INTELLIGENT KEYBOARD INTERFACE FOR VIRTUAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

• US 20120174735A1
• Filed: 01/07/2011
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Little, Alexander Harry, Manjarrez, Eli T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,426,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/613
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0066 using a MIDI interface
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/386 One-finger or one-key chord systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/096 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/106 using icons, e.g. selecting, moving or linking icons, on-screen symbols, screen regions or segments representing musical elements or parameters

Abstract

A user interface for a virtual musical instrument presents a number of chord touch regions, each corresponding to a chord of a diatonic key. Within each chord region a number of touch zones are provided, including treble clef zones and bass clef zones. Each treble clef touch zone within a region will sound a different chord voicing. Each bass clef touch zone will sound a bass note of the chord. Other user interactions can modify or mute the chords, and vary the bass notes being played together with the chords. A set of related chords and/or a set of rhythmic patterns can be generated based on a selected instrument and a selected style of music.

Claims

1. A user interface implemented on a touch-sensitive display for a virtual musical instrument, comprising:

a plurality of chord touch regions configured in a predetermined sequence, each chord touch region corresponding to a chord in a musical key and being divided into a number of separate touch zones, the plurality of chord regions defining a predetermined set of chords;

wherein at least two touch zones in each region are respectively associated with preselected MIDI files stored in a computer-readable medium, whereby touching of a zone causes a corresponding MIDI file to be played on an output device.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the predefined set of chords comprise seven diatonic chords of a musical key.

3. The user interface of claim 1, wherein said separate touch zones in a chord touch region are grouped into an upper treble clef zone corresponding to treble clef chord triad notes of a chord assigned to said chord region, and a lower bass clef zone corresponding to different bass note chord elements or note sets of said chord.

4. The user interface of claim 3, further comprising a touch-sensitive groove selector allowing a user to select one of a plurality of grooves, wherein each groove comprises a rhythmic pattern of tones associated with a style of music, and wherein selection of a groove using said groove selector causes chord and bass note sets selected by touching said touch zones to be played according to said rhythmic pattern.

5. The user interface of claim 4, wherein each groove is a MIDI pattern stored in a MIDI file.

6. The user interface of claim 3, further comprising a top/lock touch zone for at least one chord touch region, whereby touching of the top/lock zone causes treble clef and bass clef notes associated with said at least one chord region to be played simultaneously.

7. The user interface of claim 3, wherein a user swipe motion across upper treble clef touch zones in a chord region causes different chord inversion voicings to be played.

8. The user interface of claim 3, wherein a user swipe motion across lower bass clef touch zones in a chord region causes different bass note sets to be played.

9. The user interface of claim 3, wherein an upper treble clef chord in a first chord touch region may be played simultaneously with a lower bass clef note set in a second chord touch region in response to a user tapping touch zones in different chord touch regions in a desired sequence.

10. The user interface of claim 3, wherein an upper treble clef chord in a first chord touch region and an upper treble clef chord in a second chord touch region may be played simultaneously in response to a user tapping touch zones in different chord touch regions in a desired sequence.

11. The user interface of claim 3, wherein in response to detection of a two finger touch within a touch zone, an alternate groove rhythm is played for the chord corresponding to the chord region in which the touch zone is located.

12. The user interface of claim 11, wherein the alternative groove rhythm comprises an extended version of said chord.

13. The user interface of claim 11, wherein the alternative groove rhythm comprises a suspended version of said chord.

14. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer-executable instructions causing a processor to:

in response to input from a user interface implemented on a touch-sensitive display for a virtual musical instrument, comprising a plurality of chord touch regions configured in a predetermined sequence, each chord touch region corresponding to a chord in a musical key and being divided into a number of separate touch zones, the plurality of chord regions defining a predetermined set of chords, cause a preselected MIDI file to be played on an output device wherein said input from a user comprises a touching of at least one touch zone associated with said preselected MIDI file stored in a computer-readable medium.