Configuring an ordering of compositions by using recognition-segments

• US 9,412,350 B1
• Filed: 08/27/2015
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synergy Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: James W. Wieder
• Inventors: Wieder, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher, Marlon
• Application Number:
  US14/838,167
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0033 Recording/reproducing or transmission of music for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/46 Volume control
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/061 for extraction of musical phrases, isolation of musically relevant segments, e.g. musical thumbnail generation, or for temporal structure analysis of a musical piece, e.g. determination of the movement sequence of a musical work
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/151 Thumbnail, i.e. retrieving, playing or managing a short and musically relevant song preview from a library, e.g. the chorus

Abstract

A method, apparatus and system that enables a user to find and act-upon a sound-containing composition, in a group of compositions. One or more sound-segments, which are intended to prompt a user'"'"'s memory, may be associated with each composition in a group of compositions. A recognition sound-segment may include a portion of its associated composition, which is more recognizable to users than the beginning part of its associated composition. A recognition-segment may contain one or more highly recognizable portion(s) of a composition. When the user is trying to locate or select a particular composition, the recognition-segments are navigated and played-back to the user, based upon a user-device context/mode. When a user recognizes the desired composition from its recognition-segment, the user may initiate a control action to playback; arrange; and/or act-upon, the composition that is associated with the currently playing recognition-segment.

Claims

1. Apparatus to help a user organize a playlist or a sequence compositions or a stream of compositions, comprising:

electronic-display(s) that;

display an ordering of compositions that contain sound component(s);

wherein one or more sound-segments are associated with each composition in said ordering;

wherein at least one recognition sound-segment is associated with each composition in said ordering;

wherein each said recognition sound-segment includes a portion of its associated composition that is more recognizable to users than a beginning part of its associated composition;

display an indicator of a current-location that refers to one of said sound-segments in said ordering; and

electronic-circuitry and/or processor(s) that;

in response to navigation action(s) by said user, move said indicator to a new current-location on said electronic-display(s), and play the sound-segment at the new current-location; and

in response to a command-action by said user, act-upon the composition that is associated with the sound-segment at the new current-location, by doing at least one of;

play, add, move, remove, cut, copy, paste, drag, arrange, organize, and re-order.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein initially said ordering is automatically generated, for said user based on a user-request.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein initially said ordering is automatically generated for said user based on a user-request, and said compositions are ordered by their probability of satisfying said user-request.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a composition from a library of compositions and its associated sound-segment(s) is:

added, dragged, moved, copied, or pasted into a user desired location in said ordering, in response to user command-action(s).

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein for a plurality of compositions in said ordering, an indicator of composition-length is also associated with each composition;

and wherein said indicators of composition-length are also displayed on said electronic-display(s).

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein for a plurality of compositions in said ordering, a beginning sound-segment is also associated with each composition;

and wherein said beginning sound-segments are also displayed on said electronic-display(s).

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein for a plurality of compositions in said ordering, an ending sound-segment is also associated with each composition;

and wherein said ending sound-segments are also displayed on said electronic-display(s).

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein for a plurality of compositions in said ordering, a beginning sound-segment and an ending sound-segment are also associated with each composition;

and wherein said beginning sound-segments and said ending sound-segments are also displayed on said electronic-display(s).

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein for a plurality of compositions in said ordering, a beginning sound-segment is also associated with each composition;

and wherein each said beginning sound-segment is displayed, on said electronic-display(s), relative to an indicator of composition-length of its associated composition.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein for a plurality of compositions in said ordering, an ending sound-segment is also associated with each composition;

and wherein each said ending sound-segments is also displayed, on said electronic-display(s), relative to an indicator of composition-length of its associated composition.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein for a plurality of compositions in said ordering, a beginning sound-segment and an ending sound-segment are also associated with each composition;

and wherein each said beginning sound-segment and each said ending sound-segment is also displayed on said electronic-display(s), relative to an indicator of composition-length of its associated composition.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sound-segments are related to their associated compositions by pointers, links, hyperlinks, universal resource locators and/or universal object identifiers.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said sound-segments are related to their associated compositions by a standardized file-naming convention, tables, databases and/or linked-lists.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of said recognition sound-segments is configured at least partially based upon a test of a recognition time of people who have previously experienced its associated composition.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of said recognition sound-segments is chosen from a plurality of alternative sound-segments that were created for a given composition, based on how quickly a group of users were able to recognize each one of the alternative sound-segments for the given composition.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of said recognition sound-segments was previously determined to be recognized sooner than one or more alternative sound-segments, that had been created for its associated composition and tested for recognition times of people who have previously experienced its associated composition.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of said sound-segments includes a mix or addition of a plurality of different sound-segments;

and wherein at least one of the mixed or added segments, includes a portion of its associated composition, which is more recognizable to a group of users than a beginning part of its associated composition.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of said sound-segments includes an audio description of characteristics of its associated composition;

and wherein said characteristics include an artist name or composition title.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said ordering is navigated in one or more of:

an up-down direction and in a left-right direction.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein for a plurality of compositions in said ordering, a beginning sound-segment and an ending sound-segment are also associated with each composition;

wherein said beginning sound-segments and said ending sound-segments are also displayed on said electronic-display(s); and

wherein a location of one or more of said beginning sound-segment or said ending sound-segment is adjustable by said user.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a length of one or more of said sound-segment(s) is adjustable by said user.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein an overlapping playback of an ending portion of one composition and a starting portion of a following composition in said ordering is adjustable by said user.

23. A method to help a user organize a playlist or a sequence compositions or a stream of compositions, comprising:

displaying, on electronic-display(s), an ordering of compositions that contain sound component(s);

wherein one or more sound-segments are associated with each composition in said ordering;

wherein at least one recognition sound-segment is associated with each composition in said ordering;

wherein each said recognition sound-segment includes a portion of its associated composition that is more recognizable to users than a beginning part of its associated composition;

displaying, on said electronic-display(s), an indicator of a current-location in said ordering that refers to one of said sound-segments in said ordering;

in response to navigation action(s) by said user, moving said indicator to a sound-segment at a new current-location on said electronic-display(s), and playing, by electronic-circuitry and/or processor(s), the sound-segment that is associated with the new current-location in said ordering; and

in response to a command-action by said user, act-upon by said electronic-circuitry and/or processor(s), the composition that is associated with the sound-segment at the new current-location by doing, at least one of;

play, add, move, remove, cut, copy, paste, drag, arrange, organize, and re-order.

24. One or more computer-readable memories or storage media, not including carrier-waves, having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by electronic-circuitry and/or processor(s), implement a method to help a user organize a playlist or a sequence compositions or a stream of compositions, said method comprising:

displaying, on electronic-display(s), an ordering of compositions that contain sound component(s);

wherein one or more sound-segments are associated with each composition in said ordering;

wherein at least one recognition sound-segment is associated with each composition in said ordering;

wherein each said recognition sound-segment includes a portion of its associated composition that is more recognizable to users than a beginning part of its associated composition;

displaying, on said electronic-display(s), an indicator of a current-location in said ordering that refers to one of said sound-segments in said ordering;

in response to navigation action(s) by said user, moving said indicator to a sound-segment at a new current-location on said electronic-display(s), and playing, by electronic-circuitry and/or processor(s), the sound-segment that is associated with the new current-location in said ordering; and

in response to a command-action by said user, act-upon by said electronic-circuitry and/or processor(s), the composition that is associated with the sound-segment at the new current-location by doing, at least one of;

play, add, move, remove, cut, copy, paste, drag, arrange, organize, and re-order.