Audio reproduction apparatus, method, computer program

• US 20070044641A1
• Filed: 01/28/2004
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Breebaart, Dirk, McKinney, Martin, Van Paepegem, Ludovic, Van De Par, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,518,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/612
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/062 used as a control parameter for the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0686 Timers, rhythm indicators or pacing apparatus using electric or electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0038 Sports
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/42 comprising tone forming circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/076 for extraction of timing, tempo; Beat detection
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/336 Control shoe or boot, i.e. sensor-equipped lower part of lower limb, e.g. shoe, toe ring, sock, ankle bracelet or leg control attachment
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/371 Vital parameter control, i.e. musical instrument control based on body signals, e.g. brainwaves, pulsation, temperature or perspiration; Biometric information
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/131 Library retrieval, i.e. searching a database or selecting a specific musical piece, segment, pattern, rule or parameter set
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/00 Speech or audio signals analysis-synthesis techniques for redundancy reduction, e.g. in vocoders; Coding or decoding of speech or audio signals, using source filter models or psychoacoustic analysis in musical instruments G10H
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

The audio reproduction apparatus (100) for sports training purposes comprises a tempo derivation unit (103) for deriving a selected tempo (T) on the basis of a data signal (d1, d2, d3) e.g. from a sports measurement device such as a heart rate meter; and an audio conditioning unit (104) arranged to deliver based on the input audio signal the output audio signal, with a tempo within a predefined accepted deviation from the selected tempo (T), whereby the audio conditioning unit (104) comprises a tempo calculation unit (106) arranged to calculate an input tempo (TI) of the input audio signal, and the audio conditioning unit (104) is arranged to deliver the output signal in dependence of the input tempo (T).

Claims

1. An audio reproduction apparatus (100) suitable for use during sports training comprising:

an input (101) for inputting an input audio signal (i);

an output (102) for outputting an output audio signal (o);

a user behavior identification unit capable of providing a data output; and

an audio conditioning unit (104) for conditioning the output audio signal (o) dependent on the data output from the user behavior identification unit,

characterized in that;

the user behavior identification unit is a tempo derivation unit (103) for deriving the data output being a selected tempo (T), on the basis of a data signal (d1, d2, d3);

the audio conditioning unit (104) comprises a tempo calculation unit (106) arranged to calculate an input tempo (TI) of the input audio signal (i); and

the audio conditioning unit (104) is arranged to deliver the output audio signal (o) with an output tempo (TO) within a predefined deviation (d) from the selected tempo (T), the output signal (o) depending on the input tempo (TI).

2. An audio reproduction apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprising selection means (150) capable of selecting as the input audio signal (i) a piece of audio from an audio source (120), and wherein the audio conditioning unit (104) is arranged to deliver the output audio signal (o) based on the input audio signal (i) if a condition is met, being:

the absolute difference between the selected tempo (T) and the input tempo (TI) is below the predefined deviation (d).

3. An audio reproduction apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the audio conditioning unit (104) further comprises an audio processing unit (108), arranged to derive, based upon the input audio signal (i), the output signal (o) with an output tempo (TO) closer to the selected tempo (T) than the input tempo (TI).

4. An audio reproduction apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the audio conditioning unit (104) comprises an audio processing unit (108), arranged to construct, based on the input audio signal (i), the output audio signal (o) with an output tempo (TO) closer to the selected tempo (T) than the input tempo (TI), and with an output pitch substantially equal to an input pitch of the input signal (i).

5. An audio reproduction apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the audio processing unit (108) is arranged to construct the output audio signal (o) by

starting from a substantially zero value output audio signal (o), adding input audio segments of consecutive samples of the input audio signal (i) to the output audio signal (o), at output time instances determined by the ratio between the selected tempo (T) and the input tempo (TI),

the input audio segments being selected on the basis of a predefined audio segment similarity criterion,

and the samples in the segments being weighed by a predefined weighing function before being added to the output audio signal (o).

6. An audio reproduction apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the audio processing unit (108) comprises a local tempo variation unit (210), arranged to apply between a first input audio segment and a first output audio segment, based on the first input audio segment, a first tempo adjustment with a first tempo change, and to apply between a second input audio segment and a second output audio segment, based on the second input audio segment, a second tempo adjustment with a second tempo change, whereby the first tempo change is different from the second tempo change.

7. An audio reproduction apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprising a workout scheme specification unit (180), arranged to allow a specification of a series of consecutive selected tempos (T).

8. A method for delivering an output audio signal with an output tempo (TO) within a predefined deviation (d) from a selected tempo (T) comprising:

inputting an input audio signal (i);

deriving a selected tempo (T) on the basis of a data signal (d1, d2, d3); and

delivering based on the input audio signal (i) an output audio signal (o), with an output tempo (TO) within a predefined deviation from the selected tempo (T),

characterized in that an input tempo (TI) of the input audio signal (i) is calculated, and the output signal (o) is delivered in dependence of the input tempo (TI).

9. A computer program product comprising commands enabling a processor to execute the method of claim 8.