US 6,086,380 A · Personalized karaoke recording studio

Abstract

In a self-operated karaoke recording booth a user is provided with a selection of background scenes from which to choose and also with the option of having the lyrics of the karaoke selection displayed or suppressed. A video camera positioned at the user's eye level is located on the nonreflective side of a one-way mirror and is directed at a specified performer location through the one-way mirror, which is inclined at a forty-five degree angle relative thereto. Messages and video displays are provided to the user by a video display monitor connected to a computer that faces the reflective side of the one-way mirror and is also located at a forty-five degree angle relative thereto. The system is designed to maintain the visual focus of the performer directly into the lens of the video camera throughout the performance and to combine the video camera images with the background scene in such a way as to avoid a double exposure or phantom image of the performer against the background. The performer can choose to have the lyrics of the selected karaoke composition displayed or suppressed. If the election is for a display, the lyrics are displayed at the center of the viewing screen, directly in line with the video camera.

A personalized karaoke recording studio comprising:

a sound insulated booth;
a control panel dividing said sound insulated booth into an occupant enclosure large enough to accommodate a human occupant and an equipment enclosure;
a viewing screen located in said control panel at eye level relative to an occupant of said occupant enclosure;
a video camera located in said equipment enclosure and directed at said viewing screen along a linear camera viewing axis;
a uniformly colored backdrop surface located within said occupant enclosure parallel to said viewing screen and in alignment with said camera viewing axis to provide a neutral backdrop image from said video camera that contrasts sharply with an image of a booth occupant that is located between said backdrop surface and said viewing screen;
a one-way mirror having opposing reflecting and nonreflecting faces and located in said equipment enclosure at an acute angle relative to said camera viewing axis with said nonreflective face exposed to said video camera and with said reflective face exposed to said viewing screen;
a video display screen located in said equipment enclosure and directed toward said reflective face of said one-way mirror at an acute angle relative thereto, whereby images displayed on said video display screen are visible to said human occupant in said occupant enclosure as a reflection from said one-way mirror through said viewing screen while said video camera is concealed from said human occupant by said one-way mirror;
an audio microphone located in said occupant enclosure;
an audio speaker system that can be heard in said occupant enclosure;
and
an audio and video recorder apparatus located in said equipment enclosure;
at least one modular audio and video recordation medium article located in said audio and video recorder apparatus;
audio and video playing means located in said equipment enclosure;
audio selection storage means for electronically storing a plurality of alternatively selectable musical compositions that include both lyrics and music;
video background storage means for electronically storing a plurality of alternatively selectable video background displays;
an occupant input selection means on said control panel for providing electronic occupant input signals;
a central processing system including:
(a) means for transmitting to said video display screen indicia of said selectable musical compositions,
(b) means responsive to said occupant input selection means for providing signals to said audio selection storage means for selecting a single one of said selectable musical compositions as a chosen musical composition and for controlling said audio and video playing means to play at least said music of said chosen musical composition through said audio speaker system,
(c) means for transmitting to said video display screen a choice of selecting between display and suppression of display of lyrics of said chosen musical composition,
(d) means responsive to said occupant input selection means for providing signals to said audio and video playing means to display said lyrics of said chosen musical composition at the center of said video display screen,
(e) means for transmitting to said video display screen indicia of said selectable video background displays,
(f) means responsive to said occupant selection means for providing signals to said video background storage means for selecting a single one of said alternatively selectable video background displays as a chosen video background display,
(g) means responsive to said occupant input selection means for providing signals to said audio and video playing means to play said chosen video background display,
(h) means responsive to said occupant selection means for activating said audio and video playing means and said audio and video recorder apparatus to record audio inputs of said music of said chosen musical composition and from said microphone and video inputs from both said video background storage means and said video camera as images of said human occupant superimposed on images of said chosen background display such that said images of said chosen background display are masked by said images of said booth occupant on said audio and video recordation article;
and
a dispenser for ejecting said audio and video recordation medium article from said audio and video recorder apparatus into said occupant enclosure following recordation thereof.

24 more elements

Personalized karaoke recording studio

Life of this patent

Personalized karaoke recording studio

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15