Karaoke equipment

Abstract

This helps to minimize score reductions caused by overlapping guide melodies and vocal tracks. [Solution] The karaoke device (10) is provided with an acquisition unit (21) that acquires the singing pitch of the user who sings with a guide melody during performance, a calculation unit (22) that calculates the pitch difference between the reference pitch of the reference data and the user's singing pitch for each note, an identification unit (23) that identifies notes whose pitch difference between the reference pitch and the singing pitch is within a predetermined range as target notes, a generation unit (24) that generates shift data that pitch-shifts the reference pitch of each target note in the reverse direction based on the pitch difference, a storage unit (25) that stores the shift data in association with the user ID and the song ID of the karaoke song after the karaoke song has been played, and a performance unit (26) that pitch-shifts the reference pitch of the reference data and outputs a guide melody when the karaoke song is played.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a karaoke device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a karaoke device equipped with a function of scoring the skill of singing has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the karaoke device described in Patent Document 1, during karaoke performance, the singing voice and reference data are compared, and the pass / fail is determined for each note to score the singing voice. In addition, a karaoke device that can switch the on / off of a guide melody according to the operation of a user has also been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2). In the karaoke device described in Patent Document 2, the singing of beginners is supported by turning on the guide melody, and advanced users can also sing without being restricted by the guide melody by turning off the guide melody.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, when singing while listening to the guide melody, if singing accurately in accordance with the guide melody, it is likely that the guiding guide melody will become difficult to hear. A singer (user) who relies on the guide melody may sing slightly shifted from the pitch that should originally be sung in order to listen to the guide melody, resulting in a lower score.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a karaoke device capable of suppressing a decrease in score caused by avoiding the overlap between the guide melody and the singing voice.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The main invention for achieving the above objective is a karaoke device capable of outputting a guide melody based on reference data of a karaoke song, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires the singing pitch of a user who sings with a guide melody during the performance of a karaoke song; a calculation unit that calculates the pitch difference between the reference pitch of the reference data and the user's singing pitch for each note; an identification unit that identifies notes whose pitch difference between the reference pitch and the singing pitch is within a predetermined range as target notes; a generation unit that generates shift data that pitch-shifts the reference pitch of each target note in the reverse direction based on the pitch difference; a storage unit that stores the shift data in association with the user ID and the song ID of the karaoke song after the performance of the karaoke song; and a performance unit that, during the performance of a karaoke song, refers to the shift data corresponding to the user ID and song ID, pitch-shifts the reference pitch of the reference data, and outputs a guide melody. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this invention, target notes sung outside the guide melody are identified, and the pitch of the target note is pitch-shifted in the opposite direction by the pitch difference, and the guide melody is output. Even if the target note is sung accurately, it will not overlap with the guide melody, allowing the user to sing while listening to parts of the melody they are unsure of. Even when listening to the guide melody, the user will sing at the pitch they should have sung, thus minimizing a decrease in their score. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the karaoke system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a functional block diagram of the karaoke device according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the process for identifying the target notebook in this embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart showing an example of the processing operation of the karaoke device according to this embodiment. [Figure 5]This is a flowchart showing an example of the processing operation of the karaoke device according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The karaoke device of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of the karaoke system of this embodiment. Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of the karaoke device of this embodiment. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the target note identification process of this embodiment. Note that, for the sake of explanation, the functional block diagram in Figure 2 shows functional blocks for realizing a specific process, but it is assumed that the karaoke device has the configurations that it normally has.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the karaoke system 1 comprises a server device 2 installed in a data center or the like, and a karaoke machine 10 installed in a karaoke establishment or the like. The server device 2 and the karaoke machine 10 are connected via a network 5 for communication. The server device 2 manages various information about songs and various information about users. A paired remote control device 11 is connected to the karaoke machine 10, and when a user logs into the karaoke machine 10 by operating the remote control device 11, various information about the user is applied to the karaoke machine 10 by the server device 2.

[0011] In this case, when the user ID and password are entered on the login screen of the remote control device 11, the user ID and password are transmitted from the remote control device 11 to the server device 2 via the karaoke device 10. The server device 2 identifies the user information using the user database, and the user information is returned from the server device 2 to the karaoke device 10, allowing the user to log in to the karaoke device 10. The karaoke device 10 stores the user information of the logged-in user. This user information includes singing history, including the scoring values ​​for each song, and shift data for each song, which will be described later.

[0012] In addition to the remote control device 11, the karaoke machine 10 is also connected to a monitor 12, a speaker 13, and a microphone 14. The monitor 12 displays lyrics and other information along with background video in sync with the karaoke performance, based on video signals from the karaoke machine 10. The microphone 14 converts the user's singing voice into a singing voice signal and inputs it to the karaoke machine 10. The speaker 13 emits the user's singing voice along with the performance sound signal from the karaoke machine 10 and the singing voice signal from the microphone 14. The remote control device 11 accepts various operations for the karaoke machine 10, such as song reservation operations.

[0013] When the karaoke machine 10 starts playing a karaoke song, lyrics and background images are displayed on the monitor 12 in sync with the music. The karaoke machine 10 mixes the music signal and the singing voice signal input from the microphone 14 using a mixer, and this mixed signal is amplified by an amplifier and emitted from the speaker 13. In this way, when the user sings along with the karaoke music, the singing voice is emitted from the speaker 13 along with the music. The karaoke machine 10 also scores the user's singing ability, and the score is displayed on the monitor 12.

[0014] The karaoke machine 10 also outputs a guide melody to support the user's singing. When singing while listening to the guide melody, the user may sing lower than the correct pitch, resulting in a lower score. This is because, when singing at the correct pitch according to the guide melody, the user's own singing voice overlaps with the guide melody, and the user unconsciously tries to avoid this and listen to the guide melody instead. Therefore, in this embodiment, the karaoke machine 10 identifies notes that were sung lower than the correct pitch, and when the same user sings the same song again, the pitch of the guide melody for the identified notes is shifted higher and output.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 2, the karaoke device 10 is provided with an acquisition unit 21 for pitch-shifting the guide melody, a calculation unit 22, a specification unit 23, a generation unit 24, a storage unit 25, and a performance unit 26. In the memory 27 of the karaoke device 10, various data related to karaoke singing such as music data are stored for each music ID. The music data includes performance data that is the source of the performance sound, reference data that is the scoring standard for the singing voice, and lyric data that is the source of the lyric caption. In the karaoke device 10, the guide melody is formed so as to be output based on the reference data of the karaoke music.

[0016] As shown in Table 1, the reference data includes a plurality of notes representing the main melody, and the note numbers of each note are associated with the reference pitch, the pronunciation start time, and the pronunciation end time. For example, for note number 1 of the reference data of the music ID "ID***M1" of music M1, the reference pitch C4, the pronunciation start time 15000 [msec], and the pronunciation end time 15250 [msec] are associated. The guide melody is pronounced at an arbitrary volume and timbre with the reference pitch during the pronunciation period from the pronunciation start time to the pronunciation end time, which is the elapsed time from the start of performance of each note of the reference data.

Table 1

[0017] The acquisition unit 21 acquires the singing pitch of the user who sang while the guide melody was being played during the performance of the karaoke music. The user logs in to the karaoke device 10, the user's icon is selected, and the reserved person is identified. When a music is selected by music search and the transfer button is pressed, the user ID and the music ID are transmitted from the remote control device 11 to the karaoke device 10 and registered in the reservation list. When the karaoke performance starts, the singing pitch is acquired from the singing voice of the user using a known technique. For example, the singing frequency (cent value) of the audio signal that has been A / D converted every predetermined period (for example, 20 [msec]) from the start of performance of the karaoke music is acquired.

[0018] The calculation unit 22 calculates the pitch difference between the reference pitch of the reference data and the singing pitch of the user for each note. Specifically, the pitch difference between the reference pitch of each note in the reference data and the average value of the singing pitches acquired at predetermined intervals by the acquisition unit 21 during the pronunciation period of each note is calculated. For example, when the reference pitch of a certain note is C4 (6000 [cent]) and the average value of the singing pitches during the pronunciation period of a certain note is 5964 [cent], -36 [cent] is calculated as the pitch difference. Note that the pitch difference is used not only for the pitch shift value described later but also for scoring the singing ability.

[0019] The specifying unit 23 specifies, as target notes, the notes for which the pitch difference between the reference pitch and the singing pitch is within a predetermined range. Here, the predetermined range indicates a range that is less than the lower limit value for passing the judgment during singing scoring and is greater than or equal to a specified pitch difference lower than the lower limit value. For example, when the pitch difference for determining that the singing pitch is a pass with respect to the reference pitch of the note during singing scoring is ±30 [cent] with respect to the reference pitch, the range that is less than the lower limit value for passing the judgment, -30 [cent], and greater than or equal to the specified pitch difference, -50 [cent], which is a quarter tone (half of a semitone) lower than the reference pitch, is set as the predetermined range.

[0020] In the example shown in FIG. 3, the case where the reference pitch of a certain note is C4 (6000 [cent]) is shown. ±30 [cent] of 6000 [cent] is the passing judgment, and -31 [cent] to -50 [cent] of 6000 [cent] is set as the above-mentioned predetermined range. If the singing pitch is from 5969 [cent] to 5950 [cent], that is, the pitch difference between the reference pitch and the singing pitch is in the range of -50 [cent] to -31 [cent], it is specified as a target note. Note that the predetermined range is set based on experimental, empirical, and theoretical findings.

[0021] The generation unit 24 generates shift data that pitch-shifts the reference pitch of each target note in the reverse direction based on the pitch difference. The shift data is generated by associating a pitch shift value with each target note. The pitch shift value is the inverse of the pitch difference with the sign reversed. For example, if the difference between the reference pitch and the singing pitch during the pronunciation period of a certain note is -40 [cent], the pitch shift value of the shift data will be set to +40 [cent]. Note that the pitch shift value is not limited to the inverse of the pitch difference; any value that appropriately pitch-shifts the reference pitch in the reverse direction is acceptable.

[0022] Table 2 shows the reference data for song ID "ID***M1" and the singing pitch relative to the reference pitch of each note in the reference data. Note numbers 4, 5, 41, 42, 60, and 61 are identified as target notes, and the inverse of the pitch difference for each target note is calculated as the pitch shift value. Then, as shown in Table 3, shift data is generated that associates note numbers 4, 5, 41, 42, 60, and 61 with pitch shift values ​​of 32 [cent], 37 [cent], 33 [cent], 34 [cent], 41 [cent], and 44 [cent], respectively. [Table 2] [Table 3]

[0023] The memory unit 25 stores the shift data in memory 27 after the karaoke song has finished playing, associating it with the user's user ID and the song ID of the karaoke song. For example, as shown in Table 4, after the performance of song M1 is finished, the above shift data is stored as an association between user U1's user ID "ID***U1" and song M1's song ID "ID***M1". Alternatively, the memory unit 25 may store the data in the memory of the server device 2, which is connected to the karaoke machine 10 for communication. In this case, when user U1 logs out, the shift data is sent from the karaoke machine 10 to the server device 2 and stored in the user database or the like. [Table 4]

[0024] The performance unit 26, when playing a karaoke song, refers to shift data corresponding to the user ID and song ID, and outputs a guide melody by pitch-shifting the reference pitch of the reference data. The performance unit 26 is composed of a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) sound source, etc. When a karaoke song is re-reserved and the guide melody function and scoring function are set to ON, shift data is searched from memory 27 based on the user ID and song ID. The reference pitch of the reference data is pitch-shifted by the shift pitch value of each target note in the shift data, and the guide melody is output. If no shift data is found, the guide melody is output based on the reference pitch of the reference data.

[0025] For example, at a later date, user U1 enters a karaoke box and logs into the karaoke machine 10 by operating the remote control device 11. When song M1 is selected on the remote control device 11, the guide melody function and scoring function are turned ON, and the transfer button is pressed, the user ID "ID***U1", song ID "ID***M1", guide melody ON flag, and singing scoring ON flag sent from the remote control device 11 are registered in the reservation list of the karaoke machine 10. Before song M1 is played, the guide melody ON flag and singing scoring ON flag are confirmed by the performance unit 26 for song ID "ID***M1", and the shift data associated with user ID "ID***U1" and song ID "ID***M1" is searched from memory 27.

[0026] When the performance unit 26 starts playing song M1, the reference pitch of the target note in the reference data for song ID "ID***M1" is pitch-shifted by the shift pitch value of the target note in the shift data, and the output pitch of the guide melody is corrected. As a result, during the duration of non-target notes, the reference pitch of the reference data becomes the output pitch of the guide melody, and during the duration of target notes, the output pitch of the guide melody is pitch-shifted by the pitch shift value. For example, as shown in Table 5, the guide melodies for target note numbers 4, 5, 41, 42, 60, and 61 are emitted from speaker 13 at an output pitch that is pitch-shifted by the pitch shift value from the reference pitch. [Table 5]

[0027] In this way, for notes sung by user U1 while listening to the guide melody, the user U1 sings them higher due to the increased pitch of the guide melody's output, resulting in a passing grade. Even when listening to the guide melody, the user sings at the pitch they should have originally sung at, preventing a decrease in the score. In this embodiment, the pitch of the guide melody's output was shifted when both the guide melody function and the scoring function were turned ON, but the pitch of the guide melody's output may also be shifted when the scoring function is OFF and the guide melody function is ON.

[0028] Furthermore, the processing of each part of the karaoke device 10 may be implemented by software using a processor, or by logic circuits (hardware) formed on an integrated circuit or the like. When a processor is used, various processes are performed by the processor reading and executing a program stored in memory. For example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) is used as the processor. The memory is composed of one or more storage media such as ROM (Read Only Memory) and RAM (Random Access Memory), depending on the application.

[0029] The processing operation of the karaoke device of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figures 4 and 5 are flowcharts showing an example of the processing operation of the karaoke device of this embodiment. Note that the following flowcharts are merely examples and can be modified as appropriate. Furthermore, the following description of the processing operation of the karaoke device will explain an example in which the guide melody function and the scoring function are turned ON.

[0030] As shown in Figure 4, a song of any choice is reserved by the user, and the guide melody function and scoring function for this song are turned ON, and the karaoke song begins to play (Step S01). When the start time of the sound of note number n in the reference data has elapsed (Step S02), the guide melody is played at the reference pitch of note number n, and the singing pitch is obtained from the user's singing voice signal (Step S03). The singing pitch continues to be obtained from the user's singing voice signal until the end time of the sound of note number n has elapsed (No in Step S04).

[0031] When the end time of pronunciation for note number n has elapsed (Yes in step S04), the acquisition of the singing pitch for note number n is completed (step S05). If the process of acquiring the singing pitch for all notes in the reference data is not completed (No in step S06), the process returns to step S02 and the process of acquiring the singing pitch for note number n+1 is performed again (step S07). Then, in parallel with the process of acquiring the singing pitch for note number n+1, the process of calculating the shift data for note number n proceeds.

[0032] In the process of calculating shift data for note number n, once the acquisition of the singing pitch for note number n is complete (Yes in step S08), the pitch difference between the reference pitch and the singing pitch of note number n is calculated (step S09). If the pitch difference is outside a predetermined range (No in step S10), no shift data is created and the process proceeds to step S13. If the pitch difference is within a predetermined range (Yes in step S10), note number n is identified as the target note (step S11), and shift data for note number n is generated based on the pitch difference (step S12).

[0033] If the process of generating shift data for all notes in the reference data is not completed (No in step S13), the process returns to step S08 and the process of generating shift data for note number n+1 is performed again (step S14). If the process of acquiring the singing pitch for all notes is completed (Yes in step S06) and the process of generating shift data for all notes is completed (Yes in step S13), the shift data is stored in memory 27 in association with the user ID and song ID after the karaoke song is played (step S15). In addition, the scoring process for the user's singing voice is performed (step S16).

[0034] As shown in Figure 5, when a song is reserved by the user and the guide melody function and scoring function for the reserved song are turned ON (step S21), shift data is searched from memory 27 based on the user ID and song ID (step S22). If shift data is found (Yes in step S23), the reference pitch is pitch-shifted for the target notes (step S24). When the karaoke song starts playing (step S25), the guide melody is output at the reference pitch for non-target notes, and the guide melody is output with the pitch shifted for target notes (step S26).

[0035] If no shift data is found (No in step S23), the reference pitch will not be pitch-shifted for any of the notes. Therefore, when the karaoke song starts playing (step S25), the guide melody is output at the reference pitch for all notes (step S26). If the guide melody is not pitch-shifted, the processes from steps S02 to S13 described above are performed while the karaoke song is playing. When the karaoke song finishes playing (Yes in step S27), the scoring process for the user's singing voice is performed (step S28).

[0036] As described above, with the karaoke device 10 of this embodiment, target notes that are sung off-key are identified, and the pitch of the target note is pitch-shifted in the opposite direction by the pitch difference, and the guide melody is output. Even if the target note is sung accurately, it will not overlap with the guide melody, allowing the user to sing while listening to parts of the melody they are unsure of. Even when listening to the guide melody, the user will sing at the pitch they should have sung, thus minimizing a decrease in their score.

[0037] In the above embodiment, target notes sung lower than the guide melody are identified, and the pitch of the target notes is pitch-shifted upwards before the guide melody is output. However, target notes sung higher than the guide melody may also be identified, and the pitch of the target notes may be pitch-shifted downwards before the guide melody is output. That is, notes whose pitch difference between the reference value and the singing pitch exceeds the upper limit for passing the singing score, and which is within a range of a specified pitch difference higher than that upper limit, may also be identified as target notes. In this case, the reference pitch of each target note is pitch-shifted downwards by the pitch difference to generate shift data.

[0038] In the above embodiment, a guide melody correction function may be added by installing a program in the karaoke device. This program is stored in a storage medium. The storage medium is not particularly limited, but may be a non-transient storage medium such as an optical disc, magneto-optical disc, or flash memory.

[0039] Furthermore, although this embodiment has been described, other embodiments may be combinations of the above embodiments and modifications, either entirely or partially.

[0040] Furthermore, the technology of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and may be modified, substituted, or transformed in various ways without departing from the spirit of the technical idea. Moreover, if the technical idea can be realized in a different way by advances in the technology or by other derived technologies, it may be implemented by that method. Accordingly, the claims cover all embodiments that may fall within the scope of the technical idea. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0041] 10: Karaoke equipment 21: Acquisition Department 22: Calculation Section 23: Specific part 24: Generation part 25: Storage section 26: Performance club

Claims

1. A karaoke device capable of outputting a guide melody based on reference data of karaoke songs, An acquisition unit that acquires the singing pitch of a user who sings along to a karaoke song with a guide melody playing, A calculation unit that calculates the pitch difference between the reference data's standard pitch and the user's singing pitch for each note, A selection unit identifies notes whose pitch difference between the reference pitch and the singing pitch is within a predetermined range as target notes, A generation unit that generates shift data to pitch-shift the reference pitch of each target note in the reverse direction based on the pitch difference, A storage unit that stores shift data after a karaoke song is played, associating it with the user's user ID and the song ID of the karaoke song. A karaoke device characterized by comprising: a performance unit that, when playing a karaoke song, refers to shift data corresponding to the user ID and song ID, and pitch-shifts the reference pitch of the reference data to output a guide melody.

2. The karaoke device according to claim 1, characterized in that the identifying unit identifies target notes within a predetermined range that is below the lower limit value for passing the singing score, and is greater than or equal to a specified pitch difference lower than the said lower limit value.

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