Portable telephony apparatus with music tone generator

• US 7,161,081 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2003
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Mizuno, Shigehiko, Hasegawa, Yutaka, Ide, Kensuke, Karakawa, Shuzo, Terada, Kosei, Kunii, Takashi, Kurakake, Yasushi, Futamase, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): DONELS, JEFFREY
• Application Number:
  US10/411,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20030205125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 846/09, 846/15, 846/22, 846/45, 434/307.A
• US Class Current: 84/622
• 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 1/0058 Transmission between separate instruments or between individual components of a musical system G10H1/0083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/365 the accompaniment information being stored on a host computer and transmitted to a reproducing terminal by means of a network, e.g. public telephone lines
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/021 Background music, e.g. for video sequences, elevator music musical accompaniment G10H2210/005
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/385 Speed change, i.e. variations from preestablished tempo, tempo change, e.g. faster or slower, accelerando or ritardando, without change in pitch with repetitive changes in pitch, e.g. scratch DJ effects G10H2210/241
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/021 Mobile ringtone, i.e. generation, transmission, conversion or downloading of ringing tones or other sounds for mobile telephony; Special musical data formats or protocols herefor mobile telephone transmission specifically adapted for electrophonic musical tools or instruments G10H2240/251
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/251 Mobile telephone transmission, i.e. transmitting, accessing or controlling music data wirelessly via a wireless or mobile telephone receiver, analog or digital, e.g. DECT GSM, UMTS smartphone, PDA or palmtop used for musical purposes G10H2230/015; mobile ringtone G10H2230/021
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 7/002 using a common processing for different operations or calculations, and a set of microinstructions (programme) to control the sequence thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files

Abstract

A sound control apparatus is provided in a portable terminal for sounding a music tone in association with operation of the portable terminal, which is controlled by a main CPU. In the sound control apparatus, a memory memorizes music information representing a music tone and configuration information associated to a timbre of the music tone. An information acquiring section acquires the music information and the configuration information from the memory. A tone generating section is configured by the acquired configuration information to create a timbre specified by the configuration information. The tone generating section operates according to the acquired music information to generate the music tone being represented by the music information and having the specified timbre. A dedicated CPU is provided separately from the main CPU for controlling the memory, the information acquiring section and the tone generating section.

Claims

1. A system comprising a portable telephone having a first capability of transmitting and receiving various information including a telephone call from a telephone set with a ringing melody, and a second capability of generating a music tone represented by music information in association with the first capability, and a base station that supports the portable telephone, wherein the base station comprises:

an information source that stores music information; and

a transmitting section that transmits the stored music information in the form of streaming data to the portable telephone, and

wherein the portable telephone comprises;

a communication section that communicates with the telephone set for talking;

a receiving section that receives the streaming data; and

a reproducing section that reproduces the music tone in real time according to the received stream data, wherein the reproducing section comprises a tone generator of a frequency modulation type for generating the music tone.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the tone generator is comprised of a digital signal processor operated by a microprogram to generate the music tone.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the tone generator is comprised of a central processing unit executing a software to generate the music tone.

4. A system comprising a portable telephone having a first capability of transmitting and receiving various information including a telephone call from a telephone set wit a ringing melody, and a second capability of generating a music tone represented by music information in association with the first capability, and a base station that supports the portable telephone, wherein the base station comprises:

an information source that stores music information; and

a transmitting section that transmits the stored music information in the form of streaming data to the portable telephone, and

wherein the portable telephone comprises;

a communication section tat communicates with the telephone set for talking;

a receiving section that receives the streaming data; and

a reproducing section that reproduces the music tone in real time according to the received stream data, wherein the reproducing section comprises a tone generator having a wave-table memory storing a waveform of the music tone for generating the music tone.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the tone generator is comprised of a digital signal processor operated by a microprogram to generate the music tone.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the tone generator is comprised of a central processing unit executing a software to generate the music tone.

7. A system comprising a portable telephone having a first capability of transmitting and receiving various information including a telephone call from a telephone set with a ringing melody, and a second capability of generating a music tone represented by music information in association with the first capability, and a base station that supports the portable telephone, wherein the base station comprises:

an information source that stores music information; and

a transmitting section that transmits the stored music information in the form of streaming data to the portable telephone, and

wherein the portable telephone comprises;

a communication section that communicates with the telephone set for talking;

a receiving section that receives the streaming data; and

a reproducing section that reproduces the music tone in real time according to the received stream data, wherein the reproducing section comprises a tone generator of a physical modeling type for generating the music tone.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the tone generator is comprised of a digital signal processor operated by a microprogram to generate the music tone.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the tone generator is comprised of a central processing unit executing a software to generate the music tone.

10. A method of operating a system comprised of a portable telephone having a first capability of transmitting and receiving various information including a telephone call from a telephone set with a ringing melody and a second capability of generating a music tone represented by music information in association with the first capability, and a base station that supports the portable telephone, the method comprising the steps of:

operating an information source in the base station for storing music information;

transmitting the stored music information in the form of streaming data from the base station to the portable telephone;

receiving the streaming data by the portable telephone; and

reproducing the music tone by the portable telephone comprising a tone generator of a frequency modulation type in real time according to the received streaming data.

11. A machine readable medium for use in a portable terminal apparatus having a processor, a first capability of receiving various information including a telephone call from a telephone set with a ringing melody and a second capability of generating a music tone represented by music information in association with the first capability under support of a base station which has an information source storing music information and a transmitter for transmitting the stored music information in the form of streaming data to the portable terminal apparatus, the medium containing program instructions executable by the processor for causing the portable terminal apparatus to perform a method comprising the steps of:

receiving the streaming data representing music information designed for trial listening of the ringing melody from the base station; and

reproducing the music tone from a tone generator in real time according to the received streaming data to effectuate the trial listening of the ringing melody, wherein the tone generator is a frequency modulation type for generating the music tone.

12. A method of operating a system comprised of a portable telephone having a first capability of transmitting and receiving various information including a telephone call from a telephone set with a ringing melody and a second capability of generating a music tone represented by music information in association with the first capability, and a base station that supports the portable telephone, the method comprising the steps of:

operating an information source in the base station for storing music information;

transmitting the stored music information in the form of streaming data from the base station to the portable telephone;

receiving the streaming data by the portable telephone; and

reproducing the music tone by the portable telephone comprising a tone generator having a wave-table memory storing a waveform of the music tone in real time according to the received streaming data.

13. A machine readable medium for use in a portable terminal apparatus having a processor, a first capability of receiving various information including a telephone call from a telephone set with a ringing melody and a second capability of generating a music tone represented by music information in association with the first capability under support of a base station which has an information source storing music information and a transmitter for transmitting the stored music information in the form of streaming data to the portable terminal apparatus, the medium containing program instructions executable by the processor for causing the portable terminal apparatus to perform a method comprising the steps of:

receiving the streaming data representing music information designed for trial listening of the ringing melody from the base station; and

reproducing the music tone by a tone generator in real time according to the received streaming data to effectuate the trial listening of the ringing melody, wherein the tone generator has a wave-table memory storing a waveform of the music tone for generating the music tone.

14. A method of operating a system comprised of a portable telephone having a first capability of transmitting and receiving various information including a telephone call from a telephone set with a ringing melody, and a second capability of generating a music tone represented by music information in association with the first capability, and a base station that supports the portable telephone, the method comprising the steps of:

operating an information source in the base station for storing music information;

transmitting the stored music information in the form of streaming data from the base station to the portable telephone;

receiving the streaming data by the portable telephone; and

reproducing the music tone by the portable telephone comprising a tone generator of a physical modeling type in real time according to the received streaming data.

15. A machine readable medium for use in a portable terminal apparatus having a processor, a first capability of receiving various information including a telephone call from a telephone set with a ringing melody and a second capability of generating a music tone represented by music information in association with the first capability under support of a base station which has an information source storing music information and a transmitter for transmitting the stored music information in the form of streaming data to the portable terminal apparatus, the medium containing program instructions executable by the processor for causing the portable terminal apparatus to perform a method comprising the steps of:

receiving the streaming data representing music information designed for trial listening of the ringing melody from the base station; and

reproducing the music tone by a tone generator in real time according the received streaming data to effectuate the trial listening of the ringing melody, wherein the tone generator is a physical modeling type for generating the music tone.

16. A portable terminal apparatus having a first capability of receiving various information including a telephone call from a telephone set with a ringing melody and a second capability of generating a music tone represented by music information in association with the first capability under support of a base station which has an information source storing music information and a transmitter for transmitting the stored music information in the form of streaming data to the portable terminal apparatus, the portable terminal apparatus comprising:

a receiving section that receives the streaming data representing music information designed for trial listening of the ringing melody; and

a reproducing section that reproduces the music tone in real time according to the received streaming data to effectuate the trial listening of the ringing melody, wherein the reproducing section comprises a tone generator of a frequency modulation type for generating the music tone.

17. A portable terminal apparatus having a first capability of receiving various information including a telephone call from a telephone set with a ringing melody and a second capability of generating a music tone represented by music information in association with the first capability under support of a base station which has an information source storing music information and a transmitter for transmitting the stored music information in the form of streaming data to the portable terminal apparatus, the portable terminal apparatus comprising:

a receiving section that receives the streaming data representing music information designed for trial listening of the ringing melody; and

a reproducing section that reproduces the music tone in real time according to the received streaming data to effectuate the trial listening of the ringing melody, wherein the reproducing section comprises a tone generator having a wave-table memory storing a waveform of the music tone for generating the music tone.

18. A portable terminal apparatus having a first capability of receiving various information including a telephone call from a telephone set with a ringing melody and a second capability of generating a music tone represented by music information in association with the first capability under support of a base station which has an information source storing music information and a transmitter for transmitting the stored music information in the form of streaming data to the portable terminal apparatus, the portable terminal apparatus comprising:

a receiving section that receives the streaming data representing music information designed for trial listening of the ringing melody; and

a reproducing section that reproduces the music tone in real time according to the received streaming data to effectuate the trial listening of the ringing melody, wherein the reproducing section comprises a tone generator of a physical modeling type for generating the music tone.