GB2271461A - Information reproducing system - Google Patents

Abstract

A reproducing system such as a karaoke system uses two reproducing units, e.g. a compact disc player (3) storing music tracks, and a laser disc player (14) storing background images. A user chooses a song via a commander (21). A system controller (22) instructs the CD player (3) to output the desired music track and any image data, such as words, to the speaker (12) and display (20) respectively. The system controller (22) also instructs the LD player (14) to output a background moving image to display (20). The controller (22) receives information from the CD player (3) as to the type of music chosen, and selects a moving image from the LD suitable for the music, based on correlation information in a memory (23). <IMAGE>

Description

INFORMATION REPRODUC1NG SYSTEIN The invention relates to an information reproducing system using optical discs and, more particularly, but not exclusively, to a Karaoke system for reproducing Karaoke background music and displaying both words and a background image by using both a compact disc such as CD-G (Graphics), CD- I (IntexaciLve), or the like, and a video disc such as an LD (laser Disc) or the like.

Hitherto, there has been known a Karaoke system for reproducing word information or still image information together with Karaoke background music information by using a CD-G in which graphics data has been arranged in a compact disc format.Such a CD-G Karaoke systems has an advantage in that the unit price of a music piece is low because only words are displayed on a display or the like However, the CD-G Karaoke system has a disadvantage in that the amount of flu ages is slightly insufficient In recent years, therefore, a :Saraoke system has been developed such that Karaoke background music is reproduced and words are displayed from a CD-G or CD-I, a proper background image (moving image) is reproduced from another video disc, and: both the background image and the words are synthesized by: a superimposer or the like and are displayed According to such a Karacke system, since the background image of a moving image is displayed, a system having a high visual performance effect is provided, while, executing the Karaoke playing operation by a compact disc of a cheap unit price of a musLc piece The Karaoke system'of the type using a video disc together with a compact: dlsc as me,n4oned above has a problem in that the atmosphere of the Karaake background music which is played is not always matched with the atmosphere of the background image which is reproduced' from the video disc, and it is possible that an extreme mismatch could occur according to circumstances For instance, it is possible that a case could occur where a background image of an active performance is displayed in the background of a relatively quiet music piece.: As a cause of the occurrence of such a situatiOn, in the above conventional Sa::raoke system of the type using both a compact disc and a video disc, it is possible to mention a point that the selecting, operation of a Karaoke music piece and 'the selecting operation of a background manage are individually executed.There is, consequently, an inconvenience such that in order to obtain a background image adapted to the Karaoke background music to be reproducedr the user himself must directly instruct the corresponding chapter number or frame number (field number) of the video disc or the like each time the Karaoke background music is played it zs, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an information reproducing system which can automatically select a background image adapted to a selected Saraoke background music, and which can prevent mismatch between the Karaoke background music and the background imaqe To solve the above problems, there is provided an information reproducing system camprfsings a first information reproducing apparatus which can select and reproduce any of a plurality of music information recorded on a first recording disc, a, second information reproducing apparatus which can select any of a plurality of image information recorded on a second recording disc and can reproduce the selected image information synchronously with the music information which is reproduced by the first information reproducing apparatus; a commander for giving a reproduction control signal of the. music information to be reoroduced by the first lniormation reproducing apparatus; a memory in which correlation information is stored for selecting image information suitable for the selected music information; and control means for controlling the system in a manner such that when the reproduction control signal of the music information is given from the commander, a command to select and reproduce'image information suitable for the music information to be reproduced is given to the second information reproducing apparatus in accordance with the correlation information.

According to the invention, when the command to select desired 'music information such as a Karaoke background music or the like is given to the coxm2nder.

'the commander generates the reprodnction control signal of the designated music information to the control means.

With reference to the correlation information stored in the memory, the control means reads out the address (chapter number1 frame number; field number, or the ,like on the video disc) of the image information adapted to the selected music information and sends the reproduction control signal of the Smage-;nformatlon to the second information reproducing apparatus such as an LD player or the like on the basis of the read address.In this instances the control means sends the reproduction control signal of the selected music information to the first information reproducing apparatus such as a CD player or the like The first information reproducing apparatus reproduces the desired music information given to the commander The second information reproducing apparatus, on the other hand, reproduces the image information adapted to.. the selected music information.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. I is a whole block diagram of a Xaraok,e system to which the invention is applied, pig. 2 is 2 detailed block diag- n of an LD player to which the invention is applied; and ig 3 is a ain flowchart of the image selecting operation according to the invention.

Fig, 1 shows a whole construction of a Karaoke system to which the invention is applied.

In Fig. 1, 2 CD changer 1 encloses a plurality of ibove-mentioned CD-I 2, and either one of the discs is selectively loaded into a CD'; player 3 by a driving system 24 in accordance with an exchanging command. The CD changer I is made operative by z control command from a system controller 22, which will be explained later The CD player 3 reproduces the recorded information from the CD-I 2 which has been selected from 'the CD changer 1.

Namely, for example, a loaded CD-I 4 is rotated by a spindle motor 5 at a predetermined rotational speed and the recorded information is optically read out from the disc by a pickup 6 and is converted into an electric signal by the pickup 6, from: which an RF signal is derived. The RF signal--is demodulated by a reproducing system 7. A servo system 9 executes controls such as rotational speed control of the spindle motor 5, focusing control of the pickup 6, tracking control, and the like A data processing section 10 is connected to an output terminal of the reproducing system 7, so that. an Output signal (a) from the latter system is supplied thereto The data processing section 10 is constructed by a computer.Am internal CPU of the data processing unit 10 decodes CO-RQM data in the CD-1 2 in accordance with a program stored in a memory and performs the extraction or the like of the data which is necessary for reproduction and produces and generates audio data (b) and video data, (e) The audio data (b) is sent to an amplifier 11. The video data (c) is sent to a superimpos'er 19.

.where the reproduction disc is a'CD-G, data which is necessary for reproduction is extracted and. processed similarly.

The amplifier 11 synthesizes the,audio data c frorn'a microphone 13 and the audio signal-b from the data processing section 10 and amplifies - it to a predetermined electric power level and supplies a synthesis signal d to a speaker 12: An LD player 14 is provided to compensate sGv (Background Image) information which is lacking in the CD-I 4, BGV information which was edited on the basis of a music genre or another classification has been recorded on an LD 15. Any one of the BGV is demodulated by a reproducing system 18 by the designation from an operator or an automatic selecting method, so that B data (g) is generated.

In a manner similar to the servo system 9, r a servo system 25 controls a spindle motor 16 and a pickup 17.

The servo systems 9 and 25 are controlled by the system controller 22.

The video data (e) from the data processing section 10 and the BGV data (g) from the reproducing system 18 are supplied to the superimposer IS The superimposer 19 superimposes the character Information On the BGV data (g) and produces a video signal (h) and sends it to display 20. The display 20 displays the given video signal (h) onto a screen.

The system controller 22 controls a whole system of the Karaoke system including the CD player 3 and LD player 14. Namely, the system controller 22 receives a command from a commander 21 and supplies various kinds of control signals to each of the necessary sections in accordance with the command A memory 23 is connected to the system controller 22.

It is preferable to use an Nv (Non-volatile) RAM or the like as memory 23, The memory 23 is provided, to store information recorded in a PILE TOC area in the CD-I 4. The information recorded in the FILE TOC area includes program data which is necessary for reproduction of the disc.

Fig, 2 shows a detailed,construction of the LD player 14. The LD player 14 can perform field reproduction and can provide double image information for a reproducing time although with a vertical resolution half of that in the case of the frame reproduction.

In Fig. 2, background images (BG7) corresponding to genres of rarious kinds bf music pieces have been recorded on the LD 15. The genres of various kinds of music pieces relate to, for example, rock songs, love songs, popular songs, and the like and their classifications have previously been standardied as necessary. Further, in accordance with a fineness of the matching with the Karaoke background music, for example, it is also possible to further finely classify the love songs into those for women and those for men, the popular songs into types suitable for a duet, or the like.It is a necessary point that the address (chapter number, field number, or the: like) of the image information~ln the LD 15 and the classification of its image have previously been clearly sorted It is not always necessary to preliminarily sort the recording states in the TD 15 for every classification The above LD 15 is rotated at a predetenained rotational speed by the spindle motor 16 which is controlled by the servo system 25.The image information in the LD 15 is optically read by the pickup 17 and its reproduction tt signal is sent to band pass filters 26 and 2S, respectively, Although the band pass filter 26, a demodul ating circuit 27, and an audio signal processing circuit 28 construct an audio reproducing system in the LD player 14, this construction is not 'directly concerned with the application of the invention.

The band pass filter 29 extracts the signal in a necessary band in the reproduction Rf signal which is received; and transmits the extracted signal to a demodulating circuit 30. The demodulating circuit 30 decodes the received Rr signal and generates å video signal.The video signal is converted into a digital signal by an A/D converter 31,. The digital signal is stored in a video memory 39 through a video memory controller 32- The video memory controller 32 performs. the field reproduction, and executes a switching operation so as to perform a field selection by a control signal from a controller 37 on an even-fleld unit basis Or an odd-field unit basis in accordance with a judgment signal from a field judging circuit 36.Video information (of one field) which was read out from the video memory 39 through the video memory controller 32 is again converted into an analog signal by a DIA converter 33. P sync signal is added to the analog signal by a mixing circuit 34 and, after that, the analog signal is generated as a composite signal V.

The controller 37 constitutes control ineans in the ID player 1,4. On the basis of signals frot the controller 22 which are output in accordance with th ereproduction control signal of a Karaoke music piece from, the commander 21, the controller 37 controls each section of the LD player it so as to operate synchronously with the CD player 3 and also controls a searching operation of a proper images which will be explained later. To the controller 37, various codes provided by a, code separating circuit 35 connected to the demodulating circuit 30 are supplied.

A decision regarding whether the operation of the LD player is set into an ordinal reproducing mode or a proper image automatic reproducing mode is made in dependence on. whether a sync signal in the image information (graphics data, words iffformation) in the CD I has been given through an input tenninal # or not- This sync signal is supplied to tenninal 41 via controller 22 which itself receives the signal from the data processing circuit 10. The reproducing modes can be switched in accordance with whether a signal line of the sync signal is connected to the input terminal at or not.In the case where the syne signal is supplied from the controller 22, the sync signal is detected by a sync detecting circuit 42. A selector 40 is switched to the input terminal 41 side The sync signal is supplied to the video memory controller 32.The image information is read out from the video memory 39 synchroncusly with the sync signal and supplied to the DA converter 33, When no sync signal' is c 6 at terminal 41, the selector 40 is swhitched to receive a sync signal from a sync signal getting circuit 43 A memory 38 is connected to the controller 37 and is constraxtcd bv, for example, ROM, RAM, or the like.The correlation information between the Karaoke background music pieces and the background images adapted thereto has been stored in the memory 38 in a rorm of a reference table. Since there is a case where such correlation information differs in dependence on the LD 15 that is used, the correlation information has previously been written into a lead-in area or lead-out area of the L,D 15 as data that is peculiar to the LD 15. WEen the Xaraoke system is made operative (installed), the correlation information is transferred from the tD 15 into the memory 38.

That is, each music piece recorded on the LD 15 is first classified into a plurality of groups by the patterns such as rock songs, love songs, popular songs, and the like. These groups are groups which have previously been specified, and the order of the classification is also predetermined by the disc manufacturer and the player manufacturer, thereby setting the pattern numbers.

Information indicative of the chapter No. corresponding to each of the music pieces included in each group has prer1ously been stored in the memory 38. For this purpose, for example, the group number (pattern No.) and the number of chapters included in the group have previously been recorded in the area such as a lead-in area or the like in the L3 15. The player reads out this information prior to playing the disc'. By preliminarily knowing the number of chapters included in each group, when an arbitrary group is designated, the chapter to be played can be specified.

For example, assuming that ('1) rock , 3 chapters (chapter Nos. 1 to 33 (2) love songs... 4 chapters (chapter Nos, 4 to 7) (3) popular songs. 3 chapters (chapter Nos. 8 to 10): When popular songs are designated, any one of the SGV in which the chapter regarding the popular song exists in chapter Nos. 8 to 10 is automatically selected.

Namely, since. rock has three chapters and love songs has four chapters, it will be understood that the classification of the song relates to the popular songs from the 8th chapter subsequent to those seven chapters In this case, since a plurality of chapters exist in the group, the following methods may be mnsidered for selecting which to play:Namely, according to the control program set in the controller 37, control operations can, he performed so that, (1) random numbers are generated and an arbitrary music piece is played, t2) the subsequent music piece is played so as not to repeat a music piece which has already been played at the preceding time, and the like In order to know the genre of the music piece chosen, e.g. rock, etc., this information is recorded on the CD, and when a music piece is chosen, the genre information for that zmisic piece is also retrieved and passed to the ID player via the system controller 22.The genre information' may be retrieved directly fran the disc or from the memory 23 to hich all the genre information on the disc may he downloaded.

The main operation regarding the invention will now be described with reference to ria. 3.

when the Karaoke system ss-made operative, various kinds of servo controls are first set under control of the controller 37 (step 100). The setting of various kinds of servo controls denotes the operations such as lock-in of a spindle servo, stop of a focusing servo, s,op of a tracking servo light-on of a laser diode, and the like The controller 37 subsequently allows the pickup to be moved into the lead-in area or lead-out area of the LD i5 and controls It so as to search necessary information (namely, the above-nientioned correlation information or the like) (step 1013.

Key data and control data in the lead-in area of the LD 15 are subsequently read out (step 102) - Namely, to distinguish from an ordinary frame reproducing disc, control data in a user's code in the lead-in area or lead-out area has been preset in the field reproducing disc 15 in a manner such that priOrity disc - 1" or presence of key data = 1". The contents of the patterns (love songs, popular songs, etc.) of the image information recorded in the LD 15 have been recorded as key-dee in the users code. By reading out the key data, accordingly, the recording contents of the image information in the LD 15 can be known.

The data read out in step 102 is subsequently written into the memory 38. By such a writing process, the foregoing reference table indicative of the correlation between the Karaoke background music and the background image is formed in the memory 38.

In step 14b, the sync signal from the controller 22 is detected by the sync signal detecting circuit 42 (Fig.

2). When the sync signal is detected (the signal line is connected to the input terminal 41), the proper image automatic xecroducing mode starting from step 106 is set.

When no sync Signal is detected, the ordinary reproducing mode starting from step 111 is set.

In step OS, when the sync signal is detected (YES in step 20t) the processing routine advances to step 105 In step 105, the controller 37 waits for the inprrt of the pattern No. indicate of the song type, e.g. love song, popular song or the like, which is passed from the CD player via the system controller 22 to the LD player. In step 106, the controller 37 reads out a chapter No.

corresponding to the received pattern No. from the reference table in the memory 38 and instructs the system controller 22 to select the field of the video signal of the adapted image information on the basis of the field judgment signal from the field judging circuit 36 (step 107j In step 108, a slidex control which is provided for the pickup 17 is executed by a routine process -for Searching (not shown), thereby moving the pickup 17 to the data area of a desired image.

In step 109, an image of the selected field is reproduced. Since the image, xn this instance, is reproduced in response to the. sync signal from the image information in the CD-I that is given from the controller 22, such an image reproduction is executed synchronously with the playing operation of the Karaoke music piece.

On the other hand, when no sync signal is detected in step 104, the processing routine advances to step 111 and the apparatus waits for the Input: of a chapter number. In this case, the reproduction control signal which is given from the commander 21 specifically indicates the chapter No, itself designated by using a ten-key interface of the commander 21. In the routine process for searching ill step 112, a desired chapter No. is searched.

The corresponding image is reproduced in step 113.

Although the received chapter No. has been searched in the embodiment, if the CPU has recognized that the chapter numbers had previously been classified into the genres such as love songs popular songs, and the like, it is also possible to discriiinate The genre from the received chapter No. and to search another chapter No. which belongs to such a genre.

According to the invention as mentioned above, by supply'ng a selection command of music information which ~ the operator wants to reproduce to the commander, the control means, selects the image information adapted to the dTslgnated music inrorniation with reference to the correlation lnformatlon in the memory, and both the designated music information and the image information adapted thereto are automatically reproduced. Therefore, upon selection of the music information, selection of the image information corresponding thereto is unnecessary. The adapted image is automatically selected, so that mismatch between the music, information and the image information can be prevented.

Claims (6)

Claims

1. An information reproducing system comprising a first information reproducing apparatus which can select and reproduce any one or a plurality of music inforrnation pieces recorded on a first recording disc; a second information reproducing apparatus which can select any one of a plurality of image information pieces recorded on a second recording disc and can reproduce said selected image information piece synchronously with the music information piece which is reproduced by said first information reproducing apparatus; a commander for giving a reproduction control signal of the music information to be reproduced by said first information reproducing apparatus;; a memory in which correlation information is stored for selecting image information suitable for the selected music information,.: and control means for suppLying, when the reproduction control signal of the music information from the commander is given, a command to said second information reproducing apparatus to select and reproduce image inrormation adapted to the music information to be reproduced, said image information being selected on the basis of said correlation inf6rmation stored in said memory,

2.An information reproducing system as claimed in claim I, wherein said correlation information includes group numbers of groups obtained by grouping said plurality of age information pieces according to information content, and chapter numbers of charters included in each of said groups.

3. An information reproducing system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said control means has a funcion of determinin an order of reproduction of a plurality of chapters correspond > g to a selected group whose chapter numbers are read-out from said memory

4.A karaoke system comprising first and second disc players for playing music and image discs respectively, an further comprising a controller for controlling the first player to play a music piece selected by a user, for receiving information from the first player as to the type of music chosen, for stOring information from the second player on the types of images stored on a disc therein, and for contro,lling the second player to play an image from the disc suitable for the type of music chosen, the controller selecting the image based on the music type chosen and the stored information

5. A karaoke system according to claim 4, wherein said first disc player is a compact disc player and said second disc player is a laser disc player.

6. An information reproducing system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.