System and method for dynamic visual presentation of digital audio content

• US 8,327,268 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MAGIX Software GmbH
• Original Assignee: Bellevue Investments GmbH & Co. KGaA
• Inventors: Herberger, Tilman, Tost, Titus
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao “Kevin”
• Application Number:
  US12/615,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20110113331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 715723-726, 715727-728, 715762-764
• US Class Current: 715/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/64 Browsing; Visualisation therefor generation of a list or set of audio data G06F16/638
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content

Abstract

There is provided a system and method that allows a user to visually manage and work with large numbers of digital audio tiles. Each audio file will preferably be analyzed by the instant invention, with the analysis results being used to position an icon representative of that file within an on-screen 2D- or 3D-display. Methods will be provided that allow user to preview and use individual audio items that are displayed on-screen. Selection of an on-screen icon will be used to initiate playback of the associated audio file, insert that file into a playlist, incorporate that file into a multimedia work, etc.

Claims

1. A method of creating a musical work, comprising the steps of:

(a) accessing a database comprising a plurality of digital audio items, each of said plurality of audio items having at least one metadata item associated therewith, each of said at least one metadata item being descriptive of a characteristic of said associated musical work;

(b) choosing one of said plurality of digital audio items;

(c) determining at least one metadata item associated with said chosen audio item;

(d) using any of said at least one metadata item determined for each of said chosen audio items to determine a hierarchical order and a screen location based on said hierarchical order;

(e) displaying an icon associated with said chosen one of said plurality of digital audio items on a display device proximate to said screen location;

(f) performing at least steps (a) through (e) a plurality of times for at least two different chosen audio items, thereby displaying a plurality of icons on the display device, each of said displayed icons being associated with one of said at least two different chosen audio items;

(g) requiring a user to use said hierarchical order to select at least two of said plurality of icons on the display device;

(h) for each of said selected at least two icons, determining an audio item associated therewith, thereby determining at least two audio items;

(i) using each of said determined at least two selected audio items in said musical work; and

,

(j) performing the musical work for the user.

2. The method of creating a musical work according to claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises the step of:

(e1) displaying an icon associated with said chosen one of said plurality of digital audio items on a display device proximate to said screen location, wherein said icon is chosen to represent a metadata value of said chosen audio item.

3. The method of creating a musical work according to claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises the step of reading at least one metadata item associated with said chosen audio item from the database.

4. The method of creating a musical work according to claim 1, wherein said computer interaction device is selected from a group consisting of a computer mouse, a keyboard, and, a touch screen display.

5. The method of creating a musical work according to claim 1, wherein said metadata item is selected from a group consisting of a title metadata item, an artist metadata item, an album metadata item, a year metadata item, a genre metadata item, a style metadata item an instrument metadata item, a tempo metadata item, a key metadata and a rhythm metadata item.

6. A method of performing a musical work, wherein is provided an audio database containing a plurality of audio items therein, comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a plurality of said audio items;

(b) calculating at least two metadata values for each of said selected plurality of audio items, thereby producing a plurality of metadata values, each of said plurality of metadata values being associated with one of said selected plurality of audio items;

(c) using said plurality of metadata values to determine a hierarchical organization of said selected plurality of audio items and a corresponding plurality of screen locations for each of said selected plurality of audio items, said screen locations being determined in such a way that if said at least two metadata values associated with each of two different audio items are similar their corresponding screen locations will be proximate to each other;

(d) placing an icon proximate to each of said plurality screen locations within a computer display according to said hierarchical organization;

(e) allowing a user to select one of said icons using a computer interaction device;

(f) determining which of said plurality of audio items is associated with said selected icon; and

,

(g) performing said audio item associated with said selected icon for the user.

7. The method of creating a musical work according to claim 6, wherein step (d) comprises the steps of:

(d1) for each of said audio items, choosing an icon representative of a characteristic of said audio item, thereby choosing a plurality of icons, and,

(d1) using said plurality of screen locations to place said plurality of icons within a computer display according to said hierarchical organization.

8. The method of creating a musical work according to claim 6, wherein said computer interaction device is selected from a group consisting of a computer mouse, a keyboard, and, a touch screen display.

9. The method of creating a musical work according to claim 6, wherein each of said metadata values is selected from a group consisting of a title metadata item, an artist metadata item, an album metadata item, a year metadata item, a genre metadata item, a style metadata item, an instrument metadata item, a tempo metadata item, a key metadata item, and a rhythm metadata item.

10. The method of creating a musical work according to claim 6, wherein step (e) comprises the step of:

(e) allowing a user to select one of said icons using a computer interaction device, wherein said selection is indicated by a double click of a computer mouse.

11. A method of generating a visual representation of a plurality of digital audio items stored in a database, comprising the steps of:

(a) accessing said database and said plurality of audio items;

(b) analyzing each of said plurality of audio items to obtain two or more metadata items associated with each of said plurality of audio items;

(c) creating a data vector for each of said plurality of audio items from said two or more metadata items associated with each of said plurality of audio items, thereby creating a plurality of data vectors, each data vector being associated with one of said audio items;

(d) storing said plurality of data vectors in said database;

(e) using said plurality of data vectors to create a corresponding plurality of screen coordinates, wherein said screen coordinates are chosen in such a way that if two data vectors contain similar values the corresponding created two screen coordinates are proximate to each other;

(f) selecting an icon for each of said plurality of audio items, thereby selecting a plurality of icons, each of said icons being associated with one of said audio items and with said screen coordinates associated with said one of said audio items; and

,

(g) displaying each of said icons on a computer screen at a location proximate to said associated screen coordinates.

12. The method of creating a musical work according to claim 11, wherein each of said two or more metadata items is selected from a group consisting of a title metadata item, an artist metadata item, an album metadata item, a year metadata item, a genre metadata item, a style metadata item, an instrument metadata item, a tempo metadata item, a key metadata item, and a rhythm metadata item.