Cellular Automata Music Generator

• US 20080066609A1
• Filed: 06/14/2005
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Condition30 Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Condition30 Incorporated
• Inventors: Bourgeois, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 7,498,504 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/609
• 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 2210/111 Automatic composing, i.e. using predefined musical rules
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/021 Mobile ringtone, i.e. generation, transmission, conversion or downloading of ringing tones or other sounds for mobile telephony; Special musical data formats or protocols herefor mobile telephone transmission specifically adapted for electrophonic musical tools or instruments G10H2240/251
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/056 MIDI or other note-oriented file format
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations

Abstract

The Cellular Automata Music Generator (CAMG) is a software platform, application and engine that generates and modifies musical compositions in real-time using a system of networked modules that utilize the 1-dimensional cellular automata (CA) mathematical model. The music compositions are non-looping (i.e. the same few bars of music do not repeat over and over), can be any length, can have low memory and processing requirements compared to looping WAV or MP3 files, and follow psychoacoustic principles. The music generated is ever evolving and can be globally altered based on one-parameter change. The music engine can be utilized in computer games or to generate unique ringtones or any musical composition for cell phones or other mobile devices based on ten-digit inputs, such as telephone numbers. The ringtones or musical pieces can be generated automatically based on the telephone number of the in-coming telephone call, or manually by the user, who inputs a selected numerical sequence. It can also be used as an audio caller identification system.

Claims

1. A music generator comprising a plurality of networked 1-dimensional cellular automata initialized based on an input;

wherein at least one of said cellular automata organized to act as a virtual musician, and said networked cellular automata generate a MIDI note for a composition.

2. The music generator of claim 1 wherein a first 1-dimensional cellular automata determines the arrangement of said composition by selectively updating said plurality of 1-dimensional cellular automata.

3. The music generator of claim 2 wherein said plurality of 1-dimensional cellular automata determine musical parameters for said composition, including a pitch, a rhythm, a velocity, a duration, a MIDI controller value, and an arrangement.

4. The music generator of claim 3 wherein said rhythm is generated by a second cellular automata wherein each active bit in said second cellular automata corresponds to a single beat within a musical phrase.

5. The music generator of claim 4 wherein said pitch is generated by a third cellular automata wherein the decimal value of said third cellular automata is used to pick a particular note from a lookup table.

6. The music generator of claim 5 wherein said the bit position of said second cellular automata is used to select a note.

7. The music generator of claim 6 wherein said velocity is generated by a fourth cellular automata generating a decimal value between 0 and 127 for said velocity of said note.

8. The music generator of claim 7 wherein said MIDI controller value is generated by a fifth cellular automata generating a range a values associated with said MIDI controller value.

9. The music generator of claim 8 wherein a timing fluctuation is generated by a sixth cellular automata generating a decimal value between −

X, 0, X number of milliseconds to offset the timing fluctuation of said note.

10. The music generator of claim 9 wherein said duration is generated using a seventh cellular automata generating a decimal value between 0 and X for determining the duration value of said note.

11. A method of generating a musical composition based upon a phone number digit sequence, by using a 1-dimensional cellular automata music generator to create said musical composition determined by a sequence of digits contained in said phone number utilized as initial parameters.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said music composition is a telephone ring tone and said phone number digit sequence is an incoming phone number digit sequence.