Real-time music creation

• US 6,011,212 A
• Filed: 01/27/1997
• Issued: 01/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Inventors: Egozy, Eran B., Rigopulos, Alexander P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nappi, Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fletcher, Marlon T.
• Application Number:
  US08/788,398
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 84/602-606, 84/609-612, 84/634-636, 84/666-668
• US Class Current: 84/667
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/00 Details of electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0033 Recording/reproducing or transmission of music for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/34 Switch arrangements, e.g. keyboards or mechanical switches specially adapted for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/361 Recording/reproducing of accompaniment for use with an external source, e.g. karaoke systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/40 Rhythm
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/42 comprising tone forming circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/315 for joystick-like proportional control of musical input; Videogame input devices used for musical input or control, e.g. gamepad, joysticks joysticks per se G06F3/033, G05G9/047, A63F13/20
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/311 MIDI transmission G10H2240/056 takes precedence

Abstract

A system, and related method, for creating music in real time includes an input device and a real-time music generator. The input device is used by a user to provide rhythm-related signals and pitch-related signals to the real-time music generator. The real time music generator receives the rhythm-related and pitch-related signals and creates or composes in real time music that includes pitches based on the pitch-related signals and rhythmic activity based on the rhythm-related signals. The input device can provide pitch related and rhythm-related signals that are representative of position, velocity, or acceleration. The real-time music generator can derive position, velocity, or acceleration from the pitch-related and rhythm-related signals and compose in real time music comprising pitches and rhythm activity based on the derived information. The input device can be, for example, a contactless sensor such as an infrared transceiver or a digital camera, a joystick, a mouse, a tracball, a fader, a slider, a game pad, a plurality of switches or buttons, a continuous controller, or a discrete controller.

Claims

1. A system for creating music in real time, comprising:

an input device including a plurality of input axes, the input device generating rhythm-related signals in response to a first characteristic of the input device along a first input axis and providing pitch-related signals in response to a second characteristic of the input device along a second axis; and

a real-time music generator for receiving the rhythm-related and pitch-related signals and composing in real time music comprising (i) pitches based on the pitch-related signals and (ii) rhythmic activity based on the rhythm-related signals.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first characteristic is position.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the first characteristic is velocity.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first characteristic is acceleration.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the real-time music generator derives position information from the pitch-related signals and composes in real time music comprising pitches based on the derived position information.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the real-time music generator derives velocity information from the pitch-related signals and composes in real time music comprising pitches based on the derived velocity information.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the real-time music generator derives acceleration information from the pitch-related signals and composes in real time music comprising pitches based on the derived acceleration information.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the second characteristic is position.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the second characteristic is velocity.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the second characteristic is acceleration.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the real-time music generator derives position information from the rhythm-related signals and composes in real time music comprising rhythmic activity based on the derived position information.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the real-time music generator derives velocity information from the rhythm-related signals and composes in real time music comprising rhythmic activity based on the derived velocity information.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the real-time music generator derives acceleration information from the rhythm-related signals and composes in real time music comprising rhythmic activity based on the derived acceleration information.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a contactless sensor.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the contactless sensor includes an infrared transceiver.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the input device comprises a digital camera.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a joystick.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a mouse.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a tracball.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a fader.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a slider.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a game pad.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a plurality of switches.

24. The system of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a plurality of buttons.

25. The system of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a continuous controller.

26. The system of claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a discrete controller.

27. The system of claim 1 wherein the real-time music generator includes an accumulator that receives the rhythm-related signals from the input device and accumulates them over a predetermined period of time, and the real-time music generator composes in real time music comprising rhythmic activity based on the accumulated rhythm-related signals.

28. The system of claim 1 wherein the real-time music generator includes a pattern matcher that receives the rhythm-related signals from the input device and selects one of a plurality of rhythm fragments that corresponds to the rhythm-related signals, and the real-time music generator composes in real time music comprising rhythmic activity based on the selected rhythm fragment.

29. The system of claim 1 wherein the first axis and the second axis comprise the same axis.