Systems and methods for creating, modifying, interacting with and playing musical compositions

• US 20070071205A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medialab Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Medialab Solutions LLC
• Inventors: Georges, Alain, Loudermilk, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 8,989,358 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/162
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0025 Automatic or semi-automatic music composition, e.g. producing random music, applying rules from music theory or modifying a musical piece automatically producing a series of tones G10H1/26
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/056 MIDI or other note-oriented file format
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/061 MP3, i.e. MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, lossy audio compression
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/145 Sound library, i.e. involving the specific use of a musical database as a sound bank or wavetable; indexing, interfacing, protocols or processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/165 Memory card, i.e. removable module or card for storing music data for an electrophonic musical instrument
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/211 Random number generators, pseudorandom generators, classes of functions therefor musical processes using white noise or nonwhite noise generators G10H2250/295; noise formant generator G10H2250/495; magnetic or electromagnetic noise shielding G10H2220/565
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4285 Notifying, informing or entertaining a held party while on hold, e.g. Music On Hold

Abstract

Systems and methods for creating, modifying, interacting with and playing music are provided, particularly systems and methods employing a top-down process, where the user is provided with a musical composition that may be modified and interacted with and played and/or stored (for later play), and particularly in a form that may be employed in one or a plurality of music generation music that provide on-hold music to callers that are put on-hold in a telephony environment. The system preferably is provided in a handheld form factor, and a graphical display is provided to display status information, graphical representations of musical lanes or components which preferably vary in shape as musical parameters and the like are changed for particular instruments or musical components such as a microphone input or audio samples. An interactive auto-composition process preferably is utilized that employs musical rules and preferably a pseudo random number generator, which may also incorporate randomness introduced by timing of user input or the like, the user may then quickly begin creating desirable music in accordance with one or a variety of musical styles, with the user modifying the auto-composed (or previously created) musical composition, either for a real time performance and/or for storing and subsequent playback. The graphic information preferably is customizable by a user, such as by way of a companion software program, which preferably runs on a PC and is coupled to the system via an interface such as a USB port. A modified MIDI representation of music is employed, preferably, for example, in which musical rule information is embedded in MIDI pitch data, and in which sound samples may be synchronized with MIDI events in a desirable and more optimum manner. The system architecture preferably includes a microprocessor for controlling the overall system operation. A synthesizer/DSP preferably is provided in order to generate audio streams. Non-volatile memory preferably is provided for storing sound banks. Preferably removable non-volatile storage/memory is provided to store configuration files, song lists and samples, and optionally sound bank optimization or sound bank data. A codec preferably is provided for receiving microphone input and for providing audio output. A radio tuner preferably is provided so that output from the radio tuner may be mixed, for example, with auto-composed songs created by the system, which preferably includes a virtual radio mode of operation.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A method for providing voice call services to a plurality of users comprising the steps of:

providing at least one music engine as part of a voice call service system, wherein the at least one music engine generates music of one of a plurality of styles of music;

receiving a voice call request from a first user for a second user;

wherein the at least one music engine generates music that is audibly provided to the first user during the time while the first user is waiting for the voice call request to be connected to the second user;

wherein, in response to one or more first commands entered by the first user, music of a particular style is selected by the first user and the at least one music engine is controlled so that the at least one music engine generates music of the particular style selected by the first user.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the music comprises on-hold music.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the music of the particular style selected by the first user is modified based on one or more second commands entered by the first user, wherein the at least one music engine is controlled so that the at least one music engine generates modified music of the particular style selected by the first user based on the one or more second commands entered by the first user.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

executing program instructions by the music engine, wherein one or more music composition algorithms are applied to song data in accordance with a song data structure to generate the music, wherein variables are defined during the execution of one or more of the program instructions; and

providing a song data structure, wherein a plurality of parameter locations are provided in the song data structure, wherein data contained in the plurality of parameter locations are made available to the program instructions;

wherein at least a second one of the parameter locations is used by one or more of the program instructions to store parameter data associated with the playback of samples.

6. A method for providing voice call services to a plurality of users comprising the steps of:

providing at least one music engine as part of a voice call service system, wherein the at least one music engine generates music of one of a plurality of styles of music;

receiving a voice call request from a first user for a second user;

wherein the at least one music engine generates music that is audibly provided to the first user during the time while the first user is waiting for the voice call request to be connected to the second user;

wherein, in response to one or more first user commands, music of a particular style is selected and the at least one music engine is controlled so that the at least one music engine generates music of the particular style.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the music is on-hold music.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the music of the particular style selected is modified based on one or more second user commands, wherein the at least one music engine is controlled so that the at least one music engine generates modified music of the particular style selected based on the one or more second user commands.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more second user commands are entered by the first user.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

executing program instructions by the music engine, wherein one or more music composition algorithms are applied to song data in accordance with a song data structure to generate the music, wherein variables are defined during the execution of one or more of the program instructions; and

providing a song data structure, wherein a plurality of parameter locations are provided in the song data structure, wherein data contained in the plurality of parameter locations are made available to the program instructions;

wherein at least a second one of the parameter locations is used by one or more of the program instructions to store parameter data associated with the playback of samples.