mixing processing part 41 Microphone 42 Speaker 43 Display 5 Performance key instruction display part 51 Display element (LED etc.)

Claims (3)

A karaoke apparatus having a key control function includes 12 display elements arranged in a circle like a clock face indicating 0 o'clock to 11 o'clock, and the key control setting is a standard performance key. In this case, the display element at the 0 o'clock position is set to a specific display form different from the other 11 display elements, and the display element to be the specific display form is moved one clockwise in response to an up operation input of the key control, A karaoke apparatus comprising display control means for moving one display element having a specific display form in a counterclockwise direction in response to a key operation down operation input. In claim 1, "+1" is added to the display element at the 1 o'clock position, "+2" is added to the display element at the 2 o'clock position, and "+3" is added to the display element at the 3 o'clock position. “+4” is added to the display element at 4 o'clock, “+5” is added to the display element at 5 o'clock, “± 6” is added to the display element at 6 o'clock, and the position at 7 o’clock "-5" is added to the display element, "-4" is added to the display element at the 8 o'clock position, "-3" is added to the display element at the 9 o'clock position, and the display at the 10 o'clock position is displayed A karaoke apparatus characterized in that "-2" is added to the element and "-1" is added to the display element at the 11 o'clock position. 3. The karaoke apparatus according to claim 2, wherein “standard” is added to the display element at the 0 o'clock position.

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