Graphical user interface for music sequence programming

• US 8,330,033 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2010
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lengeling, Gerhard, Helms, Jan-Hinnerk
• Primary Examiner(s): FLETCHER, MARLON T
• Application Number:
  US12/881,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20120060668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 84/477.R
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• 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 1/0066 using a MIDI interface
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/42 comprising tone forming circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/46 Volume control
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/005 Musical accompaniment, i.e. complete instrumental rhythm synthesis added to a performed melody, e.g. as output by drum machines background music G10H2210/021
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/105 Composing aid, e.g. for supporting creation, edition or modification of a piece of music
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/341 Rhythm pattern selection, synthesis or composition Rhythm analysis G10H2210/071; accompaniment G10H2210/005
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/361 Selection among a set of pre-established rhythm patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/005 Non-interactive screen display of musical or status data graphical user interfaces specifically adapted for electrophonic musical instruments G10H2220/091; fingering displays G10H2220/041
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/096 using a touch screen touch screen note input, e.g. using a displayed keyboard G10H2220/241; personal digital assistant [PDA] G10H2230/015
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/111 for graphical orchestra or soundstage control, e.g. on-screen selection or positioning of instruments in a virtual orchestra, using movable or selectable musical instrument icons soundstage sound field effects G10H2210/305
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/395 Acceleration sensing or accelerometer use, e.g. 3D movement computation by integration of accelerometer data, angle sensing with respect to the vertical, i.e. gravity sensing. conductor baton movement sensing G10H2220/206, angle sensing without reference to gravity G10H2220/391; player body joint angle sensing G10H2220/321
• 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 touch-screen interfaces G10H2220/096
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/281 Spint drum assembly, i.e. mimicking two or more drums or drumpads assembled on a common structure, e.g. drum kit multi-toned percussion instruments G10H2230/255
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/056 MIDI or other note-oriented file format
• 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 2250/435 Gensound percussion, i.e. generating or synthesising the sound of a percussion instrument; Control of specific aspects of percussion sounds, e.g. harmonics, under the influence of hitting force, hitting position, settings or striking instruments such as mallet, drumstick, brush, hand spint percussion G10H2230/231

Abstract

An example graphical programming interface system includes a processor. A grid matrix defined by a plurality of coordinate axes, having selectable matrix positions is displayed on a display device. Multiple movable object icons, each representing an object having a predefined output sound are also displayed on the display device. In one aspect, a single object data file is associated with each matrix position on said grid matrix. In this aspect, once a user places an object icon on a matrix position, the processor causes the predefined output sound associated with the object icon in accordance with the object data file associated with the matrix position at which the object icon is placed, and outputs the processed sound to an output device. This allows a user to program musical sequences by placing one or more object icons each on the selectable matrix positions.

Claims

1. A graphical programming interface system, comprising:

a processor;

a grid matrix defined by a plurality of coordinate axes, having selectable matrix positions identified by coordinate values along said axes, said grid matrix being displayed on a display device;

a plurality of movable object icons, each representing an object having a predefined output sound;

a plurality of object data files, each data object file associated with a particular matrix position on said grid matrix, such that different positions along a coordinate axis correspond to different characteristics of each object data file, said plurality of object data files being stored in a memory device, wherein a characteristic of each object data file is a rhythmic pattern of said object data file; and

whereby placement of an object icon at any matrix position causes said processor to process the predefined output sound associated with said object icon in accordance with the object data file associated with the matrix position at which the object icon is placed such that the predefined sound associated with said object icon is processed according to the rhythmic pattern of said object data file, and output the processed sound to an output device.

2. The graphical programming interface system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plurality of object data files comprise MIDI patterns.

3. The graphical programming interface system as set forth in claim 2, wherein each object icon represents a component of a drum kit.

4. The graphical programming interface system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said rhythmic pattern increases in complexity along a direction of a first coordinate axis of said grid matrix.

5. The graphical programming interface system as set forth in claim 3, wherein a characteristic of each object data file is intensity of said object data file.

6. The graphical programming interface system as set forth in claim 5, wherein said intensity of object data files increases along a direction of a second coordinate axis of said grid matrix.

7. The graphical programming interface system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plurality of object data files comprise soundwave or audio files.

8. The graphical programming interface system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said object icons are movable on said display device by a user using a device such as a keyboard, mouse, or touch-sensitive mechanism on said display device.

9. The graphical programming interface system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said grid matrix is a two-dimensional matrix.

10. A method of programming a MIDI-based drum kit implemented on a computer system, comprising:

providing a grid matrix defined by a plurality of coordinate axes, having selectable matrix positions identified by coordinate values along said axes, said grid matrix being displayed on a display device;

providing a plurality of movable object icons, each representing a component of said drum kit having a predefined output sound;

providing a plurality of MIDI patterns associated with each object icon, each MIDI pattern being also associated with a particular matrix position on said grid matrix, such that different positions along a coordinate axis correspond to different characteristics of said MIDI patterns, said plurality of MIDI patterns being stored in a memory device, wherein a characteristic of each MIDI pattern is a rhythmic pattern of said MIDI pattern; and

receiving a user input to place an object icon at any matrix position, thereby causing said processor to process the predefined output sound associated with said object icon in accordance with the MIDI pattern associated with the matrix position at which the object icon is placed such that the predefined sound associated with said object icon is processed according to the rhythmic pattern of said object data file, and to output the processed sound to an output device.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein said rhythmic pattern increases in complexity along a direction of a first coordinate axis of said grid matrix.

12. The method as set forth in claim 10, wherein a characteristic of each MIDI pattern is intensity of said MIDI pattern.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein said intensity of each MIDI pattern increases along a direction of a second coordinate axis of said grid matrix.

14. A computer program product comprising a plurality of computer executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, said instructions causing a computer to:

provide a grid matrix defined by a plurality of coordinate axes, having selectable matrix positions identified by coordinate values along said axes, said grid matrix being displayed on a display device;

provide on said display device a plurality of movable object icons, each representing a component of said drum kit having a predefined output sound;

store a plurality of MIDI patterns associated with each object icon, each MIDI pattern being also associated with a particular matrix position on said grid matrix, such that different positions along a coordinate axis correspond to different characteristics of said MIDI patterns, said plurality of MIDI patterns being stored in a memory device, wherein a characteristic of each MIDI pattern is a rhythmic pattern of said MIDI pattern; and

receiving a user input to place an object icon at any matrix position, thereby causing said processor to process the predefined output sound associated with said object icon in accordance with the object data file associated with the matrix position at which the object icon is placed such that the predefined sound associated with said object icon is processed according to the rhythmic pattern of said object data file, and to output the processed sound to an output device.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein said rhythmic pattern increases in complexity along a direction of a first coordinate axis of said grid matrix.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein a characteristic of each MIDI pattern is intensity of said MIDI pattern.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein intensity of each MIDI pattern increases along a direction of a second coordinate axis of said grid matrix.