Granted Patent B2

US 12,666,099 · App. 18/731,409 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Inventors: Ed Rivera (New York, NY); Michael Tooker (Pointe-Claire, CA); Francois Guy (Montreal, CA); Francois Beaumier (Montreal, CA); Charles Battle (New York, NY); Mounir Khenfir (Montreal, CA); Charles Garneau (Bois-des-Filion, CA)

Assignee: TOUCHTUNES MUSIC COMPANY, LLC

H04N21/2543G06F3/0482G06F3/04842G06Q20/123G06Q20/145G06Q30/0621G10H1/365G11B27/002G11B27/031H04N21/2143H04N21/4112H04N21/41265H04N21/42203H04N21/4302H04N21/4312H04N21/439H04N21/8113G10H2220/106G10H2230/015H04N21/4122H04N21/4223H04N21/4788

Abstract

Claims (34)

1 . A method of recording a karaoke performance in which a karaoke performer sings a song into a microphone connected to a jukebox that is playing the song, the method comprising:

synchronizing times between the jukebox and a portable electronic device;

causing the portable electronic device to capture audiovisual data of the karaoke performance, the audiovisual data including first audio data and first video data;

receiving the captured audiovisual data from the portable electronic device; and

combining, with reference to the synchronized times, the captured audiovisual data with high-quality audio captured by the microphone connected to the jukebox such that the first audio data of the audiovisual data is at least partially replaced with the high-quality audio captured by the microphone in order to produce a new audiovisual data file with the first video data of the received audiovisual data synchronized with the high-quality audio.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a predetermined percentage of the first audio data is replaced with the high quality audio data captured by the microphone such that a desired amount of ambient noise from the first audio data is present in the produced new audiovisual data file.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the combining the captured audiovisual data with the high-quality audio comprises retaining at least some of the first audio data so that ambient noise is present in the produced new audiovisual data file.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying one or more digital effects to the high-quality audio captured by the microphone.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the applying one or more digital effects to the high-quality audio captured by the microphone comprises:

selecting the one or more digital effects to be applied to a data file storing the high-quality audio captured by the microphone, each said digital effect having a corresponding algorithm associated therewith for accomplishing the respective digital effect; and

applying the algorithm(s) for the selected digital effect(s) to the data file storing the high-quality audio captured by the microphone, thereby modifying the data file.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the applying comprises mixing in, blending together, and/or superimposing additional audio data.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining how well the karaoke performer is performing by comparing aspects of the high-quality audio captured by the microphone against a predetermined dominant melody line and/or a predetermined rhythm for the song being performed.

8 . The method of claim 7 , the predetermined dominant melody line and/or the predetermined rhythm being either derived from the song being performed by a comparison module or retrieved from a data store including pre-derived data.

9 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising adjusting the microphone's volume in dependence on the determination.

10 . A digital jukebox system, comprising:

a digital jukebox device comprising processing resources including at least one processor and a memory, the processing resources being configured to cause the digital jukebox device to enable a karaoke performer to participate in a karaoke performance in which the karaoke performer sings a song into a microphone connected to the digital jukebox device that is playing the song; wherein the system further comprises:

a synchronization module configured to cause time to be synchronized between the digital jukebox device and a portable electronic device;

a non-transitory computer readable medium configured to receive audiovisual data of the karaoke performance captured by the electronic device, the audiovisual data including first audio data and first video data; and

a mixer configured to combine, with reference to the synchronized times, the captured audiovisual data with high-quality audio captured by the microphone connected to the jukebox such that the first audio data of the audiovisual data is at least partially replaced with the high-quality audio captured by the microphone in order to produce a new audiovisual data file with the first video data of the received audiovisual data synchronized with the high-quality audio.

11 . The digital jukebox system of claim 10 , wherein a predetermined percentage of the first audio data is replaced with the high quality audio data captured by the microphone such that a desired amount of ambient noise from the first audio data is present in the produced new audiovisual data file.

12 . The digital jukebox system of claim 10 , wherein the produced new audiovisual data file comprises at least some of the first audio data so that ambient noise is present in the produced new audiovisual data file.

13 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising a digital effects filter configured to apply digital effects to the high-quality audio captured by the microphone.

14 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising a performance evaluation module configured to determine how well the karaoke performer is performing by comparing aspects of the high-quality audio captured by the microphone against a dominant melody line and/or a rhythm for the song being performed.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the microphone's volume is adjustable in dependence on the determination by the performance evaluation module.

16 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium tangibly storing a program that, when executed, implement functions comprising:

synchronizing times between a jukebox and a portable electronic device;

causing the portable electronic device to capture audiovisual data, the audiovisual data including first audio data and first video data;

receiving the captured audiovisual data from the portable electronic device; and

combining, with reference to the synchronized times, the captured audiovisual data with high-quality audio captured by a microphone connected to the jukebox such that the first audio data of the audiovisual data is at least partially replaced with the high-quality audio captured by the microphone in order to produce a new audiovisual data file with the first video data of the received audiovisual data synchronized with the high-quality audio.

17 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein a predetermined percentage of the first audio data is replaced with the high quality audio data captured by the microphone such that a desired amount of ambient noise from the first audio data is present in the produced new audiovisual data file.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the produced new audiovisual data file comprises at least some of the first audio data so that ambient noise is present in the produced new audiovisual data file.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the program, when executed, further implements functions comprising applying one or more digital effects to the high-quality audio captured by the microphone.

20 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the program, when executed, further implements functions comprising determining how well a user is performing by comparing aspects of the high-quality audio captured by the microphone against a predetermined dominant melody line and/or a rhythm for a song being performed.

Continuity (11)

References Cited (400)