Pioneer Electronic Corporation

Pioneer Electric Corporation

Tsukishima Kikai Co., Ltd.

Masuhiro Sato

Yoshiyuki Akiba

Toshiki Nakai

Kazuhiro Miyamoto

Naoto Inaba

Mitsuyoshi Amano

Masahiro Okamura

Makoto Takanashi

Mashiro Okamura

Hidehiro Ishii

Minoru Morita

Shuji Iwasaki

Masayori Shinohara

Sampei Asai

Michio Ikeda

Naoki Shimada

Sanpei Asai

Yoshihiko Nakazawa

Kazuo Kamezaki

A data management device in a karaoke system which receives a first data file by a receiving unit and is stored in a rewritable memory such as a hard disk. A second data file, recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM, is read out by a reading unit. A file number comparing unit then compares the file numbers of the first and second data file and a file managing unit erases the first data file if the file numbers coincide with each other. In addition, a version comparing unit compares versions of both the first and second data file. If the first data file version is older than the second data file version, then the file managing unit erases the first data file version, so as to ensure that the new version is always used. Furthermore, a detecting unit detects whether data files corresponding to targeted items are recorded in both, the rewritable memory and the recording medium. In the event that data files are recorded in both, the file managing unit erases the data file in the rewritable memory.

Data management device in a karaoke communications system

A music reproduction control apparatus includes: a first storing unit for storing main-digital data; a second storing unit for storing sub-digital data; a first reproducing unit for reproducing main-sound based on the stored main-digital data; a second reproducing unit for reproducing sub-sound based on the stored sub-digital data; a receiving unit for receiving an input signal; a first changing unit for changing a reproducing speed of the first reproducing unit based on the received input signal; a second changing unit for changing a reproducing speed of the second reproducing unit based on the received input signal; a correcting unit for correcting a key of the sub-sound in accordance with a change in the reproducing speed of the second reproducing unit; and a synchronizing unit for synchronizing a timing of changing the reproducing speed of the first reproducing unit with a timing of changing the reproducing speed of the second reproducing unit.

Music production and control apparatus with pitch/tempo control

A karaoke system includes a plurality of terminal systems respectively reproducing music and video images of music pieces, and a center system connected to the plurality of terminal systems. The center system includes a musical performance information storage unit for storing digital performance information relating to music pieces to be reproduced and video image control information relating to video images to be reproduced simultaneously with the music, a plurality of music information generators for generating music information of the music piece on the basis of the digital performance information, video image storage unit for storing a plurality of video images, video image generator for generating a video image from the video image storage unit in accordance with the video image control information, and information transmitter for transmitting the digital performance information and the reproduced video image to the plurality of terminal systems. Each of the plurality of terminal systems includes music information generator unit for generating music information of the music piece on the basis of the transmitted digital performance information, music information reproducer for reproducing the generated music information as musical sound, and video image reproducer for reproducing the transmitted video images simultaneous with the music information.

Karaoke system having a plurality of terminal and a center system

A musical sound producing device produces musical sound from MIDI data. The MIDI data includes play data for producing musical sound of plurality of tones, pitch data for designating pitch of the musical sound and pitch variable/invariable data indicating pitch variable tones and pitch invariable tones. The device includes: MIDI sound source for producing musical sound of tones designated by the play data with pitch designated by the pitch data; and pitch change circuit for changing the pitch data of only pitch variable tones specified by the pitch variable/invariable data in accordance with pitch change information.

Musical sound producing device with pitch change circuit for changing

A melody controlling apparatus is provided with: a reproducing device for reproducing first digital sound source controlling information and melody controlling information related to the first digital sound source controlling information; a memory for storing melody changing information; a melody changing device for reading the melody changing information from the memory according to the melody controlling information reproduced by the reproducing device, and changing the first digital sound source controlling information on the basis of the melody changing information to generate second digital sound source controlling information; and a digital sound source for generating music information signal from the second digital sound source controlling information.

Melody controlling apparatus for music accompaniment playing system the

In a music accompaniment playing system, MIDI (Music Instrument Digital Interface) sound source controlling data to control a MIDI sound source for generating accompaniment music information for music accompaniment playing, and display controlling data to perform a display corresponding to the MIDI sound source Controlling data, are reproduced from a record medium for music accompaniment playing. The display controlling data includes lyrics data corresponding to lyrics for music accompaniment playing, and accompaniment chord data corresponding to an accompaniment chord of the accompaniment music information. A display controlling apparatus for the music accompaniment playing system is provided with: a reading device for reading the display controlling data from the record medium; and an accompaniment chord display controlling device for generating data to display the lyrics on a display having a picture plane and to display the accompaniment chord on the picture plane at a vicinity of the displayed lyrics corresponding to the accompaniment chord, on the basis of the accompaniment chord data in the display controlling data read by the reading device.

Display controlling apparatus for music accompaniment playing system,

A karaoke system includes: reproduction unit for reproducing a MIDI sound source control information for karaoke song from a karaoke data recording medium, the MIDI sound source control information including playing time data of the karaoke songs; operation unit for inputting request of at least one desired karaoke song and karaoke playing time; calculation unit for obtaining playing time data of the requested karaoke songs and for calculating total playing time required for playing all of the requested karaoke songs; determination unit for comparing the total playing time with remaining playing time calculated on the basis of the karaoke playing time and for determining whether all of the requested songs can be played within the remaining playing time or not; and display unit for displaying a notice related to the result of the determination of the determination unit.

Karaoke system and method of managing playing time of karaoke songs

A karaoke apparatus includes: a karaoke information reproducing unit for reproducing MIDI sound source control information stored in a storage unit; a MIDI sound source control unit for producing first MIDI sound source control information and second MIDI sound source control information from the MIDI sound source control information reproduced by the karaoke information reproducing unit; a first MIDI sound source for producing first karaoke accompaniment information from the first MIDI sound source control information; a second MIDI sound source for producing second karaoke accompaniment information from the second MIDI sound source control information; and a mixing unit for mixing the first karaoke accompaniment information and second karaoke accompaniment information to output mixed karaoke accompaniment information.

Apparatus and method of playing karaoke accompaniment

There are disclosed an apparatus adapted to generate musical information of a synthetic sound in accordance with the MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) standard to carry out PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) recording of a natural effect sound including natural sound and/or a human voice such as back chorus to mix them to generate musical accompaniment, thus to mix a voice of singing sung with the musical accompaniment, and a recording medium used for such an apparatus.

Apparatus for reproducing musical accompaniment information

In an image reproducing apparatus, a music information reproducing unit reproduces musical information, lyrics information or still picture information from a music information recording medium on which the musical information, the lyrics information or the still picture information relating to a plurality of music pieces are recorded, and an image information reproducing unit retrieves moving picture information in a predetermined order in correspondence with respective music pieces in the music information recording medium from an image information recording medium on which moving picture information divided into a plurality of moving picture information segments is recorded, and reproducing said picture information segments.

Image reproducing apparatus, image information recording medium, and

A musical accompaniment playing apparatus comprises a MIDI sound source, a phoneme information memory, a playing information memory, a control means, a mixing means and a sound output means. When a user sings a song with a musical accompaniment and a back chorus, the control means controls the MIDI sound source to output an audio signal in accordance with a phoneme information stored in the phoneme memory and a playing information stored in the playing information memory. The output audio signal is mixed with a singing voice of the user at the mixing means and output from the sound output means as a song in harmony with the back chorus.

Musical accompaniment playing apparatus having phoneme memory for chorus

A vacuum filtration apparatus is provided with one or more vacuum chambers fixedly secured at predetermined positions. The interior of the vacuum chamber alternates between a partial vacuum and atmospheric pressure. An endless filter belt has a horizontal section disposed above the vacuum chamber. A slurry is fed from one or more slurry feeders onto the horizontal section of the endless filter belt so as to create a cake of solid particles. Water is fed from one or more water feeders onto the cake to wash the solid particles on the endless filter belt. The endless filter belt intermittently advances by a predetermined length. When the endless filter belt is stopped, the vacuum chamber is under a vacuum so as to draw the liquid constituent from the slurry, thereby obtaining a purified cake of the solid particles. The vacuum filtration apparatus is provided with a coupling bar at which the slurry feeder and the water feeder is attached. The coupling bar can reciprocate along the endless filter belt by the length of the intermittent advancement of the endless belt. Preferably, the coupling bar is connected to a belt advancing device so that the advancement of the endless filter belt causes movement of the slurry feeder and the water feeder in the direction which is the reverse of the direction of advancement of the endless filter belt.

Vacuum filtration apparatus with horizontal filter-like conveyor

A user management system is provided for a musical accompaniment playing (KARAOKE) apparatus. The system comprises an individual information recording medium, an input unit, a music information reproducing unit, a control unit and a calculation unit. The input unit is used to input user identification information and music piece selection. The control unit serves to set a musical environment and to record changes in the environment for the user. The calculation unit makes adjustments based on the number of music pieces recorded on the individual information recording medium.

User management system for musical accompaniment playing apparatus

In a musical accompaniment playing apparatus, a reproducing unit reproduces control information from a recording medium on which control information is recorded according to a MIDI standard, a sound source unit generates musical accompaniment information by the control information, a transducer transforms a singer's voice to voice information, a control unit controls a volume level of the musical accompaniment information according to the singer's ability, mixing unit mixes the musical accompaniment information with the voice information, and an output unit outputs the mixed information as sound.

Musical accompaniment playing apparatus

An apparatus and a method of stopping a spindle motor for rotating a composite disk in a disk player. The composite disk contains a first area having information recorded thereon at a first rotational frequency, and a second area having information recorded thereon at a second rotational frequency which is greater than the first rotational frequency. The spindle motor is stopped when a stop or eject command is instructed during or after information is read from the second area of the composite disk by moving a pickup for reproducing information recorded on the disk to the first area and supplying a counter torque brake signal to the spindle motor, thereby slowing the rotational frequency of the disk to a rotational frequency in which information can be read from the first area. A further counter torque brake signal is supplied to the spindle motor for a predetermined amount of time after the moved pickup begins to read information recorded on the first area to thereby stop the rotation of the composite disk.

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Tokyo, Japan

Masuhiro Sato