Patent US4101284A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0457980A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0457980A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for reproducing music and displaying words
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1990-05-22
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2010-05-22
Abstract
Abstract Data for reproducing music and displaying words are composed of binary-coded digital signals. Such signals are down-loaded via a public communication line, or data corresponding to a plurality of musical pieces or songs are previously stored in an apparatus, and the stored data are selectively processed by a CPU. In the instrumental music data, trigger signals are existent for progression of processing the words data, whereby the reproduction of music and the display of words are linked to each other. The music thus reproduced is utilized as background music or for enabling the user to sing to the accompaniment thereof while watching the words displayed synchronously with such music reproduction.
Inventors
- 👤 Mihoji Tsumura
- 👤 Shinnosuke Taniguchi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 13:58
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10H; G10H1/00; G10H1/36; G10H1/361; G10H1/365; G10H1/18; G10H1/26; G10H2240/00; G10H2240/171; G10H2240/201; G10H2240/241; G10H2240/245
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
123 words
A music-reproducing and words-displaying apparatus connected via a public communication line to a host computer having a data base of binary-coded music and words, wherein a unitary format of said data base is constituted of composite music data including binary-coded instrumental music data, binary-coded words data and a data code for retrieval of such data, said apparatus comprising: means for selecting desired composite music data by designation of the data code; memory means for storing the composite music data thus selected; means for operating and processing the composite music data; an amplifier for converting into an analog form the signal processed by said operating means, and then amplifying the analog signal thus obtained; and a display device for visually representing the words thereon.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
60 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: terminal-side control means connected to the host computer via a public communication line and serving to control the composite music data; a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter for converting into an analog form the digital signal processed by said control means; and an amplifier for amplifying the analog signal outputted from said D/A converter.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a words erase command is intermixed with the instrumental music data so as to sequentially erase the words, which are visually represented on the display device, in accordance with progression of the reproduced musical piece or song.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
81 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, further including a plurality of memory means each comprising a main memory for calculating and processing the composite music data of one musical piece or song, and an auxiliary memory for previously storing a predetermined number of composite music data transmitted from the data base, wherein, when any selected music data is existent in the stored content of said auxiliary memory, the selected music data is loaded from said auxiliary memory into said main memory.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
59 words
An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the number of times of loading the music data from said auxiliary memory into said main memory is stored with respect to the individual music data, and any music data not loaded so frequently as to reach the predetermined number of times after the lapse of a fixed time period is erased.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
48 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said memory means consists of an optical disc for storing a multiplicity of music data, and there are further included a drive mechanism for driving said optical disc, and a random access memory (RAM) for storing merely the selected music data.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
An apparatus according to claim 6 and connected via a public communication line to a host computer having a data base inclusive of music data not existent in the stored content of the optical disc.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the optical disc is of an additionally writable type.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said memory means comprises a semiconductor ROM for storing a multiplicity of music data, and a semiconductor RAM for storing merely the selected music data.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said semiconductor RAM is backed up by means of a battery.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
130 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a first video memory for storing the words data; a second video memory having a storage capacity equivalent to teh words data and capable of storing a window adapted to sequentially display a unitary amount of the words data; a CPU for computing and processing the stored contents of said two video memories; a video processor for converting into video signals the stored contents of said two video memories computed by said CPU; a display device for visually representing the words thereon; and an interface for outputting, to said CPU, color change signals intermixed with the instrumental music data so as to change the color of teh words visually represented on said display device and also to change the background color thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
56 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, when said windwo is rendered coincident with a predetermined character position prior to numerical increase of the characters to a maximum thereof on said display device, a signal is outputted from said CPU to scroll a fixed number of lines of the words visually represented on said display device.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
32 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the words data is combined with moving-image video data stored in another optical disc, and teh resultant data are visually represented on said display device.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
148 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a sequencer for processing the instrumental music data sequentially and controlling the visual representation of the words on the display device; a video memory for storing the words data of a single musical piece or song; a character controller for controlling said video memory in response to the signal received from said sequencer; a pattern ROM for storing data of patterns of characters and symbols visually represented on the display device; a color table having data of background colors on the display device; a character generator for converting desired content of said pattern ROM into a dot matrix form on the display device; and a video controller for controlling the display device: wherein progression of the words visually represented on the display device is executed in accordance with reproduction of the music, and the background color is changed synchronously therewith.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein trigger signals are intermixed with the instrumental music data so as to progress the visual representation of the words in accordance with reproduction of the music and also to change the background color synchronously therewith.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
204 words
An apparatus connected via a public communication line to a host computer having a data base of binary-coded composite music data, and capable of transmitting, reproducing and outputting the music data, said apparatus comprising: an interface for transmitting and receiving the data via said public communication line; a CPU for controlling the music data transmitted through said interface; memory means for temporarily storing the music data; a plurality of waveform memories for storing waveform signals obtained by previously sampling the tones of individual musical instruments and encoding such tones; a scale control frequency divider for generating pulses of a desired frequency by demultiplying the frequency of clock pulses used to drive said CPU; a sound volume D/A converter for changing the sound volume in conformity with the sound intensity data designated in the music data; a waveform D/A converter for converting into an analog signal the waveform designated out of the entire waveform signals stored in said waveform memories; and a voltage control amplifier for controlling the output signals of said D/A converters: wherein the data processing time is supervised by said clock pulses, and a desired musical piece or song is reproduced while the words thereof are visually represented on a display device.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein a reverberator is provided in connection with said voltage control amplifier so as to add reverberation effect to the generated signal.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
81 words
An apparatus according to claim 16, further including a plurality of memory means each comprising a main memory for operating and processing the composite music data of one musical piece or song, and an suxiliary memory for reviously storing a predetermined number of composite music data transmitted from the data base, wherein, when any selected music data is existent in the stored content of said auxiliary memory, the selected music data is loaded from said auxiliary memory into said main memory.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
59 words
An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the number of times of loading the music data from said auxiliary memory into said main memory is stored with respect to the individual music data, and any music data not loaded so frequently as to reach the predetermined number of times after the lapse of a fixed time period is erased.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
48 words
An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said memory means consists of an optical disc for storing a multiplicity of music data, and there are further included a drive mechanism for driving said optical disc, and a random access memory (RAM) for storing merely the selected music data.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
35 words
An apparatus according to claim 20 and connected via a public communication line to a host computer having a data base inclusive of music data not existent in the stored content of the optical disc.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the optical disc is of an additionally writable type.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
32 words
An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said memory means comprises a semiconductor ROM for storing a multiplicity of music data, and a semiconductor RAM for storing merely teh selected music data.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
18 words
An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said semiconductor RAM is backed up by means of a battery.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
130 words
An apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising: a first video memory for storing the words data; a second video memory having a storage capacity equivalent to the words data and capable of storing a window adapted to sequentially display a unitary amount of the words data; a CPU for computing and processing the stored contents of said two video memories; a video processor for converting into video signals the stored contents of said two video memories computed by said CPU; a display device for visually representing the words thereon; and an interface for outputting, to said CPU, color change signals intermixed with the instrumental music data so as to change the color of teh words visually represented on said display device and also to change the background color thereof.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
56 words
An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein, when said windwo is rendered coincident with a predetermined character position prior to numerical increase of the characters to a maximum thereof on said display device, a signal is outputted from said CPU to scroll a fixed number of lines of the words visually represented on said display device.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
32 words
An apparatus according to claim 25, whrerin the words data is combined with moving-image video data stored in another optical disc, and the resultant data are visually represented on said display device.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
148 words
An apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising: a sequencer for processing the instrumental music data sequentially and controlling the visual representation of teh words on teh display device; a video memory for storing the words data of a single musical piece or song; a character controller for controlling said video memory in response to the signal received from said sequencer; a pattern ROM for storing data of patterns of characters and symbols visually represented on teh display device; a color table having data of background colors on teh display device; a character generator for converting desired content of said pattern ROM into a dot matrix from on the display device; and a video controller for controlling the display device: wherein pregression of the words visually represented on the display device is executed in accordance with reproduction of teh music, and the background color is changed synchronously therewith.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
42 words
An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein trigger signals are intermixed with the instrumental music data so as to progress the visual representation of the words in accordance with reproduction of the music and also to change the background color synchronously therewith.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.