Musical interaction assisting apparatus

• US 20070039450A1
• Filed: 06/27/2006
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Nishida, Kenichi, Sakurada, Shinya, Fukada, Atsushi, Nakamura, Yoshinari, Ohshima, Osamu
• Granted Patent: US 7,750,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/616
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/031 Musical analysis, i.e. isolation, extraction or identification of musical elements or musical parameters from a raw acoustic signal or from an encoded audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/005 Non-interactive screen display of musical or status data
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/155 User input interfaces for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/351 Environmental parameters, e.g. temperature, ambient light, atmospheric pressure, humidity, used as input for musical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/455 Camera input, e.g. analyzing pictures from a video camera and using the analysis results as control data
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 5/005 Voice controlled instruments

Abstract

A musical interaction assisting apparatus is to enhance friendliness between an electronic musical instrument and the player. The player'"'"'s actions are detected acoustically, visually or physically, and the interaction assisting apparatus interprets the detected player'"'"'s actions and generates interactive responses thereto. The interactive responses are outputted acoustically, visually or physically for the player, and electronically to control the electronic musical instrument. The interaction assisting apparatus also has a learning function to provide proper responses to the player.

Claims

1. A musical interaction assisting apparatus to be operatively connected to an electronic musical apparatus comprising:

an input device for inputting action information representing user'"'"'s actions in at least a way from among acoustically, visually and physically;

an interpreting device for interpreting said action information inputted via said input device to provide an interpretation result;

a response generating device for generating interactive response signals based on said interpretation result; and

an interactive response output device for outputting an electronic response signal for controlling said electronic musical apparatus and at least an interactive response from among an acoustic, visual and physical interactive responses.

2. A musical interaction assisting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said input device includes a receiver which receives performance information representing a user'"'"'s performance on said electronic musical apparatus;

and

said response generating device includes a learning device which learns from at least either of said inputted action information and said performance information and generates said interactive response signals according to the learned result.

3. A musical interaction assisting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said musical interaction assisting apparatus is of a robot type.

4. A musical interaction assisting apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein

said interactive response output device outputs said visual interactive response by spatially moving said robot type musical interaction assisting apparatus.

5. A musical interaction assisting apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein

said interactive response output device outputs said physical interactive response at least in a way of touching the user and of vibrating itself.

6. A musical interaction assisting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said musical interaction assisting apparatus is incorporated in said electronic musical apparatus.

7. A musical interaction assisting apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein

said interactive response output device includes a display device having a display panel for displaying an image as said visual response.

8. A musical interaction assisting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said input device includes a camera for visually detecting said action information;

and

said interpreting device interprets said visually detected action information as any of an eye movement, a behavior, a facial expression and a gesture of the user.

9. A musical interaction assisting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said input device includes a microphone for acoustically detecting said action information;

and

said interpreting device interprets said acoustically detected action information as any of a language, a music, a call and a noise.

10. A musical interaction assisting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said input device includes a sensor for physically detecting said action information;

and

said interpreting device interprets said physically detected action information as any of a touch, a wag, a clap and a lift.

11. A musical interaction assisting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said interactive response output device includes a loudspeaker and outputs said acoustic interactive response by emitting at least one of a voice and a musical sound from said loudspeaker.

12. A musical interaction assisting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said interactive response output device includes a temperature controlling module and outputs said physical interactive response by controlling the temperature of said musical interaction assisting apparatus using said temperature controlling module.

13. A musical interaction assisting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said interactive response output device outputs a prompt for the user to input a further action subsequent to the previously inputted action information.

14. A computer readable medium for use in a computer being connectable to an electronic musical apparatus and associated with an input device for inputting action information representing user'"'"'s actions in at least a way from among acoustically, visually and physically, said medium containing program instructions executable by said computer for causing said computer to execute:

a process of interpreting said action information inputted via said input device to provide an interpretation result;

a process of generating interactive response signals based on said interpretation result; and

a process of outputting an electronic response signal for controlling said electronic musical apparatus and at least an interactive response from among an acoustic, visual and physical interactive responses.