Graphical user interface for multi-tap delay

• US 20080212667A1
• Filed: 03/01/2007
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sauer, Thomas, Gretscher, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 8,799,819 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/231
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0091 Means for obtaining special acoustic effects combined with modulation G10H1/043
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/281 Reverberation or echo
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/116 for graphical editing of sound parameters or waveforms, e.g. by graphical interactive control of timbre, partials or envelope non-graphical waveform editing G10H2250/615
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/40 Visual indication of stereophonic sound image

Abstract

A multi-tap delay has a graphical user interface in which each delay tap is represented by a bar on a time line. The bars are oriented across the time line, the position of each bar on the time line specifying the amount of delay time of the represented delay tap. The length of each bar specifies the value of another parameter of the represented delay tap.

Claims

1. Multi-tap delay user interface displayed on a display device, the multi-tap delay having at least one delay tap and wherein each delay tap is represented by a bar on a time line, the bars being oriented across the time line, the position of each bar on the time line specifying the amount of delay time of the represented delay tap, and the length of each bar specifying the value of another parameter of the represented delay tap.

2. Multi-tap delay according to claim 1, where the time line is horizontally oriented and the bars are vertically oriented.

3. Multi-tap delay according to claim 1, where the length of each bar can be manipulated by the user, thereby setting or modifying the parameter value of the delay tap specified by the length of the bar.

4. Multi-tap delay according to claim 3, where multiple selected bars can be manipulated by the user at the same time, thereby setting or modifying the parameter values of multiple delay taps in an analogous way.

5. Multi-tap delay according to claim 4, where modifying the length of one of a group of selected bars modifies the lengths of the other bars in the group simultaneously.

6. Multi-tap delay according to claim 1, where the length of the bars can be adjusted by drawing a line across several bars.

7. Multi-tap delay according to claim 1, where the parameter whose value is specified for each delay tap by the length of the bar representing the delay tap is the output level of the delay tap, the frequency band that passes a high pass filter or a low pass filter of the delay tap, or the resonance of a low pass filter and/or a high pass filter of the delay tap.

8. Multi-tap delay according to claim 1, where the parameter whose value is specified for each delay tap by the length of the bar representing the delay tap is the absolute pan value of the tap, each bar extending away from a center line, one side of the center line representing a left pan, the other side of the center line representing a right pan.

9. Multi-tap delay according to claim 1, where the parameter whose value is specified for each delay tap by the length of the bar representing the delay tap is the absolute value of the pitch transposition of the delay, each bar extending away from a center line, one side of the center line representing pitch up, the other side of the center line representing pitch down.

10. Multi-tap delay according to claim 1, where the parameter whose value is specified for each delay tap by the length of the bar representing the delay tap is the frequency band that passes a band pass filter of the tap, said pass frequency band being additionally specified by the position of the bar relative to the direction perpendicular to the time line.

11. Multi-tap delay according to claim 10, where the parameter whose value is specified for each delay tap by the length of the bar representing the delay tap and its position relative to the direction perpendicular to the time line becomes the frequency band cut off by a band reject filter of the tap as soon as the high pass filter cutoff frequency becomes greater than the low pass filter cutoff frequency.

12. Multi-tap delay according to claim 10, where the low pass filter cutoff frequency and the high pass filter cutoff frequency can be modified together by moving the bar in one of the two directions perpendicular to the time line.

13. Multi-tap delay according to claim 1, where the parameter whose value is specified for each delay tap by the length of the bar representing the delay tap is the frequency band cut off by a band reject filter of the tap, said cut off frequency band being additionally specified by the position of the bar relative to the direction perpendicular to the time line.

14. Multi-tap delay according to claim 13, where the low pass filter cutoff frequency and the high pass filter cutoff frequency can be modified together by moving the bar in one of the two directions perpendicular to the time line.

15. Multi-tap delay according to claim 1, where the length of a bar can specify the value of one of a variety of parameters, the parameter whose values are currently specified by the bars being selectable by the user.

16. Computer program comprising computer program code which, when executed on a data processing system, implements the multi-tap delay according to claim 1.

17. In a process to synthesize music with the aid of a data processing system and involving multi-tap delays introduced via a graphical interface into a stored section of sound recording, the improvement comprising using a multi-tap delay and adjusting its parameters as defined in claim 1.

18. A music or sound recording generated with the aid of a data processing system, said music or sound comprising at least one sound effect generated by means of a multi-tap delay in accordance with claim 16.

19. A method of presenting a user interface for controlling a delay of at least one signal, the method comprising:

displaying a region having a first direction which represents time;

displaying at least one geometric shape in the region, a distance specified by a position of the at least one geometric shape along the first direction determining a time delay of a signal associated with the geometric shape and wherein an aspect of the geometric shape specifies another parameter of the presentation of the signal associated with the geometric shape.

20. The method as in claim 19 wherein the at least one geometric shape is a bar and wherein the aspect of the geometric shape represents one (a) output level;

(b) frequency of a band pass filter;

(c) resonance of a filter;

(d) panning of the signal.

21. The method as in claim 20, the method further comprising:

receiving an input to add another geometric shape in the region, a distance specified by a position of the another geometric shape along the first direction determining a time delay of another signal associated with the another geometric shape;

receiving an input which adjusts the aspect of the geometric shape to modify the another parameter.

22. A machine readable medium containing executable instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method of presenting a user interface for controlling a delay of at least one signal, the method comprising:

displaying a region having a first direction which represents time;

displaying at least one geometric shape in the region, a distance specified by a position of the at least one geometric shape along the first direction determining a time delay of a signal associated with the geometric shape and wherein an aspect of the geometric shape specifies another parameter of the presentation of the signal associated with the geometric shape.

23. The medium as in claim 22 wherein the at least one geometric shape is a bar and wherein the aspect of the geometric shape represents one (a) output level;

(b) frequency of a band pass filter;

(c) resonance of a filter;

(d) panning of the signal.

24. The medium as in claim 23, the method further comprising:

receiving an input to add another geometric shape in the region, a distance specified by a position of the another geometric shape along the first direction determining a time delay of another signal associated with the another geometric shape;

receiving an input which adjusts the aspect of the geometric shape to modify the another parameter.

25. A data processing system for presenting a user interface for controlling a delay of at least one signal, the data processing system comprising:

means for displaying a region having a first direction which represents time;

means for displaying at least one geometric shape in the region, a distance specified by a position of the at least one geometric shape along the first direction determining a time delay of a signal associated with the geometric shape and wherein an aspect of the geometric shape specifies another parameter of the presentation of the signal associated with the geometric shape.

26. The data processing system as in claim 25 wherein the at least one geometric shape is a bar and wherein the aspect of the geometric shape represents one (a) output level;

(b) frequency of a band pass filter;

(c) resonance of a filter;

(d) panning of the signal.

27. The data processing system as in claim 26, the method further comprising:

means for receiving an input to add another geometric shape in the region, a distance specified by a position of the another geometric shape along the first direction determining a time delay of another signal associated with the another geometric shape;

means for receiving an input which adjusts the aspect of the geometric shape to modify the another parameter.