Systems and methods for creating, modifying, interacting with and playing musical compositions

• US 8,153,878 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2009
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medialab Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Medialab Solutions LLC
• Inventors: Chevreau, Jean-Phillipe, Georges, Alain
• Primary Examiner(s): Donels, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US12/454,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20100031804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 846/09, 846/34, 846/45
• US Class Current: 84/609
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0025 Automatic or semi-automatic music composition, e.g. producing random music, applying rules from music theory or modifying a musical piece automatically producing a series of tones G10H1/26
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0041 in coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/365 the accompaniment information being stored on a host computer and transmitted to a reproducing terminal by means of a network, e.g. public telephone lines
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/145 Composing rules, e.g. harmonic or musical rules, for use in automatic composition; Rule generation algorithms therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/151 using templates, i.e. incomplete musical sections, as a basis for composing
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/101 for graphical creation, edition or control of musical data or parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/315 for joystick-like proportional control of musical input; Videogame input devices used for musical input or control, e.g. gamepad, joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/015 PDA [personal digital assistant] or palmtop computing devices used for musical purposes, e.g. portable music players, tablet computers, e-readers or smart phones in which mobile telephony functions need not be used
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/056 MIDI or other note-oriented file format
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/061 MP3, i.e. MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, lossy audio compression
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/071 Wave, i.e. Waveform Audio File Format, coding, e.g. uncompressed PCM audio according to the RIFF bitstream format method
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/091 Info, i.e. juxtaposition of unrelated auxiliary information or commercial messages with or between music files
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/145 Sound library, i.e. involving the specific use of a musical database as a sound bank or wavetable; indexing, interfacing, protocols or processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/165 Memory card, i.e. removable module or card for storing music data for an electrophonic musical instrument
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/241 Telephone transmission, i.e. using twisted pair telephone lines or any type of telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/285 USB, i.e. either using a USB plug as power supply or using the USB protocol to exchange data
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/211 Random number generators, pseudorandom generators, classes of functions therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/595 ADPCM [adaptive differential pulse code modulation]

Abstract

A method of providing a file structure for use in a music playback device is disclosed. A slotted structure is provided that has a header portion that precedes a plurality of slot portions. The header portion includes a set of parameter locations indicating one or more of the following: header length, checksum, file type, file version, and number of slots. A first slot portion includes a set of parameter locations indicating one or more of the following: slot type, name length, name, data length, and data. A second slot portion includes a set of parameter locations indicating one or more of the following: slot type, name length, name, data length, and data. The first slot data parameter location contains audio waveform data, and slots can be added and removed via firmware/operating system without affecting the other slots.

Claims

1. A method of providing a the structure for use in a music playback device, comprising:

providing a slotted structure, wherein a header portion precedes a plurality of slot portions, wherein the header portion is comprised of a set of parameter locations indicating one or more of;

header length, checksum, file type, file version, and number of slots;

providing a first slot portion comprised of a set of parameter locations indicating one or more of;

slot type, name length, name, data length, and data;

providing a second slot portion comprised of a set of parameter locations indicating one or more of;

slot type, name length, name, data length, and data;

wherein a first slot data parameter location contains audio waveform data, and wherein slots can be added and removed via firmware/operating system without affecting the other slots,

wherein the file structure stores information on or in a storage medium.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an alien file management feature as part of the firmware/operating system, wherein alien slots are ignored when detected, and are preserved when the file structure is modified.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the file structure is used to store a music file on a compact disk.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein checksum parameter locations are used as part of a checksum calculation directed to protect the file structure against read/write errors.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the checksum calculation is computed word by word.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein all of the slot portions in the file structure are word aligned.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second slot portion further comprises a nested slot structure.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the second slot portion further comprises musical data in accordance with a data structure for a complete music piece, wherein the musical data comprises one or more seed parameter values;

causing the execution of a music algorithm by the firmware/operating system, wherein music rules are applied to the musical data to generate a music piece, wherein at least one seed parameter value is processed, by the music algorithm.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the file structure stores non-musical data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the music playback device comprises a game device.

11. A the structure stored in machine readable form for use in a music playback device, comprising:

a slotted structure, wherein a header portion precedes a plurality of slot portions, wherein the header portion is comprised of a set of parameter locations indicating one or more of;

header length, checksum, file type, file version, and number of slots;

a first slot portion comprised of a set of parameter locations indicating one or more of;

slot type, name length, name, data length, and data;

a second slot portion comprised of a set of parameter locations indicating one or more of;

slot type, name length, name, data length, and data;

wherein a first slot data parameter location contains audio waveform data, and wherein slots can be added and removed via firmware/operating system without affecting the other slots,

wherein the file structure stores information on or in a storage medium.

12. The file structure of claim 11, further comprising:

an alien file management feature located as part of the firmware/operating system, wherein alien slots are ignored when detected, and are preserved when the file structure is modified.

13. The file structure of claim 11, wherein the file structure contains a music file on a compact disk.

14. The file structure of claim 11, wherein checksum parameter locations are used as part of a checksum calculation directed to protect the file structure against read/write errors.

15. The file structure of claim 14, wherein the checksum calculation is computed word by word.

16. The file structure of claim 15, wherein all of the slot portions in the file structure are word aligned.

17. The file structure of claim 11, wherein the second slot portion further comprises a nested slot structure.

18. The file structure of claim 11, further comprising:

wherein the second slot portion further comprises musical data in accordance with a data structure for a complete music piece, wherein the musical data comprises one or more seed parameter values;

a music algorithm executing by the firmware/operating system, wherein music rules are applied to the musical data to generate a music piece, wherein at least one seed parameter value is processed by the music algorithm.

19. The file structure of claim 11, wherein the file structure stores non-musical data.

20. The file structure of claim 11, wherein the music playback device comprises a game device.