Multifunctional digital music display device

• US 7,674,970 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2007
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian Siu-Fung Ma, Kenneth Chi-Kit Ma
• Original Assignee: Brian Siu-Fung Ma, Kenneth Chi-Kit Ma
• Inventors: Ma, Kenneth Chi-Kit, Ma, Brian Siu-Fung
• Primary Examiner(s): Benson; Walter
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan; Kawing
• Application Number:
  US11/750,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20080282872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 844/70.R, 844/71.R, 844/77.R, 844/78, 844/831, 846/03, 846/09, 846/27, 846/63, 847/02, 847/38
• US Class Current: 84/627
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0575 using a data store from which the envelope is synthesized tones synthesized from a data store G10H7/00
• 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: G10H 2240/056 MIDI or other note-oriented file format
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/235 Fourier transform; Discrete Fourier Transform [DFT]; Fast Fourier Transform [FFT]
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/621 Waveform interpolation

Abstract

Herein described are at least a method and a system for assisting a musician in playing an instrument by way of using an intelligent multifunctional digital music display device (MDMDD). The multifunctional digital music display device (MDMDD) may be used to assist musicians or performers during practice sessions or performances. The various aspects of the invention provide a method of constructing an ADSR envelope for a note generated by an instrument, displaying one or more pages of music, generating a more accurate metronome beat consistent with the music being played, and alerting the musician when his instrument is out-of-tune. Further, the various aspects of the invention provide a method of statistically monitoring and reporting the performance of the musician. The system comprises a storage device capable of storing an instructional code, a processor for executing the instructional code, a microphone, and a display.

Claims

1. A method of displaying pages of music to a musician playing an instrument, said method comprising:

constructing an ADSR envelope for each note played by said musician;

comparing one or more parameters of said ADSR envelope to one or more corresponding reference parameters; and

displaying a next page of said music when a particular temporal location is reached within a current page of said music, wherein said temporal location is determined by using;

error tolerances to assess if one or more notes were skipped or incorrectly played; and

statistical analysis for correlating what has been previously played against reference music data files, wherein said error tolerance is based on reaching a level corresponding to a certain number of successive errors.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said correlating is used over a certain number of measures if said certain number of successive errors is reached.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said correlating is used over a certain number of beats previously played by said musician if said certain number of successive errors is reached.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said correlating compares a first time corresponding to the start of each said note to a second time corresponding to the start of a corresponding note stored in a reference data file and a third time corresponding to a release point of each said note to a fourth time corresponding to the release point of said corresponding note stored in said reference data file, said first and said third times obtained from said ADSR envelope.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said reference data file comprises a musical score corresponding to a number of different instruments.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said correlating checks to see how many other notes in a particular chord are correct.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said correlating uses the cadence of previously played notes generated by said instrument.

8. A system for displaying pages of music to a musician playing an instrument, said system comprising:

a memory storing a software code; and

a processor for executing said software code, wherein said executing performs;

constructing an ADSR envelope for each note played by said musician;

comparing one or more parameters of said ADSR envelope to one or more corresponding reference parameters; and

displaying a next page of said music when a particular temporal location is reached within a current page of said music, wherein said temporal location is determined by using;

error tolerances to assess if one or more notes were skipped or incorrectly played; and

statistical analysis for correlating what has been previously played against reference music data files, wherein said error tolerance is based on reaching a level corresponding to a certain number of successive errors.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said correlating is used over a certain number of measures if said certain number of successive errors is reached.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein said correlating is used over a certain number of beats previously played by said musician if said certain number of successive errors is reached.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein said correlating compares a first time corresponding to the start of each said note to a second time corresponding to the start of a corresponding note stored in a reference data file and a third time corresponding to a release point of each said note to a fourth time corresponding to the release point of said corresponding note stored in said reference data file, said first and said third times obtained from said ADSR envelope.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said reference data file comprises a musical score corresponding to a number of different instruments.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein said correlating checks to see how many other notes in a particular chord are correct.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein said correlating uses the cadence of previously played notes generated by said instrument.