Music contents reproducing apparatus

• US 7,460,919 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2005
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirayama, Ikuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ni; Suhan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elbin; Jesse A
• Application Number:
  US10/592,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20070274546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 381/302, 381/71.4, 381/86, 381/107, 381/365, 381/389, 381/56, 700/94
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0041 in coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/031 Musical analysis, i.e. isolation, extraction or identification of musical elements or musical parameters from a raw acoustic signal or from an encoded audio signal neural networks for electrophonic musical instruments or musical processing G10H2250/311
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/076 for extraction of timing, tempo; Beat detection tempo display G10H2220/081; tempo control G10H2210/375
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/096 using a touch screen touch screen note input, e.g. using a displayed keyboard G10H2220/241; personal digital assistant [PDA] G10H2230/015
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/135 Library retrieval index, i.e. using an indexing scheme to efficiently retrieve a music piece
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/031 Spectrum envelope processing
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 15/02 Synthesis of acoustic waves synthesis of speech G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2217/03 Parametric transducers where sound is generated or captured by the acoustic demodulation of amplitude modulated ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/00 Indicating arrangements; Control arrangements, e.g. balance control

Abstract

A contents reproduction control portion uses feature quantity data about feature quantities of pieces of music and an interference degree table which defines degrees of interference among the feature quantities. In this manner, interference music to be output from between front-seat speakers and music to be output from rear-seat speakers is at least partially avoided.

Claims

1. A music contents reproducing apparatus, comprising:

a storage unit operable to store physical quantity data about physical quantities of each of the music contents and a table which defines degrees of interference among the physical quantities of the music contents; and

a control unit operable to select, by using the physical quantity data and the table stored in the storage unit, a first music content to be output to one output portion, the first music content causing substantially no interference with a second music content being reproduced in another output portion.

2. The music contents reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit selects the first music content so that a degree of interference between the first music content and the second music content is fallen within a predetermined threshold range.

3. The music contents reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when a headphone or an earphone is connected, the control unit cancels the selection of the first music content.

4. The music contents reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when a degree of interference among the respective physical quantities exceeds a predetermined range, the volume of the first music content is turned down.

5. The music contents reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a creation unit operable to create a music list including a proposed music content(s) to be output to one output portion by using physical quantity data and the table stored in the storage unit, the proposed music content(s) causing no interference or relatively low interference with the music being reproduced in the other output portion in physical quantities; and

a display unit operable to display the proposed music content(s) included in the music list created by the creation unit;

wherein

the control unit selects the first music content from the proposed music content(s) displayed by the display unit in accordance with a user input.

6. The music contents reproducing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the proposed music content(s) are displayed in ascending order of a degree of interference.

7. A method of reproducing music contents, comprising:

providing physical quantity data about physical quantities of each of the music contents and a table which defines degrees of interference among physical quantities of the music contents; and

selecting, by using the physical quantity data and the table, a first music content to be output to one output portion, the first music content causing substantially no interference with a second music content being reproduced in another output portion.

8. A music contents recording apparatus comprising:

a first input unit configured to receive a first instruction to reproduce a first music selection;

a second input unit configured to receive a second instruction to reproduce a second music selection;

a memory unit configured to store;

a sort table, the sort table storing values representing qualitative features of music selections including the first music selection and the second music selection; and

an interference table, the interference table storing values representing a degree of interference between the qualitative features; and

a control unit configured to determine whether the second music selection interferes with the first music selection based on the stored values representing the qualitative features for the first music selection and the second music selection and the stored values representing the degree of interference between the qualitative features and, if so, to cancel reproduction of the second music selection.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

at least one reproduction unit configured to reproduce the first music selection responsive to receipt of the first instruction by the first input unit and to reproduce the second music selection responsive to the control unit determining that the second music selection does not interfere with the first music selection.