MULTIFUNCTIONAL DIGITAL MUSIC DISPLAY DEVICE

• US 20080282872A1
• Filed: 05/17/2007
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian Siu-Fung Ma, Kenneth Chi-Kit Ma
• Original Assignee: Brian Siu-Fung Ma, Kenneth Chi-Kit Ma
• Inventors: Ma, Kenneth Chi-Kit, Ma, Brian Siu-Fung
• Granted Patent: US 7,674,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/627
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0575 using a data store from which the envelope is synthesized tones synthesized from a data store G10H7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/015 Musical staff, tablature or score displays, e.g. for score reading during a performance. graphical musical score editing G10H2220/121; musical score displays resulting from a transcription G10H2210/086
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/056 MIDI or other note-oriented file format
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/235 Fourier transform; Discrete Fourier Transform [DFT]; Fast Fourier Transform [FFT]
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/621 Waveform interpolation

Abstract

Herein described are at least a method and a system for assisting a musician in playing an instrument by way of using an intelligent multifunctional digital music display device (MDMDD). The multifunctional digital music display device (MDMDD) may be used to assist musicians or performers during practice sessions or performances. The various aspects of the invention provide a method of constructing an ADSR envelope for a note generated by an instrument, displaying one or more pages of music, generating a more accurate metronome beat consistent with the music being played, and alerting the musician when his instrument is out-of-tune. Further, the various aspects of the invention provide a method of statistically monitoring and reporting the performance of the musician. The system comprises a storage device capable of storing an instructional code, a processor for executing the instructional code, a microphone, and a display.

Claims

1. A method of constructing an ADSR envelope of a musical note comprising:

capturing a musical note generated by an instrument;

converting said musical note into a waveform using an audio to electrical transducer;

generating a frequency spectrum of said waveform;

identifying a fundamental frequency of said waveform; and

using said fundamental frequency to generate an amplitude over time plot of said ADSR envelope.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more maximum and minimum points used to construct said ADSR envelope is obtained by computing the first derivative of said amplitude over time plot.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein at least a portion of said ADSR envelope is extrapolated by connecting a minimum point to a maximum point of said one or more maximum and minimum points.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein at least a portion of said ADSR envelope is extrapolated by computing an average slope between a minimum point and a maximum point of said one or more maximum and minimum points.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein at least a portion of said ADSR envelope is extrapolated by performing a regression analysis between a minimum point and a maximum point of said one or more maximum and minimum points.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said generating said frequency spectrum of said waveform comprises applying a Fast Fourier transform (FFT) to said waveform.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein attack, decay, sustain, and release phases are identified in said amplitude over time plot of said ADSR envelope.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein a slurred note comprises said musical note.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein a pedaled note comprises said musical note.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the beginning of an attack phase is identified in said amplitude over time plot of said ADSR envelope.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the end of a sustain phase is identified in said amplitude over time plot of said ADSR envelope.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying a musical note based on said amplitude over time plot of said ADSR envelope.

13. A method of displaying pages of music to a musician playing an instrument, said method comprising:

constructing an ADSR envelope for each note played by said musician;

comparing one or more parameters of said ADSR envelope to one or more corresponding reference parameters; and

displaying a next page of said music when a particular temporal location is reached within a current page of said music.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said one or more parameters comprises the beginning of an attack phase of said ADSR envelope and the end of a sustain phase of said ADSR envelope.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said ADSR envelope is used to identify said each note, wherein said each note is correlated to reference music, said reference music obtained from a reference data file.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein said particular temporal location comprises at the end of said current page.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein said particular temporal location comprises a number of seconds before reaching the end of said current page.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein said particular temporal location comprises a number of measures before reaching the end of said current page.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein said displaying is performed using a touch screen LCD display.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein said temporal location is determined by using:

error tolerances to assess if one or more notes were skipped or incorrectly played; and

statistical analysis for correlating what has been previously played against reference music data files.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein what has been previously played comprises a number of measures.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein what has been previously played comprises a number of beats.

23. The method of claim 13 wherein said note comprises a slurred note.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein at least a portion of said ADSR envelope is extrapolated by connecting a minimum point to a maximum point of said one or more maximum and minimum points.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein at least a portion of said ADSR envelope is extrapolated by computing an average slope between a minimum point and a maximum point of said one or more maximum and minimum points.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein at least a portion of said ADSR envelope is extrapolated by performing a regression analysis between a minimum point and a maximum point of said one or more maximum and minimum points.

27. The method of claim 13 wherein said note comprises a pedaled note.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein at least a portion of said ADSR envelope is extrapolated by connecting a minimum point to a maximum point of said one or more maximum and minimum points.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein at least a portion of said ADSR envelope is extrapolated by computing an average slope between a minimum point and a maximum point of said one or more maximum and minimum points.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein at least a portion of said ADSR envelope is extrapolated by performing a regression analysis between a minimum point and a maximum point of said one or more maximum and minimum points.

31. A method of generating a metronome beat for use by a musician playing an instrument comprising:

varying said metronome beat in accordance with one or more parameters written in a music of a musical composition.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said one or more parameters comprises one or more timing signatures that are encountered within said music.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein said one or more parameters comprises notes associated with using one or more clefs presented in said music of said musical composition.

34. A method of alerting a musician when his instrument is out-of-tune comprising:

capturing a musical note generated by an instrument;

converting said musical note into a waveform using an audio to electrical transducer;

generating a frequency spectrum of said waveform;

first determining a fundamental frequency of said waveform; and

second determining one or more harmonic frequencies of said waveform;

first comparing said fundamental frequency to a reference fundamental frequency;

second comparing said one or more harmonic frequencies to one or more corresponding reference harmonic frequencies;

first assessing whether a difference of said fundamental frequency and said reference fundamental frequency exceeds a first threshold; and

second assessing whether a difference of said one or more harmonic frequencies and said corresponding reference harmonic frequencies exceeds one or more second thresholds; and

generating said alert if said first threshold and/or said one or more second thresholds are exceeded.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein said reference fundamental frequency is obtained from a recently tuned instrument.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein said reference harmonic frequencies are obtained from a recently tuned instrument.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein said generating said frequency spectrum of said waveform comprises applying a Fast Fourier transform (FFT) to said waveform.

38. The method of claim 34 wherein said generating occurs while said musician is playing on a real time basis.

39. The method of claim 34 wherein said reference fundamental frequency and said one or more corresponding reference harmonic frequencies of said instrument are pre-configured.

40. A system for assisting a person playing an instrument, said system comprising:

a storage device capable of storing an instructional code;

a processor for executing said instructional code;

a microphone; and

a display, said microphone used to convert said musical note into a waveform, wherein said executing of said instructional code comprises;

generating a frequency spectrum of said waveform;

locating a fundamental frequency of said waveform; and

using said fundamental frequency to generate an amplitude over time plot of an ADSR envelope.

41. The system of claim 40 wherein said storage device comprises a removable storage device.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein said removable storage device comprises a flash card.

43. The system of claim 40 wherein said executing of said instructional code further comprises:

comparing one or more parameters of said ADSR envelope to one or more corresponding reference parameters; and

displaying a next page of music when a particular temporal location is reached within a current page of said music.

44. The system of claim 43 wherein said one or more parameters comprises the beginning of an attack phase and the end of a sustain phase of said ADSR envelope.

45. The system of claim 40 wherein said executing of said instructional code further comprises:

generating a beat; and

varying said beat in accordance with one or more parameters written in sheet music of a musical piece.

46. The system of claim 40 wherein said executing of said instructional code further comprises:

determining one or more harmonic frequencies of said waveform;

first comparing said fundamental frequency to a reference fundamental frequency;

second comparing said one or more harmonic frequencies to one or more corresponding reference harmonic frequencies;

first assessing whether a first difference of said fundamental frequency and said reference fundamental frequency exceeds a first threshold; and

second assessing whether one or more second differences of said one or more harmonic frequencies and said corresponding reference harmonic frequencies exceeds one or more second thresholds; and

generating said alert if said first difference exceeds said first threshold and/or said one or more second differences exceeds said one or more second thresholds.

47. The system of claim 40 wherein said generating said frequency spectrum of said waveform comprises applying a Fast Fourier transform (FFT) to said waveform.

48. A method of monitoring the performance of a musician playing a musical composition using an instrument, said method comprising:

constructing an ADSR envelope for each note of said musical composition played by said musician;

comparing one or more parameters of said ADSR envelope to one or more corresponding reference parameters;

determining if one or more errors were made based on said comparing; and

generating a database of said one or more errors.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein said determining uses:

error tolerances to assess if one or more notes were skipped or incorrectly played; and

statistical analysis for correlating what has been previously played against reference music data files.

50. The method of claim 48 wherein said one or more errors comprises playing incorrect or missing notes.

51. The method of claim 48 wherein said one or more errors are reported to said musician on a real time basis while said musician is playing.

52. The method of claim 48 wherein said one or more errors is reported to said musician by type of error.

53. The method of claim 48 wherein said database of said one or more errors may be accessed and reported at any time by way of an input provided by said musician.

54. The method of claim 48 wherein said one or more parameters comprises the beginning of an attack phase of said ADSR envelope and the end of a sustain phase of said ADSR envelope.

55. The method of claim 48 wherein said one or more parameters comprises a fundamental frequency of said ADSR envelope.

56. The method of claim 48 wherein said one or more parameters comprises a fundamental frequency and one or more harmonic frequencies of said ADSR envelope.