SONG PRACTICE SUPPORT DEVICE

• US 20090317783A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Noguchi, Akane
• Granted Patent: US 8,027,631 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/307.A
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/00 Teaching music metronomes G04F5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/361 Recording/reproducing of accompaniment for use with an external source, e.g. karaoke systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/066 for pitch analysis as part of wider processing for musical purposes, e.g. transcription, musical performance evaluation; Pitch recognition, e.g. in polyphonic sounds; Estimation or use of missing fundamental
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/091 for performance evaluation, i.e. judging, grading or scoring the musical qualities or faithfulness of a performance, e.g. with respect to pitch, tempo or other timings of a reference performance
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/0135 Voice conversion or morphing

Abstract

A technique of enabling a singer to auditorily recognize how to change the way of singing is provided. The CPU (11) of a karaoke device (1) associates model voice data stored in a model voice data storage area (14c) with inputted learner voice data in a time axis direction. Then the CPU (11) shifts the pitch of the learner voice data so that it may coincide with the corresponding pitch of the model voice data according to the result of the association, compresses or extends the section (mora) of the learner voice data in the time axis direction so that the section length of the learner voice data coincides with the corresponding section length of the model voice data, and outputs the resultant learner voice data to a voice processing section (18). The voice processing section (18) converts the learner voice data supplied from the CPU (11) into an analog signal and generates the sound from a loudspeaker (19).

Claims

1. A song practice support device comprising:

association means for associating model voice data stored beforehand and input learner voice data with each other in a time axis direction;

storage means for storing delimiter information representative of delimiter positions defining predetermined sections of the model voice data in the time axis direction;

section length ratio calculation means for associating the model voice data with the learner voice data on a section basis in accordance with the delimiter information stored in said storage means and the result of association by said association means and for calculating, on a section basis, a ratio between the section length of model voice represented by the model voice data and the section length of learner voice represented by the learner voice data;

correspondence point identification means for identifying, on a frame basis with a frame having a predetermined time length, correspondence points between model voice and leaner voice for respective sections in accordance with the ratio calculated by said section length ratio calculation means;

pitch shift means for shifting a pitch of the learner voice represented by the input learner voice data so as to be coincident with a corresponding pitch of the model voice in accordance with a result of identification by said correspondence point identification means;

time stretching means for compressing or extending a predetermined section of the learner voice data in the time axis direction so that a section length thereof is made to coincide with a corresponding section length of the model voice data in accordance with the result of association by said association means; and

output means for outputting to sound emission means the learner voice data shifted in pitch by said pitch shift means and compressed or extended in the time axis direction by said time stretching means.

3. The song practice support device according to claim 1, wherein in accordance with the result of identification by said correspondence point identification means, said pitch shift means shifts the pitch of learner voice in respect of a frame in which the pitch of the learner voice corresponding to the pitch of model voice is detected, so as to be coincident with the corresponding pitch of the model voice, and said pitch shift means interpolates between the pitches of frames close to a frame in which the pitch of the learner voice is not detected, to thereby determine the pitch of that frame.

2. (canceled)

4. A control method for a song practice support device, comprising:

an association step of associating model voice data stored beforehand and input learner voice data with each other in a time axis direction;

a storage step of storing delimiter information representative of delimiter positions defining predetermined sections of the model voice data in the time axis direction;

a section length ratio calculation step of associating the model voice data with the learner voice data on a section basis in accordance with the delimiter information stored in said storage step and the result of association in said association step and of calculating, on a section basis, a ratio between the section length of model voice represented by the model voice data and the section length of learner voice represented by the learner voice data;

a correspondence point identification step of identifying, on a frame basis with a frame having a predetermined time length, correspondence points between the model voice and learner voice for respective sections in accordance with the ratio calculated in said section length ratio calculation step;

a pitch shift step of shifting a pitch of the learner voice represented by the input learner voice data so as to be coincident with a corresponding pitch of the model voice in accordance with a result of identification in said correspondence point identification step;

a time stretching step of compressing or extending a predetermined section of the learner voice data in the time axis direction so that a section length thereof is made to coincide with a corresponding section length of the model voice data in accordance with the result of association in said association step; and

an output step of outputting to sound emission means the learner voice data shifted in pitch in said pitch shift step and compressed or extended in the time axis direction in said time stretching step.

6. The control method according to claim 4, wherein in accordance with the result of identification in said correspondence point identification step, the pitch of learner voice in respect of a frame in which the pitch of learner voice corresponding to the pitch of the model voice is detected is shifted in said pitch shift step so as to be coincident with the corresponding pitch of the model voice, and the pitches of frames close to a frame in which the pitch of the learner voice is not detected are interpolated to thereby determine the pitch of that frame.

5. (canceled)

7. A program for causing a computer to execute a control method for controlling a song practice support device, the control method comprising:

an association step of associating model voice data stored beforehand and input learner voice data with each other in a time axis direction;

a storage step of storing delimiter information representative of delimiter positions defining predetermined sections of the model voice data in the time axis direction;

a section length ratio calculation step of associating the model voice data with the learner voice data on a section basis in accordance with the delimiter information stored in said storage step and the result of association in said association step and of calculating, on a section basis, a ratio between the section length of model voice represented by the model voice data and the section length of learner voice represented by the learner voice data;

a correspondence point identification step of identifying, on a frame basis with a frame having a predetermined time length, correspondence points between the model voice and learner voice for respective sections in accordance with the ratio calculated in said section length ratio calculation step;

a pitch shift step of shifting a pitch of the learner voice represented by the input learner voice data so as to be coincident with a corresponding pitch of the model voice in accordance with a result of identification in said correspondence point identification step;

a time stretching step of compressing or extending a predetermined section of the learner voice data in the time axis direction so that a section length thereof is made to coincide with a corresponding section length of the model voice data in accordance with the result of association in said association step; and

an output step of outputting to sound emission means the learner voice data shifted in pitch in said pitch shift step and compressed or extended in the time axis direction in said time stretching step.