System and apparatus for interactive multimedia entertainment

• US 5,464,946 A
• Filed: 02/11/1993
• Issued: 11/07/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 1st Media LLC, Multimedia Systems Corporation
• Original Assignee: Multimedia Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Lewis, Scott W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Witkowski, Stanley J.
• Application Number:
  US07/977,033
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 84/601, 84/602, 84/609-614, 84/634-638, 84/645, 84/477 R, 84/478, 84/DIG. 6
• US Class Current: 84/609
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/00 Teaching music metronomes G04F5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/365 the accompaniment information being stored on a host computer and transmitted to a reproducing terminal by means of a network, e.g. public telephone lines
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/011 Lyrics displays, e.g. for karaoke applications
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/241 Telephone transmission, i.e. using twisted pair telephone lines or any type of telephone network

Abstract

A system for interactive multimedia entertainment that stores a plurality of video and/or songs and allows for the receipt of information concerning the cost of each song and other relevant information. The system has application to music listening, video entertainment and Karaoke entertainment systems.

Claims

1. An interactive music listening entertainment system comprising:

means for storing a plurality of songs;

means for selecting one of the plurality of songs from the storing means;

means for transmitting the one song down a network; and

means responsive to the selecting means for receiving the one song from the storing means by a recipient;

the receiving means also receiving information concerning the cost of the one song from the storing means and including means for limiting the number of plays for the one song based on the encoding of the one song by the receiving means.

2. The system of claim 1 which further comprises:

means coupled to the storing means for interactively selectively recording particular songs from the plurality of songs.

3. The system of claim 1 in which the receiving means is linked to ordering the one song.

4. An interactive multimedia video entertainment system comprising:

means for storing a plurality of songs and video information related to the plurality of songs;

means for selecting a song and its associated video information from the storing means;

means responsive to the selecting means for transmitting the one song and its associated video information down a network; and

means responsive to the selecting means for receiving the one song and its associated video information, the receiving means also for receiving information concerning the cost of the one song and its associated video information from the storing means, for encoding the one song and its associated video information to limit the number of plays, and for counting the number of times the one song is played and charging the recipient a particular price per play.

5. The system of claim 4 in which the receiving means is linked to ordering the one song and its associated video information.

6. The system of claim 4 which further comprises means coupled to the storing means for interactively selectively recording particular songs and their associated video information.

7. An interactive multimedia karaoke system comprising:

means for storing multimedia information to allow for the production of a video and audio presentation,the video and audio presentation having multiple music tracks and multiple vocal tracks;

means for selecting a particular set of multimedia information from the storing means;

means for transmitting the particular set of multimedia information; and

means responsive to the selecting and transmitting means for receiving the particular set of multimedia information and for substituting for at least one of the music tracks as well as multiple vocal tracks so as enhance the quality and interactivity of the particular set of multimedia information and for encoding the multimedia information to limit the number of plays of the multimedia information.

8. A multimedia Karaoke entertainment system comprising:

a plurality of monitors for a plurality of entertainment instruments or vocal tracks, each monitor related to one entertainment instrument or vocal track, each of the entertainment instruments and vocal tracks being related to a track of multimedia information;

a plurality of video cameras coupled to the monitor, each camera related to one entertainment instrument;

means for providing the same multimedia presentation to each of the plurality of monitors; and

means for interactively substituting at least one track from the plurality of entertainment instruments or vocal tracks with one of the tracks of multimedia information.

9. The Karaoke entertainment system of claim 8 in which the substituting means enhances at least one track of the entertainment instruments or vocal tracks.

10. The Karaoke entertainment system of claim 9 in which at least one of the entertainment instruments is a MIDI guitar.

11. The Karaoke entertainment system of claim 10 in which at least one of the entertainment instruments is a MIDI drum.

12. The system of claim 8 in which comprises means for substituting for at least one of tracks with an image from one of the video cameras.

16. An multimedia Karaoke information entertainment system comprising:

interactive multimedia mastering system (IMM) for receiving program source material from a network;

an interactive multimedia device (IMD) for storing program source material received from the IMM and that can select certain program source material from the IMM; and

multimedia call processing system (MCPS) that can receive credit or purchase information and can retrieve program source material to be sent to the IMD.

13. The system of claim 17 which include color keying the video information to each one of the performers utilizing the entertainment instruments or vocal tracks.

14. The system of claim 13 which includes color keying the video cameras to create an interactive display output.

15. The system of claim 14 in which the color key is substituted for the source program material to produce an enhanced interactive multimedia video production.

17. The system of claim 16 in which the IMD comprises a music synthesizer and at least one multimedia decompression means which receive analog information and digital information from the MCPS including compressed MIDI data representing the program source material.

18. The system of claim 16 in which the IMD comprises a music synthesizer and a key coding means which receive analog and digital information from the MCPS including compressed MIDI data representing the program source material.

19. The system of claim 17 in which the multimedia decompression means is a video decompression algorithm.

20. The system of claim 16 in which the MCPS sends the actual program source material over the network.

21. The system of claim 17 in which the MCPS send a purchase information over the network.

22. The system of claim 18 which further comprises means for utilizing the IMD to select individual program source material for compilation by the MCPS into a personalized set of program source material which is then transmitted down the network to the IMD.

23. The system of claim 18 which further comprises means for utilizing a telephone handset to select individual program source material for compilation by the MCPS into a personalized set of program source material which is then delivered to a user.

24. The system of claim 19 in which the program source material is a song.

25. The system of claim 19 which further includes a television and stereo coupled to the IMD for displaying audio and video program source material from both the stored information in the IMD and from the information within the

26. The system of claim 25 in which the vocals and entertainment instruments are separated into separate music and video tracks;

the music tracks being distinct analog audio, digital audio and MIDI data tracks and the video tracks being analog video, digital video, compressed video and keyed program source information.

27. The system of claim 26 in which further comprises means for substituting tracks for the tracks associated with the program source material to allow for teaching.

28. The system of claim 27 in which includes means for presenting the program source material such that when placed on a program monitor it is keyed to a color change to allow a user to highlight the position of the material to the user.

29. The system of claim 28 which includes means for presenting musical notation associated with an individual track that is superimposed on a video monitor such that when there is a color change the current position of the music will be highlighted.