Music synchronization arrangement

• US 7,973,231 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2010
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bowen, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Warren; David S.
• Application Number:
  US12/721,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20100186578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 846/12, 846/36, 846/52, 846/68, 482/8, 482/9
• US Class Current: 84/612
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2230/06 heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0686 Timers, rhythm indicators or pacing apparatus using electric or electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/636 by using biological or physiological data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/18 Selecting circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/40 Rhythm
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/046 for differentiation between music and non-music signals, based on the identification of musical parameters, e.g. based on tempo detection
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/375 Tempo or beat alterations; Music timing control tempo display G10H2220/081; tempo analysis G10H2210/076; humanising effect G10H2210/165; scratch effect G10H2210/241
• 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 2210/391 Automatic tempo adjustment, correction or control
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/361 Mouth control in general, i.e. breath, mouth, teeth, tongue or lip-controlled input devices or sensors detecting, e.g. lip position, lip vibration, air pressure, air velocity, air flow or air jet angle
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/371 Vital parameter control, i.e. musical instrument control based on body signals, e.g. brainwaves, pulsation, temperature, perspiration; biometric information signals from body positions or movements G10H2220/321
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/395 Acceleration sensing or accelerometer use, e.g. 3D movement computation by integration of accelerometer data, angle sensing with respect to the vertical, i.e. gravity sensing. conductor baton movement sensing G10H2220/206, angle sensing without reference to gravity G10H2220/391; player body joint angle sensing G10H2220/321
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/081 Genre classification, i.e. descriptive metadata for classification or selection of musical pieces according to style analysis genre G10H2210/036
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/131 : Library retrieval, i.e. searching a database or selecting a specific musical piece, segment, pattern, rule or parameter set
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/135 : Library retrieval index, i.e. using an indexing scheme to efficiently retrieve a music piece
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 : of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 : Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D

Abstract

The invention generally pertains to a hand-held computing device. More particularly, the invention pertains to a computing device that is capable of controlling the speed of the music so as to affect the mood and behavior of the user during an activity such as exercise. By way of example, the speed of the music can be controlled to match the pace of the activity (synching the speed of the music to the activity of the user) or alternatively it can be controlled to drive the pace of the activity (increasing or decreasing the speed of the music to encourage a greater or lower pace). One aspect of the invention relates to adjusting the tempo (or some other attribute) of the music being outputted from the computing device. By way of example, a songs tempo may be increased or decreased before or during playing. Another aspect of the invention relates to selecting music for outputting based on tempo (or some other attribute). For example, the computing device may only play songs having a particular tempo. Yet another aspect of the invention relates to both selecting music based on tempo and adjusting the tempo of the music.

Claims

1. A method for playing a media item on a portable media device, the method comprising:

determining a current pace of exercise of a user of the portable media device;

determining a desired pace of exercise for the user;

selecting a item that, among all media items on the portable media device, has the tempo that best matches both the desired pace of exercise and the user'"'"'s current pace of exercise; and

dynamically adjusting the tempo of the selected media item to best fit both the desired pace of exercise and the current pace of exercise.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a tempo corresponds to the desired pace of exercise if the tempo is a multiple of the desired pace of exercise.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a tempo corresponds to the desired pace of exercise if the tempo is a divisor of the desired pace of exercise.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired pace of exercise is determined by a music manager based on a set of rules.

5. A media player for modifying a song based on an exercise regime, the media player comprising:

a file system operable to store a plurality of songs having tempo tags associated with each of the songs, wherein each tempo tag represents an exact tempo value of a song from the plurality of songs, and an exercise regime; and

a processor coupled to the file system and operable to;

download multiple versions of the same song from a server computer to a portable media device, wherein the multiple versions represent the same song in different tempos;

determine a desired tempo of a portion of an exercise regime;

compare the desired tempo to at least one of the stored tempo tags; and

select, at the portable media device, a song from the plurality of songs having a tempo that best matches both the desired tempo and a current pace of exercise, so that, when dynamically adjusted, the selected song has sufficient length to play for the entire duration of the portion of the exercise routine; and

dynamically adjust the tempo of the selected song to best match both the desired tempo and the current pace of exercise.

6. The media player of claim 5, further comprising an input device operable to receive a user input selecting an exercise regime.

7. The media player of claim 5, further comprising input circuitry operable to receive the plurality of tempo tags from a host computer.

8. The media player of claim 5, further comprising a media database operable to store the plurality of tempo tags.

9. The media player of claim 5, further comprising a CODEC operable to produce an analog output signal based on the selected song.

10. A method for modifying a media item based on an exercise routine, the method comprising:

downloading multiple versions of the same media item from a server computer to a portable media device, wherein the multiple versions represent the same media item in different tempos;

determining a desired tempo of a portion of an exercise regime;

comparing the desired tempo to at least one of the stored tempo tags; and

selecting, at the portable media device, a media item from the plurality of media items having a tempo that best matches both the desired tempo and a current pace of exercise, so that, when dynamically adjusted, the selected media item has sufficient length to play for the entire duration of the portion of the exercise routine; and

dynamically adjusting the tempo of the selected media item to best match both the desired tempo and the current pace of exercise.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the media item is a video.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the media item is a song.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the comparing and dynamically adjusting is performed continuously by a media manager on the portable media device.

14. A computer readable medium for storing in non-transitory tangible form computer instructions executable by a processor for playing a media item on a portable media device, the computer readable medium comprising:

computer code for determining a current pace of movement of a user of the portable media device;

computer code for determining a desired pace of movement for the user;

selecting the version of the media item that, among all versions of the media item on the portable media device, has the tempo that best matches both the desired pace of movement and the user'"'"'s current pace of movement; and

computer code for dynamically adjusting the tempo of the selected version of the media item to best fit both the desired pace of movement and the current pace of movement.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the media item has a corresponding tempo tag indicating the tempo of the audio the media item.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the computer code for dynamically adjusting the tempo of the media item to fit the desired pace of movement includes computer code for controlling a digital signal processor to adjust the tempo.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the computer code for dynamically adjusting the tempo of the media item to fit the desired pace of movement includes computer code for performing phase vocoding.

18. An apparatus for playing a media item on a portable media device, the method comprising:

means for downloading multiple versions of the media item from a server computer, wherein the multiple versions represent the media item in different tempos;

means for determining a current rhythm of movement of a user of the portable media device;

means for determining a desired rhythm of movement for the user;

means for selecting a media item associated with a tempo tag that has a tempo that best matches both the desired rhythm of movement and the user'"'"'s current rhythm of movement; and

means for dynamically adjusting the tempo of the media item to best fit both the desired rhythm of movement and the current rhythm of movement.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the means for dynamically adjusting includes a phase vocoder that includes elements of linear predictive coding to use continuous and overlapping Fourier transforms of a media item for time stretching.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the means for dynamically adjusting includes a sliding fast Fourier transform (SFFT) processor.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the means for selecting includes means for selecting a media item associated with a tempo tag from a playlist that has a tempo corresponding to the desired rhythm of movement.