System and methodology of data communications

• US 20080065983A1
• Filed: 11/01/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bama Gaming LLC (Equitable IP Corporation)
• Original Assignee: OL Security LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Sitrick, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,111,462 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/273
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/002 Electrically operated systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/023 Electrically operated
• CPC Class Codes: G10G 1/00 Means for the representation of music
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/015 Musical staff, tablature or score displays, e.g. for score reading during a performance

Abstract

A musical workstation system produces a display presentation in one of a musical composition responsive to musical composition data and responsive to one or both of input variables and a selected operating mode. The system is comprised of (1) means to provide the musical composition data (such as local storage (ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, hard disk etc.), or via a communications interface to an external device (such as another music workstation, a master controller, a computer), a memory, a selection subsystem, a controller, and a display subsystem. The memory selectively stores the received original musical compositions. The selection subsystem determines a selected operating mode and display format. The controller, responsive to the selection subsystem, provides means for selectively controlling the storing of the musical composition data in memory and selectively processing (e.g. altering) the stored musical composition data responsive to the selected operating mode and the input variables to produce a particular one of a plurality of processed results, such as external communications, operating, mode, transformation to derivative musical compositions, etc. The music workstation can coordinate communications, or be a slave device, with one or more external devices, such as other music workstations, a master workstation, a controller, etc. The display system provides for selection of original compositions, creation of derivative compositions, distribution of compositions, monitoring of each performer'"'"'s performance, group virtual performances, and also allows for local and distributed retrieval and editing of musical compositions.

Claims

1. A workstation system for use by a user in providing a response to a display presentation, said system comprising:

memory providing storage of display data representative of the display presentation;

display apparatus providing a display presentation responsive to the display data;

input apparatus responsive to the user responding to the display presentation of respective associated data, providing user data output;

a processor, comparing the user data output to the respective associated display data; and

wherein the processor provides modifying of the display presentation of the display data responsive to the comparing.

2. The system as in claim 1,

wherein the modifying is comprised of re-synchronizing a fixed rate of sequencing of portions of the display presentation to re-synchronize the display of the display data to the response by the user responsive to the comparing.

3. The system as in claim 1,

wherein the modifying is comprised of displaying response variance data responsive to the comparing.

4. The system as in claim 1,

wherein the workstation system provides modifying of sequencing and timing of the display presentation responsive to the input from the user.

5. The system as in claim 4,

wherein the display data is comprised of timing information data;

and

wherein the sequencing and timing of the display presentation is controlled responsive to the timing information data.

6. The system as in claim 1,

wherein the processor provides for a display presentation of the differences between the display data and the user data output, responsive to the comparing.

7. The system as in claim 1,

wherein the user data output is comprised of at least one of an analog signal, digital data, audible performance data, visual performance data, keyboard-based input, a switch output, and control data.

8. A display presentation system for use by a user, said system comprising:

a first workstation apparatus, comprising;

memory storing display data representative of a display presentation corresponding thereto;

a display apparatus providing a display presentation responsive to the display data;

a processing subsystem providing progressing of portions of the display presentation responsive to the display data; and

a mode controller managing the operation of the first workstation apparatus in at least one selected automated operational mode to provide for automated progression of the display presentation.

12. The system as in claim 8,

wherein the selected automatic operational mode is comprised of at least one of teacher mode, conductor mode, orchestra mode, leader-member mode, master-slave mode, and networked virtual performance mode.

9. The system as in claim 9, further comprising:

an input apparatus providing an output of user data responsive to the user;

wherein the processing subsystem provides analyzing of the user data, and the display data; and

wherein the processing subsystem provides an output of individual workstation data responsive to the analyzing.

10. The system as in claim 9,

wherein the display data is further comprised of temporal data;

and

wherein the portions of the display presentation are logically sequenced responsive to the temporal data.

11. The system as in claim 9,

wherein the first workstation apparatus provides user-type data;

and

wherein the processor subsystem manages selection of modification of the display data responsive to the user-type data.

13. The system as in claim 11,

wherein the user-type data is representative of at least one of teacher, student, leader-member, conductor, principal, musician, computing subsystem, type, video game player, voice, musical instrument by type, and a specific user.

14. The system as in claim 9,

wherein there is a plurality of other workstation apparatuses;

and

wherein the first workstation apparatus is coupled for communication with at least one other one of the plurality of other workstation apparatuses to form a network.

15. The system as in claim 14,

wherein all of the workstation apparatuses in the network are synchronized to each commence the respective display presentation at approximately the same time.

16. A data communication system for use by a plurality of users, said system comprising:

a plurality of individual workstations each independently capturing an input of a respective user and responsive thereto providing individual user data;

a processing subsystem, synchronizing and combing the individual user data from the plurality of individual workstations to provide an output of combined data;

a communications interface, communicating said combined data to the plurality of individual workstations; and

wherein at least one of the plurality of individual workstations provide at least one of an audio output, a visual output, and an audiovisual output, representative of the combined data for all of the communicating plurality of individual workstations.

17. The system as in claim 16,

wherein the plurality of individual workstations provide for synchronized display presentation.

18. A communications system comprising:

a plurality of individual workstations, each comprising a display apparatus for providing a local visual display presentation and a user input for selectively providing a user data output, responsive to an input provided by a user of that respective individual workstations; and

wherein the system further comprises means, responsive to the user data output from each of the plurality of individual workstations, to provide a combined output of composite data.

19. The communications system as in claim 18,

wherein the plurality of individual workstations each independently capture a performance of the respective user and generate respective individual user data;

wherein the system provides synchronizing and combining of the individual user data from the plurality of individual workstations to generate the composite data;

wherein the system provides communication of said composite data to the plurality of individual workstations; and

wherein at least one of the individual workstations provides a local presentation representative of the combined performance for all of the communicating plurality of individual workstations responsive to the composite data.

20. A method of providing a video display presentation of a selected composition and of a user'"'"'s performance, said method comprising:

storing composition data representative of the selected composition;

generating a display output responsive to the composition data for the selected composition;

displaying the display presentation responsive to the display output;

storing user performance data responsive to the performance by the user, concurrent with the corresponding display presentation responsive to the performance by the user;

comparing the user performance data to the respective associated composition data; and

modifying the display presentation to reflect the result of the comparing.

21. A display system comprising:

an individual subsystem comprising;

a data receiver coupling communicated data for storage as stored data, in memory of the respective individual subsystem; and

a display for providing a visual presentation to the user from at least one of the stored data and the user data output from the individual subsystem; and

a user input for selectively providing a user data output, responsive to a response by a user of that respective individual subsystem, said response provided concurrently to the visual presentation; and

wherein a modified visual presentation is provided responsive to the user data output.

22. The system as in claim 21, further comprising:

a plurality of individual subsystems, the system further comprising;

means to provide a combined output of composite data responsive to the user data output communicated from at least two from the plurality of the individual subsystems.

23. The system as in claim 22, further comprising:

association means for associating a Type to the individual subsystem;

control means for broadcasting display data for multiple separate graphical display presentations corresponding to multiple separate respective Types; and

wherein each of the individual subsystems is further comprised of discrimination means for discriminating between the multiple separate graphical presentations to select a specific one representative of the corresponding respective one of the Types, responsive to the association means and the discrimination means.