Abstract: In a wearable electronic device attachable to an arm, a display screen is disposed on a top face of a main body which is attached to the arm. First and second controls are arranged adjacent to opposite sides of the display screen, respectively, and project obliquely from the top face of the main body. The first control is configured to move toward a near side of the display screen by an operation of the user and to return spontaneously to a rest position away from the near side. The second control is configured to move toward a near side of the display screen by an operation of the user and to return spontaneously to a rest position away from the near side. An operation of one of the first and second controls or both of the first and second controls enables setting of the device using the display screen.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide keyboards that utilize electrically-deformable material as an actuating mechanism to provide haptic feedback to a user of the keyboard. In at least some embodiments, the electrically-deformable material is utilized to impart, to a depressed key or keyboard element, a multi-vectored movement that produces a perceived acceleration of the key or keyboard element thus providing a user with haptic feedback which simulates a snapover movement.

Abstract: The electronic musical system comprises a keyboard that has a plurality of keys to designate the pitch, a key operation detector for detecting the operating state of the keyboard, set operator that can switch to the parameter setting state, parameter value input port to input the parameter values, pressed key count detector to detect the number of pressed keys, parameter setting program for setting the parameter value according to the pressed keys detected by the key operation detector. If one key being pressed is detected, then the parameter values are set to the value of the pressed key. If, however, multiple keys being pressed are detected, then the parameter values are set to the value of the multiple pressed keys and parameter output port outputs the parameter values that were set by the parameter setting program. The electronic musical instrument allows the user to intuitively set the parameter values with a effortless operation.

Abstract: A method for controlling a plurality of light sources. Control signals corresponding to notes of a music file are generated to enable selected ones of a plurality of receptacles to be powered. The plurality of receptacles comprises a first plurality of receptacles and a second plurality of receptacles, and the first plurality of receptacles are powered more frequently than the second plurality of receptacles. The plurality of receptacles is adapted to supply power to the plurality of light sources. A pleasing twinkling effect can be created even if light sources are not coupled to one of the plurality of receptacles.

Abstract: The present invention is an electronic musical instrument that in appearance and playing characteristics closely resembles flute-like instruments such as a conventional flute or a shakuhachi. The instrument comprises an electronic controller that has operating characteristics that resemble a flute and computer software executable on a computer for converting signals from the controller into data suitable for generating complex sound from conventional speakers. Thus, the instrument provides the complexity and nuance of control of an acoustic instrument while being capable of generating sounds that an acoustic instrument cannot make.

Abstract: An apparatus and method to output a musical tone is disclosed. More particularly, disclosed is an apparatus and method to output a musical tone according to motion, which divides a space in which a terminal can move into a plurality of subspaces, and matches the subspaces with different musical tones, so that the terminal can output a musical tone matched with a specific subspace when the terminal has moved into the specific subspace.

Abstract: A system for seamless integration of a handheld device, as a secondary display and input device, to remotely interact with a host device. The host device receives data from a remote location. One or more handheld devices, receive data provided by the host device. Each of the handheld devices includes one or more controllers. Each of the controllers provides control input data to the associated handheld device. The handheld devices each have one or more input modules, such as a microphone, or Wi-Fi port, to receive the control input data as well as one or more output modules, such as a display screen and/or speaker that outputs processed data, such as video and/or audio data. The output data is specific to a particular one of the handheld devices.

Abstract: Virtual damper position data, simulatively representing a position of a damper member provided for suppressing vibration of a string in a physical tone generating mechanism of the acoustic piano, is generated on the basis of key-on data, key-off data, released key position data, damper pedal position data, sostenute pedal-on data and sostenute pedal-off data. Release characteristic of a tone signal to be generated is controlled on the basis of the virtual damper position data. When the sostenute pedal-on data or key-on data has been supplied, the virtual damper position data is set at a value corresponding to a maximum damper release position. Virtual damper position data is variably generated on the basis of at least one of the released key position data, damper pedal position data supplied after the supply of the sostenute pedal-off data or key-off data.

Abstract: A portable electronic device having a screen and a numeric keypad, comprises: a sound card for processing sound signals to produce musical tones; a musical synthesizer, associated with said sound card, for electronically synthesizing musical instruments; and a user interface for interfacing said musical synthesizer to a user via said screen and said numeric keypad. The device can be a cellular telephone and may be able to interact with other devices.

Abstract: In providing a music program, a personal music player displays personal activity choices. A user selects a personal activity and provides a time duration for the activity. The player sends a request to a music program server for a music program. The request includes the personal activity and the time duration. The music program server selects a music program record from a plurality of music program records that has an activity attribute which matches the personal activity and a program duration which matches or is less than the time duration. The server extracts location information for the music program from the program entry in the music program record, and sends this to the player. The player uses the location information to obtain the music program. In this manner, a music program is provided to a user based on the personal activity of the user.

Abstract: An electronic musical apparatus is of a data processing type and is connectable to an external server via a communication network. The apparatus comprises a display screen, item selecting keys arranged around the display screen, and a communication device to connect with the server via the communication network. The apparatus transmits a connection request to a server, receives a list of available service items from the server, displays the list for selection on the display screen, permits the user to select from the list an intended service by operating the item selecting key, transmits a request of the selected service, and receives from the server the service corresponding to the transmitted request.

Abstract: A method for recommending music that includes identifying a granularity of a plurality of genres based on a request for music similarity, wherein the request identifies a user, training a genre classifier based on the granularity to obtain a trained genre classifier, calculating a first profile by the trained genre classifier, wherein the first profile that includes, for each of the plurality of genres, the likelihood that a music selection associated with a user is in the genre, calculating a second profile by the trained genre classifier, wherein the second profile that includes, for each of the plurality of genres, the likelihood that an unknown music selection is in the genre, obtaining a first similarity score between the first profile and a second profile, and recommending the unknown music selection to the user based on the first similarity score.

Abstract: The present invention provides a retrograde recombinant composition algorithm that creates new musical compositions based on existing musical compositions that are preferably written in software and is suitable for implementation in electro-mechanical and electronic devices that generate musical works based on existing bodies of music. The retrograde approach to recomposition according to the present invention provides a highly simplified code that executes at a high speed, and accordingly a reduced need for computational resources.

Abstract: An electronic musical performance instrument that provides a user with a wide array of creative choices of operating systems, sound synthesis applications, user interfaces (including those emulating the interface of a conventional musical instrument and electronic control interfaces), supporting infrastructure components such as MIDI cards, sound cards, storage devices thus providing the performance artist with greater and deeper creative flexibility.

Abstract: An electronic musical instrument is configured to store music data including performance data on a plurality of tracks and receive designation of a track or tracks so that when a test-listen button for receiving instruction of test-listen of the designated track(s) is pressed, the electronic musical instrument plays the performance data on the designated track(s) among the music data and plays the performance data on the other tracks at a volume lower than the volume of the designated track(s).

Abstract: Method and apparatus for programmatically generating interesting audio file playlists. A playlist generation mechanism may use an N-gram model of audio file ordering patterns found in a collection of human-generated playlists to automatically generate new playlists. Given play histories indicating one or more played audio files as input, statistical methods may be used to look for sequences of audio files that occur a statistically significant number of times in the N-gram model for inclusion in new, interesting playlists that incorporate the human element found in the collection of playlists. In some embodiments, one more backoff probability methods may be used to provide additional candidate audio files for playlists if there is insufficient coverage for an audio file in the N-gram model. In one embodiment, a class-based statistical model incorporating higher-level statistics for the audio files may be used to weight selection of audio file transitions from the N-gram model.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a finger musical instrument, including a first glove and a second glove, some performance keys distributed on a fingertip of each of the gloves, and a sound box positioned at each of the gloves. The finger musical instrument further includes a combination key positioned at palm heel of each of the gloves. Each of the sound boxes is connected with a controller. The performance key and the combination key on the same glove are all connected with the corresponding controller. Therein the performance key and the combination of the performance key and the combination key of one glove gives out one octave sound, while the performance key and the combination of the performance key and the combination key of the other glove gives out another octave sound. Each of the controllers is provided with a range regulation switch used for making a sound higher or lower by an octave on each of the gloves.

Abstract: An automatic player musical instrument is a combination of an acoustic piano and an electric system, which serves as an automatic playing system and an electronic proof system, and a controller of the electric system has an information processing capability; when a user instructs the electric system to check performance on the keyboard, a subroutine program for electronic proof starts to run; while the user is fingering a music tune, the controller monitors the keys with key sensors to see whether or not the user correctly plays the music tune; when the user mistakenly depresses a key instead of another key, the controller gives rise to vibrations of the mistakenly de-pressed key so as to give a notice of incorrect fingering to the user.

Abstract: A portable audio playing device implements a jukebox manager function to permit the simple generation of musical playlists and the alteration or editing of existing playlists. Data, such as MPEG-3 data or other conventional audio format data, may be readily downloaded into the system for storage in a solid state memory or in a spinning media device. The audio tracks are associated with one or more metatags that are used to describe the content of each track. The metatags and associated audio tracks are stored in a data structure that may be implemented as a database or other convenient data structure that readily permits searching by user-specified search terms. The user generates a new playlist by selecting one or more metatags corresponding to the desired musical tracks. The system queries the data structure using the user-specified metatags and automatically generates a playlist containing one or more audio tracks whose metatags correspond to the user-specified metatags.

Abstract: In a portable multimedia device, a method, apparatus, and system for providing user supplied configuration data are described. In one embodiment, a hierarchically ordered graphical user interface are provided. A first order, or home, interface provides a highest order of user selectable items each of which, when selected, results in an automatic transition to a lower order user interface associated with the selected item. In one of the described embodiments, the lower order interface includes other user selectable items associated with the previously selected item from the higher order user interface.

Abstract: To generate motion data of a motion in synchronization with a melody of music. As an embodiment of the present invention, when motion pattern data corresponding to a predetermined motion pattern is stored, music data is analyzed to detect a beat of music based on the music data, and the music data is divided into a plurality of bar intervals based on the detected beat, the motion pattern data is allocated to the bar intervals of the music data being divided to generate motion data. In this manner, when the motion data is reproduced together with the music data, the motion pattern can be switched in synchronization with switching of first bar intervals and second bar intervals corresponding to a bar when the music based on music data is expressed in a musical score.

Abstract: A system trains a first model to identify portions of electronic media streams based on first attributes of the electronic media streams and/or trains a second model to identify labels for identified portions of the electronic media streams based on at least one of second attributes of the electronic media streams, feature information associated with the electronic media streams, or information regarding other portions within the electronic media streams. The system inputs an electronic media stream into the first model, identifies, by the first model, portions of the electronic media stream, inputs the electronic media stream and information regarding the identified portions into the second model, and/or determines, by the second model, human recognizable labels for the identified portions.

Abstract: Each parameter is provided with increase/decrease switches and a slider. In a case where a user desires seamless rough control of the value of a target parameter, the user is to use the slider. In a case where the user desires easy control of the value of the parameter with the smallest unit of the resolution, the user is to use the increase/decrease switches. Since the slider specifies a parameter value in accordance with the position of the manipulated slider, the range within which the parameter value can change is determined on the basis of the current parameter value and the maximum value and the minimum value of the parameter. Because the increase/decrease switch increases/decreases a parameter value by “1” at each manipulation, the range within which the parameter value can change by a single manipulation of the increase/decrease switch is “±1”.

Abstract: Provided are, among other things, systems, methods and techniques for avatars to musically interact with each other. In one representative embodiment, a server is configured to host a virtual environment and various client devices communicate with the server over an electronic network, with each such client device configured to interact within the virtual environment through a corresponding avatar. A first client device accepts commands from a first user and, in response, communicates corresponding information to the server causing a modification of any of a first set of user-customizable visual characteristics of a first avatar that represents the first user. Similarly, a second client device accepts commands from a second user and, in response, communicates corresponding information to the server causing a modification of any of a second set of user-customizable visual characteristics of a second avatar that represents the second user.

Abstract: The present invention provides a user configurable computer interface for managing inventory. The interface provides a list, generated according to a user-defined organization. The list includes both owned and un-owned items and provides a means for sampling and purchasing the un-owned items directly from the list. The present invention contemplates a user interface for managing an entertainment play lists such as music play lists, video play lists etc. In addition the present invention contemplates management of vehicle maintenance and goods such as groceries, toys, or books.

Abstract: For each of a plurality of music pieces, a storage device stores respective tone data of a plurality of fragments of the music piece and respective musical character values of the fragments. Similarity determination section calculates a similarity index value indicative of a degree of similarity between the character values of each of the fragments of a main music piece and the character values of each individual fragment of a plurality of sub music pieces. Each of the similarity index values calculated for the fragments of each of the sub music pieces can be adjusted in accordance with a user's control. Processing section processes the tone data of each of the fragments of the main music piece on the basis of the tone data of any one of the fragments of the sub music pieces of which the similarity index value indicates sufficient similarity.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a display and method for conducting sound system design. The display is configured to simultaneously show a sound system model comprising both audio components and sound environment components, a plurality of parameters and a graphic representation of a calculated sound system performance attribute. In response to receiving input from the user and without any additional user intervention, the display re-displays a newly-calculated sound system performance attribute such as, for example, a graphic representation in the sound system model of a sound path associated with a user-selected reflected sound identifier. A processor also simulates, based on the sound system configuration, the sound performance that a user would expect to hear positioned in an identified listening position of the sound system model.

Abstract: Impression words express impressions about music pieces and are separated into groups called impression axes. Impression words in each of the impression axes have meanings mutually related with each other. There is a correspondence among the impression words, the impression axes, and the music pieces. One is designated among the impression axes. One is designated among the impression words. A music piece corresponding to the designated impression axis and the designated impression word is played back. Commands are generated which constitute questionnaire choice information about the played-back music piece. A user is enabled to choose one from the generated commands. An impression axis and an impression word corresponding to the command chosen by the user are obtained. A music piece corresponding to the obtained impression axis and the obtained impression word is played back.

Abstract: A musical sonification system and method sonifies data, such as real-time financial market data, to produce an audio signal output including a musical rendering of the data. A sonification engine converts the data into sound parameters based on configuration data and a sonification and mapping scheme. A sound generator generates the audio output signal from the sound parameters.

Abstract: An electronic image visualization system, such as a music stand system and display, management and communications methodologies relating thereto are presented. The electronic music stand system is comprised of a performer subsystem comprising a processing subsystem, librarian logic, performance logic, and communications management logic. The communications management logic provides management of communication via the communications interface with external apparatus responsive to the performance logic and the librarian logic. The user input apparatus and the display apparatus can be integrated into a touch-screen input display. The user input apparatus can alternatively be at least one of a touch-tablet, a stylus-based writing tablet, a mouse, a keyboard, a joystick, a game controller, and a switch.

Abstract: An audio formatting process identifies a musical score of audio information operable to be rendered by a rendering application. The audio formatting process enumerates aspects of the score such that the aspects are operable to define renderable features of the score. The aspects further define a duration modifiable by the rendering application to a predetermined duration that preserves the tempo of the score. Additionally, the audio formatting process stores the enumerated aspects according to a predetermined syntax operable to indicate to the rendering application the manner of accessing each of the aspects of the score.

Abstract: A digital music player includes an audio file selector that selects a subsequent audio file to play from a collection of audio files based upon a desired relationship between an audio characteristic of a current audio file and an audio characteristic of the subsequent audio file. The audio selector digitally analyzes the audio files to determine their audio characteristics. A weighting procedure then assigns weights to the audio files in the collection based upon their audio characteristics and their relationship to the audio characteristics of the current audio file. A random selector then pseudo randomly selects the subsequent audio files from a weighted list of the files. The desired relationship can be a specified correspondence between a key or tempo of the current audio file and a key or tempo of the subsequent audio file. The audio selector is preferably implemented through a software macro which is downloaded into an existing digital music player.

Abstract: A musical device is disclosed that generates note tones, influences the sound of notes that are generated independently and performs a variety of user defined or user controlled activities. These activities include but are not limited to producing musical notes, determining, influencing or changing the sound, quality, voice, volume or other characteristics of a note, activating and coordinating the replay of stored loops, recording, editing and playing user created pieces previously produced and controlling peripheral devices such as lighting. The musical device uses a combination of strings and frets to locate notes on a fingerboard that a user may activate. The notes correspond to locations on the fingerboard. As a result, the invention includes a system to generate a sound corresponding to a note selected and activated according to preselected parameters such as the voice (e.g., trumpet, violin).

Abstract: An automatic accompanist produces tones for an accompaniment in synchronism with tones of melody produced through fingering of a human player; cue note data codes, which express tones produced in the melody, and cue time data codes, which express a lapse of time between the cue notes, are stored in a cue time track separately from an automatic accompanying track where key event data codes for the accompaniment and duration data codes each expressing a lapse of time between the key event codes; while the human player is fingering the melody, the automatic accompanist monitors the keys specified as the cue notes; if the human player does not depress the keys, the automatic accompanist stops the measurement of the lapse of time expressed by the duration data codes so as to make the accompaniment delayed.

Abstract: An apparatus, method and computer program product are provided which establishes a user interface for portable media players in which a user can mix, shuffle, randomize, or otherwise alter the selection and/or ordering of media items stored within and/or played by the portable media player by simply shaking the portable media player in a characteristic manner. It is a common human metaphor to mix the contents of a physical object, like a bottle of salad dressing or a carton of orange juice, by physically shaking the object. The various embodiments leverage this common and well known human activity by enabling a user to “mix” media items through a characteristic shaking motion as a type of user interface. This capability enables a user to have a portable media player automatically shuffle the order of songs stored within a play arrangement by shaking the portable media player using a characteristic shaking motion.

Abstract: There is provided a tempo detection apparatus capable of detecting, from the acoustic signal of a human performance of a musical piece having a fluctuating tempo, the average tempo of the entire piece of music and the correct beat positions, and further, the meter of the musical piece and the position of the first beat.

Abstract: An electronic music apparatus comprises an extractor that extracts lyrics data from music data for reproduction of music and comprising the lyrics data representing lyrics of the music, a transmitter that transmits the extracted lyrics data to an external device, a reproducer that reproduces the music data, and a outputting device that outputs synchronization information for controlling display of the lyrics by the external device based on the lyrics data to the external device during reproduction of the music data in accordance with a progress of the reproduction of the music data.

Abstract: The present invention enables a user to select and control on an electronic musical instrument, just by selecting a registration data set, the mode for generating musical tones, automatic performance tones, and voice signals at once. More specifically, in a ROM 23 and external storage device 25 there are stored a plurality of registration data sets. Each registration data set includes a plurality of control parameters for controlling mode in which musical tones are generated such as tone color and loudness, MIDI song specifying data for specifying MIDI song data (automatic performance data), and audio song specifying data for specifying audio song data (voice data). By selecting a registration data set by an operation of setting operators 12, the mode for generating musical tones is controlled in accordance with the control parameters with MIDI song data and audio song data being simultaneously reproduced in accordance with the selected registration data set.

Abstract: A grand piano generates acoustic tones through vibrations of strings and sound board so that the acoustic tones are converted to analog audio signals at recording points over the sound board, and a group of waveform data sets are produced from the analog audio signal through sampling and analog-to-digital conversion; when electronic tones are generated, delay parameters and volume parameters are determined on the basis of differences between the recording points and tone radiating points occupied by loud speakers, the sets of waveform data series are sequentially read out from the group of waveform data sets and are modified with the delay parameters and volume parameters so that the electronic tones become close to the acoustic tones.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for providing wireless remote control of devices, where the sensing/transmitting device is worn by, or affixed to, the operator, and responds in real-time to position or movements. The technology enables the operator to control remote devices, even while the operator is engaged in other activities. For an exemplary musical performance application, the remote control apparatus may take the form of a normal sized ring worn on a finger of a hand that the musician uses to play a musical instrument. The ring senses position or movement, e.g. of one or more fingers of the hand. In the examples, the remote control apparatus uses a capacitive measurement technique to measure an electrical field generated in the vicinity of the hand indicative of position. The musician or operator can finely control a device with the system, e.g. to provide nuanced control of audio effects during the performance.

Abstract: Disclosed is a modular electronic musical keyboard performance system that can be separated into modules for better portability and flexibility.

Abstract: A plurality of areas are set on an image displayed on a display screen, and a plurality of performance indexes, each of which indicates a range of each of the areas, are displayed. An area designated by an operation input is detected, and sound output information is generated when an operation input, which designates one of the areas, and then further designates another area other than the designated area, is detected. Thereafter, a sound is outputted from a speaker in accordance with the sound output information.

Abstract: In a portable multimedia device, a method, apparatus, and system for providing user supplied configuration data are described. In one embodiment, a hierarchically ordered graphical user interface is provided. A first order, or home, interface provides a highest order of user selectable items each of which, when selected, results in an automatic transition to a lower order user interface associated with the selected item. In one of the described embodiments, the lower order interface includes other user selectable items associated with the previously selected item from the higher order user interface.

Abstract: A method to automatically match keys between music being reproduced and music being performed includes detecting a key from an audio signal being reproduced from a storage medium or audio source, detecting a key from a sound signal representing music being played by a user, and performing a transposition by adjusting the key of the audio signal to match the key of the sound signal.

Abstract: One describes an electronic device for the production, playing, accompaniment and evaluation of sounds, comprising means do be associated to audio system and, the device comprising a) a processing unit which (i) produces musical instrument sounds from an user's touches; (ii) plays music sounds, adds musical effects, alters reproduction parameters of the music playing; (iii) mixes sounds produced from the user's touches with music sounds played; and (iv) comprises music parameters able to evaluate an instrumental accompaniment performance resulted from the instrumental music sounds produced by the user's touches; b) the processing unit comprising a touch sensitive surface which comprises: (i) touch sensors arranged under said surface providing regions sensitive to touches; and (ii) Leds distributed under said surface and controlled by a microprocessor providing a luminous indication sequence according to the music sounds played, said luminous indication sequence being following by touches of the user in this s

Abstract: A bibliographic-information impression word is generated from a bibliographic information segment about selected one of music pieces. An acoustic feature quantity of an audio signal representing the selected music piece is calculated. A feature-quantity impression word is generated from the calculated acoustic feature quantity. A degree of conformity between the bibliographic-information impression word and the feature-quantity impression word is determined. Both the bibliographic-information impression word and the feature-quantity impression word are selected as final impression words when the determined conformity degree is greater than a predetermined threshold value. One is selected from the bibliographic-information impression word and the feature-quantity impression word as a final impression word when the determined conformity degree is not greater than the predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: A plurality of tone generator devices include respective waveform data memories, and each of the waveform data memories is exclusively usable by the corresponding tone generator device, not sharable with the tone generator device. Once event information indicative of a tone to be generated is received, a selection is made, from among the plurality of tone generator devices, a particular tone generator device to be used for generating the tone corresponding to the event information. The selection can be made by determining, with reference to a table, in which of the memories of the tone generator waveform data to be used are stored. For example, first waveform data corresponding to a first pitch range and second waveform data, differing in waveform characteristic from the first waveform data and corresponding to a second pitch range, are stored in the waveform data memories corresponding to different ones of the tone generator devices.

Abstract: A transport control, e.g., for use with an audio content playing device, the transport control for initiating play of dynamically rendered audio content selections that are rarely, if ever, played the same way twice is provided. The transport control includes a play indicator, e.g., a play button or the like, and a control indicator, for instance, a rotatable knob. The control indicator is linearly mapped to an interactive music engine having a plurality of component engines, each of which is controlled by the control indicator. Accordingly, the control indicator is referred to herein as a “multi-purpose” indicator. Upon altering this single multi-purpose control indicator, multiple components and music elements of the output can be affected. Thus, a transport control that permits a user to initiate play of dynamically rendered music selections with little input and/or decision-making is also provided.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a musical piece extraction program stored in a computer-readable storage medium, the program causing a computer to perform a process including the steps of, detecting a musical piece likeliness of each of pieces of processing-unit data that constitute input audio data, based on a result of the detection of the musical piece likeliness, identifying a musical piece candidate section within the audio data, based on the musical piece candidate section and musical piece information acquired from an external server, determining a musical piece section within the audio data, and recording the musical piece information onto a recording medium so as to be associated with the musical piece section.

Abstract: While an automatic player piano is reenacting a music tune, the automatic player piano sometimes fails to miss a tone or tones in a repetition due to a high-speed key movement; a controller searches a music data file for a series of key events expressing the repetition, and makes the key movements uniform without changing the lapse of time from the last key event before the repetition and the lapse of time to the first key event after the repetition so that the automatic player piano is less liable to miss a tone.