Mixed content for a communications device

• US 8,855,334 B1
• Filed: 05/21/2010
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FunMobility, Inc.
• Original Assignee: FunMobility, Inc.
• Inventors: Lavine, Adam, Chen, Yu-Jen Dennis, Lyon, Daniel Marius
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhao, Eugene
• Application Number:
  US12/785,199
• Time in Patent Office: 1,600 Days
• Field of Search: 381/10, 381/14, 381/119, 455/414, 455/418, 705/14.64, 705/14
• US Class Current: 381/119
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations

Abstract

A method for providing a user with mixed content for a device. The method includes pre-rendering mixed content comprising a mix of a first source track and a second source track identified as being compatible with the first source track. The pre-rendered content is stored in a database. Upon receiving a user request which identifies the first source track as a track to be included in the mixed content for a device, the system retrieves a list of second source tracks having characteristics compatible with the first source track and provides the list to the user. Then, the system receives request identifying the second source track as a track to be included in the mixed content along with the first track. In response, the system retrieves the pre-rendered mixed content from the database and sends the pre-rendered mixed content to the device.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user with mashup tracks for a device, the method comprising:

identifying a plurality of second source tracks compatible with a first source track based on a compatibility matrix, the compatibility matrix describing that the plurality of second source tracks includes musical characteristics compatible with the first source track;

producing a plurality of pre-rendered mashup tracks, each pre-rendered mashup track including a combination of the first source track and a corresponding second source track from the plurality of second source tracks identified as being compatible with the first source track;

storing the plurality of pre-rendered mashup tracks in a database;

receiving a user request which identifies the first source track as a first track to be included in the mashup tracks for the device;

retrieving a list of second source tracks compatible with the first source track from the plurality of second source tracks;

providing the list of second source tracks to the user;

receiving a user request that identifies a specific second source track as a second track to be included in the mashup tracks along with the first source track;

retrieving a pre-rendered mashup track from the database which includes a combination of the first source track and the specific second source track requested by the user; and

sending the pre-rendered mashup track to the device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising licensing the plurality of second source tracks and the first source track.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the producing the plurality of pre-rendered mashup tracks further comprises matching one or more of a tempo, a volume, a meter, and a pitch of the plurality of second source tracks and the first source track.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising matching a length of each of the plurality of second source tracks with the first source track.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically updating the plurality of second source tracks when a different first source track is selected.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the database is included in a content studio including a rights matrix configured to store rights to the first source track and the plurality of second source tracks, the rights being updatable over time.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the plurality of mashup tracks to a third party for delivery to the device, wherein the third party includes a carrier.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of second source tracks includes one or more of vocal tracks that have been isolated from instrumental tracks and instrumental tracks.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the vocal tracks have been isolated using one or more of phase cancellation, frequency filtering, and channel gain.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the compatibility matrix is created based on first metadata associated with the first source track and second metadata associated with the plurality of second source tracks.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of second source tracks is altered to provide enhanced compatibility with the first source track.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the one of the plurality of second source tracks is concatenated repeatedly to achieve a length of the first source track.

10. A method for providing a user with a mashup ringtone for a device, the method comprising:

identifying a plurality of second music tracks compatible with a first music track based on a compatibility matrix, the compatibility matrix describing that the plurality of second music tracks includes musical characteristics compatible with the first music track;

producing a plurality of pre-rendered mashup ringtones, each of the plurality of pre-rendered mashup ringtones including a combination of the first music track and at least one of the plurality of second music tracks identified as being compatible with the first music track;

storing the plurality of pre-rendered mashup ringtones in a database;

receiving a first user request that identifies the first music track as a first track of a plurality of tracks to be included in the mashup ringtone for the device;

in response to the first user request that identifies the first music track, providing a list to the user including the plurality of second music tracks compatible with the first music track identified in the first user request;

receiving a second user request that identifies a specific second music track from the plurality of second music tracks as a second track of the plurality of tracks to be included with the first music track in the mashup ringtone;

retrieving a pre-rendered mashup ringtone from the database that includes a combination of the first music track identified in the first user request and the specific second music track identified in the second user request; and

sending the pre-rendered mashup ringtone to the device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the producing the plurality of pre-rendered mashup ringtones further includes matching one or more of a tempo, a volume, a meter, a length, and a pitch of each of the plurality of second music tracks and the first music track.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a third user request that identifies a different first music track as the first track of a second plurality of tracks to be included in a mashup ringtone for the device; and

in response to the third user request, dynamically updating the plurality of second music tracks in the list.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

storing rights to the first music track and the plurality of second music tracks; and

updating the rights.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of the plurality of second music tracks includes a first instrumental track and a vocal track isolated from a second instrumental track.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising isolating the vocal track from the second instrumental track using one or more of phase cancellation, frequency filtering, and channel gain.