TONE REPRODUCTION APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20110174137A1
• Filed: 01/11/2011
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Koseki, Shinya, OKUYAMA, Fukutaro
• Granted Patent: US 8,796,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/600
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0041 in coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/08 by combining tones G10H1/14, G10H1/16 take precedence; chord G10H1/38
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/041 File watermark, i.e. embedding a hidden code in an electrophonic musical instrument file or stream for identification or authentification purposes audio watermarking G10L19/018
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/325 Synchronizing two or more audio tracks or files according to musical features or musical timings synchronised lyrics, e.g. for karaoke G10H2220/011

Abstract

Watermark information indicative of content of music piece performance data to be reproduced in synchronism with a first audio signal is embedded into the first audio signal, and the resultant signal is acquired as a second audio signal. In parallel to the above-mentioned processing, the watermark information is decoded from the second audio signal, the content of music piece performance data to be reproduced is identified on the basis of the decoded watermark information, and then a tone signal based on the music piece performance data is reproduced in accordance with the identified content.

Claims

1. A tone reproduction apparatus for reproducing a first audio signal and a tone signal, based on music piece performance data, in synchronism with each other, said tone reproduction apparatus comprising:

an acquisition section which acquires a second audio signal, the second audio signal being an audio signal obtained by embedding, into the first audio signal, watermark information indicative of content of the music piece performance data to be reproduced in synchronism with the first audio signal, the watermark information being embedded in the first audio signal in such a manner as to be positioned in a frequency band higher than frequency components of the first audio signal;

an audio reproduction section which reproduces the first audio signal on the basis of the second audio signal;

a decoding section which decodes the watermark information from the second audio signal acquired by said acquisition section; and

a tone reproduction section which identifies, on the basis of the watermark information decoded by said decoding section, content of the music piece performance data to be reproduced and reproduces the tone signal based on the music piece performance data in accordance with the identified content.

2. The tone reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of the watermark information is embedded in correspondence with a plurality of reproduction time positions along a time axis of the first audio signal, and each of the watermark information identifies at least one tone.

3. The tone reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the content of the music piece performance data indicated by the watermark information includes identification information identifying a music piece, and position information indicative of reproduction time positions of the music piece identified by the identification information,

said tone reproduction section includes:

a storage section which stores therein the music piece performance data; and

a readout and reproduction section which reads out, from said storage section, the music piece performance data of the music piece identified by the identification information included in the decoded watermark information and then reproduces a tones signal, corresponding to any one of the reproduction time positions indicated by the position information included in the watermark information, on the basis of the read-out music piece performance data.

4. The tone reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said readout and reproduction section compares the reproduction time positions indicated by the position information and reproduction time positions of the tone signal based on the music piece performance data, and then reproduces a tone signal based on music piece performance data corresponding to any one of the reproduction time positions indicated by the position information.

5. The tone reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the content of the music piece performance data indicated by the watermark information includes the music piece performance data themselves individually indicative of tones to be performed, and

said tone reproduction section reproduces a tone signal on the basis of the music piece performance data themselves included in the decoded watermark information.

6. The tone reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said acquisition section is constructed to receive the second audio signal supplied from outside.

7. The tone reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim 1, which further comprises:

an embedding section which embeds the watermark information, indicative of the content of the music piece performance data to be reproduced in synchronism with the first audio signal, into the first audio signal in such a manner as to be positioned in a frequency band higher than the frequency components of the first audio signal; and

an output section which outputs, as the second audio signal, the first audio signal having the watermark information embedded therein by said embedding section,

said acquisition section acquiring the second audio signal outputted by said output section.

8. The tone reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said audio reproduction section extracts the first audio signal from the second audio signal and reproduces the extracted first audio signal.

9. The tone reproduction apparatus as claimed in claim 1, where the frequency band where the watermark information is embedded is a non-audible frequency band, and said audio reproduction section reproduces the second audio signal by reproducing the second audio signal as-is.

10. A computer-implemented method for reproducing a first audio signal and a tone signal, based on music piece performance data, in synchronism with each other, said method comprising:

an acquisition step of acquiring a second audio signal, the second audio signal being an audio signal obtained by embedding, into the first audio signal, watermark information indicative of content of the music piece performance data to be reproduced in synchronism with the first audio signal, the watermark information being embedded in the first audio signal in such a manner as to be positioned in a frequency band higher than frequency components of the first audio signal;

a step of reproducing the first audio signal on the basis of the second audio signal;

a decoding step of decoding the watermark information from the second audio signal acquired by said acquisition step; and

a step of identifying, on the basis of the watermark information decoded by said decoding step, content of the music piece performance data to be reproduced and reproducing the tone signal based on the music piece performance data in accordance with the identified content.

11. A computer-readable storage medium containing a program for causing a computer to perform a for reproducing a first audio signal and a tone signal, based on music piece performance data, in synchronism with each other, said tone reproduction apparatus comprising:

an acquisition step of acquiring a second audio signal, the second audio signal being an audio signal obtained by embedding into the first audio signal, watermark information indicative of content of the music piece performance data to be reproduced in synchronism with the first audio signal, the watermark information being embedded in the first audio signal in such a manner as to be positioned in a frequency band higher than frequency components of the first audio signal;

a step of reproducing the first audio signal on the basis of the second audio signal;

a decoding step of decoding the watermark information from the second audio signal acquired by said acquisition step; and

a step of identifying, on the basis of the watermark information decoded by said decoding step, content of the music piece performance data to be reproduced and reproducing the tone signal based on the music piece performance data in accordance with the decoded watermark information.

12. A tone signal supply apparatus comprising:

an embedding section which embeds watermark information, indicative of content of music piece performance data to be reproduced in synchronism with a first audio signal, into the first audio signal in such a manner as to be positioned in a frequency band higher than frequency components of the first audio signal; and

an output section which outputs a second audio signal obtained by said embedding section embedding the watermark information into the first audio signal.

13. A tone reproduction system comprising:

an embedding section which embeds watermark information, indicative of content of music piece performance data to be reproduced in synchronism with a first audio signal, into the first audio signal in such a manner as to be positioned in a frequency band higher than frequency components of the first audio signal;

an output section which outputs a second audio signal obtained by said embedding section embedding the watermark information into the first audio signal;

an acquisition section which acquires the second audio signal outputted by said output section;

an audio reproduction section which reproduces the first audio signal on the basis of the second audio signal;

a decoding section which decodes the watermark information from the second audio signal acquired by said acquisition section; and

a tone reproduction section which identifies, on the basis of the watermark information decoded by said decoding section, content of the music piece performance data to be reproduced and reproduces the tone signal based on the music piece performance data in accordance with the identified content.

14. A computer-implemented method for reproducing a first audio signal and a tone signal, based on music piece performance data, in synchronism with each other, said method comprising:

an embedding step of embedding watermark information, indicative of content of music piece performance data to be reproduced in synchronism with a first audio signal, into the first audio signal in such a manner as to be positioned in a frequency band higher than frequency components of the first audio signal;

an output step of outputting a second audio signal obtained by said embedding step embedding the watermark information into the first audio signal;

an acquisition step of acquiring the second audio signal outputted by said output step;

a step of reproducing the first audio signal on the basis of the second audio signal;

a decoding step of decoding the watermark information from the second audio signal acquired by said acquisition step; and

a step of identifying, on the basis of the watermark information decoded by said decoding step, content of the music piece performance data and reproducing the tone signal based on the music piece performance data in accordance with the identified content.