JPH09198066A - Reproducing device and communication device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable many persons to enjoy KARAOKE in a KARAOKE box. SOLUTION: Video information reproduced by a disk changer 13 and video information on an image photographed by a camera 15 are put together and switched by a controller 12 and outputted to a TV monitor 16, and audio information from the said disk changer 13 is outputted to speakers 171 and 172 under the control of the controller 12. Further, a modem 14 sends the video information and audio information from the controller 12 to other reproducing devices and video information and audio information from other reproducing devices are received.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a reproducing apparatus for reproducing video information and audio information, and a communication apparatus for transmitting and receiving video information and audio information using the reproducing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, so-called karaoke, which sings along with output music, is widespread. In this karaoke, a karaoke device, which is a microphone mixing system that mixes performance music and singing voice input from a microphone and outputs the mixed singing voice, is used. In order to output performance music with this karaoke device, for example, performance information recorded on a disc-shaped recording medium such as a so-called video disc in which video data is recorded together with audio data on a so-called laser disc or compact disc (CD) is reproduced. Method, or so-called MIDI (musical instrument digital interfac), which is performance information received by the communication system.
e) Stores data and MIDI according to the selected song
There are so-called communication-type karaoke, which is a method of reproducing data.

In the past, the middle-aged and seniors were the main users of this karaoke. But now,
With the widespread use of so-called karaoke boxes, which allow karaoke to be used in small groups, karaoke has become widespread in a wide range of age groups.

[0004]

By the way, due to the usage pattern of karaoke boxes centered on young people, it is desired to provide various entertainments that can be enjoyed together by a large number of friends using the karaoke box. ing.

In addition, when trying to use a karaoke box for a party with a large number of people, there are cases where not all of them can fit in one room, or there are cases where several people are away from each other for the sake of convenience. Sometimes you can't enjoy it.

In view of the above situation, the present invention provides a reproducing apparatus for use in a karaoke box, which allows a large number of people to enjoy together, and a communication apparatus using the reproducing apparatus.

[0007]

A reproducing apparatus according to the present invention synthesizes reproduced video information and video information of a picked-up image, or outputs by switching, and outputs reproduced audio information. The above video information and audio information are transmitted to another playback device, or video information and audio information from another playback device are received.

Further, the communication device according to the present invention synthesizes the reproduced video information and the video information of the captured image,
Alternatively, the line for switching and outputting and outputting the reproduced audio information and transmitting the video information and the audio information to another reproducing apparatus or receiving the video information and the audio information from the other reproducing apparatus. A plurality of reproducing apparatuses connected to each other and a control apparatus for controlling transmission and reception of video information and audio information between the plurality of reproducing apparatuses are provided.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic structure of an embodiment of a communication device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a schematic structure of a karaoke system 3 which is one reproducing device. still,
In FIG. 2, the control signal is shown by a dotted line, and the audio signal and the video signal are shown by a solid line.

This communication device is a karaoke system 3 ₁ , 3 ₂ , ... Which is a plurality of reproducing devices connected to each other by a line.
· 3 _n and the karaoke system 3 ₁ , 3 ₂ , ...
A host machine 1 which is a control device for controlling transmission and reception of video information and audio information between 3 _n, and the karaoke system 3 ₁ , 3 ₂ , ..., 3 _n reproduces video information and audio information. A disc changer 13 which is an information reproducing unit, a camera 15 which is an image pickup unit which captures an image, and the video information from the disc changer 13 and the video information from the camera 15 are combined or switched and output. , The above disc changer 1
3, a controller 12 which is a control means for controlling to output the audio information from
TV monitor 16 which is a video output means for outputting the video information from the speaker, and speakers 17 ₁ , 17 ₂ which are audio output means for outputting the audio information from the controller 12.
And a modem 14 which is a communication means for transmitting the video information and the audio information from the controller 12 to another reproducing apparatus and receiving the video information and the audio information from the other reproducing apparatus.

The host machine 1 inputs and confirms the presence / absence of a communication request, and controls the connection between reproduction devices.

The karaoke system 3 ₁ , 3 ₂ , ...
3 _n includes a personal information card 18 that is a storage unit that stores user identification information for identifying a user, and the controller 12 selectively selects the user identification information or the video information from the personal information card 18. Above TV
The display is controlled to be displayed on the monitor 16.

In this communication device, a host machine 1 and a plurality of karaoke systems 3 ₁ , 3 ₂ , ..., 3 _n are mutually connected by a network line, specifically, a telephone line 2. Under the control of the host machine 1, the plurality of karaoke systems 3 ₁ , 3 ₂ , ..., 3 _n can mutually transmit and receive video information and audio information.

The karaoke system 3 is a system for one room in a karaoke box.

In the karaoke system 3, the user confirms the song numbers of a desired song with a controller after confirming the song numbers of a plurality of songs and a so-called table of contents displaying the song numbers corresponding to these songs. By operating the operation buttons provided in 12 or the operation buttons provided in a so-called remote controller 19 which is a remote controller, the song number of a desired song is designated. This allows
For example, in the disc changer 13 containing a plurality of video CDs, the video CD on which the desired music is recorded is selected, and the audio data and video data of the desired music are reproduced.

The reproduced audio data and video data are processed by the controller 12 to obtain audio signals and video signals. The audio data reproduced from the video CD is voice-multiplexed. For example, so-called music, which is playing music, is composed of the left channel (Lch), and so-called singer's vocal, which is singing voice, is composed of the right channel (Rch). ing.
The user's singing voice input from the microphone 20 is sent to the amplifier 11. In the amplifier 11, the singing voice and the audio signal from the controller 12 are mixed. The mixed signal is used as a performance music and a singing voice through the amplifier 11 and the speaker 17 ₁
And speaker 17 ₂ respectively.

Further, the camera 15 is installed so as to be able to photograph the inside of the karaoke box provided with this karaoke system, and the image photographed by this camera 15 is sent to the controller 12. The controller 12 generates an image using the captured video. This image is switched or combined with the image based on the obtained video signal. The video data thus obtained is output as a television signal to a television monitor, a so-called TV monitor 16, and an image is displayed.

The track format of the video CD is shown in FIG.

In the video CD, as shown in FIG. 3A, a lead-in area LI is provided on the innermost circumference side, and TOC (Table of Contents) data as table of contents information is recorded therein. As the TOC data, the start position of each track, the number of tracks, the playing time, etc. are recorded.

Following the lead-in area LI, track data is recorded as tracks TR _{1 to} TR _n , and a lead-out area LO is provided on the outermost peripheral side.

However, the track TR ₁ is not used for recording actual video and audio data as the first track, but is used as a video CD data track.

Then, actual video and audio data are recorded on the tracks TR _{2 to} TR _n . That is, video sectors and audio sectors are recorded on the tracks TR _{2 to} TR _n in a time division manner. Although the sector structure is not shown, the video sector and the audio sector are arranged at an average ratio of about 6: 1. In the video sector, video data called I picture, P picture, and B picture compressed and encoded by a so-called MPEG method, which is a high-efficiency compression encoding method of video data, and in the audio sector, the MPEG method is used. The audio data encoded by is recorded.

The maximum number of tracks on a video CD is 9
Up to 9 is possible. Therefore, in the case of a video CD, a maximum of 98 sequences can be recorded. This sequence is one continuous break of the video,
For example, if images such as karaoke were recorded,
One song, that is, one track is one sequence.

For a video CD data track using the track TR ₁ , as shown in FIG. 3B, there are basic volume descriptors so-called PVD, karaoke basic information area IA, video CD information area VA, segment play item area SA, CD-.
I Other files such as application programs F
I is prepared.

In the so-called karaoke video CD, the karaoke basic information area IA
In this, various kinds of information, for example, information about each music piece recorded after the track TR ₂ can be recorded.

As data for each music, in the karaoke basic information area IA,
As shown in FIG. 3C, the sequence item table SI
Recorded as T _{1 to} SIT _n . That is, one sequence item table SIT is provided for each music piece. The value of n corresponds to the number of recorded songs.

FIG. 4 shows the sequence item table SI.
This shows the format of T, and indispensable or arbitrary information is recorded corresponding to 64 item numbers.

In particular, the area corresponding to the music is item number 8 to 64, and various information such as music title, performer name, lyricist name, composer name, etc. are recorded. Item number 22-
Reference numeral 31 is an area that can be arbitrarily used by the disc maker.

A personal information card 18 is mounted in a so-called card slot provided in the controller 12 of FIG. The personal information card 18 is owned by each user and is a card-shaped storage medium having an IC memory or the like inside. The personal information card 18 stores information about a user's identification number, a so-called ID number, and karaoke registered as a member of the host machine 1.

Table 1 shows the contents stored in the personal information card 18.

[0032]

[Table 1]

In this way, the item P of the personal information card 18
P-MP0 is the ID number of the user who owns the personal information card 18, item PP-MP1 is the user's name / date of birth / sex, and item PP-MP2 is the balance of the usage fee after the user has used the karaoke box. , Item PP-MP3 is image data of a user's face photo, item PP-MP4 is voice data for user's self-introduction, item PP-MPK0 is a range in which the user can sing, item PP-MPK1 is user's favorite The genre of music, the song of the song that the user sang in the past in the item PP-MPK2, and the scoring result thereof, the item PP
In MPK3, the song numbers and the scores of the songs having the highest score / lowest score among the songs sung by the user in the past are stored.

Further, in the item PP-MPKS0, the contents of the variables PP-M1 to PP-M5 for the user's favorite music are stored, for example, for 16 music.

This personal information is used together with the music-related information recorded in the sequence item table SIT in the video CD. Further, each variable PP-M1 to PP-M5 of the favorite song of the item PP-MPKS0 can be referred to from the sequence item table SIT in the video CD based on the song number of the favorite song, so that the individual The information card 18 may store only song numbers of favorite songs.

Although the number of tunes that I am good at is 16, it is not limited to these numbers.

Next, the specific configuration of the karaoke system, which is a reproducing apparatus, is shown in FIG. 5, and the reproduction of the audio data and the video data read from the video CD will be described. In FIG. 5, control signals are indicated by dotted lines, and audio signals and video signals are indicated by solid lines.

For example, when a desired music piece is designated from the remote controller 19, the wireless control signal from the remote controller 19 is
The signal is received by the antenna 31 of the disc changer 13.
Then, under the control of the control unit 37, the video CD on which the desired music is recorded is moved by the disc carrier 36, and the data of the desired music is read. The signal read from the video CD including the audio data and the video data is subjected to EFM demodulation and error correction processing by the EFM decoder 33 via the RF amplifier 32. The control information, audio data, and video data obtained by this are sent to the CD-ROM decoder 34. Here, the control information is specifically sub-code information, which corresponds to the progress time information of a music piece, that is, information corresponding to an address within one music piece (one track) and expressed in minutes / seconds / frames. Is.

The CD-ROM decoder 34 performs a CD-ROM decoding process on the audio data and the video data. The audio data and the video data thus reproduced are supplied to the controller 12 via the interface (I / F) circuit 35.

The audio data, the video data, and the control information supplied to the controller 12 are passed through an interface (I / F) circuit 28, an audio decoder 26, a video decoder 25, and a system decoder 23.
Sent to each.

The interface (I / F) circuits 35 and 28 are, for example, SCSI (small computer).
systems interface) is used.

A modem 14 is connected to the controller 12. The modem 14 controls transmission / reception of audio data and video data between the karaoke system 3 and another karaoke system, and controls transmission / reception of signals with the host machine 1.

The audio data, the video data, and the control information from the other karaoke system received by the modem 14 are sent to the audio decoder 26, the video decoder 25, and the system decoder 23 under the control of the control unit 21, respectively. .

Then, the control information obtained by the decoding processing by the system decoder 23 is sent to the control unit 21.
Under the control of the control unit 21, the audio decoder 26 and the video decoder 25 respectively perform decoding processing of audio data or video data compression-encoded by the MPEG method. The video data obtained by the video decoder 25 is the window manager 2
7

Computer graphics, so-called C.I. G. FIG. The generation unit 24 uses the image data received by the modem 14 to generate a person image by computer graphics, a so-called character image or the like. This image data is sent to the window manager 27.

Further, the camera unit 51, which is the optical system of the camera 15, is controlled by the image pickup control section 52, for example, pan, tilt, zoom, etc., and the image in the karaoke box is photographed. The data of the captured image is supplied to the video generation unit 22. In the video generation unit 22, an image is generated by the supplied video data, and this video data is sent to the window manager 27.

In the window manager 27, the video generator 22, C.I. G. FIG. Each video data from the generation unit 24 and the video decoder 25 is combined and / or switched. The video data controlled and output by the window manager 27 is output from the output terminal 77 to the TV monitor 16 of FIG. 1 as an NTSC composite video signal, for example.

On the other hand, the audio decoder 26 obtains digital reproduced voice data. This digital reproduced voice data is supplied to the key control circuit 61 of the amplifier 11. In the key control circuit 61, if necessary, for example, key conversion processing is performed on music and vocals to adjust the pitch, so that the user can easily sing. The digital reproduction sound data whose pitch has been adjusted is sent to the effect section 62. In the effect section 62, acoustic processing such as reverb is applied to the digital reproduction audio data. The acoustically processed digital reproduction audio data is supplied to the mixer 63.

On the other hand, the microphone 20 is connected to the input terminals 71 and 72, and the singing voice of the user is input from the input terminals 71 and 72 and mixed by the mixer 64 via the amplifiers 73 and 74. After that, it is converted into digital voice data by an A / D (analog / digital) converter 65. This digital audio data is sent to the effect section 66 and the scoring section 69.

In the scoring unit 69, the user's singing is scored. Further, in the effect section 66, acoustic processing such as echo is performed on the singing voice of the user. The digital audio data that has undergone the acoustic processing is output to the mixer 63.
Is supplied to. In the mixer 63, the digital reproduction audio data from the effect section 62 and the digital audio data from the effect section 66 are mixed.
Digital audio data obtained by this mixing process is converted to analog audio data by a D / A (digital / analog) converter 67, and then output from an output terminal 76 via an amplifier 75. This output terminal 76 has
Speakers 17 ₁ and 17 _{2 of} FIG. 1 are connected, and analog voice data from the output terminal 76 is output from the speakers 17 ₁ and 17 ₂ as playing music and singing voice.

Next, as specific examples using the above-mentioned communication device, each service of member information search and competitive karaoke will be described.

First, the member information search service will be described with reference to FIG.

When the user mounts his or her own personal information card 18 on the controller 12 of the karaoke system 3 ₁ of the karaoke box, for example, the membership number stored in the personal information card 18 is read out. The read member number is sent to the host machine 1 via the telephone line 2 under the control of the modem 14. The host machine 1 collates the stored membership list number with the sent membership number. If the sent member number matches the member list number and it is recognized that the member is a member, a message indicating the recognition is output by video and audio. As this message, for example,
In the video, a display such as "Mr. XXX! Welcome" is displayed on the TV monitor 16, and in the audio, the speaker 17 is displayed.
_A sound effect or the like that produces a staging effect is output from ₁ , 17 ₂ .

After that, the user operates the operation buttons provided on the remote controller 19 or the controller 12 to select an item such as "member information search" displayed on the TV monitor 16. As a result, as shown in FIG.
An image 81 of the member information search condition is displayed on the screen 80 of the monitor 16. The user operates the operation buttons and the like provided on the remote controller 19 and the controller 12 to specify the items of the search condition. The information of the designated search condition is sent to the host machine 1 via the telephone line 2 under the control of the modem 14. On the host machine 1, the member numbers that match the sent search conditions are listed.
From the host machine 1, the face photo data of the member, personal information such as name and age, and information such as whether or not this member uses another karaoke system based on the listed member number. It is transferred to the karaoke system 3 ₁ .

The transferred member information is sent to the controller 12 via the modem 14, and the controller 12 controls the TV monitor 16 to display, for example, the image 8 in FIG.
As shown in 2, information about the corresponding member is displayed. 1
As information of a member of a person, for example, as shown in FIG.
A member number 83, an image 84 of a facial photograph, and a profile 85, which is a self-introduction sentence, are displayed, and a self-introduction voice instruction unit 86, this member attaches the personal information card 18 to the controller 12 in another karaoke system. A check-in instructing section 87 indicating whether or not the karaoke system is being used, that is, checking in to another karaoke system, and a joint instructing section 88 for exchanging data are displayed.

When the information of the corresponding member cannot be displayed on one screen, for example, the display position designating section 89 indicating the position of the member information currently displayed in the obtained member information is set to the remote controller. 19 and controller 1
By operating the operation buttons or the like provided in 2 to move up and down, the member information is displayed in a so-called scroll-up or scroll-down manner.

By instructing the self-introduction voice instructing section 86, the voice data of the self-introduction of the member by this member is reproduced by the controller 12, and the speakers 17 ₁ , 1
It is output from 7 ₂ .

The user looks at the member information list displayed on the screen 82, and if there is a member who wants to exchange data, a so-called check box, which is the joint instruction section 88 of the member, is clicked on the remote controller 19 or the controller 12. An operation button or the like provided on the is operated to give an instruction, that is, a mark.

Here, when the check-in instruction section 87 of the member of the other party is marked, that is, when the member of the other party is checking in to another karaoke system, it is a request signal for exchanging data. A so-called “joint request” is transmitted via the modem 14. This "joint request" is received by the host machine 1 via the telephone line 2, and is transmitted to the karaoke system of the other party member under the control of the host machine 1.

The other member has a "joint request"
If you received the, and karaoke system 3 ₁ you are checking-in user, other karaoke system that the other party members are check-in, that is karaoke system 3 ₂ ~
Control data, video data, and audio data are bidirectionally transmitted / received to / from any of the 3 _n karaoke systems. The control data is a viewpoint moving command in the room, the video data is moving image data obtained by photographing the room inside the karaoke box, and the audio data is audio data input to the microphone 20. In this way, the user operates the operation buttons or the like provided on the remote controller 19 or the controller 12 to transmit the control data, so that the orientation of the camera in the room of the other karaoke system checked in by the member of the other party. Can be operated to obtain the image of the room and the voice of the other member from the desired viewpoint.

Also, the check-in instructing section 8 of the other member
When 7 is not marked, that is, when the partner member is not checking in to another karaoke system, the host machine 1 stores and holds the received "joint request", and the partner member joins the karaoke system. When it is determined that the user has checked in, the “joint request” held by the member of the other party is transmitted as a message to the karaoke system checked in.

When the user of the other party checks in to another karaoke system while the user is using the "member information search", the user of the user receives the "joint request" at the time when the other member receives the "joint request". Video data and audio data are bidirectionally transmitted and received between the karaoke system 3 ₁ that is checking in and another karaoke system that the other member is checking in.

Data having a relatively small amount of information such as name and age among the personal information of the members is held in the host machine 1. However, image data of a face photograph, voice data for self-introduction, etc. Data with a large amount of information is a write-only recording medium that uses a CD, about once a month, on a regular basis.
It is recorded on a disc-shaped recording medium such as a D-ROM. This CD-ROM is a karaoke system 3 ₁ , 3 ₂ , ...
3 _n respectively and housed in the disc changer 13.

Next, the competitive karaoke service will be described with reference to FIGS. 7, 8 and 9.

In this battle-type karaoke, after performing the above-described member information search, users who use the karaoke box provided with each connected karaoke system perform karaoke and compete for the score result. is there.

First, as shown in FIG. 7, an item such as "competition type karaoke" displayed on the TV monitor 16 is selected by operating the operation buttons or the like provided on the remote controller 19 or the controller 12. Further, on the screen 80 of the TV monitor 16, an image 91 of the room inside the karaoke box in which one user is checking in the karaoke system and the karaoke system in which the other user is checking in are provided. An image 92 of the inside of the box is displayed.

Also, on the screen 80, the moderator 93, who is the facilitator, is displayed on the screen. G. FIG. In the progress of this moderator 93,
Sing alternately in two karaoke boxes. At this time, as shown in FIG. 8, the song number and the song of the song selected by one user are displayed as an image 94, and the song number and the song of the song selected by the other user are displayed in the image 95.
Will be displayed as Furthermore, for example, when one user is singing, the lyrics of the song being sung are:
It is displayed on the image 91 by a so-called superimpose. Then, after the song is finished, the scored result is transmitted to the karaoke system of the other user. Similarly,
Even when the other user sings, the score result is transmitted to the karaoke system of one user.

In the karaoke system of each karaoke box, the value obtained by sequentially accumulating the scoring results of each karaoke box is displayed together with the images 91 and 92 as the progress of the competition.

After that, when all the singing in the two karaoke boxes is completed, the karaoke system of each karaoke box determines the win or loss of the two karaoke boxes by using the value obtained by totalizing the scoring results. The TV monitor 16 displays an image corresponding to the win or loss. For example, when one user wins, as shown in FIG. 9, on the screen 80, a victory message is displayed corresponding to the image 91 of one user, and defeated corresponding to the image 92 of the other user. Is displayed.

[0070]

As is apparent from the above description, the reproducing apparatus according to the present invention synthesizes reproduced video information and video information of a picked-up image, or outputs them by switching them.
Outputs the reproduced audio information and transmits the video information and the audio information to another reproduction device, or
By receiving the video information and the audio information from another playback device, the video information and the audio information can be bidirectionally transmitted and received between the playback devices installed in different places.

Further, the communication device according to the present invention synthesizes the reproduced video information and the video information based on the captured image,
Alternatively, the line for switching and outputting and outputting the reproduced audio information and transmitting the video information and the audio information to another reproducing apparatus or receiving the video information and the audio information from the other reproducing apparatus. By providing a plurality of reproducing devices connected to each other and a control device for controlling transmission / reception of video information and audio information between the plurality of reproducing devices, a television set is provided between a plurality of karaoke boxes respectively provided with the reproducing devices. Since information such as video and audio in the room can be exchanged like multi-way broadcasting, it is possible for a large number of people to enjoy karaoke together.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment of a communication device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment of a reproducing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic format of a track of a video CD.

FIG. 4 is a schematic format of a sequence item table.

FIG. 5 is a specific configuration diagram of a playback device.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a member information search service.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the start time of a competitive karaoke service.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the execution of karaoke of the competitive karaoke service.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the end of the competitive karaoke service.

[Explanation of symbols] 1 host machine 2 telephone line 3 ₁ ... 3 _n karaoke system 11 amplifier 12 controller 13 disc changer 14 modem 15 camera 16 TV monitor 17 ₁ , 17 ₂ speaker 18 personal information card 19 remote control

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Hideki Nakano 6-735 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Sony Corporation

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. Information reproducing means for reproducing video information and audio information, image pickup means for photographing an image, video information from the information reproducing means and video information from the image pickup means are combined or switched. Control means for outputting and controlling audio information from the information reproducing means, video output means for outputting video information from the controlling means, and audio information from the information reproducing means The audio output means and the communication means for transmitting the video information and the audio information from the control means to another reproducing apparatus and for receiving the video information and the audio information from the other reproducing apparatus are provided. Playback device. 2. A plurality of reproduction devices connected to each other by a line, and a control device for controlling transmission and reception of video information and audio information between the plurality of reproduction devices, wherein the reproduction device comprises video information and audio. Information reproducing means for reproducing information, image capturing means for photographing an image, video information from the information reproducing means and video information from the image capturing means are combined or switched to output, and the information reproducing means is also used. Control means for controlling to output the audio information from the control means, video output means for outputting the video information from the control means, audio output means for outputting the audio information from the information reproducing means, and the control means. Of transmitting the video information and audio information of the other to another reproducing apparatus, and receiving the video information and the audio information from the other reproducing apparatus. Communication apparatus characterized by having a stage. 3. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the control device performs input and confirmation of presence / absence of a communication request and connection control between the reproduction devices. 4. The reproducing device comprises a storage means for storing user identification information for identifying a user, and the control means selectively selects the user identification information or the video information from the storage means as the video image. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the communication device is controlled so as to be displayed on the output means.