Method and apparatus for providing interactive karaoke entertainment

• US 6,971,882 B1
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Planet Electric Incorporated
• Inventors: Kumar, David, Ahmad, Subutai
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US10/749,800
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 434/118, 434307 R-308, 434/365, 844/77.R, 846/09, 846/10, 345/630, 345/863, 386/54, 386/63, 386/102, 705/51, 725/53, 340/825.72
• US Class Current: 434/307.00A
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0015 Dancing
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/368 displaying animated or moving pictures synchronized with the music or audio part

Abstract

An interactive karaoke system includes a microphone developing an audio input from at least one karaoke performer; a camera producing a series of video frames including the at least one karaoke performer; and a karaoke processor system including a video environment and a related audio environment for the karaoke performer. The karaoke processor system is coupled to the camera to create extracted images of the at least one karaoke performer from the series of video frames and to composite the extracted images with a background derived from the video environment. The video environment is affected by at least one of a position and a movement of the at least one karaoke performer. A karaoke network includes a local area network, a local karaoke server coupled to the local area network and storing local karaoke content; and a number of karaoke systems coupled to the local area network, each of which can request karaoke content from the local karaoke server.

Claims

1. A method for providing networked karaoke entertainment, comprising:

determining whether an accounting polling event has occurred and, if so, uploading accounting information to a remote server;

providing a requested karaoke content to a local karaoke unit; and

creating an accounting entry concerning the provision of said karaoke content to said local karaoke unit;

wherein at least one local karaoke unit;

receives a plurality of video frames which include images of at least one karaoke performer;

subtracts background images from said video frames to create extracted images of said at least one karaoke performer;

performs an analysis of at least one of the position and motion of said extracted images to provide a visual performer input; and

provides background images with accompanying sound, at least one of which is affected, by said visual performer input.

2. A method for providing networked karaoke entertainment as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining whether said requested karaoke content is available locally and, if not, obtaining said requested karaoke content from said remote server.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein providing the requested karaoke content further comprises providing the requested karaoke content to a plurality of local karaoke units.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein providing the requested karaoke content further includes using a content mirror site.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein determining whether an accounting polling event has occurred further includes determining whether a request has been made.

6. A system for providing networked interactive karaoke entertainment, comprising:

a network configured to provide a requested karaoke content to a local karaoke unit; and

a first processor configured to determine whether an accounting polling event has occurred and, if so, to upload accounting information to a remote server, and to create an accounting entry concerning the provision of said karaoke content to said local karaoke unit;

wherein the local karaoke unit includes a second processor configured to receive a plurality of video frames which include images of at least one karaoke performer, subtract background images from said video frames to create extracted images of said at least one karaoke performer, perform an analysis of at least one of the position and motion of said extracted images to provide a visual performer input, and provide background images with accompanying sound, at least one of which is affected, by said visual performer input.

7. A system as recited in claim 6 wherein the first processor is further configured to determine whether said requested karaoke content is available locally and, if not, to obtain said requested karaoke content from said remote server.

8. A system as recited in claim 6 further including a plurality of interactive karaoke entertainment systems.

9. A system as recited in claim 6 further including a karaoke module.

10. A system as recited in claim 9 wherein the karaoke module is integrated with an audio system.

11. A system as recited in claim 9 wherein the karaoke module is integrated with a video system.

12. A system as recited in claim 9 wherein the karaoke module is integrated with an audio and a video module.

13. A computer program product for providing networked karaoke entertainment, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

determining whether an accounting polling event has occurred and, if so, uploading accounting information to a remote server;

providing a requested karaoke content to a local karaoke unit; and

creating an accounting entry concerning the provision of said karaoke content to said local karaoke unit;

wherein the local karaoke unit;

receives a plurality of video frames which include images of at least one karaoke performer;

subtracts background images from said video frames to create extracted images of said at least one karaoke performer;

performs an analysis of at least one of the position and motion of said extracted images to provide a visual performer input; and

provides background images with accompanying sound, at least one of which is affected, by said visual performer input.