Patents by Inventor Keijiro Saino

Keijiro Saino has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240062435
    Abstract: An image generation device is for a live distribution system that distributes, in real-time, a piece of music performed by a performer to terminal devices of a plurality of viewers through a communication network. The image generation circuit includes an obtaining circuit and an image generation circuit. The obtaining circuit obtains motion information regarding a motion of a first viewer of the distributed piece of music. The image generation circuit generates an image showing at least one avatar group that is being caused to motion based on the motion information in an imaginary space that corresponds to a performance of the piece of music. Each of the at least one avatar group includes avatars of a plurality of viewers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventors: Kenji ISHIZUKA, Hidetaka IMAMURA, Keijiro SAINO, Taiki SHIMOZONO
  • Publication number: 20240038207
    Abstract: A live distribution device includes an obtaining circuit, a data processing circuit, and a distribution circuit. The obtaining circuit is configured to obtain a piece of music and/or a user reaction to the piece of music. The user reaction is obtained from a viewing user, among a plurality of users, who is viewing a performance. The data processing circuit is configured to generate processed data based on the piece of music and/or the user reaction obtained by the obtaining circuit. The processed data indicates how the performance is viewed by the viewing user. The distribution circuit is configured to distribute the generated processed data to a terminal device of a non-viewing user, among the plurality of users, who is not viewing the performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Inventors: Taiki SHIMOZONO, Keijiro SAINO
  • Publication number: 20230395046
    Abstract: A sound generation method that is realized by a computer includes receiving a representative value of a musical feature amount for each of a plurality of sections of a musical note, and using a trained model to process a first feature amount sequence in accordance with the representative value for each section, thereby generating a sound data sequence corresponding to a second feature amount sequence in which the musical feature amount changes continuously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2023
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Inventors: Keijiro SAINO, Ryunosuke DAIDO, Bonada JORDI, Blaauw MERLIJN
  • Publication number: 20230386440
    Abstract: A sound generation method that is realized by a computer includes receiving a first feature amount sequence in which a musical feature amount changes over time, and using a trained model that has learned an input-output relationship between an input feature amount sequence in which the musical feature amount changes over time at a first fineness and a reference sound data sequence corresponding to an output feature amount sequence in which the musical feature amount changes over time at a second fineness that is higher than the first fineness, to process the first feature amount sequence, thereby generating a sound data sequence corresponding to a second feature amount sequence in which the musical feature amount changes at the second fineness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: Keijiro SAINO, Ryunosuke DAIDO, Bonada JORDI, Blaauw MERLIJN
  • Publication number: 20230260493
    Abstract: A sound synthesizing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure relates to a sound synthesizing method that is realized by a computer, including receiving musical score data and acoustic data via a user interface; and generating, based on respective one of the musical score data and the acoustic data, acoustic features of a sound waveform having a desired timbre.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Ryunosuke DAIDO, Keijiro SAINO
  • Publication number: 20230244646
    Abstract: First time-series data is edited according to a first user instruction, and second time-series data representing a series of features and generated based on the edited first time-series data is edited according to a second user instruction. In response to editing of the first time-series data, the edited first time-series data is saved as a new version in first history data. In response to editing of the second time-series data, the edited second time-series data is saved as a new version in second history data. A first version number and a second version number are designated according to a third user instruction. Third time-series data representing content corresponding to the first time-series data is then generated by using the first version of first time-series data in the first history data, and the second version of second time-series data in the second history data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2023
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Inventors: Ryunosuke DAIDO, Keijiro SAINO, Masahiro SHIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20230098145
    Abstract: An audio processing method, for each time step of a plurality of time steps on a time axis: acquires encoded data that reflects current musical features of a tune for a current time step and musical features of the tune for succeeding time steps succeeding the current time step; acquires control data according to a real-time instruction provided by a user; and generates acoustic feature data representative of acoustic features of a synthesis sound in accordance with first input data including the acquired encoded data and the acquired control data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Keijiro SAINO, Ryunosuke DAIDO
  • Publication number: 20230016425
    Abstract: A method generates a sound signal in accordance with score data representative of respective durations of a plurality of notes and a shortening indication to shorten a duration of a specific note. The method includes generating a shortening rate, generating a series of control data, and generating a sound signal. The shortening rate is representative of an amount of shortening of the duration of the specific note, and is generated, by inputting, to a first estimation model, condition data representative of a sounding condition specified by score data for the specific note. Each of the series of control data is representative of a control condition of the sound signal corresponding to the score data, and the series of control data reflects a shortened duration of the specific note shortened in accordance with the generated shortening rate. The sound signal is generated in accordance with the series of control data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Masanari NISHIMURA, Keijiro SAINO
  • Patent number: 11410637
    Abstract: A voice synthesis method according to an embodiment includes altering a series of synthesis spectra in a partial period of a synthesis voice based on a series of amplitude spectrum envelope contours of a voice expression to obtain a series of altered spectra to which the voice expression has been imparted, and synthesizing a series of voice samples to which the voice expression has been imparted, based on the series of altered spectra.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jordi Bonada, Merlijn Blaauw, Keijiro Saino, Ryunosuke Daido, Michael Wilson, Yuji Hisaminato
  • Patent number: 11289066
    Abstract: A voice synthesis method includes: sequentially acquiring voice units comprising at least one of diphone or a triphone in accordance with synthesis information for synthesizing voices; generating statistical spectral envelopes using a statistical model built by machine learning in accordance with the synthesis information for synthesizing the voices; and concatenating the sequentially acquired voice units and modifying a frequency spectral envelope of each voice unit in accordance with the generated statistical spectral envelope, thereby synthesizing a voice signal based on the concatenated voice units having the modified frequency spectra.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuji Hisaminato, Ryunosuke Daido, Keijiro Saino, Jordi Bonada, Merlijn Blaauw
  • Patent number: 10497359
    Abstract: A display control method executed by a processor, the method includes the steps of: displaying, on a display device, a note icon that represents a note of a voice to be synthesized and an indicator that is moved in accordance with an operation received from a user; displaying, on the display device, first options that belong to a first layer among layers in a hierarchical structure, for the user to select a singing expression to be applied to the note from among a plurality of singing expressions; and displaying, on the display device, when the indicator is moved into an area corresponding to a particular option selected from among the first options, second options that correspond to the particular option and belong to a second layer that is below the first layer in the hierarchical structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: YAMAHA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Keijiro Saino
  • Publication number: 20190251950
    Abstract: A voice synthesis method according to an embodiment includes altering a series of synthesis spectra in a partial period of a synthesis voice based on a series of amplitude spectrum envelope contours of a voice expression to obtain a series of altered spectra to which the voice expression has been imparted, and synthesizing a series of voice samples to which the voice expression has been imparted, based on the series of altered spectra.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Inventors: Jordi BONADA, Merlijn BLAAUW, Keijiro SAINO, Ryunosuke DAIDO, Michael WILSON, Yuji HISAMINATO
  • Publication number: 20190130893
    Abstract: A voice synthesis method includes: sequentially acquiring voice units in accordance with synthesis information for synthesizing voices; generating statistical spectral envelopes using a statistical model in accordance with the synthesis information for synthesizing the voices; and concatenating the sequentially acquired voice units and modifying a frequency spectral envelope of each voice unit in accordance with the generated statistical spectral envelope, thereby synthesizing a voice signal based on the concatenated voice units having the modified frequency spectra.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: Yuji HISAMINATO, Ryunosuke DAIDO, Keijiro SAINO, Jordi BONADA, Merlijn BLAAUW
  • Patent number: 10176797
    Abstract: A voice synthesis method for generating a voice signal through connection of a phonetic piece extracted from a reference voice, includes selecting, by a piece selection unit, the phonetic piece sequentially; setting, by a pitch setting unit, a pitch transition in which a fluctuation of an observed pitch of the phonetic piece is reflected based on a degree corresponding to a difference value between a reference pitch being a reference of sound generation of the reference voice and the observed pitch of the phonetic piece selected by the piece selection unit; and generating, by a voice synthesis unit, the voice signal by adjusting a pitch of the phonetic piece selected by the piece selection unit based on the pitch transition generated by the pitch setting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Keijiro Saino, Jordi Bonada, Merlijn Blaauw
  • Publication number: 20180166064
    Abstract: A display control method executed by a processor, the method includes the steps of: displaying, on a display device, a note icon that represents a note of a voice to be synthesized and an indicator that is moved in accordance with an operation received from a user; displaying, on the display device, first options that belong to a first layer among layers in a hierarchical structure, for the user to select a singing expression to be applied to the note from among a plurality of singing expressions; and displaying, on the display device, when the indicator is moved into an area corresponding to a particular option selected from among the first options, second options that correspond to the particular option and belong to a second layer that is below the first layer in the hierarchical structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2018
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Inventor: Keijiro SAINO
  • Patent number: 9865276
    Abstract: A processing unit of a voice processing apparatus first generates a target voice signal in a time domain by adjusting a fundamental frequency of a target voice signal to a fundamental frequency of an initial voice signal, so as to generate a spectrum of the target voice signal after pitch is adjusted. Second, the processing unit reallocates, along a frequency axis, the spectrum of the target voice characteristics by having the spectrum correspond to each of the fundamental frequencies of the initial voice signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventors: Jordi Bonada, Merlijn Blaauw, Keijiro Saino
  • Publication number: 20160260425
    Abstract: A voice synthesis method for generating a voice signal through connection of a phonetic piece extracted from a reference voice, includes selecting, by a piece selection unit, the phonetic piece sequentially; setting, by a pitch setting unit, a pitch transition in which a fluctuation of an observed pitch of the phonetic piece is reflected based on a degree corresponding to a difference value between a reference pitch being a reference of sound generation of the reference voice and the observed pitch of the phonetic piece selected by the piece selection unit; and generating, by a voice synthesis unit, the voice signal by adjusting a pitch of the phonetic piece selected by the piece selection unit based on the pitch transition generated by the pitch setting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2016
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Inventors: Keijiro SAINO, Jordi BONADA, Merlijn BLAAUW
  • Publication number: 20160189725
    Abstract: A processing unit of a voice processing apparatus first generates a target voice signal in a time domain by adjusting a fundamental frequency of a target voice signal to a fundamental frequency of an initial voice signal, so as to generate a spectrum of the target voice signal after pitch is adjusted. Second, the processing unit reallocates, along a frequency axis, the spectrum of the target voice characteristics by having the spectrum correspond to each of the fundamental frequencies of the initial voice signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Inventors: Jordi BONADA, Merlijn BLAAUW, Keijiro SAINO
  • Patent number: 9230537
    Abstract: A voice signal is synthesized using a plurality of phonetic piece data each indicating a phonetic piece containing at least two phoneme sections corresponding to different phonemes. In the apparatus, a phonetic piece adjustor forms a target section from first and second phonetic pieces so as to connect the first and second phonetic pieces to each other such that the target section includes a rear phoneme section of the first piece and a front phoneme section of the second piece, and expands the target section by a target time length to form an adjustment section such that a central part is expanded at an expansion rate higher than that of front and rear parts of the target section, to thereby create synthesized phonetic piece data having the target time length. A voice synthesizer creates a voice signal from the synthesized phonetic piece data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Keijiro Saino
  • Patent number: 8916762
    Abstract: For each one note or for each plurality of notes constituting a reference tone, a segment setting section segments a time series of actual pitches of the reference tone into one or more note segments. For each of the one or more note segments, a relativization section creates a time series of relative pitches that are relative values of individual ones of the actual pitches of the reference tone to a normal pitch of the note of the note segment. Information registration section stores, into a storage device, relative pitch information comprising the time series of relative pitches of each individual one of the note segments. The segment setting section may use musical score data, time-serially designating the notes of the reference tone, to set each of the note segments for each note designated by the musical score data, and may correct at least one of start and end points of each of the set note segments in response to user's operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Keijiro Saino