Computer-aided learning system employing a pitch tracking line

• US 7,271,329 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2005
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Learning Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Electronic Learning Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Franzblau, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): FLETCHER, MARLON T
• Application Number:
  US11/137,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20050262989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 84/609
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/023 Electrically operated
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 17/00 Teaching reading teaching lip-reading G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/126 for graphical editing of individual notes, parts or phrases represented as variable length segments on a 2D or 3D representation, e.g. graphical edition of musical collage, remix files or pianoroll representations of MIDI-like files

Abstract

A computer-aided learning system to facilitate a human to control the pitch and rhythm of their voice. In a preferred embodiment for learning how to sing a song in tune, a display provides visual, real-time depiction of the singer'"'"'s actual pitch compared to the “target” pitch they should be singing, thereby allowing the singer to interactively raise or lower the pitch of their voice.

Claims

1. A method for learning, comprising the steps of:

displaying a series of target pitch lines representative of target pitches on a display;

displaying a target pitch box encompassed about each target pitch line;

computing a pitch tracking line from an audio input; and

displaying the pitch tracking line on the display;

whereby the pitch tracking line visually appears within respective target pitch boxes when the pitch of the audio input is substantially in tune with the targeted pitch of the target pitch line therein by a predefined amount.

2. The method for learning as set forth in claim 1, wherein the pitch tracking line is displayed in real time.

3. The method for learning as set forth in claim 2, wherein each target pitch line is centered within their respective target pitch box.

4. The method for learning as set forth in claim 3, wherein at least one of the target pitch boxes comprises a height indicative of the degree of the audio input being substantially in tune with the targeted pitch of the target pitch line therein.

5. The method for learning as set forth in claim 4, further comprising the step of reducing the height of at least one of the target pitch boxes to increase the degree of the audio input being substantially in tune with the targeted pitch of the target pitch line therein.

6. The method for learning as set forth in claim 5, wherein the step of reducing the height of at least one of the target pitch boxes comprises the step of allowing selection of beginner, intermediate, and expert skill levels respectively corresponding to the target pitch box including an increased height, a medium height or a reduced height.

7. The method for learning as set forth in claim 3, wherein at least one of the target pitch boxes comprises a length substantially equal to the length of the respective target pitch line.

8. The method for learning as set forth in claim 7, further comprising the step of reducing the length of at least one of the target pitch boxes to define a transition time with an adjacent target pitch box.

9. The method for learning as set forth in claim 8, wherein the step of reducing the length of at least one of the target pitch boxes comprises the step of allowing selection of expert, intermediate and beginner skill levels respectively corresponding to the target pitch box including an reduced length, a further reduced length and a still further reduced length.

10. The method for learning as set forth in claim 9, wherein the step of reducing the length of at least one of the target pitch boxes occurs at the beginning of the target pitch boxes.

11. The method for learning as set forth in claim 9, wherein the step of reducing the length of at least one of the target pitch boxes occurs at the beginning and at the end of the target pitch boxes.

12. The method for learning as set forth in claim 1, wherein the audible input comprises a microphone.

13. The method for learning as set forth in claim 12, wherein the audio input comprises a person who is making an audible sound into the microphone.

14. The method for learning as set forth in claim 13, further including the lyrics of a song to be sung being positioned proximate to the respective target pitch boxes and wherein the target pitch lines represent the musical notes of the song, whereby visualization of the pitch tracking line and target pitch boxes provides a real-time visual feedback of the pitch of the singer'"'"'s voice relative to each note of the song being sung to aid the person to sing in tune with the notes of the song.

15. The method for learning as set forth in claim 13, further including text to be read being positioned proximate to the respective target pitch boxes and wherein the target pitch lines represent tones of the text to be read, whereby visualization of the pitch tracking line and target pitch boxes provides a real-time visual feedback of the pitch of the person'"'"'s voice relative to the text being read to aid the person to better learn the text.

16. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of computing the pitch tracking line comprises a computer and wherein the steps of displaying comprise display.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein the computer comprises a general purpose personal computer, a dedicated computer or a server computer.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the input and the display comprises a videophone or cell phone with a display and wherein the computer is remotely located.

19. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including the steps of determining the user'"'"'s actual vocal range and transposing the target pitch lines into the optimum key best corresponding to the user'"'"'s actual vocal range.

20. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including the steps of determining the user'"'"'s actual vocal range and moving the target pitch lines up or down one or more octaves.

21. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprises a step of determining the user'"'"'s actual vocal range comprises have the user first sing up from a low note to a high note and then sing down from a high note to a low note and defining the vocal range as the range between the high note and the low note.

22. The method as set forth in claim 19, wherein the steps of displaying occurs in a display window in which the ordinate of the window represents the transposed key best corresponding to the user-specific vocal range and the abscissa represents the measures and their beats of the target pitch lines.

23. The method as set forth in claim 22, further including the step of displaying diatonic notes and non-diatonic notes along the ordinate.

24. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including the step of displaying words associated with each target pitch line proximate to the respective target pitch box.

25. The method as set forth in claim 24, further including the step of displaying at least one empty box between adjacent target pitch boxes to serve as placeholders and signal when the user should take a breath.

26. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including the step of computing the total time the pitch tracking line appeared within the target pitch boxes relative to the cumulative length of the target pitch boxes indicative of the percentage of time the pitch tracking line was in tune with the target pitch boxes.

27. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including the step of computing the total time the pitch tracking line appeared within the target pitch boxes relative to the cumulative length of the target pitch boxes indicative of the percentage of time the pitch tracking line was in tune and on beat with the target pitch boxes.

28. The method as set forth in claim 27, further including the step of displaying a score indicative of the percentage of time the pitch tracking line was in tune and on beat with the target pitch boxes.

29. The method as set forth in claim 19, wherein the steps of displaying occurs in a display window including a toolbar and a control panel.

30. The method as set forth in claim 29, wherein the toolbar includes at least one of a singing selection button that allows the user to select among exercises, created songs, imported songs and downloaded songs, a vocal range button that allows the user to manually select a bass, baritone, tenor, alto, or soprano vocal range, a skill level button allowing the user to select the desired skill level, sing/compose button allows the user to switch between the sing and compose modes of operation, a toggle button to switch to a view containing a representation of a keyboard, to a sheet music view, to a view containing a mixing board or to return to a home screen, vertical or horizontal sliders to allow the window to be scrolled vertically and horizontally, respectively, and zoom buttons to change how much of a song appears in the window, best fit or vocal range buttons to allow the highest and lowest notes to appear in the window without scrolling and to adjust the vertical display so that the user-specific vocal range fits in the window.

31. The method as set forth in claim 29, wherein the control panel includes at least one of a metronome toggle button to turn a metronome sound on and off, a time signature toggle button to show the currently selected time signature, a tempo selector button that displays the current tempo and allows the tempo for the current song or exercise to be increased or decreased, a key selector button that allows the user to change the key for the current song, melody and accompaniment toggle buttons to turn on and off the melody and accompaniment during playing, volume controls selector buttons, and transport buttons for clearing the display and preparing for a new session, for rewinding by moving the vertical cursor to the beginning of a song, for playing what is displayed and for stopping the playing.

32. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the steps of displaying further includes the step of displaying a cursor line indicating the current position being played.

33. The method as set forth in claim 1, further including

computing a multiple of pitch tracking lines from respective multiple audio inputs;

and

displaying the pitch tracking lines on the display.

34. The method as set forth in claim 33, wherein the set of displaying the pitch tracking lines on the display comprises the step of displaying the pitch tracking lines in multiple respective displays.

35. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the song to be played comprises a MIDI file.

36. The method as set forth in claim 35, further including the steps of interpreting the MIDI file to ascertain the status bytes and the data bytes for each note and its duration, as well as the key, melody and the accompaniment to display to the target pitch lines.

37. The method as set forth in claim 35, wherein as the user sings the song, the user'"'"'s voice in saved in an analog file corresponding to the file.

38. The method as set forth in claim 36, wherein the coordinates of the pitch tracking line are computed for display and saved to a control file corresponding to or along with the analog file.

39. The method as set forth in claim 37, further including the step of changing the song'"'"'s key, melody and accompaniment by changing the corresponding status and data bytes of the MIDI song file before playing.