Online performance venue system and method

• US 9,412,078 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2011
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Krystina Motsinger
• Original Assignee: Krystina Motsinger
• Inventors: Motsinger, Krystina
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Molina, Hugo
• Application Number:
  US13/212,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20110307549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,818 Days
• Field of Search: 715/753
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

An online performance venue system and method including a central server and a plurality of user terminals allows users to meet, communicate, learn, and perform. Users may perform live, record their performances for later playback or download, such as for a fee. Users may further create groups or bands and perform and record together. The system includes a number of additional features to foster an online community of system users.

Claims

1. An online performance system to facilitate real-time musical collaborations, comprising:

a server computer that creates a synchronized audio performance online venue in substantially real time by combining streams of audio connected to a network and the Internet, the server computer receives streams of audio data from a plurality of computers connected together by the Internet thereby allowing users of the plurality of computers to musically interface with one another through the server computer, wherein a graphic interface is provided to each of the client computers from the server computer;

a first client computer of the plurality of computers connected to the Internet that converts a first audio into a first streamable data and transmits the first streamable data to and from the server computer, the first streamable data being included in the synchronized audio performance in substantially real time, wherein the audio from the first client computer influences the performance on a substantially real time basis to create another performance;

a second client computer of the plurality of computers connected to the Internet that converts a second audio into a second streamable data and transmits the second streamable data to and from the server computer, the second streamable data being included in the synchronized audio performance in substantially real time; and

at least a third client computer of the plurality of client computers that does not provide streamable data for the synchronized audio performance and that accesses the synchronized audio performance in substantially real time from the server computer, the at least a third client computer comprises an interface to allow users to receive and hear the synchronized audio performance from the server computer, a user of the at least a third client computer of the plurality of client computers rates the synchronized audio performance after accessing the synchronized audio performance for a predetermined amount of time, wherein the predetermined amount of time is about thirty seconds, the third client computer of the plurality of client computers is configured to allow the user to synchronously rate the synchronized audio performance adjustably throughout the synchronized audio performance and for a predetermined amount of time after the synchronized audio performance is complete, wherein the predetermined amount of time is about thirty seconds, and wherein the synchronized audio performances are rated based on a rating system provided from the server.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the server computer uses a beat or rhythm from one of the client computers to synchronize the audio.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the server computer uses an independent beat or rhythm from one of the client computers to synchronize the audio.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the performance results from coupling the streams of music from the client computers at the server computer.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the synchronized audio performances are saved on the server computer.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the synchronized audio performances are saved on any one of the plurality of computers.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rates can be achieved by votes received from users of a plurality of client computers connected to the network.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the synchronized performance receives at least one of points or credit based on a rating it receives.

9. A method of creating a ratable musical performance using streamable music in substantially real time comprising the steps of:

converting analog audio from at least two computers into streamable music data;

transmitting the streamable music data, using the Internet, from at least two computers to and from a server computer;

combining and synchronizing the streamable music data from the at least two computers into a performance on the server computer on a substantially real-time basis;

changing the performance into another performance by altering the analog audio from the first client computer on a substantially real time basis, wherein the audio at the first computer is altered by altering the streamed data transmitted from the first computer; and

transmitting the combined and synchronized performance to a plurality of computers that do not produce streamable music data for the performance, wherein a graphic interface is provided to each of the plurality of computers from the server computer, wherein the graphic interface allows the plurality of computers to receive and hear the performance from the server computer, the plurality of computers allow users to rate the synchronized performance in substantially real time with the streamable music data being transmitted from the server computer, the plurality of computers further configured to allow the users to synchronously rate the synchronized performance adjustably throughout the synchronized performance and for a predetermined amount of time after the synchronized performance is complete, wherein the predetermined amount of time is about thirty seconds, and wherein the synchronized performances are rated based on a rating system provided from the server.

10. A method of operating an online performance venue comprising the steps of:

providing a server computer and a plurality of user terminals operably connected thereto, the server computer accessible by a plurality of users via the plurality of user terminals, wherein a graphic interface is provided to each of the plurality of user terminals from the server computer;

inviting users at multiple user terminals to transmit audio in real time to the server computer;

inviting one of the users to transmit audio data and to create an initial beat that will be used to synchronize any other audio for a performance in substantially real time;

allowing the audio from a first client computer to change the performance, by altering the audio streamed from the first computer, on a substantially real time basis to create another performance;

converting the audio from the client computers into streamed audio in substantially real time;

streaming the streamed audio from the multiple computers to the server computer through the Internet;

capturing and synchronizing the audio data at the server using the initial beat from one of the computers on a substantially real-time basis; and

transmitting the synchronized audio data to at least one user terminal that does not transmit audio in real time to the server computer, wherein the at least one user terminal comprises an interface to allow users to receive and hear the synchronized audio data from the server computer, the at least one user terminal allowing a user to rate the synchronized audio data in substantially real time with the audio data being transmitted from the server computer, the at least one user terminal further configured to allow the user to synchronously rate the synchronized audio data adjustably throughout performance of the synchronized audio data and for a predetermined amount of time after performance of the synchronized audio data is complete, wherein the predetermined amount of time is about thirty seconds, and wherein the performances of the synchronized audio data are rated based on a rating system provided from the server computer.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising querying users to rate the musical performances based on preferences.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the performance of the synchronized audio data results from the coupling of the audio from the client computers at the server computer.

13. An online performance system to facilitate real-time musical collaborations, comprising:

a server computer that creates a synchronized audio performance online venue in substantially real time by combining streams of audio connected to a network and the Internet, the server computer receives streams of audio data from a plurality of client computers connected together by the Internet thereby allowing users of the plurality of computers to musically interface with one another through the server computer, the server computer further providing an interface allowing users to access pre-rated performances and informal performance areas, the server computer also providing an interface allowing users to browse and create encyclopedia entries specific to at least one of composers, lyricists, instruments, eras, and symbols, the server computer further provides a graphical interface to each of the plurality of client computers allowing users to engage in a discussion forum relating to synchronized audio performances;

a first client computer of the plurality of computers connected to the Internet that converts a first audio into a first streamable data and transmits the first streamable data to and from the server computer, the first streamable data being included in the synchronized audio performance in substantially real time, wherein the audio from the first client computer influences the synchronized audio performance on a substantially real time basis to create another performance;

a second client computer of the plurality of computers connected to the Internet that converts a second audio into a second streamable data and transmits the second streamable data to and from the server computer, the second streamable data being included in the synchronized audio performance in substantially real time;

at least a third client computer of the plurality of client computers that does not provide streamable data for the synchronized performance and that accesses the synchronized performance that includes streamable data from the first and second client computers in substantially real time from the server computer, the at least a third client computer comprises an interface to allow users to receive and hear the performance from the server computer, the at least a third client computer of the plurality of client computers rates the synchronized performance after accessing the synchronized performance for a predetermined amount of time, wherein the predetermined amount of time is about thirty seconds, the at least a third client computer of the plurality of client computers further configured to rate the synchronized performance adjustably throughout the synchronized performance and for a predetermined amount of time after the synchronized performance is complete, wherein the predetermined amount of time is about thirty seconds, and wherein the synchronized performances are rated based on a rating system provided from the server.