Method for creating a beat-synchronized media mix

• US 8,704,069 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Naik, Devang K., Silverman, Kim E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Donels, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US13/599,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20130008301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 846/12, 846/36
• US Class Current: 84/612
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/40 Rhythm
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/076 for extraction of timing, tempo; Beat detection
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/125 Medley, i.e. linking parts of different musical pieces in one single piece, e.g. sound collage, DJ mix
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/061 MP3, i.e. MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, lossy audio compression
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/131 Library retrieval, i.e. searching a database or selecting a specific musical piece, segment, pattern, rule or parameter set
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/325 Synchronizing two or more audio tracks or files according to musical features or musical timings

Abstract

Methods for beat synchronization between media assets are described. In one embodiment, beat synchronized media mixes can be automatically created. By way of example, a beat synchronized event mix can be created by selecting a plurality of media assets, arranging the media assets into an unsynchronized media mix, determining the a profile of each of the media assets in the media mix, automatically beatmatching the beats of adjacent media assets in the media mix, and automatically beatmixing the beats of adjacent beatmatched media assets to create the beat-synchronized media mix. The media assets that can be used include both audio and video media. Media assets are selected based on a specific set of media asset selection criteria, which can include music speed or tempo, music genre, music intensity, media asset duration, user rating, and music mood.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions configured to create a beat-synchronized event mix by:

receiving an event mix segment tempo;

selecting at least two media assets based at least in part on the event mix segment tempo;

determining an order to play the at least two media assets;

adjusting a tempo of a second media asset of the at least two media assets according to the order, thereby generating an adjusted second media asset that matches a tempo of a first media asset of the at least two media assets according to the order;

determining a beat offset between the first media asset and the adjusted second media asset; and

mixing the first media asset and the adjusted second media asset over a media overlap interval based at least in part on the beat offset.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein adjusting the tempo of the second media asset comprises:

determining a first ending tempo that corresponds to the first media asset associated with the order;

associating a starting tempo for the second media asset with the first ending tempo; and

adjusting the tempo of the second media asset to the starting tempo for the second media asset.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the media overlap interval comprises a time segment during which the first media asset and the adjusted second media asset are playing simultaneously.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the media overlap interval comprises a pre-determined amount of time.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the beat offset comprises a difference in beat locations of the first media asset in relation to beat locations of the adjusted second media asset.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5, wherein mixing the first media asset and the adjusted second media asset comprises correcting for the difference in the beat locations.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein mixing the first media asset and the adjusted second media asset comprises synchronizing beat locations in the first media asset with beat locations in the adjusted second media asset.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein mixing the first media asset and the adjusted second media asset comprises offsetting the adjusted second media asset by the beat offset.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein mixing the first media asset and the adjusted second media asset comprises fading out the first media asset while fading in the adjusted second media asset.

10. A digital media player, comprising:

a memory configured to store a plurality of media assets; and

a processor configured to;

select at least two media assets from the plurality of media assets based at least in part on an event mix segment tempo;

determine an order in which to play the at least two media assets;

determine a first ending tempo that corresponds to a first media asset associated with the order;

determine a starting tempo for each remaining media asset following the first media asset based at least in part on a media asset directly preceding each remaining media asset;

determine an ending tempo for each media asset preceding a last media asset associated with the order based at least in part on a media asset directly following each media asset preceding the last media asset; and

beat-synchronize each pair of adjacent media assets of the at least two media assets based at least in part on an ending tempo of a preceding media asset of a respective pair of the adjacent media assets and a starting tempo of a subsequent media asset of the respective pair of the adjacent media assets.

11. The digital media player of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to adjust an ending tempo of the last media asset to substantially match an event mix ending tempo.

12. The digital media player of claim 10, wherein the at least two media assets are selected based at least in part on a music genre, a user rating, an artist name, or any combination thereof.

13. The digital media player of claim 10, wherein the at least two media assets are selected based at least in part on a comparison between a duration of each media asset of the at least two media assets and a duration of an event mix segment.

14. The digital media player of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to select the at least two media assets by:

comparing a difference between a duration for an event mix segment and a duration corresponding to each media asset of the plurality of media assets, and

selecting the at least two media assets, wherein the at least two media assets correspond to a least number of media assets to fill the duration for the event mix segment based on a respective difference between the duration for the event mix and a respective duration of a respective media asset in the plurality of media assets.

15. The digital media player of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to select the at least two media assets based at least in part on a respective difference between a respective tempo of each media asset of the at least two media assets and the event mix segment tempo.

16. The digital media player of claim 10, wherein the first ending tempo, the starting tempo for each remaining media asset following the first media asset, and the ending tempo for each media asset preceding the last media asset are determined based at least in part on a beat profile that corresponds to each media asset in the at least two media assets.

17. The digital media player of claim 16, wherein the beat profile provides a record of beat locations in each media asset in the at least two media assets.

18. The digital media player of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to beat-synchronize each pair of adjacent media assets by adjusting a tempo of the preceding media asset of the respective pair to the starting tempo of the subsequent media asset of the respective pair.

19. An electronic device, comprising:

a storage unit comprising a plurality of media assets; and

a processor configured to;

select at least two media assets from the plurality of media assets based at least in part on an event mix segment tempo;

determine an order in which to play the at least two media assets;

determine a first ending tempo that corresponds to a first media asset associated with the order;

determine a starting tempo for each remaining media asset following the first media asset based at least in part on a media asset directly preceding each remaining media asset;

determine an ending tempo for each media asset preceding a last media asset associated with the order based at least in part on a media asset directly following each media asset preceding the last media asset;

determine a beat offset between each respective pair of adjacent media assets of the at least two media assets based at least in part on an ending tempo of a preceding media asset of the respective pair and a starting tempo of a subsequent media asset of the respective pair; and

mix each respective pair of adjacent media assets over a media overlap interval based at least in part on the beat offset.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to mix each respective pair of adjacent media assets by synchronizing beat locations in the preceding media asset of each respective pair of adjacent media assets with beat locations in the subsequent media asset of each respective pair of adjacent media assets.