Vocal display device

• US 5,208,413 A
• Filed: 12/05/1991
• Issued: 05/04/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Tsumura, Mihoji, Taniguchi, Shinnosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Helen
• Application Number:
  US07/803,155
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 84/601, 84/602, 84/615, 84/647, 84/653, 84/454, 84/609, 84/610, 84/625, 84/634, 84/477 R, 84/463
• US Class Current: 434/307.00A
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/361 Recording/reproducing of accompaniment for use with an external source, e.g. karaoke systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/091 for performance evaluation, i.e. judging, grading or scoring the musical qualities or faithfulness of a performance, e.g. with respect to pitch, tempo or other timings of a reference performance
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/011 Lyrics displays, e.g. for karaoke applications

Abstract

Conventional karaoke devices simply show lyrics on screen. This invention displays not only lyrics but also data useful for the enhancement of the singer'"'"'s presentation such as the strength of the vocals and the pitch. More precisely, vocal data, which indicates the special requisites of a specific vocal rendition such as its strength and pitch, and the current lyric position indicator, which marks the current position in the lyrics, are correlated with the music data to which they correspond and then stored in memory. The said vocal data and current lyric position data are then read out of memory and each block of vocal data is displayed on the screen of a visual display medium a little in advance of the music to which it corresponds while the current lyric position within said block of vocal data is indicated in time with the music. Moreover, the strength and basic frequency of an actual vocal rendition can be detected and compared with the stored vocal data.

Claims

1. A vocal display device for providing displays on a visual display medium of vocal data representing characteristics of vocals and a current lyric position indicator representing a current position in lyrics associated with music data representing music, the vocal display device comprising:

(a) memory means for storing the music data and the vocal data and the current lyric position indicator associated with the music data;

(b) vocal data reading means connected to the memory means for reading the vocal data;

(c) lyric position indicator reading means connected to the memory means for reading the current lyric position indicator;

(d) detection means for detecting characteristics of actual vocals; and

(e) image control means responsive to the vocal data reading means, the lyric position indicator reading means and the detection means and connected to the visual display medium for generating in real time displays of selected messages as a function of a comparison of the characteristics of vocals to the characteristics of actual vocals at the current position in the lyrics.

2. The vocal display device according to claim 1 wherein the image control means further comprises:

(a) a comparator responsive to the vocal data and connected to the detection means for determining whether the characteristics of actual vocals exceeds, is short of or is within predetermined tolerance limits prescribed by the characteristic of vocals; and

(b) a message selector responsive to output from the comparator for selecting a message corresponding to whether the characteristics of actual vocals exceeds, is short of or is within predetermined tolerance limits prescribed by the characteristics of vocals.

3. The vocal display device according to claim 2 wherein the vocal data reading means further comprises:

(a) decoder means connected to the memory for decoding data from the memory;

(b) vocal data extractor means for extracting the characteristics of vocals;

(c) a screen display data extractor means for extracting screen display indicators;

(d) a first buffer connected to the vocal data extractor and responsive to a first trigger signal represented by the screen display indicators;

(e) a second buffer connected to the first buffer for receiving the vocal data in response to the first trigger signal triggering the first buffer; and

(e) a divider connected to the lyric position indicator reading means for providing a second trigger signal to the second buffer and the detection means.

4. The vocal display device according to claim 1 wherein the vocal data includes strength data representing the required strength of a vocal delivery, and the vocal data reading means further comprises a strength level extractor for extracting strength data.

5. The vocal display device of claim 4 wherein the detection means further comprises strength level detection means for detecting a strength level of actual vocals.

6. The vocal display device of claim 5 wherein the image control means further comprises:

(a) a comparator responsive to the strength data and connected to the strength level detection means for determining whether the strength level of actual vocals exceeds, is short of or is within predetermined tolerance limits prescribed by the strength data; and

(b) a message selector responsive to output from the comparator for selecting a message corresponding to whether the strength level of the actual vocals exceeds, is short of or is within predetermined tolerance limits prescribed by the required strength of a vocal delivery.

7. The vocal display device according to claim 1 wherein the vocal data includes pitch data representing a required pitch of a vocal delivery, and the vocal data reading means further comprises a pitch data extractor for extracting pitch data.

8. The vocal display device of claim 7 wherein the detection means further comprises basic frequency detection means for detecting basic frequencies of actual vocals.

9. The vocal display device of claim 8 wherein the image control means further comprises:

(a) a comparator responsive to the pitch data and connected to the basic frequency detection means for determining whether the basic frequencies of actual vocals exceeds, is short of or is within predetermined tolerance limits prescribed by the pitch data; and

(b) a message selector responsive to output from the comparator for selecting a message corresponding to whether the basic frequencies of actual vocals exceeds, is short of or is within predetermined tolerance limits prescribed by the required pitch of a vocal delivery.