Audio information provision system

• US 20020130898A1
• Filed: 01/23/2002
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawamura, Akihisa, Date, Toshihiko, Kobayashi, Ryosuke, Ogawa, Michiko
• Granted Patent: US 6,938,209 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/727
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/636 by using biological or physiological data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/638 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content

Abstract

An audio information provision system for providing a target with an audio information stream suitable to the target includes a database for storing a plurality of audio information streams; an inherent condition input section for receiving an inherent condition of the target; a variable condition input section for receiving a variable condition varying in accordance with time; a selection section for selecting at least one audio information stream from the plurality of audio information streams based on at least the inherent condition and the variable condition; and an output section for outputting the at least one audio information stream.

Claims

1. An audio information provision system for providing a target with an audio information stream suitable to the target, comprising:

a database for storing a plurality of audio information streams;

an inherent condition input section for receiving an inherent condition of the target;

a variable condition input section for receiving a variable condition varying in accordance with time;

a selection section for selecting at least one audio information stream from the plurality of audio information streams based on at least the inherent condition and the variable condition; and

an output section for outputting the at least one audio information stream.

2. An audio information provision system according to claim 1, wherein:

the database stores a plurality of related information streams respectively related to the plurality of audio information streams,

each of the related information streams has a coordinate value representing a position of the corresponding audio information stream in a prescribed coordinate system which defines an impression of audio information streams,

the selection section determines a coordinate value representing a position of the target in the prescribed coordinate system based on the inherent condition and the variable condition, and selects at -least one audio information stream corresponding to at least one related information stream having a coordinate value which is located within a prescribed range from the coordinate value representing the position of the target.

3. An audio information provision system according to claim 2, wherein:

at least one related information stream among the plurality of related information streams includes at least one adjustment information stream which indicates that a distance between a coordinate value included in the at least one related information stream and the coordinate value of the target is adjusted, based on at least one of the inherent condition and the variable condition, and

the selection section changes the coordinate value included in the at least one related information stream.

4. An audio information provision system according to claim 1, further comprising a reserved condition input section for receiving a reserved condition indicating that a preset audio information stream is output by the output section at a preset time, wherein the output section outputs the preset audio information stream at the preset time.

5. An audio information provision system according to claim 1, further comprising an economic condition input section for receiving an economic condition representing a desired cost for the at least one audio information stream, wherein the selection section selects at least one audio information stream, based on the economic condition, from among the at least one audio information stream selected from the plurality of audio information streams based on the inherent condition and the variable condition.

6. An audio information provision system according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of related information streams further include a plurality of physical feature information streams each representing a physical feature of the corresponding audio information stream of the plurality of audio information streams and a plurality of bibliographical information streams each representing a bibliography of the corresponding audio information stream of the plurality of audio information streams.

7. An audio information provision system according to claim 1, wherein the selection section is connected to the inherent condition input section, the variable condition input section and the output section via a communication line.

8. An audio information provision system according to claim 1, wherein the target is one of a commercial space and a public space.

9. An audio information provision system according to claim 1, wherein:

the target is an individual,

the inherent condition represents inherent information of the individual, and

the variable condition represents mood information of the individual.

10. An audio information provision system according to claim 9, further comprising:

an economic condition input section for receiving an economic condition representing a desired cost for the at least one audio information stream;

a mood information analysis section for analyzing the mood information and outputting a mood information analysis result; and

an individual information accumulation section for accumulating the inherent information, the mood information analysis result and the economic condition,

wherein the selection section selects at least one audio information stream, based on the economic condition, from among the at least one audio information stream selected from the plurality of audio information streams based on the inherent information and the mood information analysis result.

11. An audio information provision system according to claim 10, wherein:

the mood information analysis result and the economic condition are accumulated in the individual information accumulation section as individual preference information representing an individual preference, and

the individual preference information is updated each time the mood information analysis result and the economic condition are input to the individual information accumulation section.

12. An audio information provision system according to claim 9, further comprising a satisfaction degree information input section for receiving satisfaction degree information representing a satisfaction degree of the individual for the at least one audio information stream.

13. An audio information provision system according to claim 10, wherein:

the individual information accumulation section accumulates a past selection result provided by the selection section,

the audio information provision system further comprises a feedback section for presenting to variable condition input section, as individual preference information representing an individual preference, the past selection result accumulated in the individual information accumulation section, and

the variable condition input section provides the individual with an input interface based on the individual preference information.

14. An audio information provision system according to claim 9, further comprising:

an economic condition input section for receiving an economic condition representing a desired cost for the at least one audio information stream;

a mood information analysis section for analyzing the mood information and outputting a mood information analysis result; and

an individual information accumulation section for accumulating the inherent information, the mood information analysis result and the economic condition,

wherein the selection section selects at least one audio information stream from the plurality of audio information streams based on instruction information from a musicotherapist based on the inherent information, the mood information analysis result and the economic condition.

15. An audio information provision system according to claim 9, wherein the variable condition input section inputs impression information representing an impression of an audio information stream desired by the individual as the mood information.

16. An audio information provision system according to claim 15, wherein:

the variable condition input section includes a display section,

the variable condition input section provides the individual with a prescribed coordinate system which defines an impression of audio information streams through the display section, and

the impression information is input to the variable condition input section by the individual specifying at least one point in the prescribed coordinate system.

17. An audio information provision system according to claim 16, wherein:

the prescribed coordinate system includes a plurality of words representing the impression, and

the plurality of words are changed in accordance with the type of audio information stream desired by the individual.

18. An audio information provision system according to claim 16, wherein the prescribed coordinate system has a plurality of image parts.

19. An audio information provision system according to claim 16, wherein the impression is represented by at least one of a word, a color and a symbol.