Patents by Inventor Turner E. Kirk

Turner E. Kirk 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).

  • Patent number: 8983829
    Abstract: Despite many practical limitations imposed by mobile device platforms and application execution environments, vocal musical performances may be captured and continuously pitch-corrected for mixing and rendering with backing tracks in ways that create compelling user experiences. Based on the techniques described herein, even mere amateurs are encouraged to share with friends and family or to collaborate and contribute vocal performances as part of virtual “glee clubs.” In some implementations, these interactions are facilitated through social network- and/or eMail-mediated sharing of performances and invitations to join in a group performance. Using uploaded vocals captured at clients such as a mobile device, a content server (or service) can mediate such virtual glee clubs by manipulating and mixing the uploaded vocal performances of multiple contributing vocalists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Smule, Inc.
    Inventors: Perry R. Cook, Ari Lazier, Tom Lieber, Turner E. Kirk
  • Patent number: 8868411
    Abstract: Despite many practical limitations imposed by mobile device platforms and application execution environments, vocal musical performances may be captured and continuously pitch-corrected for mixing and rendering with backing tracks in ways that create compelling user experiences. In some cases, the vocal performances of individual users are captured on mobile devices in the context of a karaoke-style presentation of lyrics in correspondence with audible renderings of a backing track. Such performances can be pitch-corrected in real-time at a portable computing device (such as a mobile phone, personal digital assistant, laptop computer, notebook computer, pad-type computer or netbook) in accord with pitch correction settings. In some cases, pitch correction settings include a score-coded melody and/or harmonies supplied with, or for association with, the lyrics and backing tracks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Smule, Inc.
    Inventors: Perry R. Cook, Ari Lazier, Tom Lieber, Turner E. Kirk
  • Publication number: 20110251841
    Abstract: Despite many practical limitations imposed by mobile device platforms and application execution environments, vocal musical performances may be captured and continuously pitch-corrected for mixing and rendering with backing tracks in ways that create compelling user experiences. Based on the techniques described herein, even mere amateurs are encouraged to share with friends and family or to collaborate and contribute vocal performances as part of virtual “glee clubs.” In some implementations, these interactions are facilitated through social network- and/or eMail-mediated sharing of performances and invitations to join in a group performance. Using uploaded vocals captured at clients such as a mobile device, a content server (or service) can mediate such virtual glee clubs by manipulating and mixing the uploaded vocal performances of multiple contributing vocalists.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Inventors: Perry R. Cook, Ari Lazier, Tom Lieber, Turner E. Kirk
  • Publication number: 20110251840
    Abstract: Despite many practical limitations imposed by mobile device platforms and application execution environments, vocal musical performances may be captured and continuously pitch-corrected for mixing and rendering with backing tracks in ways that create compelling user experiences. In some cases, the vocal performances of individual users are captured on mobile devices in the context of a karaoke-style presentation of lyrics in correspondence with audible renderings of a backing track. Such performances can be pitch-corrected in real-time at a portable computing device (such as a mobile phone, personal digital assistant, laptop computer, notebook computer, pad-type computer or netbook) in accord with pitch correction settings. In some cases, pitch correction settings include a score-coded melody and/or harmonies supplied with, or for association with, the lyrics and backing tracks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Inventors: Perry R. Cook, Ari Lazier, Tom Lieber, Turner E. Kirk