Multi-media device enabling a user to play audio content in association with displayed video

• US 8,431,811 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2011
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Topdown Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Beamz Interactive, Inc.
• Inventors: Riopelle, Gerald Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): FLETCHER, MARLON T
• Application Number:
  US12/932,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20110143837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 84/615
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/40 Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/98 Accessories, i.e. detachable arrangements optional for the use of the video game device, e.g. grip supports of game controllers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/207 for accessing game resources from local storage, e.g. streaming content from DVD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6081 generating an output signal, e.g. under timing constraints, for spatialization
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/00 Details of electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0066 using a MIDI interface
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0075 with translation or conversion means for unvailable commands, e.g. special tone colors
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/20 for transposition
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/34 Switch arrangements, e.g. keyboards or mechanical switches specially adapted for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/371 Rhythm syncopation, i.e. timing offset of rhythmic stresses or accents, e.g. note extended from weak to strong beat or started before strong beat
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/135 Musical aspects of games or videogames; Musical instrument-shaped game input interfaces game background music G10H2210/026; musical game scoring or performance evaluation G10H2210/091
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/305 using a light beam to detect key, pedal or note actuation light beams in general G10H2220/411
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/411 Light beams key actuation detection using light G10H2220/305
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/415 : Infrared beams
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/421 : Laser beams
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/425 : Radio control, i.e. input or control device involving a radio frequency signal
• 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 2240/061 : MP3, i.e. MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, lossy audio compression
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/211 : Wireless transmission, e.g. of music parameters or control data by radio, infrared or ultrasound beam G10H2220/405
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/255 : Optical fibre transmission for electrophonic musical instrument purposes, e.g. hum mitigation
• 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 2240/321 : Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/325 : Synchronizing two or more audio tracks or files according to musical features or musical timings synchronised lyrics, e.g. for karaoke G10H2220/011
• 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

A multi-media entertainment device enabling a user to control sound/audio elements of a music or sound program while video is displayed and which is correlated to the played sound elements. The user interacts with triggers such as laser beams that can be interrupted by a player'"'"'s fingers to play music. The video track is displayed, and the user controls the audio play of the sound track by interrupting the beams, each beam associated with a different instrument. This allows the user to play the multimedia device along with a displayed video performance, in synchronization with one or more musicians displayed on a display. The user'"'"'s play may be scored as a function of the user'"'"'s accuracy of engaging the triggers. For instance, a user can strum a trigger associated with a guitar program in unison with a guitarist on the display. The music created by the user interacting with multiple triggers is sympathetic and always synchronized to the video performance. If the user misses the timing of a note, the sound is not played. In another version, the user interacts by playing the triggers controlling sound elements associated with a displayed video game.

Claims

1. A multi-media entertainment device, comprising:

a plurality of triggers, wherein the triggers are configured to include an electromagnetic beam;

a plurality of music programs, wherein each said music program comprises sound elements comprising a subset of a predetermined musical composition, wherein the music programs are correlated to each other;

a video program comprising video elements correlated to the plurality of music programs; and

a control module configured to generate electronic signals as a function of the plurality triggers, the plurality of music programs, and the video program, wherein the control module is configured to generate a first said electronic signal configured to generate sympathetic audible musical sounds as a function of the plurality of triggers and the plurality of music programs, and a second electronic signal configured to generate video images synchronized to the audible musical sounds as a function of the video program.

2. The multi-media entertainment device as specified in claim 1 wherein the sound elements of one said music program are synchronized to the sound elements of another said music program.

3. The multi-media entertainment device as specified in claim 1 wherein one said music program is associated with one of the plurality of triggers.

4. The multi-media entertainment device as specified in claim 2 wherein the association of one said music program is configured to be selectively associated with one of the plurality of triggers.

5. The multi-media entertainment device as specified in claim 1 wherein when one of the triggers is in a first state for a predetermined period of time successive said audible musical sounds are generated.

6. The multi-media entertainment device as specified in claim 1 wherein the first signal is configured to drive a sound synthesizer.

7. The multi-media entertainment device as specified in claim 1 wherein the second signal is configured to drive a video display.

8. The multi-media entertainment device as specified in claim 1 wherein the controller comprises a trigger circuit configured to determine when one triggers has changed state.

9. The multi-media entertainment device as specified in claim 1 wherein the sound elements of each said music program are correlated to the sound elements of another said music program.

10. The multi-media entertainment device as specified in claim 1 wherein the musical composition is a subset of a song.

11. The multi-media entertainment device as specified in claim 1 wherein the video program is indicative of a recorded musical performance.

12. The music instrument as specified in claim 1 wherein the triggers are configured to be controlled by a user.

13. The multi-media entertainment device as specified in claim 1 wherein the triggers are configured to be controlled by a user'"'"'s finger.

14. The multi-media entertainment device as specified in claim 1 wherein the triggers are configured such that the plurality of the triggers can be simultaneously controlled by the user'"'"'s fingers.

15. The multi-media entertainment device as specified in claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to selectively correlate the first electronic signal to the second electronic signal.

16. The multi-media entertainment device as specified in claim 1 wherein the controller includes memory configured to store the plurality of music programs and the video program, wherein the controller is configured to receive the music program and the video program from a remote source.

17. A multi-media entertainment device, comprising:

a plurality of triggers, wherein the triggers are configured to include an electromagnetic beam;

a plurality of sound programs, wherein each said sound program comprises sound elements comprising a subset of a predetermined audio composition, wherein the music programs are correlated to each other;

a video program comprising video elements correlated to the plurality of sound programs; and

a control module configured to generate electronic signals as a function of the plurality triggers, the plurality of sound programs, and the video program, wherein the control module is configured to generate a first said electronic signal configured to generate audible sounds as a function of the plurality of triggers and the plurality of sound programs, and a second electronic signal configured to generate video images for rendition on a display and synchronized to the audible sounds as a function of the video program.

18. The multi-media entertainment device as specified in claim 17 wherein one said music program is associated with one of the plurality of triggers.

19. The multi-media entertainment device as specified in claim 17 wherein the association of one said music program is configured to be selectively associated with one of the plurality of triggers.