System and methodology for musical communication and display

• US 7,157,638 B1
• Filed: 01/27/2000
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Assets 28 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: David H Sitrick
• Inventors: Sitrick, David H.
• Primary Examiner(s): FLETCHER, MARLON T
• Application Number:
  US09/492,218
• Time in Patent Office: 2,532 Days
• Field of Search: 84600-602, 84609-610, 846/34, 84649-650, 846/66, 844/77.R, 844/78, 844/831, 844/832, 84D/IG.6
• US Class Current: 84/477.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/023 Electrically operated
• CPC Class Codes: G10G 1/00 Means for the representation of music
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/015 Musical staff, tablature or score displays, e.g. for score reading during a performance. graphical musical score editing G10H2220/121; musical score displays resulting from a transcription G10H2210/086
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 84/06 Cathode-ray tube

Abstract

A workstation system produces a display presentation of a selected performance composition (e.g., a musical composition) responsive to composition data and responsive to one or both of input variables and a selected operating mode. The workstation can communicate with one or more external devices, such as other workstations, etc. The display system provides for selection of original compositions, creation of derivative compositions, distribution of compositions, monitoring of each performer'"'"'s performance, group virtual performances, and for local and distributed retrieval and editing, which for music includes things such as changing keys, pitch, tempo, and other parameters. The musical composition'"'"'s transformation can be performed locally or at the central or distributed music database. The musical composition data can be transposed via a controller, and can be transmitted to a plurality of the individual workstations that then display the musical composition. In one embodiment, a display system for use by a plurality of users provides a plurality of display presentations of a selected musical composition. The system is comprised of a plurality of individual workstations, each workstation comprising a communication interface providing for communications with the respective workstation of music data representative of the selected musical composition, memory for locally storing the data responsive to the communications interface, and a display apparatus provides a local visual display presentation representative of the selected musical composition responsive to the stored data. The system further provides for synchronizing the presentation on the plurality of local visual display presentations of the selected musical composition.

Claims

1. A system for use by a plurality of users in providing a display presentation of a selected composition, said system comprising:

an individual workstation comprising;

a communication interface providing for communications with the respective workstation of composition data representative of at least one visual image of the selected composition;

memory for providing local storage for storing the composition data responsive to the communications interface;

an editing subsystem for providing edit data for locally generated visual edits of changes relative to the local visual display presentation of a respective portion of the visual image of the respective selected composition;

the memory further providing for storing the edit data representative of the changes;

a processing subsystem responsive to the memory and for generating a display presentation output; and

a display apparatus for a local visual display presentation representative of a combined visual image of the respective selected composition, responsive to the processing subsystem;

said system further comprising;

a plurality of the individual workstations, comprising;

means for communicating said edit data from a first one of the plurality of individual workstations to at least one other of the plurality of individual workstations, which provides a local presentation representative of the communicated edit data and the composition data for the selected composition.

2. The system as in claim 1, further comprising:

an input device responsive to a musical performance by the user concurrent to the respective local visual display presentation for the respective composition data, for providing an output of user performance data.

3. The system as in claim 2, wherein the system provides for a display presentation of a visual image of the differences between expected user performance based upon the local visual presentation and the respective user performance data for the individual workstation.

4. The system as in claim 2, the system further comprising:

combining means, responsive to the user performance data output from each of the plurality of individual workstations, to provide a combined output of composite virtual performance data;

wherein the combining means is further comprised of means for synchronizing and combining the user performance data from the plurality of individual workstation to generate the composite virtual performance data;

means for communicating said composite virtual performance data to at least one of the plurality of individual workstation; and

means for providing a local presentation representative of at least one of an audio, a video and an audiovisual display of the user performance data in combination for all of the communicating plurality of individual workstations responsive to the composite virtual performance data.

5. The system as in claim 4, wherein the combining means for synchronizing is responsive to at least one of timing data, and an external timing signal.

6. The system as in claim 1, wherein the composition data is music data, the system further comprising:

means for providing changes comprising changing features of at least one of pitch, key, tempo, instrument type, notation, size, shape, color, location, position and placement of the composition data to create modified music data; and

means for communicating the modified music data to at least one other of the display subsystems which provides a local video presentation representative of a visual image of the selected musical composition along with the changes changed by the editing subsystem, responsive to the modified music data.

7. The system as in claim 1, wherein the edit data is distributed to a plurality of the individual workstations, each of which provide a local video presentation of the selected composition and the changes responsive to the edit data and the composition data.

8. The system as in claim 7, wherein the selected plurality of the individual workstations are associated into defined subsets of each of the individual workstations;

and

wherein each of the selected plurality of the individual workstations is associated with at least one of the defined subsets and communicates the respective edit data to the respective associated defined subset of the individual workstations each of which provides a respective local display presentation responsive to the respective edit data.

9. The system as in claim 8, wherein at least one of the individual workstation is a master that communicates its respective edit data to all other ones of the plurality of individual workstations.

10. The system as in claim 9, wherein the edit data from the master is given priority for display on the individual workstations over all the edit data from all other ones of the selected plurality of the individual workstations.

11. The system as in claim 1, wherein the composition data is music data having an associated visual display, the system further comprising:

means for providing changes to at least one of a plurality of aspects associated with edits to the visual, associated with a defined portion of the composition data comprising at least one of key, notation, display format, instrument type, size, shape, color, location, placement, visual characteristics and mode, to provide edit data representative of the edits;

wherein the means for processing provides processing of the edit data.

12. The system as in claim 11, wherein the changing is restricted to permit changing of only some of the plurality of aspects.

13. The system as in claim 12, wherein for each of the individual workstations the changing of the aspects is programmably restricted at a respective associated defined level of permission.

14. The system as in claim 11, wherein the changing of aspects is restricted at a defined level of permission.

15. The system as in claim 1, wherein there is a plurality of the individual workstations coupled for communications there-between, and wherein the communication between the individual workstations is bidirectional and in approximately real-time.

16. The system as in claim 1, wherein the changes are provided responsive to a user input.

17. The system as in claim 16, wherein the user input is at least one of an audio stimulus, an analog signal, digital data, a switch, a touch input device, motion sensor, motion capture data, and speech recognition.

18. The system as in claim 1,

wherein the plurality of individual workstations are each associated with at least one of a plurality of defined subsets of the individual workstations;

and

wherein edit data for each of the individual workstations is associated with selected ones of the defined subsets, wherein each of the individual workstations communicates its respective edit data to the respective associated at least one of the defined subsets of individual workstations which each thereafter provide a respective local display presentation responsive to the respective edit data.

19. The system as in claim 18, wherein at least one of the individual workstations is a master that communicates its respective ones of the changes to all of the plurality of the individual workstations.

20. The system as in claim 19, wherein the edit data from the master is given priority for display by all of the individual workstations relative to any and all other edit data from all other ones of the individual workstations.

21. The system as in claim 18, wherein at least one of the individual workstations is a subgroup master that communicates the respective edit data to the respective associated ones of the defined subsets of at least one of the individual workstations.

22. The system as in claim 21, wherein there are a plurality of separate subgroup masters.

23. The system as in claim 21, wherein at least one of the individual workstations is a master that communicates its said respective edit data to all of the plurality of individual workstations;

and

wherein said respective edit data from the master is given priority for display by the individual workstations over all the edit data communicated from all other ones of the individual workstations.

24. The system as in claim 23,

wherein the master is for use by at least one of a conductor, band leader, teacher, librarian, and composer.

25. The system as in claim 1, wherein there is a plurality of the individual workstations, wherein the composition data is further comprised of type data;

and

wherein at least one of the individual workstations is programmed with an associated type so as to selectively receive the communication of the composition data responsive to the respective type data.

26. The system as in claim 25, wherein there are a plurality of the individual workstations, each programmed to selectively receive the communication of the composition data responsive to the type data.

27. The system as in claim 26, wherein each of the individual workstations has an associated type;

wherein each of the individual workstations is further comprised of a receiver that provides addressably selective communication that is responsive to the type data and the associated type.

28. The system as in claim 25, wherein the type data defines a specific performer type, wherein at least one of the individual workstations is programmed to respond to a respective said specific performer type responsive to at least one of preprogramming, a switch, an audio input, a direct line input, MIDI data, user programming, and remote program control.

29. The system as in claim 1, wherein there is a plurality of the individual workstations, wherein the composition data is further comprised of respective type data;

and

wherein the composition data is broadcast to a plurality of the individual workstations, each of which selectively stores said composition data in its respective first memory and provides a local video display presentation responsive to processing of the composition data in accordance with the respective type data.

30. The system as in claim 29, wherein there are a plurality of different ones of the type data, wherein at least one of the individual workstations is programmed to respond to a specific one of the plurality of different ones of the type data responsive to at least one of preprogramming, a switch, an audio input, a direct line input, MIDI data, user programming, and remote program control.

31. The system as in claim 1, wherein there is a plurality of the individual workstations, wherein the communication is selectively addressable to subgroups within the plurality of individual workstations providing separate communications which is mapped between each of a plurality of respective frequency bands and each of the subgroups.

32. The system as in claim 1, wherein there is a plurality of the individual workstations, the system further comprising:

a master workstation providing controlled addressable communications of the composition data to at least one of individual ones of the plurality of individual workstations.

33. The system as in claim 32, wherein the communicating is selectably addressable to defined subgroups within the plurality of individual workstations providing band-based communications;

wherein communications is mapped between each of the respective bands and each of the subgroups.

34. The system as in claim 1, wherein the individual workstation is operable in a user selected automated mode comprising at least one of auto-advance mode, training mode, performance mode, auto-repeat mode, conductor mode, marching band mode, auto-compose mode, self-learn mode, and user activated display page turning mode.

35. The system as in claim 1, wherein there is a plurality of the individual workstations, wherein one of the individual workstations is a master workstation in communication with the remaining ones of the individual workstations.

36. The system as in claim 1, further comprising:

means for retrieving the composition data from the memory responsive to a user selection of the selected composition from a listing of available music compositions;

means for processing at least one of the composition data and the edit data to format for presentation;

means for displaying a video presentation responsive to the processing.

37. The system as in claim 36, wherein the means for displaying is further comprised of:

means for displaying, on a plurality of separate display apparatus, the video presentation of the composition data, responsive to the processing.

38. The system as in claim 37, wherein there is a plurality of the individual workstations, the system further comprising:

means for distributing the processing and the displaying among the plurality of the individual workstations.

39. A display presentation system comprising:

a plurality of individual workstations, each providing a local visual display presentation of at least a portion of a music composition, each of the individual workstations comprising a music input for selectively providing respective individual performance data output, responsive to a performance by a user of that respective individual workstation;

combining means, responsive to the individual performance data output from each of the plurality of individual workstations, to provide a combined output of composite virtual performance data;

wherein the combining means is further comprised of means for synchronizing and combining the individual performance data from the plurality of individual workstations to generate the composite virtual performance data;

means for communicating said composite virtual performance data to at least one of the plurality of individual workstations; and

means for providing a local presentation representative of at least one of an audio, a video and an audiovisual display of the individual performance data in combination for all of the communicating plurality of individual workstations responsive to the composite virtual performance data.

40. The system as in claim 39,

wherein each of the individual workstations is further comprised of a local display apparatus for providing a local visual display presentation of a selected composition;

wherein the plurality of individual workstations provide for synchronized display presentation of the composition on each of said local display apparatus.

41. The system as in claim 40, wherein a plurality of the individual workstations each provide for output of individual performance data representative of the performance by the respective user corresponding to the respective local visual display presentation.

42. The system as in claim 40, further comprising:

synchronization means for generating a synchronization signal for start of the local visual display presentation for the performance;

wherein the music composition is performed over a time period and wherein the respective individual performance data is communicated in discrete time segments, wherein each of the time segments is synchronized responsive to the synchronization.

43. The system as in claim 42, wherein the combining means provides the synchronization signal.

44. The system as in claim 42, further comprising:

means for providing a common time reference signal; and

means for utilizing the common time reference signal to synchronize the discrete time samples from each of the plurality of the display subsystems.

45. The system as in claim 44, further comprised of:

means for providing for selective local displaying on each of the plurality of the display subsystems.

46. The system as in claim 40, further comprising means responsive to the composite virtual performance data to generate a video presentation.

47. The system as in claim 39, wherein the composite virtual performance data is communicated back to a plurality of the individual workstations.

48. The system as in claim 39, wherein at least one of the individual workstations provides at least one of an audio output and a visual presentation, responsive to the composite virtual performance data.

49. The system as in claim 39, wherein each of the individual workstations is further comprised of a network interface subsystem.

50. The system as in claim 39, further comprising:

operational selection means for determining a selected operating mode for controlling progression of the video presentation.

51. The system as in claim 39, wherein the individual performance data output is comprised of at least one of audible performance data, visual performance data, electrical signals, digital data and control data.

52. The method system as in claim 39, further comprising:

means for providing the presentation on at least one of the plurality of the display subsystems.

53. The system as in claim 39, further comprising:

means for communicating musical composition data corresponding to the music composition to at least one of the individual workstations;

means for processing and locally storing the musical composition data; and

means for providing a visual display presentation of the selected musical composition on the at least one of the display subsystems responsive to the processing and the musical composition data.

54. The system as in claim 53, further comprising:

means for associating an instrument type from a plurality of instrument types to the display subsystem;

means for broadcasting the musical composition data each corresponding to an associated one of the instrument types for multiple separate graphical display presentations corresponding to the plurality of the respective instrument types; and

means for selecting a specific one of the multiple separate graphical display presentations responsive to the associating and the musical display data.

55. The system as in claim 54, further comprising:

means for providing a video display for the respective instrument type responsive to the selecting a specific one.

56. The system as in claim 54, wherein there are a plurality of the display subsystems, each having an associated instrument type, the system further comprising:

means for providing a video display on each of the display subsystems for the associated instrument type for the respective display subsystem.

57. The system as in claim 39, further comprising:

means for providing a source of secondary video data representative of a secondary video image; and

means for displaying the secondary video image as a picture-in-picture within a subpart of the visual presentation.

58. The system as in claim 39, wherein the music data representative of the music composition is provided, the system further characterized in that at least one of the individual workstations is comprised of a music workstation comprising means for displaying a music composition responsive to the music data;

the system further comprising;

at least one editing subsystem for changing of features of at least one of the pitch, key, tempo, instrument type, notation, size, color, shape, location and position for the video display presentation associated with the music data to create respective change data and for distributing the modified music data to the at least one of the music workstations;

wherein the at least one of the music workstations provides the display presentation responsive to the respective change data.

59. The system as in claim 58, wherein the changing of features is restricted at a defined level of permission.

60. The system as in claim 58, wherein there are a plurality of the music workstations, and wherein the respective change data is distributed to the plurality of the music workstations which each provide a local video presentation responsive to the respective change data.

61. The system as in claim 60, wherein the local video presentations provided on the plurality of music workstations are synchronized together.

62. The system as in claim 58, wherein the changing is responsive to a user input, wherein the user input is at least one of audio, data, a switch, a touch input device, a motion sensor, and speech recognition.

63. A method of electronically displaying a composition selection on at least one display subsystem, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of the display subsystems;

communicating composition data representative of a visual display presentation for the composition selection;

storing the composition data in a locally stored content database;

processing the composition data for visual display;

displaying a video presentation of the composition selection on the display subsystem, responsive to the processing of the composition data;

modifying a portion of the video presentation to create associated change data representative of modifications to the respective portion of the video presentation and storing the change data;

displaying a visual representation of the modified video presentation on the at least one display subsystem responsive to the composition data and the change data;

communicating the associated change data from the display subsystem to the at least one of the other display subsystems; and

displaying a visual representation of the composition and the modifications to the respective portion on the at least one other of the display subsystems responsive to the communicated associated change data.

64. The method as in claim 63, wherein the composition selection is a selected musical composition, wherein there is a plurality of the display subsystems, the method further comprising:

accepting performance data from each of the plurality of display subsystems;

processing the performance data into discrete time samples;

communicating the discrete time samples;

synchronizing the discrete time samples communicated from each of the plurality of display subsystems to provide synchronized communicated time samples;

combining the synchronized communication time samples into combined virtual performance data for integrating performances from the plurality of the display subsystems into a cohesive whole;

communicating the combined virtual performance data to provide at least one of an audio and a video presentation responsive to the combined virtual performance data;

providing a communications interface for each of the display subsystems for providing for communications of the composition data representative of the respective selected musical composition; and

providing a local visual display at each of the display subsystems representative of the selected musical composition.

65. The method as in claim 64, wherein the local visual display is responsive to the changes and is a visual display of music notation.

66. The method as in claim 63, wherein the composition selection has an associated visual display representative of notation for a user performance.

67. The method as in claim 66, wherein the notation is at least one of musical notation and non-musical notation conveying performance information to the user.

68. The method as in claim 63, wherein there is a plurality of the individual workstations, and

wherein the change data is communicated from a first one of the display subsystems to at least one other of the display subsystems which responsive thereto provides a local video presentation of the respective visual image of the composition data and the associated visual edits of changes.

69. The method as in claim 68, wherein a plurality of the display subsystems each provide for output of individual performance data representative of a musical performance by the user corresponding to the display presentation.

70. The method as in claim 63, wherein there is a plurality of the display subsystems further comprising:

synchronizing the video presentations on all of the plurality of the display subsystems.

71. The method as in claim 63, wherein the composition data is music data.

72. The method as in claim 63, wherein said composition data is music data for a respective music selection, and wherein there is a plurality of the display subsystems, the method further comprising:

communicating the music data to a plurality of the display subsystems; and

displaying a video presentation on all of the plurality of the display subsystems of the music selection responsive to the music data.

73. The method as in claim 63, wherein the storing data provides storage of stored music data, the method further comprising:

displaying on the at least one of the display subsystem a visual representation of a visual presentation responsive to the stored music data.

74. The method as in claim 63, wherein the display subsystems are individual music workstations, wherein the combined virtual performance data represents combined individual musical performances.

75. The method as in claim 63, wherein the display subsystems are individual music workstations, wherein the selected composition is a selected musical composition.

76. The method as in claim 63, wherein the performance data from selectively displayed subsystems is representative of the musical performance of a user.

77. The method as in claim 63,

wherein the performance data is a music performance;

wherein performance data is generated by simultaneous musical performances;

wherein the display subsystems are music display workstations; and

wherein the performance data is musical performance data representative of at least one of audio and video.

78. The method as in claim 63, further comprising:

providing a source of secondary video data representative of a secondary video image; and

displaying the secondary video image as a picture-in-picture within a subpart of the display presentation.

79. A music display system comprising:

memory means for storing and retrieving data;

a communications subsystem providing an interface for communication of music data representative of a music composition for storage in and retrieval from the memory means;

means for making specific edits associated with respective portions of the video presentation to create a modified video presentation and selectively storing associated change data in the memory means representative of the specific edits and the respective portions therewith associated;

processing means coupled to the memory means for processing at least one of the music data and the change data to provide presentation data;

a presentation apparatus to provide a video presentation of a visual image corresponding to the music data and to the change data on a video display responsive to the presentation data;

means for communicating the associated change data from the display subsystem to at least one other display providing for displaying on the other display system a visual representation of the composition and the modifications to the respective portion responsive to the communicated associated change data.

80. The system as in claim 79, further comprising:

a user interface for providing a user signal responsive to a user stimulus.

81. The system as in claim 80, further comprising:

advancing the presentation of the video display to show the time advance of music notation responsive to the user signal.

82. The system as in claim 80, wherein the user interface is a touchscreen video display.

83. The system as in claim 80, wherein the user interface is hands-free.

84. The system as in claim 80, wherein the memory means, processing means and presentation apparatus comprise a music display workstation, the system further comprising:

a plurality of the music display workstations, located physically at a plurality of locations,

means for integrating simultaneous performances from the plurality of locations of music display workstations into a cohesive whole, comprising;

means for accepting performance data from each of the plurality of music display workstations;

means for processing the performance data into discrete time samples;

means for communication the discrete time samples;

means for synchronizing the discrete time samples communicated from each of the plurality of music display workstations to provide synchronized

communicated time samples;

means for combining the synchronized communication time samples into combined virtual performance data; and

means for providing a presentation of at least one of an audio and a video presentation responsive to the combined virtual performance data.

85. The system as in claim 84, wherein the means for synchronizing is further comprised of:

means for providing a common time reference signal; and

means for utilizing the common time reference signal to synchronize the discrete time samples from each of the plurality of music display workstations.

86. The system as in claim 80, wherein the user interface is wirelessly coupled to the system.

87. The system as in claim 80, wherein the user interface is a footswitch.

88. The system as in claim 80, wherein the user interface provides multiple different signals.

89. The system as in claim 88, wherein the means for providing a presentation provides a video presentation of the music, wherein the video presentation changes over time to display a plurality of locations within the music composition,

wherein the multiple different signals provide for selective control of movement within the plurality of locations to at least one of forwards, backwards, and to a marked location.

90. The system as in claim 80, wherein the user interface provides an apparatus for a user to provide input of data to the system.

91. The system as in claim 90, wherein the input of data provides for control of editing of the video presentation.

92. The system as in claim 90, wherein the input of data provides for user communication of commands to the processing means.

93. The system as in claim 79, further comprising:

means for providing a timing metronome display as a part of the video display.

94. The system, as in claim 79, housed in a common housing to form a self-contained unit.

95. The system as in claim 79, further comprising:

means for synchronizing the presentation on the plurality of local visual display presentations of the selected musical composition.

96. The system as in claim 79, further comprising:

means for providing controlled addressable communications for receiving of the edit data representative of a visual image of the selected musical composition as changed by at least one of the plurality of the music display workstations.

97. The system as in claim 96, wherein the communicating of the edit data is selectably addressable to defined subgroups within the plurality of the music display workstations providing band-based communications;

and

wherein communications is mapped between each of the respective bands and each of the subgroups.