Sound data processing system and processing method

• US 6,845,379 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2001
• Issued: 01/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Yuji, Fujii, Kenichi, Ito, Fumiaki, Ueda, Takaya
• Primary Examiner(s): PARDO, THUY N
• Application Number:
  US09/817,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20010029540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/102, 707/104, 707/200, 707/10, 707/101, 707/103, 430/140, 382/100
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0058 Transmission between separate instruments or between individual components of a musical system G10H1/0083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 7/002 using a common processing for different operations or calculations, and a set of microinstructions (programme) to control the sequence thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

In a sound data setting apparatus for setting an output format of each sound to output sounds corresponding to a plurality of sound data, metadata indicating contents of each sound data is acquired and an output format of a sound concerning the sound data corresponding to the metadata is set on the basis of each metadata.

Claims

1. A sound data setting apparatus for setting an output manner of a plurality of sound data existing simultaneously to output sounds corresponding to the plurality of sound data, comprising:

acquiring means for acquiring metadata of the plurality of sound data, each of the metadata indicating an attribute of respective ones of the sound data; and

setting means for setting an output manner of the plurality of the sound data existing simultaneously in accordance with a set of the metadata of the plurality of sound data.

2. A sound data generating apparatus for generating sound data to output sounds corresponding to a plurality of sound data existing simultaneously by a predetermined output manner, comprising:

acquiring means for acquiring metadata of the plurality of sound data, each of the metadata indicating an attribute of respective ones of the sound data;

setting means for setting an output manner of the plurality of sound data existing simultaneously in accordance with a set of the metadata of the plurality of sound data; and

means for generating new sound data from the plurality of sound data on the basis of the set output manner.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said setting means determines an output schedule of the plurality of sound data as the output manner.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising means for storing rules of the output manner corresponding to the metadata, wherein said setting means sets the output manner in accordance with the rules.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the rules are changeable.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising means for holding the metadata, and means for holding the sound data.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said acquiring means extracts the metadata from data containing the sound data and the metadata.

8. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said acquiring means acquires the metadata separately from the sound data, and said sound data generating apparatus further comprises means for acquiring, on the basis of the acquired metadata, data concerning the sound data pertaining to the metadata.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the data concerning the sound data is sound data.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising means for generating sound data on the basis of the data concerning the sound data.

11. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said setting means sets superposition of the sound data pertaining to different types of sounds, as the output manner.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the types include music and a voice.

13. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said setting means sets switching between the sound data pertaining to different types of sounds, as the output manner.

14. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the output manner includes at least one of superposition of a plurality of sounds, switching between a plurality of sounds, and a sound output gain.

15. A sound data setting method of setting an output manner of a plurality of sound data existing simultaneously to output sounds corresponding to the plurality of sound data, comprising:

the acquisition step of acquiring metadata of the plurality of sound data, each of the metadata indicating an attribute of respective ones of the sound data; and

the setting step of setting an output manner of the plurality of sound data existing simultaneously in accordance with a set of the metadata of the plurality of sound data.

16. A sound data generating method of generating sound data to output sounds corresponding to a plurality of sound data existing simultaneously by a predetermined output manner, comprising:

the acquisition step of acquiring metadata of the plurality of sound data, each of the metadata indicating an attribute of respective ones of the sound data;

the setting step of setting an output manner of the plurality of sound data existing simultaneously in accordance with a set of the metadata of the plurality of sound data; and

the step of generating new sound data from the plurality of sound data on the basis of the set output manner.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the setting step comprises determining an output schedule of the plurality of sound data as the output manner.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of storing rules of the output manner corresponding to the metadata, wherein the setting step comprises the step of setting the output manner in accordance with the rules.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the rules are changeable.

20. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of holding the metadata, and the step of holding the sound data.

21. The method according to claim 16, wherein the acquisition step comprises the step of extracting the metadata from data containing the sound data and the metadata.

22. The method according to claim 16, wherein the acquisition step comprises the step of acquiring the metadata separately from the sound data, and said sound data generating method further comprises the step of acquiring, on the basis of the acquired metadata, data concerning the sound data pertaining to the metadata.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the data concerning the sound data is sound data.

24. The method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of generating sound data on the basis of the data concerning the sound data.

25. The method according to claim 16, wherein the setting step comprises setting superposition of the sound data pertaining to different types of sounds, as the output manner.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the types include music and a voice.

27. The method according to claim 16, wherein the setting step comprises the step of setting switching between the sound data pertaining to different types of sounds, as the output manner.

28. The method according to claim 16, wherein the output manner includes at least one of superposition of a plurality of sounds, switching between a plurality of sounds, and a sound output gain.

29. A recording medium recording a program, for setting an output manner of a plurality of sound data existing simultaneously to output sounds corresponding to the plurality of sound data, allowing a computer to function as:

acquiring means for acquiring metadata of the plurality of sound data, each of the metadata indicating an attribute of respective ones of the sound data; and

setting means for setting the output manner of the plurality of sound data existing simultaneously in accordance with a set of the metadata of the plurality of sound data.

30. A recording medium recording a program, for generating sound data to output sounds corresponding to a plurality of sound data existing simultaneously by a predetermined output manner, allowing a computer, to function as:

acquiring means for acquiring metadata of the plurality of sound data, each of the metadata indicating an attribute of respective ones of the sound data;

setting means for setting an output manner of the plurality of sound data existing simultaneously in accordance with a set of the metadata of the plurality of sound data; and

means for generating new sound data from the plurality of sound data on the basis of the set output manner.

31. The medium according to claim 30, wherein said setting means determines an output schedule of the plurality of sound data as the output manner.

32. The medium according to claim 30, wherein said program comprises a program for allowing a computer to function as means for storing rules of the output manner corresponding to the metadata, and said setting means sets the output manner in accordance with the rules.

33. The medium according to claim 32, wherein the rules are changeable.

34. The medium according to claim 30, wherein said program comprises a program for allowing a computer to function as means for holding the metadata, and as means for holding the sound data.

35. The medium according to claim 30, wherein said acquiring means extracts the metadata from data containing the sound data and the metadata.

36. The medium according to claim 30, wherein said acquiring means acquires the metadata separately from the sound data, and said program comprises a program for allowing a computer to function as means for acquiring, on the basis of the acquired metadata, data concerning the sound data pertaining to the metadata.

37. The medium according to claim 36, wherein the data concerning the sound data is sound data.

38. The medium according to claim 36, wherein said program comprises a program for allowing a computer to function as means for generating sound data on the basis of the data concerning the sound data.

39. The medium according to claim 30, wherein said setting means sets superposition of the sound data pertaining to different types of sounds, as the output manner.

40. The medium according to claim 39, wherein the types include music and a voice.

41. The medium according to claim 30, wherein said setting means sets switching between the sound data pertaining to different types of sounds, as the output manner.

42. The medium according to claim 30, wherein the output manner includes at least one of superposition of a plurality of sounds, switching between a plurality of sounds, and a sound output gain.