APPARATUSES, METHODS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS INVOLVING PLAYING MUSIC BY MEANS OF PORTABLE COMMUNICATION APPARATUSES AS INSTRUMENTS

• US 20070283799A1
• Filed: 10/03/2006
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Gustavsson, Stefan Bengt, Hansson, Magnus Fredrik, Carruthers, Carl Andrew
• Application Number:
  US11/538,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20070283799A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/645
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0083 using wireless transmission, e.g. radio, light, infrared
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/175 for jam sessions or musical collaboration through a network, e.g. for composition, ensemble playing or repeating; Compensation of network or internet delays therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/251 Mobile telephone transmission, i.e. transmitting, accessing or controlling music data wirelessly via a wireless or mobile telephone receiver, analog or digital, e.g. DECT GSM, UMTS smartphone, PDA or palmtop used for musical purposes G10H2230/015; mobile ringtone G10H2230/021
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/311 MIDI transmission G10H2240/056 takes precedence

Abstract

Apparatuses, methods and computer program products involving playing music by means of portable communication apparatuses, e.g. mobile telephones, as instruments. According to an embodiment of the invention, a method for generating music data in a portable communication apparatus is provided. A first stream of music data from a first music data generator and a second stream of music data from a second music data generator are received by means of a mixer device of the portable communication apparatus. Furthermore, the first and the second streams of music data are mixed to a third stream of music data. The third stream of music data is fed to a music data player of the portable communication apparatus for playing the third stream of music data.

Claims

1. A method for generating music data in a portable communication apparatus, comprising:

receiving in a mixer device of the portable communication apparatus at least a first stream of music data from a first music data generator and a second stream of music data from a second music data generator;

mixing the first and the second streams of music data to obtain a third stream of music data; and

feeding the third stream of music data to a music data player of the portable communication apparatus for playing the third stream of music data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first music data generator is included in the portable communication apparatus.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second music data generator is located external to the portable communication apparatus.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises receiving music data in at least one MIDI message, that includes instrument data that identifies a type of instrument used to generate the music data.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the receiving of the second stream of music data includes receiving the second stream of music data via a radio transceiver.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising, prior to receiving the first stream of music data:

detecting input data generated in response to a user interacting with the first music data generator; and

generating the first stream of music data in response to the input data.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

transmitting via a radio transceiver the first stream of music data to a second mixer device external to the portable communication apparatus.

8. A method for generating music data comprising:

receiving, in a mixer device, at least a first stream of music data from a first portable communication music data generator of a first apparatus external to the mixer device;

receiving, in a mixer device, a second stream of music data from a second music data generator of a second portable communication apparatus external to the mixer device;

mixing the first and the second stream of music data to obtain a third stream of music data; and

transmitting the third stream of music data to at least one of the first and second portable communication apparatuses.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

feeding the third stream of music data to a music data player of the mixer equipment for playing the third stream of music data.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the receiving comprises receiving music data in at least one MIDI message that includes instrument data that identifies a type of instrument used to generate the music data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the third stream of music data in the MIDI file format, and incorporating in the third stream of music data the type of instrument used to generate the third stream of music data having the MIDI file format.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first and second streams of music data are received via a radio transceiver.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the third stream of music data is transmitted via a radio transceiver.

14. A method for providing music data to a mixer device from a music data generator of a portable communication apparatus, the mixer device being external to the portable communication apparatus, the method comprising:

detecting input data generated in response to a user interacting with the music data generator;

generating a first stream of music data in response to the input data;

transmitting the first stream of music data to the mixer device;

receiving, from the mixer device, a second stream of music data, the second stream of music data being based on the first stream of music data and one or more other streams of music data generated by one or more other music data generators; and

feeding the second stream of music data to a music data player of the portable communication apparatus for playing the second stream of music data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the generating comprises generating the first stream of data in a MIDI file format, and incorporating in the first stream of music data a type of instrument used to generate the music data having the MIDI file format.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the first stream of data in the MIDI file format, and incorporating in the first stream of music data the type of instrument used to generate the music data having the MIDI file format.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the receiving comprises receiving music data in at least one MIDI message that includes instrument data that identifies the type of instrument used to generate the music data.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the transmitting of the first stream of music data comprises transmitting the first stream of music data via a radio transceiver.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiving of the second stream of music data comprises receiving the second stream of music data via a radio transceiver.

20. A computer program product for providing control data in a portable communication apparatus, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein, the computer readable code comprising;

computer readable code configured to provide control data for a connection for receiving in a mixer device of the portable communication apparatus at least a first stream of music data from a first music data generator and a second stream of music data from a second music data generator;

computer readable code configured to provide control data for mixing the first and the second streams of music data to obtain a third stream of music data; and

computer readable code configured to provide control data for feeding the third stream of music data to a music data player of the portable communication apparatus for playing the third stream of music data.

21. A computer program product for providing control data in a mixer device, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein, the computer readable code comprising;

computer readable code configured to provide control data for a connection for receiving, in the mixer device, at least a first stream of music data from a first music data generator of a first portable communication apparatus external to the mixer device, and a second stream of music data from a second music data generator of a second portable communication apparatus external to the mixer device;

computer readable code configured to provide control data for mixing the first and the second stream of music data to obtain a third stream of music data; and

computer readable code configured to provide control data for a connection for transmitting the third stream of music data to at least one of the first and second portable communication apparatuses.

22. A computer program product for providing control data in a portable communication apparatus, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein, the computer readable code comprising;

computer readable code configured to provide control data for detecting input data generated in response to a user interacting with a music data generator of the portable communication apparatus;

computer readable code configured to provide control data for generating a first stream of music data in response to the input data;

computer readable code configured to provide control data for a connection for transmitting the first stream of music data to the mixer device;

computer readable code configured to provide control data for a connection for receiving, from the mixer device, a second stream of music data, the second stream of music data being based on the first stream of music data and one or more other streams of music data generated by one or several other music data generators; and

computer readable code configured to provide control data for feeding the second stream of music data to a music data player of the portable communication apparatus for playing the second stream of music data.

23. A portable communication apparatus for generating music data, comprising:

a mixer device configured to receive at least a first stream of music data from a first music data generator and a second stream of music data from a second music data generator, mix the first and the second streams of music data to obtain a third stream of music data, and feed the third stream of music data to a music data player of the portable communication apparatus for playing the third stream of music data.

24. The portable communication apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first music data generator is included in the portable communication apparatus.

25. The portable communication apparatus of claim 24, wherein the second music data generatoris located in an apparatus external to the portable communication apparatus.

26. The portable communication apparatus of claim 23, wherein the mixer device is configured to receive music data in at least one MIDI message that includes instrument data that identifies a type of instrument used to generate the music data.

27. The portable communication apparatus of claim 25, wherein the portable communication apparatus comprises a radio transceiver operatively connected to the mixer device and the mixer device is configured to receive the second stream of music data via the radio transceiver.

28. The portable communication apparatus of claim 24, wherein the first music data generator is configured to detect input data generated in response to a user interacting with the first music data generator, generate the first stream of music data in response to the input data and transmit the first stream of music data to the mixer device.

29. The portable communication apparatus of claim 28, wherein the portable communication apparatus comprises a radio transceiver operatively connected to the first music data generator and the first music data generator is configured to transmit the first stream of music data to a second mixer device external to the portable communication apparatus via the radio transceiver.

30. The portable communication apparatus of claim 23, wherein the portable communication apparatus is an apparatus selected from the group comprising:

a portable or handheld mobile radio communication equipment, a mobile radio terminal, a mobile telephone, a cellular phone, a pager, a communicator, an electronic organizer, or a smartphone.

31. Mixer equipment for generating music data, comprising:

a mixer device configured to receive at least a first stream of music data from a first music data generator of a first portable communication apparatus external to the mixer equipment and a second stream of music data from a second music data generator of a second portable communication apparatus external to the mixer equipment, mix the first and the second stream of music data to obtain a third stream of music data, and transmit the third stream of music data to at least one of the first and second portable communication apparatuses.

32. The mixer equipment of claim 31, wherein the mixer equipment comprises a music data player operatively connected to the mixer device and the mixer device is configured to feed the third stream of music data to the music data player for playing the third stream of music data.

33. The mixer equipment of claim 31, wherein the mixer device is configured to receive music data in at least one MIDI message that includes instrument data that identifies the type of instrument used to generate the music data.

34. The mixer equipment of claim 31, wherein the mixer device is configured to transmit the third stream of music data in the MIDI file format, and incorporate in the third stream of music data a type of instrument used to generate the third stream of music data having the MIDI file format.

35. The mixer equipment of claim 31, wherein the mixer equipment comprises a radio transceiver operatively connected to the mixer device for receiving the streams of music data.

36. The mixer equipment of claim 31, wherein the mixer equipment comprises a radio transceiver operatively connected to the mixer device for transmitting the third stream of music data.

37. The mixer equipment of claim 31, wherein the mixer equipment is equipment selected from the group comprising:

a server, a music application server, or a loudspeaker equipment.

38. A portable communication apparatus for providing music data to a mixer device external to the portable communication apparatus, comprising:

a music data generator configured to detect input data generated in response to a user interacting with the music data generator, and generate a first stream of music data in response to the input data;

a radio transceiver operatively connected to the music data generator configured to transmit the first stream of music data to the mixer device and receive from the mixer device a second stream of music data, the second stream of music data being based on the first stream of music data and one or more other streams of music data generated by an additional music data generator; and

a music data player operatively connected to the radio transceiver, the music data player being configured to receive the second stream of music data for playing the second stream of music data.

39. The portable communication apparatus of claim 38, wherein the music data generator is configured to generate the first stream of data in a MIDI file format, and incorporate in the first stream of music data a type of instrument used to generate the music data having the MIDI file format.

40. The portable communication apparatus of claim 39, wherein the radio transceiver is configured to transmit the first stream of music data in the MIDI file format, and incorporate in the first stream of music data the type of instrument used to generate the first stream of music data having the MIDI file format.

41. The portable communication apparatus of claim 40, wherein the radio transceiver is configured to receive the second stream of music data in at least one MIDI message that includes instrument data that identifies a type of instrument used to generate the second stream of music data.

42. The portable communication apparatus of claim 38, wherein the portable communication apparatus is an apparatus selected from the group comprising:

a portable or handheld mobile radio communication equipment, a mobile radio terminal, a mobile telephone, a cellular phone, a pager, a communicator, an electronic organizer, or a smartphone.