Dynamically displaying a pitch range

• US 7,935,880 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Incorporated (Epic Games, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stoddard, Joshua Forrest, Egozy, Eran B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher; Marlon T
• Application Number:
  US12/474,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20100300266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 84/609
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/368 displaying animated or moving pictures synchronized with the music or audio part
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/066 for pitch analysis as part of wider processing for musical purposes, e.g. transcription, musical performance evaluation; Pitch recognition, e.g. in polyphonic sounds; Estimation or use of missing fundamental
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/091 for performance evaluation, i.e. judging, grading or scoring the musical qualities or faithfulness of a performance, e.g. with respect to pitch, tempo or other timings of a reference performance
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/135 Musical aspects of games or videogames; Musical instrument-shaped game input interfaces

Abstract

Described are methods, systems, and apparatuses, including computer program products, for dynamically displaying a pitch range in a rhythm-action game. In one aspect this is accomplished by a game platform dividing a musical composition into a plurality of portions each comprising one or more notes. Then the game platform determines a pitch range between a highest note and a lowest note for each portion. Then the game platform determines a display density for each portion based on the pitch range of each portion, or alternatively, a display density for the entire song based on the greatest pitch range of all portions. Then, the game platform displays each portion within a viewable area. The viewable area has a density alterable based on the portion to be displayed or a position that is alterable based on the portion to be displayed, or has both an alterable position and alterable pitch density.

Claims

1. A method executed on a game platform in signal communication with a display, the method comprising:

(a) dividing a musical composition into a plurality of portions each comprising one or more notes;

(b) determining a pitch range between a highest note and a lowest note for each portion;

(c) determining a song density based on the largest pitch range of all portions; and

(d) displaying, on the display, each portion within a viewable area comprising a position and the song density, the viewable area'"'"'s position being alterable based on the portion to be displayed.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the center of the viewable area'"'"'s position is substantially equidistant between the lowest note and highest note of the portion.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising altering the position of the viewable area before displaying a new portion such that the viewable area appears to slide from the prior position to a position where the center of the viewable area is substantially equidistant between the high note of the new portion and the low note of the new portion.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising altering the position of the viewable area before displaying a new portion such that the viewable area appears to slide from the prior position to a position where the viewable area displays the highest note of the new portion and the lowest note of the new portion.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the portion comprises a verse, a phrase, a length of time, at least a predetermined number of musical notes, or a combination thereof.

6. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium, the computer program product including instructions operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

divide a musical composition into a plurality of portions each comprising one or more notes;

determine a pitch range between a highest note and a lowest note for each portion;

determine a song density based on the largest pitch range of all portions; and

display, on a display in signal communication with the data processing apparatus, each portion within a viewable area comprising a position and the song density, the viewable area'"'"'s position being alterable based on the portion to be displayed.

7. A system comprising:

a data processing apparatus configured to;

divide a musical composition into a plurality of portions each comprising one or more notes;

determine a pitch range between a highest note and a lowest note for each portion;

determine a song density based on the largest pitch range of all portions; and

display, on a display in signal communication with the data processing apparatus, each portion within a viewable area comprising a position and the song density, the viewable area'"'"'s position being alterable based on the portion to be displayed.

8. An apparatus comprising:

means for dividing a musical composition into a plurality of portions each comprising one or more notes;

means for determining a pitch range between a highest note and a lowest note for each portion;

means for determining a song density based on the largest pitch range of all portions; and

means for displaying, on display in signal communication with the apparatus, each portion within a viewable area comprising a position and the song density, the viewable area'"'"'s position being alterable based on the portion to be displayed.

9. A method executed on a game platform in signal communication with a display, the method comprising:

(a) dividing a musical composition into a plurality of portions each comprising one or more notes;

(b) determining a pitch range between a highest note and a lowest note for each portion;

(c) determining a density for each portion based on the pitch range of each portion; and

(d) displaying, on the display, each portion within a viewable area comprising a density being alterable based on the portion to be displayed.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising altering the density of the viewable area before displaying a new portion such that the viewable area appears to zoom in before displaying the new portion.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising altering the density of the viewable area before displaying a new portion such that the viewable area appears to zoom out before displaying the new portion.

12. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium, the computer program product including instructions operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

divide a musical composition into a plurality of portions each comprising one or more notes;

determine a pitch range between a highest note and a lowest note for each portion;

determine a density for each portion based on the pitch range of each portion; and

display, on a display in signal communication with the data processing apparatus, each portion within a viewable area comprising a density being alterable based on the portion to be displayed.

13. A system comprising:

a data processing apparatus configured to;

divide a musical composition into a plurality of portions each comprising one or more notes;

determine a pitch range between a highest note and a lowest note for each portion;

determine a density for each portion based on the pitch range of each portion; and

display, on a display in signal communication with the data processing apparatus, each portion within a viewable area comprising a density being alterable based on the portion to be displayed.

14. An apparatus comprising:

means for dividing a musical composition into a plurality of portions each comprising one or more notes;

means for determining a pitch range between a highest note and a lowest note for each portion;

means for determining a density for each portion based on the pitch range of each portion; and

means for displaying, on a display in signal communication with the apparatus, each portion within a viewable area comprising a density being alterable based on the portion to be displayed.

15. A method executed on a game platform in signal communication with a display, the method comprising:

(a) dividing a musical composition into a plurality of portions each comprising one or more notes;

(b) determining a pitch range between a highest note and a lowest note for each portion;

(c) determining a display density for each portion based on the pitch range of each portion; and

(d) displaying, on the display, each portion within a viewable area comprising a density being alterable based on the portion to be displayed, and a position alterable based on the portion to be displayed.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising altering the position of the viewable area before displaying a new portion such that the viewable area appears to slide from the prior position to a position where the viewable area displays the high note of the new portion and the low note of the new portion.

17. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage medium, the computer program product including instructions operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:

divide a musical composition into a plurality of portions each comprising one or more notes;

determine a pitch range between a highest note and a lowest note for each portion;

determine a display density for each portion based on the pitch range of each portion; and

display, on a display in signal communication with the data processing apparatus, each portion within a viewable area comprising a density being alterable based on the portion to be displayed, and a position alterable based on the portion to be displayed.

18. A system comprising:

a data processing apparatus configured to;

divide a musical composition into a plurality of portions each comprising one or more notes;

determine a pitch range between a highest note and a lowest note for each portion;

determine a display density for each portion based on the pitch range of each portion; and

display, on a display in signal communication with the data processing apparatus, each portion within a viewable area comprising a density being alterable based on the portion to be displayed, and a position alterable based on the portion to be displayed.

19. An apparatus comprising:

means for dividing a musical composition into a plurality of portions each comprising one or more notes;

means for determining a pitch range between a highest note and a lowest note for each portion;

means for determining a display density for each portion based on the pitch range of each portion; and

means for displaying, on a display in signal communication with the apparatus, each portion within a viewable area comprising a density being alterable based on the portion to be displayed, and a position alterable based on the portion to be displayed.