System and method for teaching/learning to play a musical instrument

• US 6,426,455 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2001
• Issued: 07/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Witkowski, Stanley J.
• Application Number:
  US09/892,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20020002896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 846/45, 844/70.R, 844/77.R, 844/78, 844/79.R, 844/79.A
• US Class Current: 84/470.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/00 Details of electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0041 in coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/056 MIDI or other note-oriented file format
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/181 Billing, i.e. purchasing of data contents for use with electrophonic musical instruments; Protocols therefor; Management of transmission or connection time therefor

Abstract

The fee for practicing to play a musical instrument is charged on a user so that the user may practice to play the musical instrument with eagerness when the user practices to play the musical instrument using a terminal device that can be connected to a server. A terminal device 10 can be connected to a server 30 via a network NW. A keyboard instrument 26 is connected to terminal device 10, and the user practices to play the musical instrument with the use of keyboard instrument 26. Practice information representing a state of the user'"'"'s practicing to play the musical instrument is transmitted to server 30 to be stored within server 30. Server 30 determines the fee for the user'"'"'s playing practice and the fee for materials used for practicing to play by discounting the fees in accordance with the practice information, and charges the determined fees on the user. The practice information contains information directly or indirectly representing the frequency of practicing, level rising rate, number of times courses are finished, and total hours of practice, whereby a lower fee is charged on a user that practices to play the musical instrument with more eagerness.

Claims

1. A system for teaching/learning to play a musical instrument, said system having a terminal device and a server that are communicable with each other so that said musical instrument may be connected to said terminal device and said server side may guide a user when the user practices to play said musical instrument, wherein

said terminal device comprises practice information transmitter for transmitting practice information, which represents a state of the user'"'"'s practicing to play the musical instrument, to said server, and

said server comprises fee-charging controller for determining a fee for the user'"'"'s practicing to play the musical instrument by discounting the fee in accordance with said practice information, and for charging the determined fee on the user.

2. A system for teaching/learning to play a musical instrument, said system having a terminal device and a server that are communicable with each other so that said musical instrument may be connected to said terminal device and said server side may guide a user when the user practices to play said musical instrument, wherein

said terminal device comprises:

purchase controller for the user to purchase a product related to the user'"'"'s practicing to play the musical instrument from said server side; and

practice information transmitter for transmitting practice information, which represents a state of the user'"'"'s practicing to play the musical instrument, to said server, and

said server comprises fee-charging controller for determining a fee for said product by discounting the fee in accordance with said practice information, and for charging the determined fee on the user.

3. A method for teaching/learning to play a musical instrument, said method being applied to a system having a terminal device and a server that are communicable with each other so that said musical instrument may be connected to said terminal device and said server side may guide a user when the user practices to play said musical instrument, wherein

said terminal device transmits practice information, which represents a state of the user'"'"'s practicing to play the musical instrument, to said server, and

said server determines a fee for the user'"'"'s practicing to play the musical instrument by discounting the fee in accordance with said practice information, and charges the determined fee on the user.

4. A method for teaching/learning to play a musical instrument, said method being applied to a system having a terminal device and a server that are communicable with each other so that said musical instrument may be connected to said terminal device and said server side may guide a user when the user practices to play said musical instrument, wherein

said terminal device is made capable of indicating to the server the user'"'"'s wish to purchase a product related to the user'"'"'s practicing to play the musical instrument from said server side, and transmits practice information, which represents a state of the user'"'"'s practicing to play the musical instrument, to said server, and

said server determines a fee for said product by discounting the fee in accordance with said practice information, and charges the determined fee on the user.

5. A server that is communicable with a terminal device and applied to teaching/learning of playing a musical instrument for guiding a user when the user practices to play said musical instrument connected to said terminal device, said server comprising:

fee determination means for determining a fee for the user'"'"'s practicing to play the musical instrument by discounting the fee in accordance with practice information transmitted from said terminal device and representing a state of the user'"'"'s practicing to play the musical instrument; and

charge means for charging said determined fee on the user.

6. A server according to claim 5, wherein

said fee determination means calculates a frequency of practicing on the basis of said practice information to discount said fee in accordance with the frequency of practicing.

7. A server according to claim 5, wherein

said fee determination means calculates a rising rate of evaluation scores on the basis of said practice information to discount said fee in accordance with the rising rate of the evaluation scores.

8. A server according to claim 5, wherein

said fee determination means calculates number of times courses are finished on the basis of said practice information to discount said fee in accordance with the number of times courses are finished.

9. A server according to claim 5, wherein

said fee determination means calculates total hours of practice on the basis of said practice information to discount said fee in accordance with the total hours of practice.

10. A server that is communicable with a terminal device and applied to teaching/learning of playing a musical instrument for guiding a user when the user practices to play said musical instrument connected to said terminal device, said server comprising:

fee determination means for determining a fee for a product to be purchased by the user and related to the user'"'"'s practicing to play the musical instrument by discounting the fee in accordance with practice information transmitted from said terminal device and representing a state of the user'"'"'s practicing to play the musical instrument; and

charge means for charging said determined fee on the user.

11. A server according to claim 10, wherein

said fee determination means calculates a frequency of practicing on the basis of said practice information to discount said fee in accordance with the frequency of practicing.

12. A server according to claim 10, wherein

said fee determination means calculates a rising rate of evaluation scores on the basis of said practice information to discount said fee in accordance with the rising rate of the evaluation scores.

13. A server according to claim 10, wherein

said fee determination means calculates number of times courses are finished on the basis of said practice information to discount said fee in accordance with the number of times courses are finished.

14. A server according to claim 10, wherein

said fee determination means calculates total hours of practice on the basis of said practice information to discount said fee in accordance with the total hours of practice.

15. A method for teaching/learning to play a musical instrument, said method being applied to a server that is communicable with a terminal device for guiding a user when the user practices to play said musical instrument connected to said terminal device, said method comprising the steps of:

determining a fee for the user'"'"'s practicing to play the musical instrument by discounting the fee in accordance with practice information transmitted from said terminal device and representing a state of the user'"'"'s practicing to play the musical instrument; and

charging the determined fee on the user.

16. A method for teaching/learning to play a musical instrument according to claim 15, wherein the step of determining comprises:

calculating a frequency of practicing on the basis of said practice information; and

discounting said fee in accordance with the frequency of practicing.

17. A method for teaching/learning to play a musical instrument according to claim 15, wherein the step of determining comprises:

calculating a rising rate of evaluation scores on the basis of said practice information; and

discounting said fee in accordance with the rising rate of the evaluation scores.

18. A method for teaching/learning to play a musical instrument according to claim 15, wherein the step of determining comprises:

calculating number of times courses are finished on the basis of said practice information; and

discounting said fee in accordance with the number of times courses are finished.

19. A method for teaching/learning to play a musical instrument according to claim 15, wherein the step of determining comprises:

calculating total hours of practice on the basis of said practice information; and

discounting said fee in accordance with the total hours of practice.

20. A method for teaching/learning to play a musical instrument, said method being applied to a server that is communicable with a terminal device for guiding a user when the user practices to play said musical instrument connected to said terminal device, said method comprising the steps of:

determining a fee for a product to be purchased by the user and related to the user'"'"'s practicing to play the musical instrument by discounting the fee in accordance with practice information transmitted from said terminal device and representing a state of the user'"'"'s practicing to play the musical instrument; and

charging the determined fee on the user.

21. A method for teaching/learning to play a musical instrument according to claim 20, wherein the step of determining comprises:

calculating a frequency of practicing on the basis of said practice information; and

discounting said fee in accordance with the frequency of practicing.

22. A method for teaching/learning to play a musical instrument according to claim 20, wherein the step of determining comprises:

calculating a rising rate of evaluation scores on the basis of said practice information; and

discounting said fee in accordance with the rising rate of the evaluation scores.

23. A method for teaching/learning to play a musical instrument according to claim 20, wherein the step of determining comprises:

calculating number of times courses are finished on the basis of said practice information; and

discounting said fee in accordance with the number of times courses are finished.

24. A method for teaching/learning to play a musical instrument according to claim 20, wherein the step of determining comprises:

calculating total hours of practice on the basis of said practice information; and

discounting said fee in accordance with the total hours of practice.