Brother Kogyo Kabushiki-kaisha

Xing Inc.

Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha and Xing, Inc.

Intec Inc.

Yasuhiro Funahashi

Kazunori Ikami

Yoshihiko Hibino

Osamu Nishimura

Yuji Kiyohara

Yuichi Yasutomo

Yukie Hasegawa

Yasutada Aoyama

Koichi Hayashi

Hiroshi Koie

Hiroshi Nishikawa

Takuma Kuno

Masaru Yasuda

Norio Chaya

Hirokazu Ogaki

Hiroyuki Takada

Takayoshi Urano

Seiko Ishikawa

Tatsuo Matsuda

Hiroshi Matsuhashi

Nobuo Murakami

Naomi Moriguchi

Kazuhiro Fujii

Iwao Sakoguchi

Ryuji Sekiya

Yoshiko Sakoguchi

Toshinori Taniuchi

Tomoko Kurachi

The first auxiliary memory,stores background image information in the form of digital data, and the second auxiliary memory,stores sound information in the form of digital data. When a request is transmitted from the terminal,to the information supplying device,, a background image information of a genre, to which the requested song belongs, is retrieved from the first auxiliary memory,, packetized by the video packetizer,, and outputted to the multiplexer,. A sound information for the requested song is retrieved from the second auxiliary memory,, packetized by the audio packetizer,, and outputted to the multiplexer,. The background image information and the sound information are combined into a single packet data train and outputted to the terminal

Information supplying device that can store multiple types of information and supplies composite information in response to a request

An information provision system including: a plurality of information provision devices, each information provision device including: a memory for storing data; and an information processor for using the data stored in the memory to prepare external-output information; a transmission unit for conveying external-output information provided by the information provision devices; a plurality of output terminals in a number greater than the plurality of information provision devices, each output terminal including: a keyboard by which requests are inputted; request transmission unit for transmitting, according to commands inputted via the keyboard, requests; and output device for outputting information based on external-output information; and a central control device including: request receiver for receiving requests transmitted from the request transmitter; a priority storage unit for storing, for each output terminal, a priority level at which external-output information is to be provided; and command unit for commanding, according to requests and according to priority level stored for requesting output terminals, an information provision device to provide external-output information requested in a request received by the request receiver.

Information provision system

A video reproducing apparatus includes a video data memory for storing video data and a video data table for storing information about whether or not given items of the video data in the video data memory have been reproduced. A backup power supply unit backs up the information in the video data table when power is removed. A song category designation input unit is provided for inputting the song category designated, a video reproducing unit is provided for reproducing video data, and a background video control unit is provided for controlling the component units configured. On the basis of the information held in the video data table, the background video control unit determines whether or not any unreproduced video data remains in the video data belonging to the song category designated by the song category designation input unit. If unreproduced video data is found to exist, the control unit instructs the video reproducing unit to reproduce that unreproduced video data.

Video reproducing apparatus with non-repetitive selecting function

In the karaoke system 1, a center 3 is connected to a plurality of karaoke terminals 5 by a coaxial cable 7. The center 3 divides the karaoke song data stored in the memory device 13 over several channels and transmits all the karaoke song data within a fixed time period in succession to the karaoke terminals 5 via the coaxial cable 7. This operation is performed regardless of whether or not a song is requested from one of the karaoke terminals 5. Whether the karaoke data transmitted in succession is data of a requested song is determined by the control portion 41 of a karaoke terminal 5. If so, karaoke performance processes are performed wherein the karaoke data is reproduced and the orchestral accompaniment and lyric image is outputted.

Data transmission system for distributing video and music data

In a karaoke system, a central terminal and a plurality of karaoke terminals are connected by a coaxial cable. A polling modem modulates a polling signal to a predetermined channel signal and transmits it to a karaoke terminal and also receives a response signal (signal for responding as to whether a song has been requested) transmitted from the karaoke terminal in response to the polling signal. When a song is requested, the data transmission control portion retrieves the karaoke song data of the requested song from the memory, modulates it via the data transmission modem into an alternating current signal that differs from the channel of the polling signal, and transmits it to the karaoke terminal.

Data transmission system

When the terminal 5 requests a partial access of a desired karaoke song to the center 3 in S380, only the climactic passage data of the karaoke song is transmitted from the center 3 to the terminal 5. The terminal 5 reproduces the climactic passage in S400. Then, the terminal 5 determines whether or not the user will pay for the karaoke song in S410. When the payment is confirmed, the terminal 5 requests total access to the center 3 in S340, receives the entire data of the karaoke song in S350, and reproduces the data in S360. It is possible to prevent the user from erroneously requesting a total access of a karaoke song which the user does not want to sing. It is ensured that the user can obtain karaoke songs which he/she really wants to sing, within a short period of time.

Data transmission device

Each of the data transmission devices 15a-15d serially and cyclically transmits all the song data over a corresponding channel, by a time cycle corresponding to the number of the song data. The four data transmission devices 15a-15d transmit the song data, at timings shifted from one another by (1/the number of channels) of the time cycle. Each terminal determines one channel out of the four channels that can most rapidly supply desired song data. Each terminal then picks up the desired song data from the determined channel.

Disclosed is an improved fire alarm system for an information providing system having a plurality of terminal devices for providing information to a plurality of operators, respectively. The fire alarm system is provided with a fire detecting sensors. If a fire is detected, a predetermined signal is transmitted to a controller. The controller controls each of the plurality of terminal devices to indicate an alarm information to the operator when the predetermined signal is received.

Fire alarm system

The memory device 13 in the center 3 stores a plurality of information data categorized in a plurality of genres. The input device 43 of the terminal 5 selects an information data desired to be obtained, out of the plurality of information data stored in the memory device 13. The control portion 41 in the terminal 5 receives the desired information data and reproduces the desired information, when the desired information data is of a genre the terminal is contracted for. The control portion 41 does not reproduce the desired information or reproduces the desired information in a manner so that the user may not obtain when the desired information data is out of the genre the terminal is contracted for.

The clock demodulator 25 continually demodulates the clock signal of the control CPU 7 transmitted from the clock modulator 10 of the center S. The terminal control CPU 23 performs processes such as transmission and reception of data with the demodulated clock signal as a reference clock. The time required to synchronize the clocks of the CPUs 7 and 23 is eliminated. Transmission and reception of data is executed quickly as soon as right of transmission is transferred to a terminal.

Data transmission system having dedicated clock channel

A compact image karaoke device with only a small number of image disks which provides the impression of having a great many background images. Two players are provided for reading background images from image disks. Background images are selected from at least one image unit group corresponding to at least one image genre corresponding to selected song genre and are read by the two players and changed at random, for example, every 30 seconds. By editing the display of background images in this manner, a great number of background image series can be obtained for combinations of the background images. Images obtained and displayed corresponding particularly to the starting portion of the song are provided only on the number of images available. Therefore, even if a great number of songs are consecutively selected, a user will not feel as though the same images are being repeatedly shown.

Image karaoke device

When a song data group of a requested song comes in the normal mode ('Yes' in S230, ) the terminal 5 picks up that song data D5 in S240. When the song data group of the requested song does not arrive ('No' in S230,) the terminal first judges in S250 whether or not it is necessary to rapidly obtain the song data of the requested song. If the terminal is presently playing a karaoke performance, it is unnecessary to rapidly obtain the song data of the requested song, and therefore the terminal waits for the song data that will come in the normal mode. If the terminal is not conducting a karaoke performance (i.e., 'No' in S250), the terminal should be rapidly supplied with the requested song. When it is determined that the requested song will come soon ('Yes' in S290 or S300,) the terminal still waits for the song data that will come in the normal mode. On the other hand, when it is determined that the requested song will not come soon, the terminal transmits request data to the center 3 to request the center 3 to transmit the requested song data to the terminal 5 in the urgent mode.

One-way data transmission device with two-way data transmission function

In a data transmission system, a center and a plurality of terminals are connected by a coaxial cable. The center is controlled by a server to transmit mode sense polling signals in succession every predetermined time (for example every 30 seconds) to all of the karaoke terminals connected to the center. The center determines whether each terminal is in a karaoke mode or not based on the mode response signal transmitted from each terminal in response to the mode sense polling signals. The center then transmits request polling signal only to terminals determined as being in the karaoke mode, confirms whether a request for a song has been made, and transmits karaoke data to those terminals that have a request.

The music number is input through the panel switch arranged in the music accompanying apparatus. The modulated music number signal by the modulation-demodulation device is transmitted to the control apparatus through the coaxial cable. In the control apparatus, the music number data signal is received through the coaxial cable, and further demodulated into the music number data by the modulation-demodulation device. The controller reads out the various music data. At the same time, the controller controls the four video disc devices so that the four video picture data each of which is corresponded to the different music genre, are reproduced by the video disc devices. Thereafter, both the various music data and the four video picture data are mutually superimposed through the head amplifier after modulated by each of the modulators and transmitted to each of the music accompanying apparatuses through the coaxial cable. In the music accompanying apparatus, one of the four video picture data is selected by the video tuner based on the song tone data and both the video picture and the song text are displayed on the video monitor at the same time through picture synthesizing circuit.

Control system for concentratively controlling a plurality of music

An entertainment apparatus includes a loudspeaker for producing an orchestral background for singer's accompaniment and a TV monitor for displaying a background video relevant to a song sang by the singer. In a compact disk, accompaniment data and corresponding song text data are recorded with respect to each of a plurality of songs, and in a video disk, stored are a plurality of background video data each being used in conjunction with a song selected. When a desired song is selected, its accompaniment data and the corresponding song text data are read from the compact disk and one of the plurality of background video data is read from the video disk. The song text data is superimposed on the background video data so that the song text and the background video are superimposedly displayed on the TV monitor. In synchronous with the display on the TV monitor, the accompaniment data is reproduced from the loudspeaker to give an orchestral background for singers.

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Yasuhiro Funahashi