Audio file format with mapped lighting effects and method for controlling lighting effects using an audio file format

• US 8,008,561 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2003
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Cranfill, David, Caine, Michael, Brenner, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Donels; Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US10/346,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20040139842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,147 Days
• Field of Search: 844/77.R, 844/64.R, 846/45
• US Class Current: 84/477.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/00 Teaching music metronomes G04F5/02

Abstract

An audio file format is provided, which includes definitions for one or more instruments that are associated with one or more light groupings, where each light grouping includes one or more light sources. Received commands present in the audio file, and associated with an instrument definition, are compared to determine if the associated instrument definition corresponds to one of the one or more light groupings. If the associated instrument definition corresponds to a light grouping, then the commands are mapped to corresponding display effects, and the illumination of the one or more light sources of the respective light grouping is controlled. If the associated instrument definition of the received command corresponds to an audio instrument, then an audible output is controlled in accordance with the received command.

Claims

1. A method for controlling lighting effects using an audio file comprising:

assigning an instrument definition associated with the audio file to each of one or more light groupings having one or more light sources, where each instrument definition assigned to a light grouping is exclusively assigned to a corresponding one of the one or more light groupings;

receiving commands for one of the instrument definitions exclusively assigned to one of the one or more light groupings; and

controlling the illumination of the one or more light sources within the respective light grouping in accordance with the commands received for the corresponding instrument definition,

wherein receiving commands for the instrument definitions includes receiving one or more note definitions associated with an instrument definition assigned to one of the one or more light groupings, and wherein controlling the illumination of the one or more light sources includes controlling the color displayed by the one or more light sources within the light grouping in accordance with the value of the one or more note definitions;

and wherein receiving commands for the instrument definitions additionally includes commands for receiving at least one of volume definitions, note velocity definitions and modulation definitions, associated with at least some of the one or more note definitions, and wherein controlling the illumination of the one or more light sources additionally includes controlling the light intensity of the color displayed by the one or more light sources within the light grouping in accordance with the at least one of volume definitions, note velocity definitions and modulation definitions.

2. A method for controlling lighting effects using an audio file comprising:

assigning an instrument definition associated with the audio file to each of one or more light groupings having one or more light sources, where each instrument definition assigned to a light grouping is exclusively assigned to a corresponding one of the one or more light groupings;

receiving commands for one of the instrument definitions exclusively assigned to one of the one or more light groupings; and

controlling the illumination of the one or more light sources within the respective light grouping in accordance with the commands received for the corresponding instrument definition,

wherein receiving commands for the instrument definitions includes receiving one or more note definitions associated with an instrument definition assigned to one of the one or more light groupings, and wherein controlling the illumination of the one or more light sources includes controlling the color displayed by the one or more light sources within the light grouping in accordance with the value of the one or more note definitions;

and wherein the note definitions include relative start times and relative end times, which when associated with instrument definitions assigned to each of the one or more lighting groups affects the start time and the end time of the illumination of the light sources within the corresponding lighting groups.