Entry of musical data in a mobile communication device

• US 20060027080A1
• Filed: 08/05/2004
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schultz, Charles P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,196,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/613
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/38 Chord
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/576 Chord progression
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/021 Mobile ringtone, i.e. generation, transmission, conversion or downloading of ringing tones or other sounds for mobile telephony; Special musical data formats or protocols therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations

Abstract

Within a mobile communication device (100), a method (300) of specifying two or more musical notes for substantially concurrent playback can include receiving (302) an input specifying a root note (FIG. 2) indicating a position on a neck of a stringed instrument and associating (308) at least one column of input keys such as numeric keys (115) of the mobile communication device with a string of the stringed instrument (130). Numeric keys next to one another and within a same column can specify notes which vary by approximately a half-step (130). The method also can include detecting (312) at least one activation of the numeric keys specifying at least one additional note to be played substantially concurrently or in a defined sequence with the root note (FIG. 5), thereby specifying a musical chord.

Claims

1. Within a mobile communication device, a method of specifying musical notes for substantially concurrent playback comprising:

receiving an input specifying a root note, wherein the root note indicates a barred position on a neck of a stringed instrument;

associating at least one column of input keys of the mobile communication device with a string of the stringed instrument, wherein input keys next to one another within a same column specify notes which vary by approximately a half-step; and

detecting an activation of at least one of the input keys specifying at least one additional note to be played substantially concurrently with the root note, thereby specifying a musical chord.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising for each column of input keys representing a string, if no note has been selected, adding to the musical chord a note indicated by the barred position for that string.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising playing, substantially concurrently, the root note, the at least one additional note, and any notes indicated by the barred position if no notes have been specified in that column of input keys.

4. The method of claim 1, said step of receiving an input further comprising receiving at least one additional input specifying whether the root note of the musical chord is sharp, flat, or natural.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, if the at least one additional input specifies a sharp or flat root note, adjusting each note of the musical chord sharp or flat respectively by a same amount as the root note.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a graphical representation of a portion of a neck of the stringed instrument, wherein the portion is selected by the root note; and

displaying notes on the graphical representation of the portion of a neck as notes are selected via the mobile communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each column of input keys corresponds to a different string of the stringed instrument.

8. The method of claim 1., further comprising:

receiving an input selecting a new root note; and

adjusting notes of the musical chord according to the new root note, wherein the resulting musical chord has the same musical quality as the musical chord of said detecting step.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of specifying a sequence for playing the root note and the at least one additional note forming the musical chord.

10. A mobile communication device configured to play at least two notes substantially concurrently comprising:

means for receiving an input specifying a root note, wherein the root note indicates a barred position on a neck of a stringed instrument;

means for associating at least one column of input keys of the mobile communication device with a string of the stringed instrument, wherein input keys next to one another within a same column specify notes which vary by approximately a half-step; and

means for detecting an activation of at least one of the input keys specifying at least one additional note to be played substantially concurrently with the root note, thereby specifying a musical chord.

11. The mobile device claim 10, further comprising, for each column of input keys representing a string, if no note has been selected, means for adding to the musical chord a note indicated by the barred position of that string.

12. The mobile device of claim 10, further comprising means for playing, substantially concurrently, the root note, the at least one additional note, and any notes indicated by the barred position if no notes have been specified in that column of input keys.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 10, said means for receiving an input further comprising means for receiving at least one additional input specifying whether the root note of the musical chord is sharp, flat, or natural.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 13, further comprising means for adjusting each note of the musical chord sharp or flat by a same amount as the root note, when the at least one additional input specifies a sharp or flat root note respectively.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 10, further comprising:

means for presenting a graphical representation of a portion of a neck of the stringed instrument, wherein the portion is selected by the root note; and

means for displaying notes on the graphical representation of the portion of a neck as notes are selected via the mobile communication device.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 10, wherein each column of input keys corresponds to a different string of the stringed instrument.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 10, further comprising:

means for receiving an input selecting a new root note; and

means for adjusting notes of the musical chord according to the new root note, wherein the resulting musical chord has the same musical quality as the musical chord formed with said means for detecting.

18. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a mobile communication device for causing the device to perform the steps of:

receiving an input specifying a root note, wherein the root note indicates a barred position on a neck of a stringed instrument;

associating at least one column of input keys of the mobile communication device with a string of the stringed instrument, wherein input keys next to one another within a same column specify notes which vary by approximately a half-step; and

detecting an activation of at least one of the input keys specifying at least one additional note to be played substantially concurrently with the root note, thereby specifying a musical chord.

19. The machine readable storage of claim 18, further comprising for each column of input keys representing a string, if no note has been selected, adding to the musical chord a note indicated by the barred position for that string.

20. The machine readable storage of claim 18, said step of receiving an input further comprising:

receiving at least one additional input specifying whether the root note of the musical chord is sharp, flat, or natural; and

if the at least one additional input specifies a sharp or flat root note, adjusting each note of the musical chord sharp or flat respectively by a same amount as the root note.

21. The machine readable storage of claim 18, further comprising:

presenting a graphical representation of a portion of a neck of the stringed instrument, wherein the portion is selected by the root note; and

displaying notes on the graphical representation of the portion of a neck as notes are selected via the mobile communication device.

23. The machine readable storage of claim 18, wherein each column of input keys represents a different string of the stringed instrument.

24. The machine readable storage of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving an input selecting a new root note; and

adjusting notes of the musical chord according to the new root note, wherein the resulting musical chord has the same musical quality as the musical chord of said detecting step.