Coordinating and mixing vocals captured from geographically distributed performers
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- plural geographically-distributed portable computing devices, each having a respective display, microphone interface, and communications interface;
a first one of the plural geographically-distributed portable computing devices configured to receive via its respective communications interface, a first vocal score temporally synchronizable with a backing track and with lyrics, and further configured to, responsive to a selection by a first user thereof, audibly render the backing track and concurrently present corresponding portions of the lyrics on its respective display in temporal correspondence the audible rendering;
audio processing code executable on the first portable computing device to capture and perform a first pitch correction to a vocal performance of the first user in accord with the first vocal score to constitute a first-part vocal performance;
a second one of the plural geographically-distributed portable computing devices configured to receive via its respective communications interface (i) a second backing track including the first-part vocal performance of the first user vocalist captured at the first portable computing device and (ii) a second vocal score temporally synchronizable with the second backing track and with the lyrics, and further configured to, responsive to a selection by a second user thereof, audibly render the second backing track and concurrently present corresponding portions of the lyrics on its respective display in temporal correspondence the audible rendering; and
audio processing code executable on the second portable computing device to capture and perform a second pitch correction to a vocal performance of the second user in accord with the second vocal score to constitute a second-part vocal performance,wherein the second pitch correction includes pitch shifting the vocal performance of the second user to one of a vocal melody position and a harmony position determined based on a prominence of the second-part vocal performance in a coordinated vocal duet based on the first-part and second-part vocal performances.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Despite many practical limitations imposed by mobile device platforms and application execution environments, vocal musical performances may be captured and continuously pitch-corrected for mixing and rendering with backing tracks in ways that create compelling user experiences. Based on the techniques described herein, even mere amateurs are encouraged to share with friends and family or to collaborate and contribute vocal performances as part of virtual “glee clubs.” In some implementations, these interactions are facilitated through social network- and/or eMail-mediated sharing of performances and invitations to join in a group performance. Using uploaded vocals captured at clients such as a mobile device, a content server (or service) can mediate such virtual glee clubs by manipulating and mixing the uploaded vocal performances of multiple contributing vocalists.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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plural geographically-distributed portable computing devices, each having a respective display, microphone interface, and communications interface; a first one of the plural geographically-distributed portable computing devices configured to receive via its respective communications interface, a first vocal score temporally synchronizable with a backing track and with lyrics, and further configured to, responsive to a selection by a first user thereof, audibly render the backing track and concurrently present corresponding portions of the lyrics on its respective display in temporal correspondence the audible rendering; audio processing code executable on the first portable computing device to capture and perform a first pitch correction to a vocal performance of the first user in accord with the first vocal score to constitute a first-part vocal performance; a second one of the plural geographically-distributed portable computing devices configured to receive via its respective communications interface (i) a second backing track including the first-part vocal performance of the first user vocalist captured at the first portable computing device and (ii) a second vocal score temporally synchronizable with the second backing track and with the lyrics, and further configured to, responsive to a selection by a second user thereof, audibly render the second backing track and concurrently present corresponding portions of the lyrics on its respective display in temporal correspondence the audible rendering; and audio processing code executable on the second portable computing device to capture and perform a second pitch correction to a vocal performance of the second user in accord with the second vocal score to constitute a second-part vocal performance, wherein the second pitch correction includes pitch shifting the vocal performance of the second user to one of a vocal melody position and a harmony position determined based on a prominence of the second-part vocal performance in a coordinated vocal duet based on the first-part and second-part vocal performances. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of coordinating a multi-part, vocal performance that includes contributions captured at respective geographically-distributed portable computing devices, the method comprising:
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using a first one of the geographically-distributed portable computing devices for vocal performance capture, the first portable computing device having a display, a microphone interface and a communications interface; responsive to a user selection at the first portable computing device, retrieving via the communications interface (i) a first-part vocal performance of at least one other vocalist captured at a remote second one of the geographically-distributed portable computing devices; and (ii) a vocal score temporally synchronizable with the first-part vocal performance and with lyrics; at the first portable computing device, audibly rendering a backing track including the first-part vocal performance and concurrently presenting corresponding portions of the lyrics on the display in temporal correspondence with the audible rendering; at the first portable computing device, capturing and pitch correcting a second-part vocal performance of the user in accord with the vocal score, wherein the pitch correction includes pitch shifting the second-part vocal performance to one of a vocal melody position and a harmony position determined based on a prominence of the second-part vocal performance in a coordinated vocal duet based on the first-part and second-part vocal performances; and accreting and rendering the coordinated vocal duet from the first-part and second-part vocal performances captured at the respective first and second geographically-distributed portable computing devices. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A first portable computing device comprising:
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a display;
a microphone interface;
a communications interface;a user interface of the portable computing device responsive to a user selection from a user and operable to retrieve, via the communications interface, (i) a first-part vocal performance of at least one other vocalist captured at a remote second portable computing device and (ii) a vocal score temporally synchronizable with the first-part vocal performance and with lyrics; the user interface further operable to cause the first portable computing device to, responsive to the user selection, audibly render a backing track including the first-part vocal performance and concurrently present corresponding portions of the lyrics on the display in temporal correspondence with the audible rendering; audio processing code executable on the first portable computing device configured to capture and pitch correct a second-part vocal performance of the user in accord with the vocal score, wherein the pitch correction includes pitch shifting the second-part vocal performance to one of a vocal melody position and a harmony position determined based on a prominence of the second-part vocal performance in a coordinated vocal duet based on the first-part and second-part vocal performances; and the audio processing code further configured to render the coordinated vocal duet from the first-part and second-part vocal performances captured at the respective first and second portable computing devices. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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Specification