2044results about "Musical toys" patented technology

A method of automatically selecting processing parameters for encoding digital content. Metadata containing the genre of the digital content, receiving the compression level selected for encoding the digital content is received. An algorithm selected for encoding the digital content is received. And a previously defined table to select the processing parameters for encoding the digital content based on the genre of the content, the compression level selected and the algorithm selected is indexed and the processing parameters are retrieved. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an apparatus is described to carry out the above method

A music recommendation system receives a user selection of desired music, retrieves analysis data associated with the selected music, and generates a playlist of songs based on the analysis data. The analysis data is generated based on a processing of one or more audio signals associated with the selected music. The analysis data may downloaded from a central server. If the analysis data is not available from the central server, it is generated locally at a user end, and uploaded to the central server. A plurality of user-selectable shuffling mechanisms are provided to allow the order of the songs to be shuffled according to the selected shuffling mechanism. The end user device may also receive recommendation of new music from different providers based on the analysis data of music for which the recommendation is to be based.

A method and apparatus are provided for classification of information and using the classification information in search and retrieval of information. In one embodiment, musical compositions having various highly subjective characteristics and features are classified according to a schema of objective attributes that are associated with the characteristics and features. Categorizers carry out the classification and create and store attribute information in a database. A search and retrieval system can receive information that characterizes the features of a desired composition and can locate a matching composition. As a result, information having subjective characteristics, such as musical compositions, may be compared and similar musical compositions can be located.

Systems and methods for adjusting playback and graphical representations of media files are provided. The systems and methods can monitor playback and access of media files to create usage metadata. The usage metadata can then be used to adjust the playback of the media file. For example, the usage metadata may indicate that a user skips, on average, the first 22 seconds of a particular song so the next time that song is played, the first 22 seconds will automatically be skipped. The usage metadata can additionally or alternatively be used to adjust a graphical representation of the media file. For example, the usage metadata may indicate that a user rarely accesses a particular song so the graphical representation of that song will be small and faded. This change in graphical representation can help a user find more commonly used media files.

Identification information is extracted from a current broadcast of a piece or music or other type of information of interest to a user, and stored in a memory or other storage device, in response to a user command. The identification information includes sufficient information to identify at least one deliverable information item associated with the current broadcast, e.g., a CD or MP3 file which contains the particular piece of music. When the user later has access to a wired or wireless network connection, the extracted identification information is delivered over a network connection to a server which processes the delivered information to identify the deliverable information item associated with the broadcast. The user can then purchase the deliverable information item by appropriate interaction with the server. The extracted identification information may be stored in a removable memory device associated with a receiver which receives the broadcast. In this case, the removable memory device is subsequently removed from the receiver and inserted into another device which establishes the network connection for delivery of the identification information to the server.

A digital audio player, including a casing, a memory within said casing for storing digital audio including songs and a commercial, a digital-to-analog converter within said casing and operatively connected to said memory for converting digital audio to analog audio, an analog audio player within said casing and operatively coupled to said digital-to-analog converter, for playing the songs in response to manual user commands, and for automatically playing the commercial, and a processor for stopping the automatic playing of the commercial after a specific event has occurred. A method and a computer-readable storage medium are also described.

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. In a preferred embodiment, the librarian logic, the performance logic and the communications management logic are defined by program data stored in the data storage apparatus, and the processor is responsive to the program data for managing data formatting, displaying music, and management of communications of data with the external apparatus. In one embodiment, two Performer subsystems are operable alternatively as one of a single appliance as a linked set a linked mode and as two independent appliances a stand-alone mode, wherein in the linked mode each of the two Performer subsystems operate cooperatively with each other as a linked set to provide a two page display on the video presentation, and wherein in the stand alone mode each of the two Performer subsystems operates independently and mutually exclusive of the other to provide two independent and mutually exclusive single page displays on the video presentation. The present invention also relates to a method for providing for video display of music responsive to the music data stored in a music database. The method is comprised of defining a page of music image data from the music database; defining ordered logical sections; storing the mapping in a memory for selective retrieval; and providing for the video display of the music responsive to the mapping and the storing.

A computer-aided learning system to facilitate a human to control the pitch and rhythm of their voice. In a preferred embodiment for learning how to sing a song in tune, a display provides visual, real-time depiction of the singer's actual pitch compared to the “target” pitch they should be singing, thereby allowing the singer to interactively raise or lower the pitch of their voice.

A system and method for generating a list is provided. The system includes a seed item input subsystem, an item identifying subsystem, a descriptive metadata similarity determining subsystem and a list generating subsystem that builds a list based, at least in part, on similarity processing performed on seed item descriptive metadata and user item descriptive metadata and user selected thresholds applied to such similarity processing. The method includes inexact matching between identifying metadata associated with new user items and identifying metadata stored in a reference metadata database. The method further includes subjecting candidate user items to similarity processing, where the degree to which the candidate user items are similar to the seed item is determined, and placing user items in a list of items based on user selected preferences for (dis)similarity between items in the list and the seed item.

A method for facilitating real-time interaction between a first and second player of a music-based video game via a network having unpredictable delivery latency, the first player located remotely from the second player, includes displaying to a first player target musical data associated with a musical composition, receiving music performance input from the first player via a controller resembling a first musical instrument, displaying to a second player, the second player located remotely from the first player, target musical data associated with the musical composition, and receiving music performance input from the second player.