Pioneer Corporation

Pioneer Electronic Corporation

Masahiko Miyashita

Hiroshi Fujii

Takao Yamada

Nobuo Ohyama

Tatsuyuki Miyazawa

Yoshiaki Moriyama

Sumio Hosaka

Kouichi Ono

Kazuo Kamei

Hiroyasu Eguchi

Koji Ogura

Kensuke Chiba

Kou Atsumi

Harui Koizumi

Eiji Kojima

Yoshihiro Kitano

Toshio Ohtani

Gen Inoshita

Takeaki Funada

Makoto Takanashi

Chihaya Oga

Sanpei Asai

Tetsuhiro Hase

Katsuhiko Goda

A signal processor includes a buffer memory for storing the image signal for output as a main image signal; a point setting section for storing a position on a temporal axis of the main image signal as a registration point in response to a given capture command, the main image signal corresponding to the capture command; a playback control section for causing the buffer memory to output an image frame following the registration point in response to a given playback command; a video capture section for generating a registration image based on at least one image frame in a neighborhood of the registration point of the main image signal outputted from the buffer memory, and storing the registration image; and an image superimposing section for superimposing the registration image onto the main image signal for display in a signal screen to generate a composite image signal.

Signal processor

A signal processor includes a point setting part that sets a position of a main image signal, as a registration point. A playback control part causes output of an image frame from the registration point used as a starting point in response to a given playback instruction. A capture processing part generates a registration image based on the main image signal and stores the registration image, the at least one image frame being placed in a neighborhood of the registration point. A point recording part writes the registration point into a memory and writes the registration image corresponding to the recorded point into the memory. A point calling part reads out the recorded image and the recorded point in response to a given calling instruction. The point setting part sets the recorded point and the recorded image as the registration point and the registration image, respectively.

An information reproduction apparatus which can perform repetitive reproduction is provided. In the apparatus, information recorded in an information storage medium is read. The read information is decoded. The decoded information is stored in a predetermined region of a storage device. During reproduction, information is sequentially read out and outputted in order of precedence at the time of writing the decoded information while the decoded information is stored in the predetermined region. When a start position of repetitive reproduction is designated, a repetition reproduction range is set. The repetition reproduction range is a range that would include the decoded information to be reproduced at one repetition reproduction. The decoded information is maintained in the repetition reproduction range. When an instruction to start the repetitive reproduction is provided, the decoded information in the repetition reproduction range is outputted and the decoded information subsequent to the repetition reproduction range is acquired.

Information reproduction apparatus and information reproduction method

Audio information is read out of a recording medium which records musical pieces as audio information. The audio information read out is processed to detect BPM values and positions of beats in the musical piece. A musical piece is reproduced from the recording medium by reproducing audio information in accordance with the detected BPM values and positions of beats. The BPM value indicates the tempo of a musical piece, and the beat indicates a strength of a sound which repeatedly appears in each musical piece. When the audio information is reproduced in accordance with the detected BPM values and positions of beats, the musical piece is reproduced at the correct tempo and beats without giving an unnatural feeling to the listener.

Audio information reproduction device and audio information reproduction system

An information playback apparatus is provided, which can provide a sound which sounds natural by controlling an abrupt change in a tempo in the case of random access playback. When a cue point is registered, audio data which makes seamless playback possible is stored into a cue point memory, and further, the beat density of a playback sound being played when the cue point is registered is measured and stored. When the cue point is specified to start random access playback later, a ratio of the beat density (&#x3b1;&#xd7;DBPM) of a playback sound being played when the cue point is specified and the beat density (DBPMreg) stored in advance is found. Then, the random access playback is started after the beat density of a playback sound to be played after random access playback is started is corrected to be equal to the beat density when a start of the random access playback is specified.

Information playback apparatus

An information reproducing apparatus is provided, which has a new cue point setting function with excellent operability for enabling new application form. Specifically, a cue point for specifying a start position for playing back a disc, and additional information or disc identification information corresponding to the cue point are stored in a backup memory. The additional information or the disc identification information is associated with the cue point and shown on a display according to a proper operation of operation buttons and a turning member. When the operation buttons and the turning member are properly operated, a system controller edits and adds the additional information, or edits the disc identification information in the backup memory. When the operation buttons and the turning member are properly operated to enter retrieval information, information stored in the backup memory is compared and retrieved, and the retrieved information associated with a cue point is shown on the display.

Information reproducing apparatus having cue point setting function

An information playback apparatus which can perform random access playback, reverse playback, shuttle playback, etc. quickly and seamlessly. A signal processing unit stores audio data read out from a disc into a buffer memory, and performs information processing for audio playback based on the audio data in the buffer memory. Audio data of certain time durations respectively corresponding to a past and a future with respect to the audio data currently being subjected to audio playback is replenished and stored into the buffer memory. When a jog dial is manipulated, reverse playback, shuttle playback, etc. are performed quickly and seamlessly based on the audio data in the buffer memory. Audio data of certain time durations respectively corresponding to a past and a future with respect to a cue point is also stored into a cue point memory, and when a command to start random access playback is given and/or the jog dial is manipulated, quick random access playback and seamless reverse playback, shuttle playback, etc. are performed based on the audio data in the cue point memory.

Information reproducing apparatus capable of performing quick access playback

An information reproduction apparatus which can perform repetitive reproduction is provided. In the apparatus, Information read from an information recording medium is decoded by the plurality of decoding devices. Then a source of an output of the information reproduction apparatus is switched among outputs of a plurality of the decoding devices. If a start position to start repetitive reproduction is designated, another decoding device except one decoding device whose output is currently switched as the source is controlled so as to be able to begin to decode the information on and after the start position. Then if a start instruction is provided, the source is switched from the output of the one decoding device to the output of the another device. Further, the another decoding device is controlled to decode the information on and after the start position, and the one decoding device is controlled to be able to begin to decode the information on and after the start position.

A method of and an apparatus for processing communication data transmitted from a data center such as a sing-along data center to a terminal communication apparatus such as a communication type sing-along apparatus via a communication line. The method and apparatus are such that a data file may be stored in a first memory provided in the terminal communication apparatus when said data file has been transmitted from the data center while the terminal communication apparatus itself is not in operation, a version of the data file stored in the first memory is compared with a version of an existing data file formerly recorded in a second memory provided in the terminal communication apparatus when said terminal communication apparatus is in operation and said second memory is in ON state, the data file formerly recorded in the second memory is replaced by the data file recorded in the first memory if it is determined that the version of the data file recorded in the second memory is older than the version of the data file recorded in the first memory.

Method of and apparatus for processing data transmitted through a communication line

A karaoke reproducing apparatus is equipped a measure for easily checking whether a music piece selected by the user has correctly been accepted or not. The apparatus has a memory in which music title name information of each of the music pieces recorded on a recording medium has previously been stored. When one of the plurality of music pieces is selected by an operation, the music title name information of the selected music piece is soon displayed by characters. The apparatus also has memory means in which music piece classification information of each of the music pieces recorded on the recording medium has previously been stored. An item content selection command to designate the contents of at least one of a plurality of different items included in the music piece classification information is generated in accordance with an operation. The music piece corresponding to the contents of at least one item indicated by the item content selection command is searched for by using the information from the memory means.

Sound reproducing apparatus which utilizes data stored on a recording

Karaoke reproducing apparatus which utilizes data stored on a recording

A Karaoke apparatus in which after one Karaoke play was finished, a show-up effect according to the next Karaoke playing music piece is obtained for a period of time until the start of the next Karaoke play. Control information of a plurality of music pieces is previously reproduced by the reproducing means from the recorded information on a recording medium and is stored in memory. When one of the plurality of music pieces is selected by an operation, the control information corresponding to the selected music piece is read out from the memory and is supplied to the external apparatus to thereby start the operation. After that, the recording medium is played with regard to the selected music piece, thereby starting the reproduction of the Karaoke playing sound. Before the next Karaoke playing sound is generated, the external apparatus starts the operation according to the next Karaoke playing sound, so that the image of the selected music piece to be subsequently played is expressed by the external apparatus.

Karaoke reproducing apparatus

A karaoke reproducing apparatus for recording singing sound together with karaoke play sound, has a facility of printing information on the recorded musical program. The karaoke reproducing apparatus has a memory which contains previously stored recorded music information including at least the title, songwriter's name, and composer's name for each of musical programs recorded on the recording medium. In response to a recording start command, the recorded music information corresponding to a musical program selected by an operation is read from the memory, and output to a printer. Since recorded music information can be printed on a printed member such as a label and preserved as a record when singing sound is recorded together with karaoke play sound, the label, if adhered to a recording medium on which the sound is recorded, allows the user to readily know the recorded contents afterward. According to another aspect of the invention, a karaoke reproducing apparatus has a memory which contains copy right information on each of musical programs recorded on a recording medium. For a recording prohibited musical program, its karaoke play music can be prevented from being recorded so as to appropriately protect the copy right thereof.

A recording medium playing apparatus which is capable of shortening the time required for operating the installation of recording media, and also, of accommodating a plurality of recording media in an accommodating section freely. A plurality of recording media are accommodated in an accommodating section together with a correlative position information recording medium which is recorded relation information related to the recorded contents of each of the plurality of recording media, and correlative position information indicating correlative positions of the plurality of recording media at the time of the accommodated condition, and then, the correlative position information and the relation information reproduced by playing means from the correlative position information recording medium are interrelatedly hold in a memory with respect to a plurality of recording media.

Apparatus for selectively playing a recording medium

A karaoke reproducing apparatus which allows a user to specify one vocal part or both vocal parts of two parts when one piece of music selected from a plurality of pieces of music by the user is a multi-audio type, reproduces only instrumental accompaniment (karaoke) when both parts are specified, and reproduces the vocal sounds of an unspecified one of the two parts together with the instrumental accompaniment when only one part is specified.

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Tokorozawa, Japan

Masahiko Miyashita