Music playback device and music playback program

Abstract

To easily perform various operations related to music playback and editing, even with a limited screen area. [Solution] The music playback device displays a waveform display screen that displays the waveform of the music being played and a playback control screen that controls the playback of the music being played on a first screen, and has a display control unit that switches the waveform of the music displayed on the waveform display screen between the overall waveform and the detailed waveform.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a music playback device and a music playback program.

Background Art

[0002] There are various application software (hereinafter referred to as apps) that enable mobile terminals such as smartphones to function as music playback devices. Also, assuming a scene where a dancer practices dancing, there are apps that not only play music but also enable operations such as changing the tempo of the music and repeat playback.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in mobile terminals, the screen area is limited, and in operation screens that enable various operations related to music playback and editing, they are not easy for users to operate.

[0005] On one side, an object is to provide a music playback device and a music playback program that can easily perform various operations related to music playback and editing even when the screen area is limited.

[0006] A music playback device according to one aspect displays, on a first screen, a waveform display screen that displays the waveform of a music being played and a playback control screen that performs playback control of the music being played, and has a display control unit that switches the waveform of the music displayed on the waveform display screen between an overall waveform and a detailed waveform.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to one embodiment, various operations related to music playback and editing can be easily performed even if the screen area is limited. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of the advanced mode screen. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the switching between the overall waveform and the detailed waveform. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a diagram that provides supplementary explanation for the second settings screen. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a diagram that provides supplementary explanation for the third settings screen. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a diagram that provides supplementary explanation for the fourth settings screen. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of a music editing screen. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a diagram (1) that provides supplementary explanation of the music editing screen. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a supplementary diagram (2) for explaining the music editing screen. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a diagram (3) that provides supplementary explanation of the music editing screen. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a diagram (4) that provides supplementary explanation of the music editing screen. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a diagram (5) that provides supplementary explanation of the music editing screen. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the music playback device according to this embodiment 1. [Figure 13] Figure 13 shows an example of a shooting screen. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for a music playback device according to this embodiment 1. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the music playback device according to this second embodiment. [Figure 16] Figure 16 shows an example of a hardware configuration. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes embodiments for implementing the music playback device and music playback program related to this disclosure (hereinafter referred to as "Embodiments") with reference to the attached drawings. It should be noted that these embodiments represent only one example or aspect, and the following description does not limit the structure, operation, function, properties, characteristics, methods, and applications related to this disclosure.

[0010] <Embodiment 1> As described above, with conventional technology, the limited screen area on mobile devices presented a challenge in that the user interface, which allows for various operations related to music playback and editing, was not user-friendly.

[0011] In contrast, the music playback device of this embodiment 1 displays a waveform display screen that shows the waveform of the music being played, and a playback control screen that controls the playback of the music being played, on the operation screen. The waveform of the music displayed on the waveform display screen is controlled to switch between the overall waveform and the detailed waveform. For example, by switching to the detailed waveform, playback control and editing of the music can be performed in a magnified view, making it possible to control and edit playback with very precise timing. Also, by switching to the overall waveform, it is possible not only to easily grasp the overall structure of the music, but also to grasp the development points of the music. In other words, by enabling control to switch between the overall waveform and the detailed waveform, it is possible to improve the operability of playback control and editing work even when the screen area is limited, such as on a mobile terminal.

[0012] Furthermore, it is common to add music to dance-related videos, and there are times when you want to freely edit the music according to the content of the video. However, conventionally, when shooting a video, the music needs to be edited with music editing software, and the video shooting needs to be separately done using the edited music. When you want to edit the music according to the video, it is necessary to start the music editing software again for editing, which is troublesome. In contrast, the music playback device of the first embodiment enables video shooting immediately using the edited music.

[0013] <Screen example> An example of the screen displayed by the music playback device of the first embodiment will be described. The music playback device of the first embodiment is denoted as "music playback device 100". The music playback device 100 displays, on the first screen, a waveform display screen of the music being played and a playback control screen for performing playback control of the music being played, and switches the waveform of the music displayed on the waveform display screen between an overall waveform and a detailed waveform. In the first embodiment, the first screen is denoted as an "advance mode screen".

[0014] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an advance mode screen. As shown in FIG. 1, on the advance mode screen 80 displayed by the music playback device 100, a switching control 51, a menu button 52, and operation buttons 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66 are set. Further, the advance mode screen 80 includes a first setting screen 10a, a second setting screen 20a, a third setting screen 30a, a fourth setting screen 40a, and a waveform display screen 80a.

[0015] The switching control 51 has "Player" and "Edit" displayed and is selectable. When "Player" is tapped by the user, the music playback device 100 displays the advance mode screen 80. When "Edit" is selected by the user, the music playback device 100 displays a music editing screen. The music editing screen will be described later.

[0016] The menu button 52 is a button for displaying the menu screen 52a. When the user taps the menu button 52, the music playback device 100 displays the menu screen 52a. The menu screen 52a includes an export button 52-1 and a toggle button 52-2. When the export button 52-1 is tapped, the music playback device 100 executes a process to convert the music being edited on the music editing screen into a predetermined music file format and export it.

[0017] The toggle button 52-2 is used to switch the current operation screen to another operation screen. For example, if the music playback device 100 is currently displaying the advanced mode screen, tapping the toggle button 52-2 will switch it to another operation screen (for example, the basic mode screen).

[0018] Next, we will explain operation buttons 62-65 in order. For example, operation buttons 62-65 are set on the movement settings screen 60.

[0019] Operation button 61 is used to start playback of a song edited on the song editing screen or to stop playback of a song that is currently playing. The song playback device 100 plays or stops the song in response to a tap of operation button 61.

[0020] Operation button 62 is a button for returning the playback position to the beginning of the song. When operation button 62 is tapped, the music playback device 100 returns the playback position of the song to the beginning.

[0021] Operation button 63 is a button for returning the playback position of the song to a predetermined time earlier. When operation button 63 is tapped, the music playback device 100 returns the playback position of the song to a predetermined time earlier.

[0022] Operation button 64 is a button for advancing the playback position of the song by a predetermined time. When operation button 64 is tapped, the music playback device 100 advances the playback position of the song by a predetermined time.

[0023] Operation button 65 is for recording video. Video recording will be explained later.

[0024] Next, we will explain each screen included in the Advanced Mode screen 80, in the following order: waveform display screen 80a, first setting screen 10a, second setting screen 20a, third setting screen 30a, and fourth setting screen 40a.

[0025] The waveform display screen 80a is a screen that displays the waveform of the song currently being played. The waveform of the song displayed on the waveform display screen 80a in Figure 1 is the "overall waveform". The waveform display screen 80a includes a timeline 81 and a toggle button 82. A seek bar 81a is displayed on the timeline 81 at the current playback position. The axis of the timeline 81 is the time axis, and the height of the song waveform shown on the timeline 81 indicates the intensity of the song's sound. When the music playback device 100 receives a swipe on the seek bar 81a, it changes the playback position of the song according to the position of the seek bar 81a.

[0026] More specifically, the vertical axis shown on the waveform display screen 80a represents the sound intensity corresponding to frequency, and the frequency bands are arranged in the order of Low, Mid, and High. For example, the music playback device 100 analyzes the music and displays the sound intensity of the "Low" band in the first color (dark purple), the sound intensity of the "Mid" band in the second color (normal purple), and the sound intensity of the "High" band in the third color (light purple). This makes it easy to understand which frequency band is most prominent in each section. Also, when the frequency intensity is zero, it means that the music has been interrupted.

[0027] The toggle button 82 is used to switch the waveform of the song displayed on the waveform display screen 80a from the "overall waveform" to the "detailed waveform". When the overall waveform is displayed on the waveform display screen 80a of the music playback device 100, and the toggle button 82 is tapped, the waveform of the song displayed on the waveform display screen 80a is switched from the "overall waveform" to the "detailed waveform".

[0028] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the switching from the overall waveform to the detailed waveform. As shown in Figure 2, when the switching button 82 on the waveform display screen 80a is tapped, the music playback device 100 displays the waveform display screen 80b. The waveform display screen 80b displays the detailed waveform of the currently playing song on the timeline 81. For example, the height of the waveform upwards on the timeline 81 indicates the intensity of the sound to the left of the song. The height of the waveform downwards on the timeline 81 indicates the intensity of the sound to the right of the song. When the music playback device 100 displays the detailed waveform, it displays the timing of the measures that make up the beats of the song. The music playback device 100 displays the first beat with a highlighted line, and the second, third, and fourth beats with unhighlighted lines. The first beat may be displayed in the first color, and the second, third, and fourth beats in the second color. For example, the first color could be red and the second color purple. This display makes it easy to understand the relationship between beats and measures.

[0029] Furthermore, when the music playback device 100 displays the detailed waveform of a song, it may display the low-bandwidth waveform, the mid-bandwidth waveform, and the high-bandwidth waveform in different colors.

[0030] When the switching button 82 for the waveform display screen 80b is tapped, the music playback device 100 switches the waveform display screen 80b to the waveform display screen 80a.

[0031] Returning to the explanation of Figure 1, let's describe the first settings screen 10a. The first settings screen 10a is a settings screen for changing the tempo of the currently playing song. For example, the tempo is indicated by a value in BPM (Beats Per Minute). The first settings screen 10a includes a tempo down button 11, a tempo up button 12, and a slider bar 13.

[0032] The tempo down button 11 is a button used to slow down the tempo of the song. When the music playback device 100 receives a tap on the tempo down button 11, it adjusts the song's BPM by a predetermined amount.

[0033] The tempo up button 12 is a button used to increase the tempo of the song. When the music playback device 100 receives a tap on the tempo up button 12, it adjusts the song's BPM by a predetermined amount.

[0034] The slider bar 13 is used to adjust the tempo of the music according to the position of the slider 13a on the slider bar 13. When the music playback device 100 receives a swipe of the slider 13a, it adjusts the BPM of the music according to the position of the slider 13a. For example, the music playback device 100 decreases the BPM value as the position of the slider 13a moves to the left, and increases the BPM value as it moves to the right.

[0035] Next, we will explain the second settings screen 20a. The second settings screen 20a is a settings screen for setting the starting position for music playback. The starting position for music playback is referred to as the "playback start point". For example, the second settings screen 20a includes markers 21, 22, 23, and 24, and a trash can button 25.

[0036] Figure 3 is a diagram to provide supplementary explanation of the second settings screen. Markers 21 to 24 are buttons used to set the playback start point. When the music playback device 100 receives a tap on marker 21, it sets the "first playback start point" corresponding to marker 21 at the current seek bar position on the timeline 81. When the music playback device 100 receives a tap on marker 21 with the first playback start point set, it starts playing the music from the first playback start point. The illustration of the first playback start point is omitted in Figure 3.

[0037] When the music playback device 100 receives a tap on marker 22, it sets a "second playback start point 22a" corresponding to marker 22 at the current seek bar position on the timeline 81. When the music playback device 100 receives a tap on marker 22 with the second playback start point 22a set, it starts playing the music from the second playback start point 22a.

[0038] When the music playback device 100 receives a tap on marker 23, it sets the "third playback start point 23a" corresponding to marker 23 at the current seek bar position on the timeline 81. When the music playback device 100 receives a tap on marker 23 with the third playback start point 23a set, it starts playing the music from the third playback start point 23a.

[0039] When the music playback device 100 receives a tap on marker 24, it sets the "fourth playback start point 24a" corresponding to marker 24 at the current seek bar position on the timeline 81. When the music playback device 100 receives a tap on marker 24 with the fourth playback start point 24a set, it starts playing the music from the fourth playback start point 24a.

[0040] The trash can button 25 is used to delete each playback start point set on the timeline 55. Here, as an example, we will explain the case where the second playback start point 22a, the third playback start point 23a, and the fourth playback start point 24a are set on the timeline 81.

[0041] When the trash can button 25 on the second settings screen 20a is tapped, the music playback device 100 displays the delete screen 20b. The delete screen 20b includes delete buttons 21-1, 22-1, 23-1, and 24-1.

[0042] The delete button 22-1 becomes tappable when a second playback start point 22a is set on the timeline 81. When the music playback device 100 receives a tap on the delete button 22-1, it deletes the second playback start point 22a from the timeline 81.

[0043] The delete button 23-1 becomes tappable when the third playback start point 23a is set on the timeline 81. When the music playback device 100 receives a tap on the delete button 23-1, it deletes the third playback start point 23a from the timeline 81.

[0044] The delete button 24-1 becomes tappable when the fourth playback start point 24a is set on the timeline 81. When the music playback device 100 receives a tap on the delete button 24-1, it deletes the fourth playback start point 24a from the timeline 81.

[0045] After this, the music playback device 100 returns the delete screen 20b to the second settings screen 20a.

[0046] In the example shown in Figure 3, we explained how to set each playback start button on the timeline 81 of the waveform display screen 80a. However, it is also possible to set each playback start button on the timeline 81 of the waveform display screen 80b, as explained in Figure 2.

[0047] Returning to the explanation of Figure 1, let's describe the third settings screen 30a. The third settings screen 30a is a settings screen for setting a loop for the currently playing song. The third settings screen 30a has a start position button 31, an end position button 32, a loop button 33, and a trash can button 34.

[0048] Figure 4 is a diagram to provide supplementary explanation for the third settings screen. The start position button 31 is a button for specifying the start position of loop playback. The start position of loop playback is referred to as the "loop start point". When the music playback device 100 receives a tap on the start position button 31, it sets the loop start point 31a at the current seek bar position on the timeline 81.

[0049] The end position button 32 is a button used to specify the end position of loop playback. The end position of loop playback is referred to as the "loop end point". When the music playback device 100 receives a tap on the end position button 32, it sets the loop end point 32a at the current seek bar position on the timeline 81.

[0050] The loop button 33 is a button for enabling or disabling loop playback from the loop start point to the loop end point. For example, each time the music playback device 100 receives a tap on the loop button 33, it switches between enabling and disabling loop playback. For example, if loop playback of the music is enabled, the music playback device 100 highlights the section from the loop start point 31a to the loop end point 32a. On the other hand, if loop playback of the music is disabled, the music playback device 100 removes the highlighting of the section from the loop start point 31a to the loop end point 32a.

[0051] For example, if the section from the loop start point 31a to the loop end point 32a is highlighted, loop playback is enabled, and in this case, the music playback device 100 will loop playback the music from the loop start point 31a to the loop end point 32a.

[0052] Returning to the explanation of Figure 1, let's describe the fourth settings screen 40a. The fourth settings screen 40a is a settings screen for setting the skip section of the currently playing song. The fourth settings screen 40a includes a skip setting button 40c. When the music playback device 100 receives a tap on the skip setting button 40c, it displays the fourth settings screen 40b shown in Figure 5.

[0053] Figure 5 is a diagram to provide supplementary explanation for the fourth settings screen. The fourth settings screen 40b includes a skip start button 41, a skip end button 42, a skip button 43, an add skip section button 44, and a close button 45.

[0054] The skip start button 41 is a button used to specify the starting position for skipping. The starting position for skipping is referred to as the "skip start point". When the music playback device 100 receives a tap on the skip start button 41, it sets the skip start point 41a at the current seek bar position on the timeline 81.

[0055] The skip endpoint button 42 is a button used to specify the end position of the skip. The end position of the skip is referred to as the "skip endpoint point". When the music playback device 100 receives a tap on the skip endpoint button 42, it sets the skip endpoint point 42a at the current seek bar position on the timeline 81.

[0056] The skip button 43 is a button for enabling skipping. For example, when the music playback device 100 receives a tap on the skip button 43, it switches between enabling and disabling skipping from the skip start point to the skip end point. When skipping is enabled, the music playback device 100 highlights the section from the skip start point 41a to the skip end point 42a. On the other hand, when skipping is disabled, the music playback device 100 removes the highlighting of the section from the skip start point 41a to the skip end point 42a.

[0057] For example, if the section from the skip start point 41a to the skip end point 42a is highlighted, skipping is enabled, and in this case, the music playback device 100 skips playback of the music from the skip start point 41a to the skip end point 42a.

[0058] The skip section add button 44 is a button for adding a section to be skipped. When the music playback device 100 receives a tap on the skip section add button 44, it displays a skip start button, a skip end button, and a skip button. The illustration of the skip start button, skip end button, and skip button that are displayed is omitted, but another skip section can be added using these skip start button, skip end button, and skip button.

[0059] The close button 45 is used to close the fourth settings screen 40b. When the music playback device 100 receives a tap of the close button 45, it displays the fourth settings screen 40a shown in Figure 1 instead of the fourth settings screen 40b.

[0060] The above explains each screen included in the Advanced Mode screen 80.

[0061] <Music Editing Screen> Next, we will describe the music editing screen displayed by the music playback device 100. For example, when "Edit" is selected in the switching control 51 described in Figure 1, the music playback device 100 displays the music editing screen shown in Figure 6.

[0062] Figure 6 shows an example of a music editing screen. As shown in Figure 6, the music editing screen 90 has a switching control 51, a timeline 91, and operation buttons 93a, 93b, 93c, 93d, and 93e. The explanation of the switching control 51 is the same as the explanation above.

[0063] The axis of the timeline 91 is the time axis, and the position of the seek bar 91a is the playback position of the music. The position of the seek bar 91a also corresponds to the playback position 91b of the music track set in area 90a. When the music playback device 100 receives a swipe on the seek bar 91a, it adjusts the positional relationship between the playback position 91b and the music track according to the position of the seek bar 91a. The music playback device 100 can also change the relationship between the music position and the playback position 91b by swiping on area 90a, and change the position of the seek bar 91a in accordance with this change.

[0064] Operation button 93a is a button for adding a track to area 90a of the music editing screen 90. When operation button 93a is tapped, the music playback device 100 displays a music selection screen (not shown) and accepts the selection of a music track. Upon accepting the selection of a music track, the music playback device 100 sets the track corresponding to the selected music track in area 90a.

[0065] For example, when "Song A" is selected on the song selection screen, the music playback device 100 sets track 92a, which corresponds to Song A, to area 90a. Track 92a displays the waveform of Song A. Although not explained in Figure 6, if another song is selected on the song selection screen, the music playback device 100 adds tracks corresponding to the other songs to area 90a.

[0066] The effect button 92a-1 is displayed on track 92a. The effect button 92a-1 is a button used to set an effect on song A. When the effect button 92a-1 is tapped, the music playback device 100 displays a screen to select an effect such as "echo" or "reverb," ​​and sets the icon of the selected effect to track 92a.

[0067] Figure 7 is a supplementary diagram (1) illustrating the music editing screen. In the example shown in Figure 7, the effect (echo) icon 92a-3 is set on track 92a. When the music playback device 100 plays music A on track 92a, it applies the echo effect to music A during the time period in which icon 92a-3 is placed. The user can change the position and width of icon 92a-3 by swiping or other operations on the icon 92a-3. In Figure 7, echo is explained as an effect, but the same applies to reverb.

[0068] In Figure 7, for the sake of explanation, we have described track 92a, which corresponds to song A. However, if a track for another song is set in area 90a, it is possible to set effects in the same way.

[0069] Returning to the explanation of Figure 6, when the music playback device 100 receives a tap in the area 92a-2 where the waveform of music A on track 92a is displayed, it displays the music editing screen 90 as shown in Figure 8 and accepts various edits to music A.

[0070] Figure 8 is a diagram (2) that provides supplementary explanation of the music editing screen. For example, when the music playback device 100 receives a tap in area 92a-2, it displays the edit buttons 94a, 94b, 94c, and 94d on the music editing screen 90.

[0071] The edit button 94a is used to copy the music in area 92a-2. When the music playback device 100 receives a tap on the edit button 94a, it copies the music in area 92a-2.

[0072] The edit button 94b is used to paste the song copied by the edit button 94a. When the music playback device 100 receives a tap on the edit button 94b, it pastes the copied song to the specified position on the track.

[0073] The edit button 94c is used to split the music in area 92a-2 at a specified position. When the music playback device 100 receives a tap on the edit button 94b, it splits the music.

[0074] The edit button 94d is used to delete a song in area 92a-2. When the music playback device 100 receives a tap on the edit button 94d, it deletes the song in area 92a-2.

[0075] Figure 9 is a diagram (3) to provide supplementary explanation of the music editing screen. Here, as an example, This shows an example of the process of editing song A by tapping edit button 94c (split), edit button 94d (delete), edit button 94a (copy), and edit button 94b (paste).

[0076] When the edit button 94c (split) is tapped while song A in area 92a-2 is selected, the music playback device 100 splits song A in area 92a-2 into clips C1 and C2 at playback position 91b.

[0077] When clip C2 is selected, the music playback device 100 deletes clip C2 when the edit button 94d (delete) is tapped.

[0078] When clip C1 is selected, the music playback device 100 copies clip C1 when the edit button 94a (copy) is tapped.

[0079] After copying clip C1, the music playback device 100 pastes clip C3, which is identical to clip C1, into the location specified by the user when the edit button 94b (paste) is tapped.

[0080] When the music playback device 100 receives a swipe on clips C1 and C3, it changes the positions of clips C1 and C3 in accordance with the swipe.

[0081] In Figures 7 to 9, for the sake of explanation, we have described track 92a, which corresponds to song A. However, if tracks for other songs are set in area 90a, you can similarly perform copy, paste, split, and delete edits using the edit buttons 94a to 94d.

[0082] Let's return to the explanation of Figure 6. Operation button 93b is a button that instructs the user to cancel the previous operation performed on the music editing screen 90 and return to the state before the previous operation. When operation button 93b is tapped, the music playback device 100 cancels the previous operation performed and returns to the state before the previous operation.

[0083] The operation button 93c is a button that instructs the playback and stopping of the music set on the track (for example, song A, or a split clip). When the operation button 93c is tapped, the music playback device 100 starts playing the music, and when the operation button 93c is tapped again, it stops playing the music.

[0084] Operation button 93d is a button that instructs the user to redo the operation that was canceled by operation button 93b. When operation button 93d is tapped, the music playback device 100 redoes the operation that was canceled by operation button 93b.

[0085] Operation button 93e is used to add a fade effect when playing and ending a song. If a fade effect is added to song A on track 92a, the music playback device 100 will gradually increase or decrease the volume when playing song A. For example, fade-in and fade-out settings are possible for the fade effect. Fade-in gradually increases the volume, and fade-out gradually decreases the volume.

[0086] The fade effect can be used when (1) you want to gradually increase the volume, (2) you want to seamlessly connect two songs, or (3) you want to gradually end a song. For example, (1) to gradually increase the volume, set a fade-in. (2) to seamlessly connect two songs, set a fade-out on the first song and a fade-in on the second song. (3) to gradually end a song, set a fade-out.

[0087] Figure 10 is a diagram (4) that provides supplementary explanation of the music editing screen. In the example shown in Figure 10, track 92a corresponding to song A and track 92a corresponding to song B are shown. Also, clips C4 and C5, generated by the editing operations described above, are set to tracks 92a and 92.

[0088] For example, when the operation button 93e is tapped, the music playback device 100 sets fade icons at the start and end points of clip C4. In the example shown in Figure 10, a fade-in icon 95a is set at the start points of clips C4 and C5. When the music (clip) is played, the music playback device 100 adjusts the volume of the music to gradually increase at the position where the fade-in icon 95a is set.

[0089] A fade-out icon 95b is set at the end point of clips C4 and C5. When the music (clip) is played, the music playback device 100 adjusts the volume of the music to gradually decrease at the position set by the fade-out icon 95b.

[0090] Furthermore, users can adjust the slope of the fade-in icon 95a and fade-out icon 95b by swiping. As the slope of the fade-in icon 95a and fade-out icon 95b becomes steeper, the volume change over time also increases. This makes it easy to adjust the volume change over time without having to use complicated setting parameters or dedicated controls for fade-in and fade-out, as was done in the past. In other words, since volume control settings can be made using a triangular shape, fade-in and fade-out of music can be easily set even on a mobile device.

[0091] Figure 11 is a supplementary diagram (5) for explaining the music editing screen. For example, users can edit different songs together by operating the music editing screen 90. An example of editing different songs together will be explained using Figure 11.

[0092] In the example shown in Figure 11, it is assumed that track 92a has clip C1-1 of song A and track 92a has clip C2-1 of song B. For example, if the user swaps the position of clip C1-1 to the left and the position of clip C2-1 to the right, the music playback device 100 adjusts the positions of clips C1-1 and C2-1 to match the swap. At this point, if the user taps the operation button 93c, the music playback device 100 plays clip C1-1 and then clip C2-1. In other words, it is possible to generate a song by combining clip C1-1 of song A and clip C2-1 of song B.

[0093] This concludes the explanation of the music editing screen.

[0094] <Configuration of music playback device 100> Next, an example of the configuration of the music playback device 100 according to this embodiment 1 will be described. Figure 12 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the music playback device according to this embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 12, the music playback device 100 has a display unit 110, an input unit 120, a communication unit 130, a camera unit 140a, an output unit 140b, a storage unit 150, and a control unit 160.

[0095] The display unit 110 displays various types of information. For example, the display unit 110 can be implemented using a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display.

[0096] The input unit 120 receives various operations. When the music playback device 100 is implemented using a mobile terminal, the display unit 110 and the input unit 120 are integrated to function as a touch panel. For example, the input unit 120 receives various inputs for various operation screens displayed on the display unit 110.

[0097] The communication unit 130 is connected to the network by wire or wireless connection and transmits and receives information with other devices via the network. For example, the communication unit 130 can be implemented by a communication module or a NIC (Network Interface Card).

[0098] The camera unit 140a is a camera that takes images. For example, the camera unit 140a has a built-in image sensor, which takes video footage and outputs the captured video data to the control unit 160, etc.

[0099] The output unit 140b is a speaker or similar component for playing music.

[0100] The storage unit 150 stores various types of data. For example, the storage unit 150 is implemented using semiconductor memory elements or storage such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or flash memory. For example, the storage unit 150 stores a music table 151, edited music data 152, and music files 153.

[0101] The song table 151 is a table that stores information about multiple songs. The song to be played or edited is selected from the song table 151.

[0102] Edited song data 152 is data related to the song being edited on the song editing screen 90. This data includes information about clips on the track, effect information, etc.

[0103] The music file 153 is music data in a predetermined music file format. For example, when the export button 52-1, as described in Figure 1, is tapped, the music playback device 100 converts the edited music data 152 into a predetermined music file format and generates the music file 153.

[0104] The control unit 160 performs overall control of the music playback device 100. For example, the control unit 160 can be implemented by a hardware processor. As shown in Figure 12, the control unit 160 includes a display control unit 161, an editing processing unit 162, a music playback unit 163, and a video recording unit 154.

[0105] The display control unit 161 outputs the advanced mode screen 80 shown in Figure 1 to the display unit 110 for display. In the following description, the act of the display control unit 161 outputting various screens to the display unit 110 for display will simply be referred to as "displaying". When the display control unit 161 displays the advanced mode screen 80, it prompts the user to select the song to be played from the song table 151.

[0106] The display control unit 161 analyzes the selected song and displays the song's waveform on the waveform display screen 80a of the advanced mode screen 80. As explained in Figure 2, the display control unit 161 switches between displaying the waveform display screen 80a and the waveform display screen 80b based on the tap of the toggle button 82.

[0107] When the "Edit" button on the switching control 51 of the advanced mode screen 80 is tapped, the display control unit 161 displays the music editing screen 90 shown in Figure 6.

[0108] Further explanations regarding the display control of the display control unit 161 are the same as the explanations regarding the display control of each screen described in Figures 1 to 11.

[0109] The editing processing unit 162 accepts various edits to the music using the music editing screen 90. For example, as explained in Figure 7, the editing processing unit 162 accepts edits to apply effects to the music and edits the music's information.

[0110] As explained in Figures 8 and 9, the editing processing unit 162 accepts edits related to copying, pasting, splitting, and deleting for the music, and edits the information of the music.

[0111] As explained in Figure 10, the editing processing unit 162 accepts edits related to fades in the music and edits the music information.

[0112] As explained in Figure 11, the editing processing unit 162 accepts an edit request to combine different songs and edits the song.

[0113] The editing processing unit 162 stores the information of the song being edited as edited song data 152 in the storage unit 150.

[0114] Other descriptions of edits accepted by the editing processing unit 162 are the same as those for each edit described in Figures 6 to 11.

[0115] The music playback unit 163 plays music using the output unit 140b. For example, the music playback unit 163 controls music playback in response to taps on the operation buttons 61, 62, 63, 64, and 65 on the advanced mode screen 80. In addition, the music playback unit 163 plays the music being edited using the edited music data 152 in response to a tap on the operation button 93b on the music editing screen 90.

[0116] Further explanations regarding the playback control of the music playback unit 163 are the same as those explained in Figures 1 to 6.

[0117] The video recording unit 164 controls the camera unit 14 in response to a recording instruction and records a video. For example, when the operation button 65 on the advanced mode screen 80 is tapped, the video recording unit 164 displays a recording screen on the display unit 110 as shown in Figure 13.

[0118] Figure 13 shows an example of a shooting screen. As shown in Figure 13, the shooting screen 300 has a video display area 301 and a shooting button 310. When the video shooting unit 164 receives a tap of the shooting button 310, it outputs the music from the edited music data 152 from the output unit 140b (speaker) and starts shooting the video. When the shooting button 310 is tapped again, it stops shooting the video and stops playing the music. The video shooting unit 164 displays the shot video in the video display area 301.

[0119] <Processing flow> Next, the processing flow of the music playback device 100 according to this embodiment 1 will be described. Figure 14 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure for the music playback device according to this embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 14, the display control unit 161 of the music playback device 100 displays the advanced mode screen 80 (step S101). The display control unit 161 switches between displaying the overall waveform and the detailed waveform on the waveform display screen in response to the tap of the toggle button 82 (step S102).

[0120] When the switching control 51 is switched to "Edit", the display control unit 161 displays the music editing screen 90 (step S103). The editing processing unit 162 of the music playback device 100 accepts the edit on the music editing screen 90 and edits the music (step S104).

[0121] When the music playback unit 163 of the music playback device 100 receives a tap on the operation button 93c, it plays the music being edited (step S105). If editing is not yet complete (step S106, No), the process proceeds to step S104. On the other hand, if editing is complete (step S106, Yes), the process proceeds to step S107.

[0122] When the export button 52-1 is tapped, the music playback device 100 converts the music being edited into a predetermined music file format and generates a music file 153 (step S107). When the switching control 51 is switched to "Player", the display control unit 161 displays the advanced mode screen (step S108) and proceeds to step S102.

[0123] <Summary> As described above, the music playback device 100 of this embodiment 1 displays a waveform display screen that displays the waveform of the music being played and a playback control screen that controls the playback of the music being played on the advanced mode screen 80, and controls the waveform of the music displayed on the waveform display screen to switch between the overall waveform and the detailed waveform. For example, by switching to the detailed waveform as shown in the waveform display screen 80b, playback control and editing of the music can be performed on a larger scale, making it possible to control and edit playback with very precise timing. In addition, by switching to the overall waveform, it is possible not only to easily grasp the overall structure of the music but also to grasp the development points of the music. In other words, with the music playback device 100 of this embodiment 1, by controlling the switching between the overall waveform and the detailed waveform, it is possible to improve the operability of playback control and editing work even when the screen area is limited on a mobile terminal.

[0124] Furthermore, when the music playback device 100 of this embodiment 1 receives a tap of the shooting button 310, it plays the music after editing on the music editing screen 90 and records a video while the music is playing. This eliminates the need to launch the music editing software again to edit the music and then record separately using the edited music when editing music to match a video, allowing for immediate recording of a video using the edited music. In addition, since the volume can be controlled using a triangular shape for setting the fade-in and fade-out of the music, advanced music editing can be easily performed even on a mobile device.

[0125] <Embodiment 2> Now, although Embodiment 1 of this disclosure has been described, various applications are possible, and furthermore, it may be implemented in various different forms other than Embodiment 1 described above.

[0126] <Exhibiting creative abilities> The details described in Embodiment 1 above, such as the screen configurations of the Advanced Mode screen 80, the Music Editing screen 90, and the Shooting screen 300, are merely examples and can be changed. Similarly, the content of music editing on the Music Editing screen 90 is also merely an example and can be changed. Furthermore, the playback conditions that can be set on the Basic Mode screen 50 are also merely examples and can be changed. Additionally, the flowchart described in Embodiment 1 above can also have its processing order altered within a consistent range.

[0127] <Application to other usage scenarios> In the above embodiment 1, the music playback device 100 was described as a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, but the editing function, playback control function, and video recording function of the music playback device 100 may be provided by a cloud service such as a web service.

[0128] Figure 15 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a music playback device according to this second embodiment. For example, Figure 15 shows a music playback device 400 that provides cloud services.

[0129] The music playback device 400 may be implemented by a server device. For example, the music playback device 400 can provide editing functions, playback control functions, and video recording functions as a cloud service by running a PaaS (Platform as a Service) type middleware or a SaaS (Software as a Service) type application.

[0130] As shown in Figure 15, the music playback device 400 may be connected to a user terminal 420 via a network NW in a communicative manner. For example, the network NW may be any type of communication network, such as the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network), whether wired or wireless.

[0131] The user terminal 420 is a terminal device used by a user receiving cloud services. The user terminal 420 may be implemented using any computer, such as a smartphone, tablet, wearable device, or personal computer.

[0132] Under this overall configuration, the music playback device 400 shown in Figure 15 differs from the music playback device 100 shown in Figure 12 in that various requests are received via the network NW, and the results of processing are output via the network NW.

[0133] For example, the music playback device 400 transmits screen information of operation screens, including the music editing screen and the playback control screen, to the user terminal 420 via the communication unit 410 to display the operation screen on the user terminal 420, and receives operation information for the operation screen from the user terminal 420 via the communication unit 410. In addition, the music playback device 400 controls the camera of the user terminal 420 via the communication unit 410 to record video, and receives the recorded video data from the user terminal 420 via the communication unit 410.

[0134] The music playback device 400 provides editing functions, playback control functions, and video recording functions to the user terminal 420. For example, the display control unit 461, editing processing unit 462, music playback unit 463, and video recording unit 464 of the control unit 460 of the music playback device 400 have the same functions as the display control unit 161, editing processing unit 162, music playback unit 163, and video recording unit 154 of the control unit 160 of the music playback device 100. Also, the music table 451, edited music data 452, and music file 453 of the storage unit 450 of the music playback device 400 are the same as the music table 151, edited music data 152, and music file 153 of the storage unit 150 of the music playback device 100.

[0135] Even with the music playback device 400 described above, by controlling the display to switch between the overall waveform and the detailed waveform, it is possible to improve the operability of playback control and editing work on mobile devices, even though the screen area is limited.

[0136] <Hardware> Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the music playback device described in the above embodiment will be explained. Figure 16 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration. As shown in Figure 16, the music playback device 100 has a communication device 5a, a storage device 5b, memory 5c, and a processor 5d. Note that the parts shown in Figure 16 may be interconnected by a bus or the like.

[0137] The communication device 5a is a network interface card, etc. The storage device 5b is a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive). For example, the storage device 5b stores programs and databases that operate the functions shown in Figure 12.

[0138] The processor 5d runs a process that performs the functions described in Figure 12 by reading a program that performs the same processing as the processing unit shown in Figure 12 from the storage device 5b or the like and loading it into memory 5c.

[0139] Such a process achieves the same functionality as the processing unit of the music playback device 100. For example, the processor 5d reads a program having the same functionality as the display control unit 161, editing processing unit 162, music playback unit 163, and video recording unit 164 from the storage device 5b or the like. Then, the processor 5d executes a process that performs the same processing as the display control unit 161, editing processing unit 162, music playback unit 163, and video recording unit 164.

[0140] Thus, the music playback device 100 operates as a music playback device that performs a music playback method by reading and executing a program. Furthermore, the music playback device 100 can also achieve the same functionality as the embodiment described above by reading the program from a recording medium using a media reader and executing the read program. It should be noted that the program referred to in this other embodiment is not limited to being executed by the music playback device 100. For example, the functions of this disclosure can be similarly applied when another computer or server executes the program, or when they collaborate to execute the program.

[0141] The above program can be distributed via a network such as the Internet. Furthermore, the program can be recorded on any storage medium and executed by reading it from the medium by a computer. For example, the storage medium can be a hard disk, flexible disk (FD), CD-ROM, MO (Magneto-Optical disk), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0142] 100 Music Playback Devices 110 Display section 120 Input section 130,410 Communications Department 140a Camera Section 140b output section 150 Storage section 151,451 Song Table 152,452 edited music data 153,453 music files 160,460 Control Unit 161,461 Display Control Unit 162,462 Editing Processing Unit 163,463 Music Playback Section 164,464 Video Production Department

Claims

1. The first screen displays a waveform display screen that shows the waveform of the song currently being played, and a playback control screen that controls the playback of the song currently being played. A display control unit that switches the waveform of the music displayed on the waveform display screen between the overall waveform and the detailed waveform. A music playback device characterized by having the following features.

2. The music playback device according to claim 1, characterized in that the playback control screen includes a movement setting screen that accepts the setting of a movement interval for moving the playback position of the music.

3. The music playback device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the display control unit further displays a music editing screen that accepts editing of the music to be played.

4. The music playback device according to claim 3, wherein the music editing screen displays information for multiple songs, and when an edit request is received to combine specific parts of the information for the multiple songs, the device further includes an editing processing unit for editing the multiple songs.

5. The music playback device according to claim 4, characterized in that the editing processing unit edits the music when it receives an edit request to apply an effect to the information of the music.

6. The music playback device according to claim 5, characterized in that the editing processing unit accepts editing to add at least one of echo and reverb as an effect to the information of the music.

7. The music playback device according to claim 6, further comprising a music playback unit that plays the music edited by the editing processing unit when the playback button is tapped before the music edited by the editing processing unit is output in music file format.

8. The music playback device according to claim 7, further comprising a video recording unit for playing the edited music and recording a video of the music being played.

9. The first screen displays a waveform display screen that shows the waveform of the song currently being played, and a playback control screen that controls the playback of the song currently being played. Switch the waveform of the song displayed on the waveform display screen between the overall waveform and the detailed waveform. A music playback program characterized by having a computer perform the processing.

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