Information processing system with graphical user interface controllable through voice recognition engine and musical instrument equipped with the same

• US 6,476,304 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2001
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Uehara, Haruki
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher, Marlon T.
• Application Number:
  US09/884,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20020007717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 846/00--04, 846/09, 846/15--16, 846/49, 846/53--54, 844/77.R, 84D/IG.6, 704/231, 704/240-257, 704/270, 704/270.1, 704/275
• US Class Current: 84/600
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques

Abstract

A musical instrument is computerized for electronically generating tones, and an information processing subsystem assists users selectively to change the attributes of the tones, wherein the information processing subsystem includes a speaker recognition engine for identifying a player with one of registered users and a graphical user interface transferring a digital image signal representative of a picture customized by the registered user to a display unit so that the user can check the attribute during the performance.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising

a memory having plural addressable locations where identification codes respectively assigned to plural users and plural pieces of visual data information representative of first pictures respectively owned by said plural users are stored,

a voice-to-signal converter converting a pronunciation of a speaker to a first electric signal,

a voice recognition engine connected to said voice-to-signal converter, responsive to said first electric signal so as to identify said speaker with one of said plural users and producing a second electric signal representative of said one of said plural users,

a visual display unit responsive to a third electric signal for selectively producing said first pictures, and

a graphical user interface connected to said voice recognition engine, said memory and said visual display unit, responsive to said second electric signal so as to produce a fourth electric signal representative of the identification code assigned to said one of said plural users and supplying said fourth electric signal to said memory for transferring said third electric signal representative of the first picture owned by said one of said plural users to said visual display unit.

2. The information processing system as set forth in claim 1, in which said voice recognition engine includes a speaker recognition engine for identifying said speaker with said one of said plural users for supplying said second electric signal to said graphical user interface and a speech recognition engine responsive to said first electric signal, so as to specify a meaning of said pronunciation for producing a fifth electric signal representative of said meaning, and said memory and said speech recognition engine are further connected to a controller which is responsive to said fifth electric signal so as selectively to change visual images incorporated in said first picture owned by said one of said plural users.

3. The information processing system as set forth in claim 1, in which other pieces of visual data information representative of second pictures are further stored in said memory, and in which said voice recognition engine includes a speaker recognition engine for identifying said speaker with said one of said plural users for supplying said second electric signal to said graphical user interface and a speech recognition engine responsive to said first electric signal so as to specify a meaning of said pronunciation for producing a fifth electric signal representative of said meaning, wherein said graphical user interface is responsive to said second electric signal and said fifth electric signal for selectively producing said third electric signal representative of one of said first and second pictures.

4. The information processing system as set forth in claim 3, in which said second pictures are respectively owned by said plural users so that said graphical user interface specifics said one of said first and second pictures by using the combination of said identification code and said meaning.

5. The information processing system as set forth in claim 1, in which another piece of visual data information representative of a standard picture is further stored in said memory for non-registered users assigned another identification code, and said voice recognition engine supplies said second electric signal representative of said non-registered users to said graphical user interface when said voice recognition engine can not identify said speaker with any one of said plural users, thereby causing said graphical user interface to supply said fourth electric signal representative of said another identification code.

6. The information processing system as set forth in claim 1, in which pieces of personal data information are further stored in said memory in connection with said. identification codes, respectively, and said graphical user interface transfers said third electric signal representative of said first picture and one of said pieces of personal data information both owned by said one of said plural users to said visual display unit for concurrently producing said first picture and images representing said one of said pieces of personal data information thereon.

7. An information processing system comprising

a memory having at least one addressable location where an identification code assigned to a user and a piece of visual data information representative of a certain picture customized by said plural users are stored,

a voice-to-signal converter converting a pronunciation of a speaker to a first electric signal,

a voice recognition engine connected to said voice-to-signal converter and responsive to said first electric signal so as to produce a second electric signal representative of said user when said speaker is identified with said user,

a visual display unit responsive to a third electric signal for selectively producing pictures, and

a graphical user interface connected to said voice recognition engine, said memory and said visual display unit, responsive to said second electric signal so as to produce a fourth electric signal representative of the identification code assigned to said user and supplying said fourth electric signal to said memory for transferring said third electric signal representative of said certain picture to said visual display unit.

8. The information processing system as set forth in claim 7, in which said voice recognition engine includes a speaker recognition engine for identifying said speaker with said user for supplying said second electric signal to said graphical user interface and a speech recognition engine responsive to said first electric signal so as to specify a meaning of said pronunciation for producing a fifth electric signal representative of said meaning, and said memory and said speech recognition engine are further connected to a controller which is responsive to said fifth electric signal so as selectively to change visual images incorporated in said certain picture.

9. The information processing system as set forth in claim 7, in which another piece of visual data information representative of another picture is further stored in said memory, and in which said voice recognition engine includes a speaker recognition engine for identifying said speaker with said user for supplying said second electric signal to said graphical user interface and a speech recognition engine responsive to said first electric signal so as to specify a meaning of said pronunciation for producing a fifth electric signal representative of said meaning, wherein said graphical user interface is responsive to said second electric signal and said fifth electric signal for selectively producing said third electric signal representative of one of said certain picture and said another picture.

10. The information processing system as set forth in claim 7, in which another piece of visual data information representative of a standard picture is further stored in said memory for non-registered users assigned another identification code, and said voice recognition engine supplies said second electric signal representative of said non-registered users to said graphical user interface when said voice recognition engine can not identify said speaker with said user, thereby causing said graphical user interface to supply said fourth electric signal representative of said another identification code.

11. The information processing system as set forth in claim 7, in which a piece of personal data information is further stored in said memory in connection with said identification code, and said graphical user interface transfers said third electric signal representative of said certain picture and said piece of personal data information both owned by said user to said visual display unit for concurrently producing said first picture and images representing said piece of personal data information thereon.

12. An information processing system used for a musical instrument for assisting a player in selecting at least one attribute of tones to be generated, comprising:

a memory having plural addressable locations where identification codes respectively assigned to plural users and plural pieces of visual data information representative of first pictures respectively owned by said plural users are stored, each of said first pictures including at least one visual image indicating the current state of said at least one attribute;

a voice-to-signal converter converting a pronunciation of said player to a first electric signal;

a voice recognition engine connected to said voice-to-signal converter, responsive to said first electric signal so as to identify said player with one of said plural users and producing a second electric signal representative of said one of said plural users;

a visual display unit responsive to a third electric signal for selectively producing said first pictures; and

a graphical user interface connected to said voice recognition engine, said memory and said visual display unit, responsive to said second electric signal so as to produce a fourth electric signal representative of the identification code assigned to said one of said plural users and supplying said fourth electric signal to said memory for transferring said third electric signal representative of the first picture owned by said one of said plural users to said visual display unit.

13. The information processing system as set forth in claim 12, in which said voice recognition engine includes a speaker recognition engine for identifying said speaker with said one of said plural users for supplying said second electric signal to said graphical user interface and a speech recognition engine responsive to said first electric signal so as to specify a meaning of said pronunciation for producing a fifth electric signal representative of said meaning, and said memory and said speech recognition engine are further connected to a controller which is responsive to said fifth electric signal so as selectively to change said current state represented by said at least one visual image.

14. The information processing system as set forth in claim 12, in which other pieces of visual data information representative of second pictures are further stored in said memory, and in which said voice recognition engine includes a speaker recognition engine for identifying said player with said one of said plural users for supplying said second electric signal to said graphical user interface and a speech recognition engine responsive to said first electric signal so as to specify a meaning of said pronunciation for producing a fifth electric signal representative of said meaning, wherein said graphical user interface is responsive to said second electric signal and said fifth electric signal for selectively producing said third electric signal representative of one of said first and second pictures.

15. The information processing system as set forth in claim 14, in which said second pictures are respectively owned by said plural users so that said graphical user interface specifies said one of said first and second pictures by using the combination of said identification code and said meaning.

16. The information processing system as set forth in claim 12, in which another piece of visual data information representative of a standard picture including said at least one visual image is further stored in said memory for non-registered users assigned another identification code, and said voice recognition engine supplies said second electric signal representative of said non-registered users to said graphical user interface when said voice recognition engine can not identify said player with any one of said plural users, thereby causing said graphical user interface to supply said fourth electric signal representative of said another identification code.

17. The information processing system as set forth in claim 12, in which pieces of personal data information are further stored in said memory in connection with said identification codes, respectively, and said graphical user interface transfers said third electric signal representative of said first picture and one of said pieces of personal data information both owned by said one of said plural users to said visual display unit for concurrently producing said first picture and images representing said one of said pieces of personal data information thereon.

18. The information processing system as set forth in claim 12, in which said first pictures are customized by said plural users, respectively.

19. The information processing system as set forth in claim 12, in which said.

20. The information processing system as set forth in claim 19, in which another of said first pictures further includes another visual image representing another attribute of said tones selected from the group consisting of tempo, balance, reverb and chorus effect.

21. The information processing system as set forth in claim 12, further comprising another memory for storing of visual data information representative of prdetermined pictures appropriate to a beginner'"'"'s class, a middle class and an advanced class, and a controller judging current skill of said plural users so as selectively to transfer said pieces of visual data information from said another memory to said memory depending upon the skill of said plural users for storing said predetermined pictures as said first pictures.

22. A musical instrument for producing tones, comprising:

plural manipulators for specifying notes of a scale;

a tone generating system responsive to fingering on said plural manipulators for generating tones with the notes specified through said fingering; and

an information processing system connected to said tone generating system, and including

a memory having plural addressable locations where identification codes respectively assigned to plural users and plural pieces of visual data information representative of first pictures respectively owned by said plural users are stored, each of said first pictures including at least one visual image indicating the current state of said at least one attribute of said tones,

a voice-to-signal converter converting a pronunciation of said player to a first electric signal,

a voice recognition engine connected to said voice-to-signal converter, responsive to said first electric signal so as to identify said player with one of said plural users and producing a second electric signal representative of said one of said plural users,

a visual display unit responsive to a third electric signal for selectively producing said first pictures and

a graphical user interface connected to said voice recognition engine, said memory and said visual display unit, responsive to said second electric signal so as to produce a fourth electric signal representative of the identification code assigned to said one of said plural users and supplying said fourth electric signal to said memory for transferring said third electric signal representative of the first picture owned by said one of said plural users to said visual display unit.

23. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 22, in which said voice recognition engine includes a speaker recognition engine for identifying said speaker with said one of said plural users for supplying said second electric signal to said graphical user interface and a speech recognition engine responsive to said first electric signal so as to specify a meaning of said pronunciation for producing a fifth electric signal representative of said meaning, and said memory and said speech recognition engine are further connected to a controller which is responsive to said fifth electric signal so as selectively to change said current state represented by said at least one visual image.

24. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 22, in which other pieces of visual data information representative of second pictures are further stored in said memory, and in which said voice recognition engine includes a speaker recognition engine for identifying said player with said one of said plural users for supplying said second electric signal to said graphical user interface and a speech recognition engine responsive to said first electric signal so as to specify a meaning of said pronunciation for producing a fifth electric signal representative of said meaning, wherein said graphical user interface is responsive to said second electric signal and said fifth electric signal for selectively producing said third electric signal representative of one of said first and second pictures.

25. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 24, in which said second pictures are respectively owned by said plural users so that said graphical user interface specifies said one of said first and second pictures by using the combination of said identification code and said meaning.

26. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 22, in which another piece of visual data information representative of a standard picture including said at least one visual image is further stored in said memory for non-registered users assigned another identification code, and said voice recognition engine supplies said second electric signal representative of said non-registered users to said graphical user interface when said voice recognition engine can not identify said player with any one of said plural users, thereby causing said graphical user interface to supply said fourth electric signal representative of said another identification code.

27. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 22, in which pieces of personal data information are further stored in said memory in connection with said identification codes, respectively, and said graphical user interface transfers said third electric signal representative of said picture and one of said pieces of personal data information both owned by said one of said plural users to said visual display unit for concurrently producing said first picture and images representing said one of said pieces of personal data information thereon.

28. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 22, in which said at least one attribute is volume of said tones.

29. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 28, in which another of said first pictures further includes another visual image representing another attribute of said tones selected from the group consisting of tempo, balance, reverb and chorus effect.

30. The musical instrument as set forth in claim 22, in which said tone generating system includes

plural strings struck with hammers in response to said fingering on said plural manipulators for generating acoustic tones, and

an electronic tone generating electronic tones independent of said acoustic tones.