Methods and apparatus for acoustic model based soundtracks

• US 9,180,370 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Alexander, Jeffrey L., Lamere, Paul B., Proctor, Seth T.
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCORD, PAUL C
• Application Number:
  US11/644,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20080154403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,245 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6018 where the game content is authored by the player, e.g. level editor or by game device at runtime, e.g. level is created from music data on CD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6063 for sound processing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games

Abstract

A system provides a model for use within a digital environment. The model comprises at least one music segment, and supplies music for the digital environment. The system identifies a location within the digital environment. The location requires at least one music segment supplied by the model. The system selects at least one music segment to play within the digital environment. The music segment is selected based on the model, the location requiring the at least one music segment, and the digital environment. The selecting of the music segment is operable to be modified based on the model, the location requiring the at least one music segment, and the digital environment.

Claims

1. A method of providing music within a digital environment, the method comprising:

providing a training set composed of a plurality of music segments;

providing an acoustic model associated with the music segments for use within the digital environment, the acoustic model analyzing the music segments in the training set, identifying similarities between the music segments in the training set, and identifying a set of attributes for the acoustic model;

identifying a location within the digital environment;

associating the acoustic model with the location;

providing a plurality of new music segments;

utilizing the acoustic model to evaluate the plurality of new music segments, and when a particular new music segment matches the set of attributes for the acoustic model, associating the particular new music segment with the acoustic model; and

selecting, at the location within the digital environment, a music segment to play, the music segment being associated with the acoustic model that is associated with the location within the digital environment, thereby allowing the music segment that plays at the same location within the digital environment to be modified based on the acoustic model allowing the play of new music segments.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing an interface allowing a user to provide input associated with the model selected during an interactive session between the digital environment and a user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of attributes includes an attribute indicative of a characteristic identifying the model.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of new music segments are provided by a user.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying at least one attribute associated with the location, the at least one attribute corresponding to the acoustic model.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

allowing a user to specify a source of the plurality of new music segments.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

allowing a user to specify a source of the training set.

8. A computerized device comprising:

a memory;

a processor;

a communications interface;

an interconnection mechanism coupling the memory, the processor and the communications interface;

wherein the memory is encoded with an acoustical model supplying application that when executed on the processor is capable of supplying music segments on the computerized device by performing the operations of;

providing a training set composed of a plurality of music segments;

providing an acoustic model associated with the music segments for use within the digital environment, the acoustic model analyzing the music segments in the training set, identifying similarities between the music segments in the training set, and identifying a set of attributes for the acoustic model;

identifying a location within the digital environment;

associating the acoustic model with the location;

providing a plurality of new music segments;

utilizing the acoustic model to evaluate the plurality of new music segments, and when a particular new music segment matches the set of attributes for the acoustic model, associating the particular new music segment with the acoustic model; and

selecting, at the location within the digital environment, a music segment to play, the music segment being associated with the acoustic model that is associated with the location within the digital environment, thereby allowing the music segment that plays at the same location within the digital environment to be modified based on the acoustic model allowing the play of new music segments.

9. A computer readable non-transitory medium encoded with computer programming logic that when executed on a process in a computerized device supplies music segments, the medium comprising:

instructions, stored on the medium, for providing a training set composed of a plurality of music segments;

instructions, stored on the medium, for providing an acoustic model associated with the music segments for use within the digital environment, the acoustic model analyzing the music segments in the training set, identifying similarities between the music segments in the training set, and identifying a set of attributes for the acoustic model;

instructions, stored on the medium, for identifying a location within the digital environment;

instructions, stored on the medium, for associating the acoustic model with the location;

instructions, stored on the medium, for providing a plurality of new music segments;

instructions, stored on the medium, for utilizing the acoustic model to evaluate the plurality of new music segments, and when a particular new music segment matches the set of attributes for the acoustic model, associating the particular new music segment with the acoustic model; and

instructions, stored on the medium, for selecting, at the location within the digital environment, a music segment to play, the music segment being associated with the acoustic model that is associated with the location within the digital environment, thereby allowing the music segment that plays at the same location within the digital environment to be modified based on the acoustic model allowing the play of new music segments.