Entertainment apparatus for producing orchestral music accompaniment and a selected background video

• US 5,233,438 A
• Filed: 03/04/1991
• Issued: 08/03/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Taniuchi, Toshinori, Sekiya, Ryuji, Funahashi, Yasuhiro, Aoyama, Yasutada
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Tommy
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY THANH
• Application Number:
  US07/663,672
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 358/335, 358/341, 358/342, 358/343, 358/311, 358/906, 360/14.1, 360/14.2, 360/14.3, 360/33.1, 360/19.1, 360/55
• US Class Current: 386/201
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/00 Teaching music metronomes G04F5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/363 using optical disks, e.g. CD, CD-ROM, to store accompaniment information in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/368 displaying animated or moving pictures synchronized with the music or audio part
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/213 Read-only discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2587 Laser Discs; Optical disc using analog recording
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/107 of operating tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/02 with automatic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0037 with discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/93 Regeneration of the television signal or of selected parts thereof

Abstract

An entertainment apparatus includes a loudspeaker for producing an orchestral background for singer'"'"'s accompaniment and a TV monitor for displaying a background video relevant to a song sang by the singer. In a compact disk, accompaniment data and corresponding song text data are recorded with respect to each of a plurality of songs, and in a video disk, stored are a plurality of background video data each being used in conjunction with a song selected. When a desired song is selected, its accompaniment data and the corresponding song text data are read from the compact disk and one of the plurality of background video data is read from the video disk. The song text data is superimposed on the background video data so that the song text and the background video are superimposedly displayed on the TV monitor. In synchronous with the display on the TV monitor, the accompaniment data is reproduced from the loudspeaker to give an orchestral background for singers.

Claims

1. An entertainment apparatus comprising:

accompaniment/song text data storage means for storing accompaniment data and corresponding song text data with respect to each of a plurality of songs;

background video data storage means for storing a plurality of background video data corresponding to a plurality of background videos, each background video being used in conjunction with a song;

memory means for storing a table indicating a relationship between at least two song categories and the plurality of songs, the table indicating at least one of the song categories with respect to each of the plurality of songs, the song category indicating at least two preselected background videos preselected from the plurality of background videos;

input means for an operator to select a song from the plurality of songs;

control means responsive to the song selected by the operator through said input means and connected to the accompaniment/song text data storage means for reading accompaniment data and its corresponding song text data based on the selected song,

said control means being connected to said memory means for selecting a background video from the preselected background videos indicated by the song category related to the selected song based on the selected song and the table,

said control means being further connected to the background video data storage means for reading background video data based on the selected background video;

audio reproducing means connected to the control means for audibly reproducing the accompaniment data read by said control means;

video superimposing means connected to at least the control means for superimposing the song text data and background video data read by the control means to produce superimposed video data; and

display means connected to the video superimposing means for visibly displaying the superimposed video data.

2. The entertainment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said audio reproducing means comprises:

a music reproducing unit connected to said control means for receiving the accompaniment data and reproducing an accompaniment signal;

a microphone for picking up voice and producing a voice signal;

a mixing amplifier connected to the music reproducing unit and the microphone for mixing and amplifying the accompaniment signal and the voice signal into an audio signal; and

a loudspeaker connected to said mixing amplifier for outputting the audio signal.

3. The entertainment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said accompaniment data and the corresponding song text data have a common index number, and wherein said control means reads the accompaniment data and the corresponding song text data based on the common index number.

4. The entertainment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said accompaniment/song text data storage means is a CD-ROM.

5. The entertainment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said background video data storage means is a laser video disk.

6. The entertainment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said background video data storage means is a video tape.

7. The entertainment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the song categories stored in the table are lesser in number than the plurality of songs stored in the table, and the plurality of background videos are lesser in number than the plurality of songs stored in the table.

8. An entertainment apparatus comprising:

accompaniment/song text data storage means for storing accompaniment data and corresponding song text data with respect to each of a plurality of songs;

background video data storage means for storing a plurality of background video data corresponding to a plurality of background videos, each background video being used in conjunction with a song;

memory means for storing a table indicating a relationship between at least two song categories and the plurality of songs, the table indicating at least one of the song categories with respect to each of the plurality of songs, the song category indicating at least two preselected background videos preselected from the plurality of background videos;

input means for an operator to select a song from the plurality of songs;

control means responsive to the song selected by the operator through said input means and connected to said accompaniment/song text data storage means for reading accompaniment data and its corresponding song text data based on the selected song,

said control means being connected to said memory means for determining a song category to which the song selected by the operator belongs and selecting a background video from the preselected background videos corresponding to the song category to which the song selected by the operator belongs, the background video being selected so as to differ with a background video immediately precedingly selected for a song belonging to a same song category,

said control means being further connected to the background video data storage means for reading background video data based on the selected background video;

audio reproducing means connected to the control means for audibly reproducing the accompaniment data read by said control means;

video superimposing means connected to at least the control means for superimposing the song text data and background video data read by the control means to produce superimposed video data; and

display means connected to the video superimposing means for visibly displaying the superimposed video data.

9. The entertainment apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said audio reproducing means comprises:

a music reproducing unit connected to said control means for receiving the accompaniment data and reproducing an accompaniment signal;

a microphone for picking up voice and producing a voice signal;

a mixing amplifier connected to the music reproducing unit and the microphone for mixing and amplifying the accompaniment signal and the voice signal into an audio signal; and

a loudspeaker connected to said mixing amplifier for outputting the audio signal.

10. The entertainment apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said accompaniment data and the corresponding song text data have a common index number, and wherein said control means reads the accompaniment data and the corresponding song text data based on the common index number.

11. The entertainment apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said accompanying/song text data storage means is a CD-ROM.

12. The entertainment apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said background video data storage means is a laser video disk.

13. The entertainment apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said background video data storage means is a video tape.

14. The entertainment apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the song categories stored in the table are lesser in number than the plurality of songs stored in the table, and the plurality of background videos are lesser in number than the plurality of songs stored in the table.