Apparatus and method for classifying, displaying and selecting music files

• US 8,686,270 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Giron, Franck, Kemp, Thomas, Eggink, Jana
• Primary Examiner(s): Warren, David S.
• Application Number:
  US13/079,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20110252947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 84600-602, 700/94
• US Class Current: 84/600
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/085 Mood, i.e. generation, detection or selection of a particular emotional content or atmosphere in a musical piece
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/135 Library retrieval index, i.e. using an indexing scheme to efficiently retrieve a music piece

Abstract

At an apparatus (200), which may be a consumer electronic device, the user may select a predetermined number of different music attributes (Attr) descriptive of a mood delivered by music represented by music content of a music file. From parameters of a music file available in the apparatus (200), the apparatus (200) determines a first vector (m₁(Dat)) descriptive of a relationship between the music content and all selected music attributes (Attr) and a second vector (m₂(Dat)) and outputs a classification information related to the music file and containing the first and second vectors (m₁(Dat), m₂(Dat)). The classification information may be used to assign a colour to a displayed object assigned to the music file. Perceptually similar music files may be displayed in similar colours.

Claims

1. A method of operating an apparatus evaluating music files, the method comprising:

selecting, at the apparatus, a predetermined number of different music attributes of a plurality of music attributes each descriptive of a mood of music;

determining, from parameters of a target music file available in the apparatus, a first vector descriptive of a relationship between the target music file and the selected music attributes and a second vector descriptive of a relationship between the target music file and a subset of the plurality of music attributes; and

outputting the first and second vectors.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

displaying an object on a display in dependence on the first and second vectors.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein

the first vector determines a graphic attribute and the second vector determines a position of the displayed object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

vectors similar to the first vector identify perceptually similar music content in at least two different genres.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein

the predetermined number of different music attributes is three.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein

each of the selected music attributes is assigned to fundamental colour and the first vector determines a colour of a displayed object.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein

the displayed object includes colour information related to two of the selected music attributes.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein

the displayed object includes an area having a colour that is a combination colour mixed from two fundamental colours assigned to two closest of the selected music attributes.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising

sensing a user selection of one or a subset of displayed objects.

10. An electronic device including

circuitry configured as:

a user entry unit configured to be operated by a user, wherein the user can select a predetermined number of different music attributes of a plurality of music attributes each descriptive of a mood of music;

a calculator unit configured to determine, from parameters of a target music file available in the electronic device, a first vector descriptive of a relationship between the target music file and the selected music attributes and a second vector descriptive of a relationship between the target music file and a subset of the plurality of music attributes, the calculator unit further being configured to output the first and second vectors.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, further comprising

a display for displaying objects assigned to a plurality of music files, wherein

the circuitry is further configured as a display control unit configured to control the display to display an object in dependence on the first and second vectors, wherein for each of the displayed objects,

the second vector determines a position of the object, and

the first vector determines a colour of at least a sub-area of the object.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein

the object includes colour information related to at least two of the selected music attributes.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein

the sub-area has a combination colour mixed from two colours assigned to two closest of the selected music attributes.

14. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein

the user entry unit is further configured to sense a user selection of one or more of displayed objects, the colour or a colour range.

15. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein

the predetermined number of different music attributes is three.