Music annotation system for performance and composition of musical scores

• US 6,483,019 B1
• Filed: 07/30/2001
• Issued: 11/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Freehand Systems, Inc. (Freehand Systems International, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Freehand Systems, Inc. (Freehand Systems International, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamilton, Michael M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Witkowski, Stanley J.
• Application Number:
  US09/917,992
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 846/09--14, 846/34--38, 844/77.R, 844/78, 84D/IG.6, 844/831, 844/832
• US Class Current: 84/477.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/023 Electrically operated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 84/06 Cathode-ray tube

Abstract

A system for displaying music. An Internet server stores the music. A computer accesses the Internet server and downloads a particular musical composition. The computer stores the particular musical composition in a computer memory. A plurality of viewers is coupled to the computer. The computer retrieves, from the computer memory, the particular musical composition, and sends the particular musical composition to the plurality of viewers. The plurality of viewers displays the particular musical composition retrieved from the computer memory. The computer controls display of the particular musical composition on the plurality of viewers. Each viewer has a stylus. Each stylus is used for annotating the particular musical composition with annotations.

Claims

1. A system for displaying music, comprising:

an Internet server for storing the music;

a computer, having a computer memory, for accessing the Internet server and for downloading a particular musical composition, having a plurality of groups of music, with each group having a variation in the particular musical composition corresponding to a particular musical instrument;

said computer for translating the particular musical composition to a FHS file format, including a header chuck, a page chuck, a text chuck, and an end chunk;

said computer for storing, using the FHS file format, the particular musical composition in said computer memory, said computer for retrieving, from said computer memory, the particular musical composition stored in said computer memory;

a plurality of groups of viewers, coupled to said computer, with each group of viewers having at least one viewer, with the plurality of groups of viewers corresponding to the plurality of groups of music, respectively, with the plurality of groups of viewers for displaying, using the FHS file format, the plurality of groups of music of the particular musical composition retrieved from said computer memory, with said computer for controlling display of the particular musical composition on each of the plurality of groups of viewers;

a plurality of styluses, with a stylus located at each viewer within each group of the plurality of groups of viewers, respectively, with each stylus for annotating, at a respective display, the respective particular musical composition with annotations, thereby the plurality of styluses generating a plurality of annotations corresponding to the plurality of groups of viewers, respectively; and

said computer for storing the plurality of annotations as a combined-annotated file or as a plurality of viewer-annotated files, for later display with the particular musical composition, and for uploading the combined-annotated file or the plurality of viewer-annotated files to the Internet server.

2. A system for displaying music, comprising:

an Internet server for storing the music;

a computer, having a computer memory, for accessing the Internet server and downloading a particular musical composition;

said computer for translating the particular musical composition to a FES file format, including a header chuck, a page chuck, a text chuck, and an end chunk;

said computer for storing, using the FHS file format, the particular musical composition in said computer memory, said computer for retrieving, from said computer memory, the particular musical composition, stored in said computer memory;

a plurality of viewers, coupled to said computer, for displaying, using the FHS file format, the particular musical composition retrieved from said computer memory, with said computer for controlling display of the particular musical composition on the plurality of viewers;

a plurality of styluses, located at the plurality of viewers, respectively, with each stylus for annotating the particular musical composition with annotations, thereby generating a plurality of annotations corresponding to the plurality of viewers, respectively; and

said computer for storing the plurality of annotations as a combined-annotated file, or as a plurality of viewer-annotated files, for later display with the particular musical composition, and for uploading the combined-annotated file, or the plurality of viewer-annotated files, to the Internet server.

3. A system for displaying music, comprising:

a viewer memory for storing music corresponding to a musical composition;

a viewer processor for accessing the Computer memory for retrieving, from said viewer memory, the music, stored storing, using a FHS file format including a header chuck, a page chuck, a text chuck, and an end chunk, in said viewer memory, and for storing music in said viewer memory;

a viewer for displaying, using the FHS file format, the music retrieved from said viewer memory, with the viewer processor for controlling display of the music on the viewer;

a stylus for annotating the music with annotations; and

said viewer processor for storing the annotations as a viewer-annotated file, for later display with the music.

4. The system as set forth in claim 3, further including a computer, having a computer memory, for receiving a particular musical composition from any of scanner, music composition software, and electronic or magnetic or optical device, said computer for storing the particular musical composition in said computer memory, said computer for retrieving, from said computer memory, the particular musical composition, stored in said computer memory, and for sending the particular musical composition to said viewer processor.

5. A system for displaying music, comprising:

Internet means for storing the music;

computer means, having a computer memory, for accessing said Internet means and for downloading a particular musical composition, having a plurality of groups of music, with each group having a variation in the particular musical composition corresponding to a particular musical instrument;

said computer for translating the particular musical composition to a FHS file format, including a header chuck, a page chuck, a text chuck, and an end chunk;

said computer means for storing, using the FHS file format, the particular musical composition in said computer memory, said computer means for retrieving, from said computer memory, the particular musical composition stored in said computer memory;

a plurality of groups of viewer means, coupled to said computer means, with each group of viewer means having at least one viewer means, with the plurality of groups of viewer means corresponding to the plurality of groups of music, respectively, with the plurality of groups of viewer means for displaying, using the FHS file format, the plurality of groups of music of the particular musical composition retrieved from said memory, with said computer means for controlling display of the particular musical composition on each of the plurality of groups of viewer means;

a plurality of stylus means, with stylus means located at each viewer means within each group of the plurality of groups of viewer means, respectively, with each stylus means for annotating, at a respective viewer, the respective particular musical composition with annotations, thereby the plurality of stylus means generating a plurality of annotations corresponding to the plurality of groups of viewer means, respectively; and

said computer means for storing the plurality of annotations as a combined-annotated file, or as a plurality of viewer-annotated files, for later display with the particular musical composition, and for uploading the combined-annotated file, or the plurality of viewer-annotated files, to said Internet means.

6. A system for displaying music, comprising:

Internet means for storing the music;

computer means, having a computer memory, for accessing said Internet means and for downloading a particular musical composition;

said computer for translating the particular musical composition to a FHS file format, including a header chuck, a page chuck, a text chuck, and an end chunk;

said computer means for storing the particular musical composition in said computer memory, said computer means for retrieving, from said memory, the particular musical composition, stored in said memory;

a plurality of viewer means, coupled to said computer means, for displaying the particular musical composition retrieved from said computer memory, with said computer means for controlling display, using the FHS file format, of the particular musical composition on the plurality of viewer means;

a plurality of stylus means, located at the plurality of viewer means, respectively, with each stylus means for annotating the particular musical composition with annotations, thereby generating a plurality of annotations corresponding to the plurality of viewer means, respectively; and

said computer means for storing the plurality of annotations as a combined-annotated file, or as a plurality of viewer-annotated files, for later display with the particular musical composition, and for uploading the annotated file to the Internet server.

7. A system for displaying music, comprising:

memory means for storing, using a FHS file format including a header chuck, a page chuck, a text chuck, and an end chunk, music corresponding to a musical composition;

processor means for accessing said memory means for retrieving, from said memory means, the music, stored in said memory means, and for storing music in said memory means;

display means for displaying, using the FHS file format, the music retrieved from said memory means, with said processor means for controlling display of the music on the viewer means;

stylus means for annotating the music with annotations; and

said processor means for storing the annotations as a viewer-annotated file, for later display with the music.

8. The system as set forth in claim 7, further including a computer, having a computer memory, for receiving a particular musical composition from any of scanner, music composition software, and electronic or magnetic or optical device, said computer for storing the particular musical composition in said computer memory, said computer for retrieving, from said computer memory, the particular musical composition, stored in said computer memory, and for sending the particular musical composition to said processor means.

9. A method for displaying music, comprising the steps of:

storing, using a FHS file format including a header chuck, a page chuck, a text chuck, and an end chunk, at an Internet server, the music;

accessing, with a computer, the Internet server;

downloading, with the computer, a particular musical composition, having a plurality of groups of music, with each group having a variation in the particular musical composition corresponding to a particular musical instrument;

storing, in the FHS file format, with said computer, the particular musical composition in a computer memory;

retrieving, with said computer from said computer memory, the particular musical composition stored in said memory;

displaying, using the FHS file format, with a plurality of groups of viewers, coupled to said computer, with each group of viewers having at least one viewer, with the plurality of groups of viewers corresponding to the plurality of groups of music, respectively, the plurality of groups of music of the particular musical composition retrieved from said computer memory,

controlling, with said computer, display of the particular musical composition on each of the plurality of groups of viewers;

annotating with a plurality of styluses, with a stylus located at each viewer within each group of the plurality of groups of viewers, respectively, at a respective viewer, the respective particular musical composition with annotations, thereby the plurality of styluses generating a plurality of annotations corresponding to the plurality of groups of viewers, respectively;

storing, in the FHS file format, with said computer, the plurality of annotations as a combined-annotated file, or a plurality of viewer-annotated files, for later display with the particular musical composition; and

uploading, with said computer, the annotated file to the Internet server.

10. A method for displaying music, comprising:

storing, at an Internet server, the music;

accessing, with a computer, having a computer memory, the Internet server;

downloading, with said computer, a particular musical composition;

translating the particular musical composition to a FHS file format, including a header chuck, a page chuck, a text chuck, and an end chunk;

storing, in the FHS tile format, with said computer, the particular musical composition in said computer memory;

retrieving, with said computer from said computer memory, the particular musical composition, stored in said computer memory;

displaying, using the FITS file format, with a plurality of viewers, coupled to said computer, the particular musical composition retrieved from said computer memory;

controlling, with said computer, display of the particular musical composition on the plurality of viewers;

annotating, with a plurality of styluses, located at the plurality of viewers, respectively, the particular musical composition with annotations, thereby generating a plurality of annotations corresponding to the plurality of viewers, respectively;

storing, with said computer, the plurality of annotations as a combined-annotated file, or as a plurality of viewer-annotated files, for later display with the particular musical composition; and

uploading, with said computer, the combined-annotated file, or the plurality of viewer-annotated files, to the Internet server.

11. A method for displaying music, comprising:

storing, using a FHS file format including a header chuck, a page chuck, a text chuck, and an end chunk, in a viewer memory, music corresponding to a musical composition;

accessing, with a viewer processor, the viewer memory;

retrieving, with said viewer processor from said viewer memory, the music, stored in said viewer memory;

displaying, using the FHS file format, with a viewer, the music retrieved from said viewer memory;

controlling with said viewer processor, display of the music on the viewer;

annotating with a stylus, the music with annotations; and

storing, in the FHS file format, with said viewer processor, the annotations as a viewer-annotated file, in the viewer processor, for later display with the music.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, further including the steps of:

receiving, at a computer, a particular musical composition from any of scanner, music composition software, and electronic or magnetic or optical device;

storing the particular musical composition in a computer memory;

retrieving, from said computer memory, the particular musical composition, stored in said computer memory; and

sending the particular musical composition to said viewer processor.