Systems and methods for creating, modifying, interacting with and playing musical compositions

• US 8,989,358 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medialab Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Medialab Solutions LLC
• Inventors: Georges, Alain, Loudermilk, Alan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US11/478,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20070071205A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,189 Days
• Field of Search: 379/101.01, 379/102.01, 379/76, 379/88.22, 379/162, 379/163, 379/393, 379/215.01, 379/201.01, 379/88.05, 379/88.06, 846/01, 846/02, 846/03, 846/04, 846/22, 846/45, 846/53, 846/59
• US Class Current: 379/101.01
• 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 2240/056 MIDI or other note-oriented file format
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/061 MP3, i.e. MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, lossy audio compression
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/145 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 2240/165 Memory card, i.e. removable module or card for storing music data for an electrophonic musical instrument
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/211 Random number generators, pseudorandom generators, classes of functions therefor musical processes using white noise or nonwhite noise generators G10H2250/295; noise formant generator G10H2250/495; magnetic or electromagnetic noise shielding G10H2220/565
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4285 Notifying, informing or entertaining a held party while on hold, e.g. Music On Hold

Abstract

The system provides voice call services to plurality of users using a music engine. Music engine generates music of one of plurality of styles of music. In response to one or more first commands entered by the first user, music of a particular style is selected by the first user and the at least one music engine is controlled so that the at least one music engine generates music of the particular style selected by the first user.

Claims

1. A method for providing voice call services to a plurality of users comprising the steps of:

providing at least one music engine as part of a voice call service system, wherein the at least one music engine generates music of a plurality of styles of music;

receiving a voice call request via a first telephony interface from a first user for a second user;

wherein the at least one music engine generates a first style of music that is audibly provided to the first user via the first telephony interface at a first point in time during the time while the first user is waiting for the voice call request to be connected to the second user;

wherein, in response to one or more first commands entered by the first user via the first telephony interface, a second style of music is selected by the first user and the at least one music engine is controlled so that the at least one music engine generates music of the second style selected by the first user at a second point in time during the time while the first user is waiting for the voice call request to be connected to the second user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the music comprises on-hold music.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second style of music selected by the first user is modified based on one or more second commands entered by the first user, wherein the at least one music engine is controlled so that the at least one music engine generates modified music of the second style selected by the first user based on the one or more second commands entered by the first user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing program instructions by the music engine, wherein one or more music composition algorithms are applied to song data in accordance with a song data structure to generate the music, wherein variables are defined during the execution of one or more of the program instructions; and

providing a song data structure, wherein a plurality of parameter locations are provided in the song data structure, wherein data contained in the plurality of parameter locations are made available to the program instructions;

wherein at least a second one of the parameter locations is used by one or more of the program instructions to store parameter data associated with the playback of samples.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first telephony interface comprises a telephone line.

6. A method for providing voice call services to a plurality of users comprising the steps of:

providing at least one music engine as part of a voice call service system, wherein the at least one music engine generates music of a plurality of styles of music;

receiving a voice call request via a first telephony interface from a first user for a second user;

wherein the at least one music engine generates a first style of music that is audibly provided to the first user via the first telephony interface at a first point in time during the time while the first user is waiting for the voice call request to be connected to the second user;

wherein, in response to one or more first user commands entered via the first telephony interface, a second style of music is selected and the at least one music engine is controlled so that the at least one music engine generates music of the second style at a second point in time during the time while the first user is waiting for the voice call request to be connected to the second user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the music is on-hold music.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the second style of music selected is modified based on one or more second user commands, wherein the at least one music engine is controlled so that the at least one music engine generates modified music of the second style selected based on the one or more second user commands.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more second user commands are entered by the first user.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

executing program instructions by the music engine, wherein one or more music composition algorithms are applied to song data in accordance with a song data structure to generate the music, wherein variables are defined during the execution of one or more of the program instructions; and

providing a song data structure, wherein a plurality of parameter locations are provided in the song data structure, wherein data contained in the plurality of parameter locations are made available to the program instructions;

wherein at least a second one of the parameter locations is used by one or more of the program instructions to store parameter data associated with the playback of samples.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the first telephony interface comprises a telephone line.