Remote controller for karaoke and karaoke system

Abstract

To provide a remote controller for karaoke, which can select music even in a situation in which mutual communication cannot be performed with a karaoke device.SOLUTION: A remote controller for karaoke includes a first communication unit, a second communication unit, a storage unit, and a control unit. The control unit can perform a first mode performed when communication with the karaoke device using the first communication unit is possible and a second mode performed when communication with the karaoke device using the first communication unit is impossible. In the first mode, the first communication unit is used for communicating with the karaoke device to retrieve music and the karaoke device is instructed to reproduce the selected music. In the second mode, the music is retrieved based on a music list stored in the storage unit and the karaoke device is instructed to reproduce the selected music using the second communication unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a karaoke remote control device for selecting a song for a karaoke device, and a karaoke system. [Background technology]

[0002] Karaoke machines that allow customers to enjoy singing have been used in karaoke booths, snack bars, and other night establishments. Such karaoke machines generally use wireless remote control devices that allow operations such as song selection from a distance. For example, in night establishments such as snack bars, karaoke machines are installed inside the counter and customers are allowed to use the remote control devices, providing good convenience.

[0003] Currently, remote control devices used for karaoke machines are becoming more and more multifunctional, not only for song selection but also for displaying various information, or incorporating functions using application programs, etc. As a result, the amount of information required for communication is also increasing, and it has become common to use wireless LAN for communication.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a karaoke system that allows users to receive the search results they desire even if a failure occurs in two-way communication via wireless LAN. Specifically, when a failure occurs in two-way communication via wireless LAN in the karaoke system, communication is switched to communication via an infrared communication unit, and in the two-way communication, a screen related to the search that was displayed on a request device (hereinafter referred to as a "remote control device") is displayed on the karaoke device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-54964 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the karaoke system described in Patent Document 1, the remote control device can operate the karaoke device using infrared communication (one-way communication), but the remote control device cannot display the same information as in two-way communication. Therefore, the usability of the remote control device is significantly different between two-way communication and one-way communication, which may impair the user's operational experience.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and one of its objects is to enable song selection using a remote control device with the same operating feel as when two-way communication is possible, even when two-way communication is not possible between the karaoke device and the remote control device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] For this reason, the karaoke remote control device according to the present invention employs the following configuration. The device includes a first communication unit, a second communication unit, a storage unit, and a control unit, the control unit is operable to execute a first mode which is executed when communication with the karaoke device is possible using the first communication unit, and a second mode which is executed when communication with the karaoke device is not possible using the first communication unit; In the first mode, the first communication unit is used to communicate with the karaoke device to perform a song search and instruct the karaoke device to play the selected song; In the second mode, a song search is performed based on the song list stored in the storage unit, and a command to play the selected song is issued to the karaoke device using the second communication unit.

[0009] Furthermore, in the karaoke remote control device according to the present invention, The control unit executes a song list receiving process for receiving a song list from the karaoke device or the server device.

[0010] Furthermore, the karaoke remote control device according to the present invention comprises: Equipped with a user interface that can display various information, The user interface is displayed differently in the first mode and the second mode.

[0011] Furthermore, the karaoke remote control device according to the present invention comprises: The user interface in the second mode is formed based on the layout information stored in the storage unit.

[0012] Furthermore, in the karaoke remote control device according to the present invention, The user interface displays operation buttons; In the second mode, the operation buttons that are enabled in the first mode are disabled.

[0013] The karaoke system according to the present invention further comprises: A karaoke system including a karaoke device and a karaoke remote control device, The karaoke remote control device includes a first communication unit, a second communication unit, a storage unit, and a control unit. the control unit is operable to execute a first mode which is executed when communication with the karaoke device is possible using the first communication unit, and a second mode which is executed when communication with the karaoke device is not possible using the first communication unit; In the first mode, the first communication unit is used to communicate with the karaoke device to perform a song search and instruct the karaoke device to play the selected song; In the second mode, a song search is performed based on the song list stored in the storage unit, and a command to play the selected song is issued to the karaoke device using the second communication unit.

[0014] Furthermore, in the karaoke system according to the present invention, The control unit executes a song list receiving process for receiving a song list from the karaoke device or the server device.

[0015] Furthermore, in the karaoke system according to the present invention, The song list receiving process receives a song list according to the contract for the karaoke device from the server device. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the karaoke remote control device and the karaoke system of the present invention, it is possible to select a song using the karaoke remote control device even in a situation where two-way communication with the karaoke device is not possible. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a karaoke system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing normal processing executed in the karaoke system of the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 shows a home screen (normal state) of the remote control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a music search screen of the remote control device of the present embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a search result screen of the remote control device of the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a music confirmation screen of the remote control device of the present embodiment. [Figure 7] A flow diagram showing a music list delivery process according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing a remote control device process according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a notification screen of the remote control device according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 shows a home screen of the remote control device according to the embodiment (when not communicating). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a karaoke system according to this embodiment. The karaoke system according to this embodiment includes a karaoke device 2 (sometimes called a commander) and a remote control device 1. The karaoke device 2 and the remote control device 1 are communicatively connected to each other to form a network using a LAN 100 and an access point 101.

[0019] The karaoke device 2 installed in a store such as a karaoke booth includes an audio control unit 25 as a performance unit for playing music. The karaoke device 2 also includes an operation unit 21 that receives various inputs from a user. The karaoke device 2 also includes an operation processing unit 22 that interprets the inputs from the operation unit 21 and transmits them to the CPU 30. The karaoke device 2 also includes a hard disk 32 as a storage unit for storing various information. The karaoke device 2 also includes a LAN communication unit 24a as a communication means for connecting to the LAN 100 and joining the network. The karaoke device 2 of this embodiment also includes a wireless LAN communication unit 24b, and instead of a wired network connection using the LAN communication unit 24a, it is also possible to perform a wireless network connection using the wireless LAN communication unit 24b.

[0020] The karaoke device 2 also includes a video playback means for displaying a lyric video and a background video on the monitor 41. This video playback means includes a video playback section 29 for playing back video based on video information, a video RAM 28 for temporarily storing the video to be played back, and a video control section 31 for overlaying lyric captions on the played back video, applying video effects, and the like.

[0021] Furthermore, in this karaoke device 2, various information can be displayed on the touch panel monitor 33 in addition to the monitor 41 connected to the outside. The touch panel monitor 33 is configured by superimposing a display section 35 for displaying video information input from the video control section 31 and a touch panel 34 for outputting a touch input position to the operation processing section 22. This touch panel monitor 33 is disposed on the front of the housing of the karaoke device 2, and functions as an input section similar to the operation section 21 of the karaoke device 2 or the touch panel monitor 11 of the remote control device 1. By selecting a song on the touch panel monitor 33, the user can perform various operations on the karaoke device 2, such as directly reserving the song on the karaoke device 2.

[0022] Furthermore, the karaoke device 2 is provided with a control section including a CPU 30 for controlling each component in an integrated manner, and a memory 27 for temporarily storing information required for executing various programs.

[0023] With this configuration, the karaoke device 2 executes various processes, but the main functions of the karaoke device 2 are capable of executing a song reservation process, a song playback process, etc. The song reservation process is a process for specifying and reserving a song based on an operational instruction from the user, and is executed in cooperation with the remote control device 1. Reservation information including song identification information formed by the song specification process of the remote control device 1 is transmitted to the karaoke device 2. The karaoke device 2 registers the received reservation information in a reservation table in the memory 27. The song playback process is a process for playing a song based on the reservation information registered in the reservation table, and is a process in which the song performance process and the lyric display process are executed synchronously.

[0024] The music performance process is a process for reading out music information based on reservation information registered in the reservation table, and for causing the audio control unit 25 to perform a performance based on the performance information included in the music information. The music played by the audio control unit 25 is output from the speaker 42 together with the singing voice input from the microphones 43a and 43b. The lyrics display process is a process for providing singing assistance by displaying the lyrics information included in the music information on the monitor 41. A background video display process may be executed in which the lyrics displayed in the lyrics display process are superimposed on a background video.

[0025] Meanwhile, the remote control device 1 can search for songs based on an operation instruction from the user, and execute reservation instruction processing, such as transmitting reservation information for a song designated or instructed to be reserved to the karaoke device 2. The remote control device 1 can also receive various information from the karaoke device 2 or a server device 5 connected to the Internet, and execute various processes. In this embodiment, the remote control device 1 includes an operation unit 17 and a touch panel monitor 11 as a user interface for receiving various operation instructions from the user. The touch panel monitor 11 includes a display unit 11a and a touch panel 11b, and displays various interfaces on the display unit 11a, and can receive touch input from the user.

[0026] The remote control device 1 further comprises a memory 14 as a storage unit for storing databases required for music selection processing, various programs, and various information generated with program execution, and a remote control control unit for controlling these components in an integrated manner. The remote control control unit includes a CPU 15, an image control unit 13 for forming images to be displayed on the touch panel monitor 11, a video RAM 12 for temporarily storing image information to be displayed, and an operation processing unit 18 for interpreting inputs from the touch panel monitor 11 or the operation unit 17 and transmitting them to the CPU 15.

[0027] The remote control device 1 is connected to a network formed by a LAN 100 by being wirelessly connected to an access point 101 via a wireless LAN communication unit 16 (corresponding to a "first communication unit"). In communication using the wireless LAN communication unit 16, the remote control device 1 and the karaoke device 2 can perform two-way communication. Each remote control device 1 is associated with a specific karaoke device 2 at any timing. Various commands output from the remote control device 1 are received by the associated karaoke device 2.

[0028] The remote control device 1 can also communicate using an infrared communication unit 19 (corresponding to a "second communication unit"). In communication using the infrared communication unit 19, communication between the remote control device 1 and the karaoke device is one-way (from the remote control device 1 to the karaoke device 2). In this embodiment, when communication cannot be performed using the wireless LAN communication unit 16, communication is performed using the infrared communication unit 19.

[0029] With such a configuration of the remote control device 1, various inputs from the user are accepted from the touch panel monitor 11 or the operation unit 17, and various information is provided to the user by the display on the touch panel monitor 11, making it possible to perform various processes, such as a reservation instruction process for transmitting reservation information to be output to the karaoke device 2.

[0030] Fig. 2 is a flow diagram showing normal processing (S200) executed in the karaoke system of this embodiment, and is an example showing an example of communication performed between the remote control device 1 and the karaoke device 2. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the home screen (normally) of the remote control device of this embodiment.

[0031] The home screen (normally) of the remote control device 1 shown in FIG. 3 displays a first music selection field 111, a second music selection field 112, advertisement display buttons 113a to 113c, radio wave reception status 114, video selection buttons 115a to 115d, and the like.

[0032] A singer name search button 111a and a song title search button 111b are displayed in the first song selection field 111. Operating the singer name search button 111a makes it possible to perform a song search using a singer name. Operating the song title search button 111b makes it possible to perform a song search using a song title. In this way, the first song selection field 111 is an area in which buttons for performing a basic song search using a singer name or song title are arranged.

[0033] In the second music selection section 112, a ranking button 112a, a genre search button 112b, a person's video search button 112c, a time search button 112d, a history button 112e, and an additional search button 112f are displayed. Operating the ranking button 112a displays music ranked based on the number of times the music has been played, etc. Operating the genre search button 112b makes it possible to perform a music search using genres. Operating the person's video search button 112c makes it possible to perform a music search targeting music compatible with person's video.

[0034] The search button 112d allows a user to perform a song search specifying the year to be searched by inputting the year of birth and age (or school year, etc.). The history button 112e allows a user to view songs that have been played on the karaoke device 2 and select a song. The additional search button 112f allows other search items to be displayed. In this way, the second song selection section 112 is an area in which buttons for performing song searches using various search items are arranged.

[0035] The advertisement display buttons 113a to 113c are operators that, when operated, cause various advertisements, such as ongoing campaigns, to be displayed on the remote control device 1. When the advertisement display buttons 113a to 113c are operated, corresponding advertisement information is transmitted from the karaoke device 2 via wireless LAN communication, and the remote control device 1 receives and displays the advertisement information. The video selection buttons 115a to 115d are operators that, when operated, cause the playback of video information to be instructed.

[0036] By performing various operations on the home screen of the remote control device 1, it is possible to display various information on the remote control device 1 and to remotely control the karaoke device 2.

[0037] 2, when a user operates the touch panel monitor 11 of the remote control device 1 (S101), the remote control device 1 transmits an operation instruction to the karaoke device 2. In the normal process, the remote control device 1 and the karaoke device 2 communicate with each other using wireless LAN (wireless LAN communication unit 24b, wireless LAN communication unit 16).

[0038] The karaoke device 2 that has received the operation instruction generates a response screen corresponding to the operation instruction (S201). For example, when the advertisement display button 113a is operated on the home screen, the karaoke device 2 generates a response screen based on advertisement information corresponding to the advertisement display button 113a, and transmits the response screen information to the remote control device 1.

[0039] Here, the display on the remote control device 1 of this embodiment is a display by a browser program, and is a display based on the response screen information (e.g., HTML information) transmitted from the karaoke device 2. Therefore, the touch panel monitor 11 basically displays a screen generated by the karaoke device 2. The remote control device 1 displays the response screen based on the received response screen information (S102).

[0040] Next, a song instruction process in normal processing will be described. The song instruction process is a process executed by the remote control device 1, and is a process of transmitting reservation information from the remote control device 1 to the karaoke device 2. The song instruction process is started by operating various buttons displayed in the first song selection field 111 or the second song selection field 112 on the home screen described in FIG. 3.

[0041] Here, a case where the song title search button 111b in the first song selection section 111 is operated will be described as an example. The search item selection (S103) corresponds to the operation of the song title search button 111b on the home screen. Based on the search item selection (S103), the remote control device 1 transmits a search item instruction to the karaoke device 2. Based on the received search item instruction, the karaoke device 2 generates a search screen (S202) and transmits search screen information to the remote control device 1.

[0042] The remote control device 1 displays a search screen on the touch panel monitor 11 based on the received search screen information (S104). When the song title search button 111b is operated, a song search screen is displayed as the search screen.

[0043] 4 is a diagram showing a song search screen of the remote control device of this embodiment. The song search screen displays a home button 115, a back button 116, a search item selection button 117, a search key input field 118, a character delete button 119, a soft keyboard 120, a keyboard selection button 121, a search button 122, etc.

[0044] The home button 115 is an operator for returning to the home screen described in FIG. 3. The back button 116 is an operator for returning to the screen before the operation. The search item selection button 117 is an operator for switching between singer name and song title as the search item. In this example, since the song title search button 111b is operated, "song title" is selected as the search item. The search key input field 118 is a field for inputting a search key, and characters that will be the search key can be input by operating the soft keyboard 120. The delete one character button 119 is an operator for deleting one character inputted in the search key input field 118.

[0045] The keyboard selection button 121 is an operator for switching the soft keyboard 120 between "kana specification" and "alphanumeric specification". In the state shown in FIG. 3, "kana specification" is selected. The search button 122 is an operator for issuing a search instruction, and when operated, a search instruction based on the search key input in the search key input field 118 is transmitted to the karaoke device 2.

[0046] 4, after inputting into the search key input field 118, the search button 122 is operated, whereby the remote control device 1 transmits a search instruction to the karaoke device 2. The karaoke device 2 searches the song database stored in the hard disk 32 of the karaoke device 2 and generates a search result screen (S203). Then, the remote control device 1 transmits search result screen information for forming the generated search result screen to the remote control device 1. The remote control device 1 displays the search result screen based on the received search result screen information (S105).

[0047] 5 is a diagram showing a search result screen displayed on the remote control device 1 of this embodiment. The search result screen displays a search key display field 123, a refinement button 124, a sort button 125, a search hit count 126, song display fields 127a to 127g, and scroll buttons 128a and 128b.

[0048] The search key display field 123 displays the search key entered in the search key input field 118 of the song search screen described in FIG. 4. The filter button 124 is an operator for filtering the search results by selecting an item. The sort button 125 is an operator for changing the display order of the search results by selecting an item. The song display fields 127a to 127g are information about songs as search results, and display the song title, song type (video of the artist), and artist name. The state in FIG. 5 shows the state in which the songs are displayed in the order of "popularity" selected by the sort button 125. The user can scroll the song display fields 127a to 127g using scroll buttons 128a and 128b to check all the searched song display fields 127a to 127g.

[0049] On the search result screen, the user who has decided on a song to be played touches the desired song display field 127a-127g. The remote control device 1 transmits a song selection instruction including song identification information corresponding to the selected song display field 127a-127g to the karaoke device 2. The karaoke device 2 generates a song confirmation screen based on the received song selection instruction (S204) and transmits song confirmation screen information required for generating the song confirmation screen to the remote control device 1. The remote control device 1 displays the song confirmation screen based on the received song confirmation screen information (S106).

[0050] 6 is a diagram showing a song confirmation screen of the remote control device of this embodiment. Song confirmation screen displays song details information 129, a playback setting field 130, and a reservation button 131. Song details information 129 is information about a selected song, and in this embodiment, a song selection number 129a, song title 129b, artist name 129c, and opening verse 129d are displayed. Playback setting field 130 is a field for performing various settings during playback, and in this embodiment, a key setting field, an option setting field, a vocal assist field, and a song type field are provided.

[0051] The key setting field is provided with a down button 130a and an up button 130b, which make it possible to change the key (pitch) during playback. The option setting field 130c makes it possible to set options available for each song (e.g., the use of an external instrument, etc.). In the example of FIG. 6, the song has no available options. The vocal assist field is provided with an assist setting button 130d, which can be operated to switch vocal assist on and off. The song type field is provided with a song type change button 130e, which makes it possible to change the song type (normal, video of the original, etc.).

[0052] The user confirms the song detail information 129 on the song confirmation screen, sets desired playback conditions in the playback setting field 130, and operates the reservation button 131 to reserve the song (S107). In response to the reservation operation, the remote control device 1 transmits reservation information including song identification information and playback setting information based on the settings in the playback setting field 130 to the karaoke device 2. The karaoke device 2 reserves the song based on the received reservation information (S205). The song reservation is a process of adding the received reservation information to a reservation table, and the karaoke device 2 executes a song playback process based on the reservation table.

[0053] The normal processing of this embodiment has been described above, but in this normal processing, the remote control device 1 and the karaoke device 2 communicate with each other via wireless LAN, making it possible to display various information (advertisements, etc.) on the remote control device 1 and to execute song instruction processing on the remote control device 1. In particular, in this embodiment, the remote control device 1 only has a display function using a browser program, and screen generation for the remote control device 1 is performed on the karaoke device 2 side. This function makes it possible to reduce the processing load on the remote control device 1 side, and when maintenance or function addition is performed on the karaoke system, it is sufficient to perform the maintenance or function addition mainly on the karaoke device 2.

[0054] However, it is considered that the remote control device 1, which is mainly composed of a display function, cannot use various functions if communication with the karaoke device 2 is interrupted. In particular, it is fatal if the remote control device 1, which is essential for selecting a song for the karaoke device 2, cannot perform song instruction processing.

[0055] In this embodiment, even if communication between the remote control device 1 and the karaoke device 2 is interrupted for some reason, it is possible to instruct the remote control device 1 to select a song. For this reason, the remote control device 1 stores a song list for instructing song selection in a memory 14 serving as a storage unit.

[0056] 7 is a flow diagram showing the song list distribution process of this embodiment. The song list stored in the remote control device 1 is distributed from the server device 5. In this embodiment, the song list is distributed via the karaoke device 2. The song list is made up of a smaller number of songs than the number of songs stored in the song database stored in the karaoke device 2. For example, if the song database contains hundreds of thousands of songs, the song list is made up of about one-tenth of that number of songs.

[0057] The server device 5 executes a song tallying process (S301) to tally up the number of times each song has been played on the karaoke device 2 (e.g., once a month) and creates a song list. The song list is made up of song-related information necessary for song selection for a certain number of songs that have been played the most, for example. The server device 5 transmits the created song list to the karaoke device 2 (S302). The karaoke device 2 stores the received song list in the hard disk 32, which serves as a storage unit.

[0058] The remote control device 1 updates the song list stored in the memory 14 periodically or at an appropriate timing. The update time may be synchronized with the song counting process (S301) in the server device 5. When it is time to update (S231: Yes), a song list acquisition request is transmitted to the karaoke device 2 (S232). In response to the song list acquisition request, the karaoke device 2 transmits the song list stored in the hard disk 32 to the remote control device 1 (S110). The remote control device 1 stores the received (S233) song list in the memory 14, which serves as a storage unit, and updates it (S234).

[0059] In this embodiment, the song list stored in the remote control device 1 is formed based on the results of the song counting process (S301) in the server device 5, and allows the selection of songs that are likely to be played. Therefore, even if mutual communication via wireless LAN between the karaoke device 2 and the remote control device 1 is not available, it is possible to select songs using the song list stored in the remote control device 1.

[0060] Fig. 8 is a flow diagram showing the remote control device processing of this embodiment. The remote control device 1 checks whether or not communication with the karaoke device via wireless LAN is possible periodically or at an appropriate timing (S251). If wireless LAN communication is possible (S251: Yes), the normal processing (S200) described in Fig. 2 is executed. Note that the processing of the remote control device 1 in the normal processing of this embodiment corresponds to the first mode according to the present invention. On the other hand, if communication via wireless LAN is not possible (S251: No), the processing from S252 onwards is executed.

[0061] In this embodiment, a notification screen is displayed on the touch panel monitor 11 of the remote control device 1 (S252). Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the notification screen of the remote control device of this embodiment. The notification screen displays a notification field 132 displaying a message to retry wireless LAN communication. Furthermore, the notification field 132 displays a close button 132a and a decision button 132b.

[0062] When retrying communication via wireless LAN, the user operates the decision button 132b. When the decision button 132b is operated, reconnection via wireless LAN is performed (S2544). If the reconnection is successful (S251: Yes), normal processing (S200) is executed. On the other hand, if the reconnection fails, the notification screen is displayed again (S252).

[0063] When the close button 132a is operated on the notification screen (S253: No), the remote control device switches to non-communication processing (corresponding to the "second mode" of the present invention). The non-communication processing is processing for selecting music using a music list stored in the remote control device 1 even in a situation where wireless LAN cannot be used.

[0064] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a home screen (when not communicating) of the remote control device 1 of this embodiment. In a situation where wireless LAN is unavailable (second mode), the display of the touch panel monitor 11 as a user interface is different from that during normal processing (first mode). In this embodiment, the display of the first music selection field 111 is the same as that during normal processing described in FIG. 3, but various buttons displayed in the second music selection field 112 have a different display form, such as changing the display form from color display (first mode) to monochrome display (second mode). In FIG. 10, buttons with a different display form from that in FIG. 3 are indicated by dashed lines. Also, various buttons with a different display form are in an invalid state. Note that the different display form can be various forms, such as non-display instead of monochrome display as in this embodiment.

[0065] In this embodiment, during normal processing (first mode), a screen is displayed on the karaoke device 2. Therefore, in a situation where wireless LAN is unavailable (second mode), a screen cannot be received from the karaoke device 2. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to display various screens (home screen, music search screen, search result screen, music confirmation screen, etc.) in a situation where wireless LAN is unavailable (second mode), the remote control device 1 stores layout information in the memory 14. Thus, in this embodiment, the user interface in the second mode is displayed using the layout information stored in the memory 14.

[0066] The layout information makes it possible to display various screens in the same layout as in normal processing (first mode). For example, the home screen (second mode) shown in FIG. 10 has the same display form and arrangement of various operable buttons as the home screen (first mode) shown in FIG. 3. In this way, by aligning the user interface such as the display form and arrangement of various buttons in the first mode and the second mode, the same operability is realized in the second mode as in the first mode. Therefore, it is possible to suppress user confusion about operations in the second mode and ensure operability.

[0067] The layout information is updated in accordance with program updates on the karaoke device 2 side. The layout information is updated by the remote control device 1 receiving new layout information from the karaoke device 2 or the server device 5. By updating the layout information in this way, it is possible to realize a user interface in the second mode of the remote control device 1 that is the same as that in the first mode, even if various screens formed on the karaoke device 2 side are changed.

[0068] In this embodiment, various searches in the second music selection section 112 are performed through communication with the karaoke device 2. Therefore, when wireless LAN is unavailable, the second music selection section 112 is rendered unavailable. The same is true for the advertisement display buttons 113a-113c and video selection buttons 115a-115d, and for functions that require wireless LAN communication, the buttons are displayed in different ways and operations on them are rendered invalid.

[0069] In the non-communication processing, as shown in Fig. 10, the singer name search button 111a and the song title search button 111b in the first song selection section 111 are displayed in the same manner as in Fig. 3, and operations thereon are valid. The home screen in Fig. 10 is formed using layout information stored in the memory 14 of the remote control device 1. When the singer name search button 111a or the song title search button 111b is operated, the song search screen shown in Fig. 4 is displayed, as in the normal processing. However, the song search screen is formed using layout information pre-stored in the remote control device 1. When a song search instruction is given on the song search screen (S256: Yes), the remote control device 1 executes a song search based on the song list stored in the memory 14 (S257).

[0070] Then, the remote control device 1 displays a search result screen, which is a result of the song search, on the touch panel monitor 11 (S258). The search result screen is a screen formed using layout information, and is similar to the search result screen during normal processing described with reference to Fig. 5. However, it is different in that the search result screen during normal processing displays the search result obtained by searching using the song database of the karaoke device 2, whereas the search result screen during uncompleted instruction processing displays the search result obtained by searching using the song list.

[0071] Then, when a song selection instruction is given on the search result screen (S259: Yes), a song confirmation screen is displayed for the selected song (S260). The song confirmation screen is a screen formed using layout information, and is similar to the song confirmation screen during normal processing described with reference to FIG. 6. When the reservation button 131 is operated on the song confirmation screen (S261: Yes), reservation information is transmitted to the karaoke device 2 using the infrared communication unit 19 (corresponding to the "second communication unit" of the present invention) of the remote control device 1 (S262). The karaoke device 2 adds the received reservation information to a reservation table and executes a song playback process.

[0072] As described above, even when the remote control device 1 of this embodiment cannot communicate with the karaoke device 2 via wireless LAN, it is possible to use the song list stored in the remote control device 1 to search for songs and transmit reservation information (song playback instructions) to the karaoke device 2. In addition, since the song list is information about songs that are likely to be played, such as songs that are played frequently, it is possible to provide the same song selection function as when wireless LAN is available, even in a situation where wireless LAN is unavailable.

[0073] Next, various modifications of the karaoke system and the remote control device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0074] [First Modification] In the above-described embodiment, the server device 5 transmits a song list to the karaoke device 2 as described in Fig. 7. Meanwhile, it is considered that the karaoke device 2 controls the songs that can be used by contract. For example, in the case of the first contract, 300,000 songs can be played, whereas in the case of the second contract, 100,000 songs can be played. In this case, if a song list similar to that in Fig. 7 is used, it is considered that songs that cannot be used under the second contract will be searched for in the non-communication process of the remote control device 1.

[0075] Therefore, the server device 6 may transmit to the karaoke device 2 a song list according to the contract of the karaoke device 2. The server device 5 communicates with the karaoke device 2 to check the contract status of the karaoke device 2 and transmits to the karaoke device 2 a song list according to the contract, i.e., a song list of songs selectable by the karaoke device 2. The karaoke device 2 transmits the received song list to the remote control device 1, thereby enabling the remote control device 1 to select songs during non-communication processing. In this case, since the song list is information about songs that can be used according to the contract status of the karaoke device 2, it is possible to prevent problems such as songs being selected but not being able to be played by the karaoke device 2.

[0076] [Second modified example] In the above-described embodiment, the remote control device 1 receives the song list via the karaoke device 2 as described in Fig. 7. The remote control device 1 may receive the song list directly from the server device 5. The remote control device 1 communicates with the karaoke device 2 via the access point 101 by wireless LAN, but can also access the Internet via the router 102. Therefore, the remote control device 1 may communicate with the server device 5 via the Internet to receive the song list.

[0077] In the first modified example, a song list according to the contract for the karaoke machine 2 is received, and this may be adopted in the second modified example as well. For example, the remote control device 1 transmits identification information or contract information of the associated karaoke machine 2 to the server device 5, so that the server device 5 can transmit to the remote control device 1 a song list according to the contract for the karaoke machine 2 being used.

[0078] [Third Modification] In the remote control device process in the above embodiment, when communication becomes impossible via the wireless LAN, the process transitions to the non-communication process (second mode). On the other hand, in the non-communication process (second mode), recovery process may be performed to restore the wireless LAN to a state in which communication is possible. When the wireless LAN is restored to a state in which communication is possible, the remote control device 1 may end the non-communication process (second mode) and transition to normal process (S200) using the first mode.

[0079] For example, when the remote control device 1 is in the second mode, at the timing when the screen is switched to the home screen, the remote control device 1 checks whether communication is possible via wireless LAN. If communication is possible via wireless LAN, the remote control device 1 changes to normal processing (S200) using the first mode and displays the home screen. In this manner, the mode can be changed to the first mode without causing the user any operational discomfort. Note that the check as to whether communication is possible via wireless LAN may be performed not only when the screen is switched to the home screen, but also when the screen is switched to an appropriate screen.

[0080] The timing of the above-mentioned recovery process is not limited to that described above, and various forms can be adopted, such as performing the process by manual operation of the remote control device 1 or performing the process when the remote control device 1 is restarted.

[0081] The karaoke system of this embodiment has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the karaoke system and the remote control device 1, and the karaoke device 2, the remote control device 1, or the program executed by the karaoke device 2 also fall within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1: Remote control device 112a: Ranking button 2: Karaoke device 112b: Genre search button 5: Server device 112c: Person's image search button 11: Touch panel monitor 112d: Search button 11a: Display section 112e: History button 11b: Touch panel 112f: Additional search button 12: Video RAM 113a to 113c: Advertisement display button 13: Video control unit 114: Radio reception status 14: Memory 115: Home button 15: CPU 115a to 115d: Video selection buttons 16: Wireless LAN communication unit 116: Button 17: Operation section 117: Search item selection button 18: Operation processing section 118: Search key input field 19: Infrared communication unit 119: Delete character button 21: Operation unit 120: Soft keyboard 22: Operation processing section 121: Keyboard selection button 24a: LAN communication section 122: Search button 24b: Wireless LAN communication section 123: Search key display section 25: Sound control section 124: Filter button 27: Memory 125: Replacement button 28: Video RAM 126: Number of search hits 29: Video playback section 127a-127g: Song display section 30: CPU 128a, 128b: Scroll button 31: Video control section 129: Detailed song information 32: Hard disk 129a: Song selection number 33: Touch panel monitor 129b: Song name 34: Touch panel 129c: Artist name 35: Display 129d: Beginning of song 41: Monitor 130: Playback settings 42: Speaker 130a: Down button 43a: Microphone 130b: Up button 43b: Microphone 130d: Assist setting button 101: Access point 130e: Song type change button 102: Router 131: Reservation button 111: First song selection column 132: Notification column 111a: Search singer name button 132a: Close button 111b: Song name search button 132b: Confirm button 112: 2nd song selection column

Claims

1. The device includes a first communication unit, a second communication unit, a storage unit, and a control unit, the control unit is operable to execute a first mode which is executed when communication with the karaoke device is possible using the first communication unit, and a second mode which is executed when communication with the karaoke device is not possible using the first communication unit; In the first mode, the first communication unit is used to communicate with the karaoke device to perform a song search and instruct the karaoke device to play the selected song; In the second mode, a song is searched based on a song list stored in the storage unit, and a command is issued to the karaoke device to play the selected song using the second communication unit. Karaoke remote control device.

2. The control unit executes a song list receiving process for receiving a song list from the karaoke device or the server device.

2. The karaoke remote control device according to claim 1.

3. Equipped with a user interface that can display various information, The user interface is displayed differently in the first and second modes.

2. The karaoke remote control device according to claim 1.

4. The user interface in the second mode is displayed based on the layout information stored in the storage unit.

4. The karaoke remote control device according to claim 3.

5. The user interface displays operation buttons; In the second mode, the operation buttons that are enabled in the first mode are disabled.

4. The karaoke remote control device according to claim 3.

6. A karaoke system including a karaoke device and a karaoke remote control device, The karaoke remote control device includes a first communication unit, a second communication unit, a storage unit, and a control unit. the control unit is operable to execute a first mode which is executed when communication with the karaoke device is possible using the first communication unit, and a second mode which is executed when communication with the karaoke device is not possible using the first communication unit; In the first mode, the first communication unit is used to communicate with the karaoke device to perform a song search and instruct the karaoke device to play the selected song; In the second mode, a song is searched based on a song list stored in the storage unit, and a command is issued to the karaoke device to play the selected song using the second communication unit. Karaoke system.

7. The control unit executes a song list receiving process for receiving a song list from the karaoke device or the server device.

7. The karaoke system according to claim 6.

8. The song list receiving process receives a song list according to the contract for the karaoke device from the server device.

8. The karaoke system according to claim 7.

Images