Scoring device and method for a karaoke system

• US 6,326,536 B1
• Filed: 05/08/2000
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Wang, Hung-Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Witkowski, Stanley J.
• Application Number:
  US09/566,598
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 846/09--14, 846/33--38, 844/77.R, 844/78, 434/307.A
• US Class Current: 84/477.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/00 Teaching music metronomes G04F5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/04 with audible presentation of the material to be studied sound recording or reproducing G11B

Abstract

A scoring device for an karaoke system is provided. The scoring device includes a first detector for the original singer, a second detector for the karaoke singer, and a processor. The first detector is provided to detect the volume of the original singer'"'"'s singing voice. The second detector is provided to detect the volume of the karaoke singer'"'"'s singing voice. The processor is provided to compare the volumes of the original singer'"'"'s singing voice and the karaoke singer'"'"'s singing voice, and provides a score for the karaoke singer'"'"'s singing voice based on the compared results.

Claims

1. A scoring device for a karaoke system, along with a VCD player, comprising:

a first detector for detecting the volume of a first singer'"'"'s voice and generating a first digital pulse sequence by comparing the detected volume with a predetermined value;

a second detector for detecting the volume of a second singer'"'"'s singing voice and generating a second digital pulse sequence by comparing the detected volume with the predetermined value;

a channel selector for selecting an input channel of the karaoke system through which the original singer'"'"'s singing voice is inputted; and

a processor for comparing the first digital pulse sequence and the second digital pulse sequence, providing a score based on the compared result, and finding the starting and ending points of a dedicated song according to VCD information signals, thereby turning on/off the scoring function of said karaoke system.

2. The scoring device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first singer'"'"'s singing voice is an original singer'"'"'s singing voice, and the second singer'"'"'s singing voice is a karaoke singer'"'"'s singing voice.

3. The scoring device as claimed in claim 2,

wherein the first detector comprises:

a first low-pass filter for screening out high-frequency noise of the original singer'"'"'s singing voice; and

a first level detector for comparing the output of the first low-pass filter and a predetermined value to generate the first pulse sequence; and

wherein the second detector comprises;

a second low-pass filter for screening out high-frequency noise of the karaoke singer'"'"'s singing voice; and

a second level detector for comparing the output of the second low-pass filter and a predetermined value to generate the second pulse sequence.

4. The scoring device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a microphone through which the karaoke singer'"'"'s singing voice is inputted.

5. The scoring device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a first rectifier for rectifying the first pulse sequence from the first level detector; and

a second rectifier for rectifying the second pulse sequence from the second level detector.

6. The scoring device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the processor comprises:

a sampling means for sampling the volumes of the original singer'"'"'s singing voice and the karaoke singer'"'"'s singing voice;

a comparing means for comparing the sampled volumes of the original singer'"'"'s singing voice and the karaoke singer'"'"'s singing voice; and

an arithmetic means for providing the score based on a similarity between the sampled volumes of the original singer'"'"'s singing voice and the karaoke singer'"'"'s singing voice.

7. The scoring device as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a display for showing the score.

8. The scoring device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the display is an LED panel.

9. The scoring device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the display is an LCD panel.

10. The scoring device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the display is a VFD panel.

11. The scoring device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the display is a TV screen which shows the score by OSD method.

12. A scoring method for a karaoke system, along with a VCD player, comprising:

detecting the volume of a first singer'"'"'s singing voice and generating a first digital pulse sequence by comparing the detected volume with a predetermined value;

detecting the volume of a second singer'"'"'s singing voice and generating a second digital pulse sequence by comparing the detected volume with the predetermined value;

comparing the first digital pulse sequence and the second digital pulse sequence;

providing a score based on the compared result; and

finding the starting and ending points of a dedicated song according to VCD information signals, thereby turning on/off the scoring function of said karaoke system.

13. The scoring method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first singer'"'"'s singing voice is an original singer'"'"'s singing voice, and the second singer'"'"'s singing voice is a karaoke singer'"'"'s singing voice.

14. The scoring method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a step of screening out high-frequency noise of the original singer'"'"'s singing voice before detecting the volume thereof.

15. The scoring method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a step of screening out high-frequency noise of the karaoke singer'"'"'s singing voice before detecting the volume thereof.

16. The scoring method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the comparing step comprises:

sampling the volumes of the original singer'"'"'s singing voice and the karaoke singer'"'"'s singing voice;

comparing the sampled volumes of the original singer'"'"'s singing voice and the karaoke singer'"'"'s singing voice; and

calculating the similarity between the sampled volumes of the original singer'"'"'s singing voice and the karaoke singer'"'"'s singing voice based on the accumulated similarity.

17. A scoring method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

generating a first binary value if the detected volume of the first singer'"'"'s singing voice is higher than the predetermined value and a second binary value if the detected volume is lower than the predetermined value;

generating a first binary value if the detected volume of the second singer'"'"'s singing voice is higher than the predetermined value and a second binary value if the detected volume is lower than the predetermined value;

comparing the first digital pulse signal of the first singer'"'"'s singing voice and the second digital pulse signal of the second singer'"'"'s singing voice;

providing a score based on the compared result; and

finding the starting and ending points of a dedicated song according to VCD information signals, thereby turning on/off the scoring function of said karaoke system.

18. The scoring method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the comparing step comprises:

sampling the first digital pulse sequence and the second digital pulse sequence; and

calculating the similarity between the sampled first digital pulse sequence and the second digital pulse sequence based on the accumulated similarity.

23. The scoring device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first binary value is 0 and the second binary value is 1.

24. The scoring device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first binary value is 1 and the second binary value is 0.

19. A scoring device for a karaoke system, along with a VCD player, comprising:

a first detector for detecting the volume of a first singer'"'"'s singing voice and transforming the detected volume into a first digital pulse sequence by comparing the detected volume with a predetermined value and generating a first binary value if the detected volume is higher than the predetermined value and a second binary value if the detected volume is lower than the predetermined value;

a second detector for detecting the volume of a second singer'"'"'s singing voice and transforming the detected volume into a second digital pulse sequence by comparing the detected volume with the predetermined value and generating a first binary value if the detected volume is higher than the predetermined value and a second binary value if the detected volume is lower than the predetermined value;

a channel selector for selecting an input channel of the karaoke system through which the original singer'"'"'s singing voice is inputted; and

a processor for comparing the first digital pulse signal of the first singer'"'"'s singing voice and the second digital pulse signal of the second singer'"'"'s singing voice, providing a score based on the compared result, and finding the starting and ending points of a dedicated song according to VCD information signals, thereby turning on/off the scoring function of said karaoke system.

20. The scoring device as claimed in claim 19,

wherein the first detector comprises:

a first low-pass filter for screening out high-frequency noise of the first singer'"'"'s singing voice; and

a first level detector; and

wherein the second detector comprises;

a second low-pass filter for screening out high-frequency noise of the second singer'"'"'s singing voice; and

a second level detector.

21. The scoring device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the first binary value is 0 and the second binary value is 1.

22. The scoring device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the first binary value is 1 and the second binary value is 0.

25. The scoring device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the level detectors are OP comparators.