Hybrid music composition method, hybrid music composition program, and hybrid music composition system

Abstract

To improve a problem in games, in which multiple songs are connected and enjoyed, that it is difficult to say that conventional technology has been able to alleviate discomfort felt by users in connections between songs.MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM: There proposed are mixed music creation methods etc. that are realized by using a computer, which include steps of: music data acquisition for acquiring music data associated with a music ID that is the ID to identify music; tempo information acquisition for acquiring tempo information that is information relating to a tempo in the music for each acquired music, music selection reception for accepting selection of three or more plurality of music; tempo information extraction for extracting tempo information included in the plurality of selected music; song order determination for determining a song order in which mixed music is composed by using tempo information for each music; and mixed music creation for creating mixed music in accordance with the determined song order.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for creating composite music such as medleys for use in music games, and a program and method for operating the system. [Background technology]

[0002] Among games provided in various forms, including arcade games, there are known games in which a user performs predetermined operations in time with the rhythm and lyrics of a song, and enjoys the results of the operations by scoring them. Specifically, a game system is proposed in which a score is awarded by performing a specific operation at a predetermined timing in the song, and a way of playing is proposed in which users compete for the highest score based on whether they can perform the operation at the right time.

[0003] In relation to these games, there have been known techniques for combining and playing a plurality of songs for use in games. Specifically, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for playing special sounds at the connection points as a method for mitigating the discomfort felt by users before and after the connection points when playing a combination of songs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6598266 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the prior art described in Patent Document 1 involves adding special sound effects to the connections between multiple songs, and from the standpoint of adding sounds unrelated to the songs, it is difficult to say that this is a suitable means for mitigating the sense of discomfort felt by users. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes a hybrid music composition method that uses a computer to implement the following steps: a music data acquisition step of acquiring music data by linking it to a music ID, which is an ID that identifies the music, a tempo information acquisition step of acquiring tempo information for each acquired music, which is information related to the tempo of the music, a music selection acceptance step of accepting a selection of three or more music pieces, a tempo information extraction step of extracting tempo information contained in the selected music pieces, a music order determination step of determining the order of songs that will make up the hybrid music piece using the tempo information for each music piece, and a hybrid music composition step of creating the hybrid music piece in accordance with the determined song order.

[0007] In addition, in relation to the invention of this method, we also propose a hybrid music composition method which further includes a connection information acquisition step for each song which includes multiple connection information pieces which are information relating to specific timings that become connection candidates within the song, and the hybrid music composition step further includes a connection information utilization sub-step for creating a hybrid music composition using the connection information for each song and the determined song order.

[0008] Furthermore, in relation to each of the above inventions, we also propose a method for creating a composite piece of music, which further includes a key information acquisition step for providing key information for each piece of music, which is information relating to the key of the piece of music, and the song order determination step further includes a key information utilization sub-step for determining the song order using the key information as well.

[0009] In addition, in relation to the above-mentioned method inventions, a composite music composition method is also proposed in which the song order determination step further includes an ID-utilizing sub-step of determining the song order using a music ID as well.

[0010] In addition, in relation to the above-mentioned inventions, a composite music composition method is also proposed, characterized in that in the ID using sub-step, the order of music pieces is determined so that the same music piece data is not repeated consecutively.

[0011] We also propose program inventions and system inventions related to the method invention. Effect of the Invention

[0012] The present invention, which has the above-mentioned main configuration, makes it possible to reduce the sense of discomfort felt by game users. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a user terminal using the hybrid music composition system of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of a hybrid music composition system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a configuration in which the functional components of the hybrid music production system of the first embodiment are integrated and realized as one piece of hardware. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a process flow in the hybrid music composition system of the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of a hybrid music composition system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a process flow in the hybrid music composition system of the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of a hybrid music composition system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a usage mode when key information is used; [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a process flow in the hybrid music composition system of the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] First, FIG. 1 is shown. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of the present invention, and shows an example of a display screen of a user terminal using the hybrid music composition system of the present invention. As shown in this diagram, when a user selects three or more songs, the order of the songs is determined using tempo information stored in association with the selected songs, and the user can enjoy the game after creating a hybrid music piece. In the example shown in the diagram, when three songs are selected (with the song "●●●●●" being selected multiple times), a hybrid music piece is created consisting of the songs "●●●●●" as the first song, "◇◇◇◇◇" as the second song, "◎◎◎◎◎" as the third song, and "●●●●●" again as the fourth song.

[0015] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the mutual relationship between the embodiments and the claims is as follows. First, the first embodiment mainly corresponds to claims 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, etc.; the second embodiment mainly corresponds to claim 2, etc.; the third embodiment mainly corresponds to claim 3, etc.

[0016] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, but rather has the technical ideas described in each claim in accordance with common technical knowledge, and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0017] <<Embodiment 1>> <Summary> 2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional blocks of the hybrid music composition system of this embodiment. As shown in the diagram, the "hybrid music composition system" 0200 of this embodiment has a "music data storage unit" 0201, a "tempo information storage unit" 0202, a "music selection reception unit" 0203, a "tempo information extraction unit" 0204, a "music order determination unit" 0205, and a "hybrid music composition unit" 0206.

[0018] The hybrid music creation system described in detail below can be configured to realize one or more of its functions using multiple devices, and the functional blocks can be realized as hardware or software. Examples of a computer-based system include hardware components such as a CPU, main memory, GPU, TPU, image memory, bus, secondary storage device (hard disk or non-volatile memory), various input devices such as a keyboard, microphone, touch panel, and electronic pen for touching the touch panel, speakers, displays, and various other output devices, and other external peripheral devices, as well as interfaces for the external peripheral devices, communication interfaces, driver programs for controlling the hardware, and other application programs.

[0019] Then, by performing arithmetic processing according to the program deployed on the main memory, data input from an input device or other interface and held in the memory or hardware is processed and stored, and instructions for controlling the above-mentioned hardware and software are created. Here, the above-mentioned program may be realized as a plurality of modularized programs, or two or more programs may be combined by cloud computing or other methods to be realized as one program.

[0020] <Functional configuration> The "music data storage unit" 0201 is configured to store music data in association with a music ID, which is an ID for identifying the music. There may be various specific aspects of music data storage, and in addition to storing and storing the music data in advance, the term "storage" as used herein also refers to maintaining the music data in a usable state by transmitting and receiving the music data to and from an external server via a network (the same basically applies to the storage of various other information specified in this specification).

[0021] The music data is retained for use in a game, for example, and is used to compose a composite music piece together with other music data as described below, but a single piece of music data may also be used alone in a game. In other words, the retained music data may be used for purposes other than creating a composite music piece.

[0022] There is no need to impose restrictions on the contents of the music data, such as the presence or absence of lyrics, the length of performance time, the genre, or other attributes of the music data, and the type of music data to be held may be determined appropriately. Regarding the manner in which music IDs are assigned when linking each piece of music data with a music ID for mutual identification, it is possible to assign music IDs according to the attributes of the music data as described above, but the configuration for assigning such music IDs is also a design matter.

[0023] A song ID is assigned to identify a song. Therefore, the type of song ID to be assigned to a song may be set appropriately. The ID may be assigned according to the date and time of acquisition or the attributes of the external storage medium from which the song is acquired, or according to the attributes of the song to be acquired as described above. In this case, the attributes of the song may be assigned in advance in the external storage medium from which the song is acquired. In such a case, song ID assignment rules, which are rules for assigning song IDs according to the attributes of the song and the attributes, may be stored in advance, and the song ID may be assigned according to the rules. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to acquire and store songs through various song acquisition means and efficiently assign IDs.

[0024] In addition, when assigning a song ID, it is not essential to assign one song ID to one song. For example, it is possible to assign multiple song IDs to one song, or it is possible to assign one song ID and a secondary song ID in a form that is further linked to the song ID. In this case, it is possible to specify one or more performance time positions in the performance time of one song, and assign different song IDs before and after the time positions. By enabling such a configuration, it is possible to assign IDs limited to a specific part of one song, such as the A melody, the chorus, and the B melody, and it is possible to avoid the sense of incongruity of suddenly switching to the next song in the middle of a part with lyrics, and it is possible to efficiently perform the process of creating a mixed song, which will be described later.

[0025] As another specific example of the case where multiple song IDs are assigned, a case where a song ID that specifies a portion corresponding to a splice position when constructing a mixed song will be described. The portion corresponding to the splice position means a performance time position for specifying a splice portion when splicing songs together when creating a mixed song in a mixed song creation unit described later. The splice position may vary depending on whether the song is the first, second or subsequent song, or the last, and may also vary depending on other attributes of the song. Since multiple splice positions can be set in one song, it is possible to provide multiple song IDs for specifying and identifying each of the performance time positions and hold them in association with the songs. By adopting this configuration, it becomes possible to create mixed songs that correspond to various combinations.

[0026] The length of time for the connection points can be set as appropriate, but as an example, it is possible to secure about 40 seconds for the first song, about 30 seconds before and after each song for the second and subsequent songs, and about 40 seconds for the last song.By configuring the connection points for the first and last songs to have relatively long lengths of time, it is possible to create and provide a mixed song that has a beginning, development, twist, and conclusion, and is therefore highly satisfying to the user.

[0027] The "tempo information storage unit" 0202 is configured to have tempo information, which is information about the tempo of a song, for each song stored. As information about the tempo of a song, for example, the number of beats per unit time in the song can be used as tempo information, and more specifically, the number of beats per minute (Beats Per Minute, BPM) can be acquired and stored as tempo information. For example, if the song is a ballad, tempo information indicating that the BPM is low is stored, and the tempo information can be used to identify that the song has a slow tempo. Also, if the song is an up-tempo dance number, tempo information indicating that the BPM is high is stored, and the tempo information can be used to identify that the song has a fast tempo.

[0028] A conceivable method of acquiring tempo information is to measure the tempo of a piece of music stored in a music data storage unit. Specifically, a predetermined range of a piece of music is arbitrarily selected, the BPM of the selected range is measured, and the measurement result is acquired as tempo information of the piece of music. However, in addition to the configuration in which the tempo of a piece of music is measured in the tempo information storage unit, it is also possible to acquire and store BPM information as tempo information from an external source through a means such as transmission and reception via a network to an external storage medium in which information about the BPM of the piece of music is stored in advance.

[0029] Note that only one type of tempo information is not necessarily associated with one piece of music. For example, in the case of a piece of music in which the tempo changes midway through the song, multiple pieces of information such as the time at which the tempo changes and the tempo (BPM) after the change may be obtained, and each piece may be associated with the piece of music as tempo information and stored. By adopting this configuration, it becomes possible to use tempo information based on the composition of a piece of music with a complex composition to create a seamless mixed piece of music.

[0030] The "music selection receiving unit" 0203 is configured to receive a selection of three or more songs. The selection of songs may include receiving an arbitrary selection of songs by the user, or may be selected through a random selection process. Furthermore, a configuration may be adopted in which the user selects only one or two songs, and the remaining songs are selected through a random selection process, or a configuration may be adopted in which conditions set by the user are received, and the selection is made through a random selection process based on the received conditions.

[0031] The conditions set by the user here may be, for example, conditions related to song attributes (dance, rock, anime songs, etc.), conditions for identifying artists, conditions for songs with specific tie-ups, conditions related to the year of release, etc. It is possible to set conditions by combining one or more of these. By adopting such a configuration, it becomes easy to select songs for creating a mixed song that will increase the user's satisfaction.

[0032] Note that the song selection receiving unit is a component that accepts the selection of three or more songs, and does not accept the selection of only one or two songs. This is because it is impossible to create a mixed song, which will be described later, by selecting only one song, and when selecting two songs, the song order determination using tempo information, which will be described later, does not have a desirable effect. However, this does not exclude the coexistence of a song selection receiving unit that is configured to accept the selection of three or more songs with a configuration that accepts the selection of one song or accepts the selection of two songs to accept a mixed song, and it is of course possible for the user to selectively use these functions. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to provide an environment in which the user can enjoy various functions according to their mood at any given time.

[0033] The "tempo information extraction unit" 0204 is configured to extract tempo information of multiple songs selected by the song selection receiving unit. It is preferable to extract tempo information of all selected songs, and when multiple pieces of tempo information are stored in association with one song as described above, all of the tempo information is extracted.

[0034] The "song order determination unit" 0205 is configured to determine the order of songs that compose the composite music piece by using tempo information for each song. "By using tempo information for each song" means that the song order is determined based on the contents of multiple pieces of tempo information associated with multiple songs, so that the discomfort felt by the user can be reduced.

[0035] As an example of using tempo information, a case where BPM is used as tempo information will be described. Usually, if the BPMs of songs are similar, mixing those songs will not cause a sense of incongruity in many cases. Therefore, it is possible to first carry out a process of identifying whether the BPMs of the extracted tempo information are similar or not.

[0036] The judgment of whether or not the songs are similar may be set arbitrarily. If the difference in BPM between songs is within the range of approximately plus 8% to minus 4%, they may be judged to be similar to each other. Furthermore, if the difference in BPM is within the range of approximately plus 4% to minus 2%, the songs may be judged to be songs that can reduce the sense of discomfort felt by the user even when mixed together. This is because such a small difference can reduce the sense of discomfort felt by the user to a considerable extent, at least in terms of tempo. Regarding the order of songs based on the judgment result, it is possible to use the order of songs that is judged to be more similar, but other appropriate settings are also possible.

[0037] If any of the selected songs does not fall within the above range, it may be determined that the song is not to be included in the songs that make up the mixed song, and in that case, a process may be performed to prompt the user to select a new song or to add a song. However, in addition to such a process, a song tempo change means may be provided to change the tempo of the song, and the BPM of the song may be changed to fall within the above range using this function, thereby including the song as part of the songs that make up the mixed song. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to create a mixed song using any song, while reducing the sense of discomfort felt by the user.

[0038] For example, let us assume that the BPMs of the three selected songs (A, B, and C for convenience) are A: 128, B: 140, and C: 130, respectively. In this case, the difference in BPM between A and B (12) is plus 9.4% when ordered A then B, and minus 8.6% when ordered B then A. The difference in BPM between A and C (2) is plus 1.6% when ordered A then C, and minus 1.5% when ordered C then A. And the difference in BPM between B and C (10) is minus 7.1% when ordered B then C, and plus 7.7% when ordered C then B. Taking into account the calculation results of these BPM differences, first determine the order C→A as the order in which the BPMs are close to each other, and for the remaining song order for B, determine the order B and C, which has the smaller BPM difference between B and C and A and B. As a result, the song order is determined as B→C→A overall.

[0039] So far, an example of a method for determining the order of songs when multiple songs have one BPM has been described. Next, an example of a method for determining the order of songs when a song has multiple BPMs, i.e., when the tempo changes in the middle of a song, will be described. By arranging the song between songs with different BPMs to compose a mixed song, it is expected that the effect of not giving the user the impression that songs with different BPMs have been mixed can be expected. To give a specific example, assume that the BPMs of the three selected songs (D, E, and F for convenience) are D: 120, E: a song that changes from 125 to 140, and F: 144, respectively. In this case, when trying to take the difference as described above, since there is a large difference between D and F, composing a mixed song in a consecutive song order of such songs gives a great sense of incongruity to the user. However, by arranging E between such an order of D and F, the difference in BPM between D and the beginning part of E and the difference in BPM between the latter part of E and F are each within the above range, so it is considered that the order can be determined as the order of songs to compose the constituent songs. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to create an ideal mixed piece of music that takes advantage of the characteristic of music in which the tempo changes between pieces.

[0040] It is also conceivable that the song order determination unit employs a configuration using an ID utilization means for determining the song order using song IDs as well. The song IDs used here are considered to be assigned according to the attributes of the songs described above. In other words, song IDs assigned for the genre of the song (dance, anime song, pop, ballad, etc.), the presence or absence of lyrics, the length of performance time, the release date, and other song-related attributes can be used. Specifically, it is conceivable to determine the song order so that among multiple songs, the release date is arranged in chronological order, or to prevent a series of songs with lyrics from being arranged in a consecutive order.

[0041] Incidentally, the ID using means may be characterized in that it determines the song order so that the same song data is not consecutive. When multiple songs are selected, the same song data may be selected multiple times, and in that case, the songs have exactly the same BPM and other attributes, so the song order is usually arranged so that the same songs are arranged in a row. There is no particular reason for excluding the same song being selected in this invention. However, when determining the song order, if the same songs are consecutively played in a song order, the user will feel that the song is dragging on. Therefore, when multiple songs with the same song ID are selected, it is desirable to determine the song order so that the songs are not consecutively played in a song order.

[0042] On the other hand, when different songs by the same singer / composer / group are selected, the order of the songs may be determined so that they are played in a consecutive order, and in the context of a medley, it is of course also acceptable to prioritize consecutive order for songs with song IDs that have the same singer / composer / group attributes.

[0043] The track order determination unit may determine the track order using music mixing history information, which is history information regarding what music pieces the selected music piece was combined with in the past to form a mixed music piece. The music mixing history information may be generated when the mixed music piece is created and recorded in the server, and may also be stored in association with game history information, such as the number of times the mixed music piece has been played and the score history of a game played using the mixed music piece. When a game is used by many users via a network, it is possible for users to compete for high scores based on their own sense of style. If information regarding the game history, such as a high score when a game is played using a specific mixed music piece and the user ID of the user who achieved the high score, is known, it becomes easy to grasp the trends of songs and mixed music pieces that are popular with users based on such information. Therefore, by adopting a configuration in which such information regarding user preferences can also be used, it becomes possible to provide a technology that is suitable for users.

[0044] The "mixed music composition unit" 0206 is configured to compose a mixed music piece according to the determined song order. Specifically, the mixed music piece is created by performing an editing process to join selected songs in the determined song order. Here, it is considered that the mixed music piece is created by processing parts of the songs before and after the joining, but the type of processing and editing to be performed is set appropriately.

[0045] An example of the editing process will now be described. It is possible to create a mixed song using information representing the attributes of the songs contained in the song ID associated with the extracted songs, and more specifically, information for identifying the connection position of the songs is used. That is, if information indicating that "when selected as the first song, the connection time is 38 seconds from the performance position 1 minute 10 seconds after the start" is linked as the song ID as the attribute of the song, a mixing process is performed to transition the performance to the second selected song over 38 seconds from that performance position.

[0046] Various modes of the blending process are possible. First, a process may be performed in which the output of the bass of the previous song is reduced while transitioning to the next song. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to transition to the next song while performing a process that prevents the bass of the previous song from reverberating, so that the user is given the impression of a blended song that is pleasant to the ear, or it is possible to alleviate the sense of incongruity when transitioning between songs.

[0047] Next, processing according to the difference in BPM may be performed. For example, when there are consecutive songs whose BPMs are determined to be very similar within a certain range (for example, within a range of plus or minus 4%), it may be possible to connect the songs without changing the number of beats at the connecting position or to process the number of beats to be increased. In this case, fade-in / fade-out processing may be performed. When connecting songs whose BPM difference is small to begin with, the user will feel less uncomfortable even if the number of beats is not adjusted, and similarly, it is unlikely to feel very uncomfortable if the song is switched to the next song all at once, so processing to increase the number of beats may be permitted.

[0048] On the other hand, even if the difference in BPM is small, if the keys of the songs before and after the connection are significantly different, it is possible to perform different processing. In this case, fade-in / fade-out processing may also be performed. Although details will be explained in the third embodiment, if songs with significantly different keys are mixed at once, it often gives the user a sense of discomfort from a viewpoint other than the difference in tempo. For this reason, it is possible to perform processing that changes the beat count slightly to give the impression that the songs are gradually transitioning. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to reduce the sense of discomfort given to the user even if songs with different keys are mixed.

[0049] In addition, an example of processing when connecting songs with a difference in BPM exceeding a predetermined range (for example, a range of +6% or more or -6% or less), that is, songs with significantly different tempos, will be described. In such a case, it is possible to apply fade-in / fade-out processing, but in order to reduce the sense of incongruity felt by the user, it is preferable to apply an alternative processing since a long connection time is required. For example, it is possible to apply a cut-in processing in which the end of the previous song and the beginning of the next song coincide with each other without adjusting the BPM or performing other processing. By applying an editing processing process that intentionally emphasizes the change in the melody, the effect of the "turn" in the introduction, development, turn, and conclusion can be emphasized, and the user can be given a strong impression of a change that is different from the sense of incongruity.

[0050] Even when a cut-in process is performed, it is not excluded to perform a separate process to reduce the sense of incongruity that may be felt by the user. For example, an echo process may be performed at the transition point of the previous song, so that the reverberation of the previous song is maintained for a while even after the next song starts. When the difference in BPM is considerably large (for example, in the range of plus 20% or more or minus 12% or less), the sense of incongruity felt when a cut-in process is performed may become relatively large, exceeding the impression of a transition, so by performing an echo process, it is possible to give the user a stronger impression of the transition.

[0051] When a mixed music piece is created with the above-mentioned configuration, the user plays a game using the mixed music piece. However, if the created mixed music piece does not suit the user's taste, it is also possible to accept a request from the user to recreate the mixed music piece. When a recreate request is accepted, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the music selection receiving unit accepts a new music piece selection, or a configuration in which the music order determining unit determines a new music order while leaving the selected music pieces as they are. When the music order determining unit determines a new music order, it may adopt a configuration in which an arbitrary music order selection from the user is accepted, or a configuration in which a different determination process is performed using a different determination criterion than that used when determining the initially determined music order. When the new music piece or music order is selected, the mixed music creating unit performs editing and processing according to the new music piece or music order.

[0052] <Specific configuration> FIG. 3 is shown here. This figure is a schematic diagram showing an example of a configuration when each functional component of the hybrid music composition system of this embodiment is integrated and realized as one piece of hardware. Each device has a "CPU" 0301, a "storage device (storage medium)" 0302, a "main memory" 0303, an "input interface" 0304, an "output interface" 0305, and a "network interface" 0306 for executing various arithmetic processes, and transmits and receives information to and from external peripheral devices such as a "touch panel" 0307 and a "display" 0308 via the input / output interfaces. In addition, information may be transmitted and received to and from an external device such as a "user terminal" 0309 via the network interface. The specific form of this network interface may be wired or wireless, and the communication method may be direct or indirect. Therefore, it is also possible to adopt a so-called cloud computing format in which information is transmitted and received between a specific external device or a server managed by a third party linked to the user of the device.

[0053] The storage device stores various programs as described below, and the CPU reads, expands, and executes these programs in the work area of ​​the main memory. These components are interconnected by a data communication path such as a "system bus" 0399, and transmit and receive information and perform processing (the basic configuration described above is the same for any of the other devices described below).

[0054] (Specific configuration of music data storage unit) The music data storage unit is composed of a computer program and computer hardware. Specifically, the CPU reads out the "music data acquisition program" 0310 from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, acquires music data from an external terminal or storage medium, associates it with a music ID that identifies the music, and stores it at a predetermined address in the main memory. The music ID may be assigned randomly or according to a predetermined rule, and is not particularly limited. Music data may be written or created from an internal or external terminal, and may be changed.

[0055] (Specific configuration of the tempo information storage unit) The tempo information storage unit is composed of a computer program and computer hardware. Specifically, the CPU reads out the “tempo information acquisition program” 0320 from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, acquires tempo information, which is information relating to the tempo of the music, for each piece of music acquired by executing the music data acquisition program, and stores the music and the tempo information in a specified address of the main memory while linking them together.

[0056] (Specific configuration of the music selection reception unit) The song selection reception unit is composed of a computer program and computer hardware. Specifically, the CPU reads the “song selection reception program” 0330 from the storage device into the main memory, executes it, and accepts the selection of three or more songs in response to the user's selection process.

[0057] (Specific configuration of tempo information extraction unit) The tempo information extraction unit is composed of a computer program and computer hardware. Specifically, the CPU loads the “tempo information extraction program” 0340 from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, and reads and extracts the tempo information contained in the multiple songs whose selections have been accepted by executing the song selection accepting program from a specified address in the main memory.

[0058] (Specific configuration of the song order determination unit) The song order determination unit is composed of a computer program and computer hardware. Specifically, the CPU reads out the “song order determination program” 0350 from the storage device into the main memory, executes it, and performs processing to determine the order of songs that compose the composite song using the tempo information of multiple songs extracted by executing the tempo information extraction program.

[0059] (Specific composition of the mixed music composition department) The hybrid music composition unit is composed of a computer program and computer hardware, and specifically, the CPU loads the “hybrid music composition program” 0360 from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, creates a hybrid music piece by mixing music pieces according to the song order determined by executing the song order determination program, and stores the data of the hybrid music piece at a specified address in the main memory.

[0060] <Processing flow> Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow in the hybrid music composition system of this embodiment. The processing flow in this diagram consists of the following steps. First, in step S0401, music data is acquired in association with a music ID, which is an ID that identifies the music (music data acquisition step). In addition, in step S0402, tempo information, which is information related to the tempo of the music, is acquired for each acquired music (tempo information acquisition step). Steps S0401 and S0402 can be processed at a timing independent of the processing from step S0403 onwards, and can be processed independently in the form of adding, removing or changing music data and step information.

[0061] Next, in step S0403, a selection of three or more songs is accepted (song selection acceptance step), and in step S0404, tempo information contained in the selected songs is extracted (tempo information extraction step), and in step S0405, the tempo information for each song is used to determine the order of songs that will compose the mixed song (song order determination step).Then, in step S0406, the mixed song is created according to the determined order (mixed song creation step), and the process ends for the time being.

[0062] In step S0407, it is determined whether or not the fusion music needs to be created again, and if it is determined that it needs to be created again due to a user request or other processing, the processing of the music selection receiving step in step S0403 or the music order determination step in step S0405 is repeated. If it is determined that it is not necessary to create again, the fusion music creation processing ends and the process moves to the game execution processing.

[0063] <Effects> By using a hybrid music composition system that employs the above configuration, it is possible to reduce the sense of discomfort felt by game users when creating hybrid music.

[0064] <<Embodiment 2>> <Summary> The hybrid music composition system of this embodiment basically has the same technical features as the hybrid music composition system described in embodiment 1, but has an additional feature in that it has multiple connection information for each song, which is information about specific timings that are candidate connections within the song, and creates a hybrid music piece using the connection information for each song and a determined song order.

[0065] <Functional configuration> Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of the hybrid music composition system of this embodiment implemented by one computer (apparatus). As shown in the diagram, the "hybrid music composition system" 0500 of this embodiment includes a "music data storage unit" 0501, a "tempo information storage unit" 0502, a "music selection receiving unit" 0503, a "tempo information extraction unit" 0504, a "music order determination unit" 0505, a "hybrid music composition unit" 0506, and a "connection information storage unit" 0507, and the hybrid music composition unit includes a "connection information utilization unit" 0516. The basic configuration is the same as the hybrid music composition system described with reference to Fig. 2 of the first embodiment, so the following describes the functions of the "connection information storage unit" 0507 and the "connection information utilization unit" 0516, which are the differences.

[0066] The "connection information storage unit" 0507 is configured to store multiple pieces of connection information, which is information on predetermined timings that become connection candidates within a piece of music, for each acquired piece of music. As explained in the first embodiment, the content of the music ID includes information on the attributes of the music, but in this embodiment, the connection information is acquired and stored as separate information, not as the content of the music ID. In other words, the connection information means information such as performance time positions that are candidates for connection positions within a piece of music, and the duration of the performance time positions that constitute the connection positions.

[0067] For each song that has lyrics, it is preferable that the connection time content includes a timing before and after the end of the chorus section as a candidate for a connection point. This is because the chorus section of a song is highly recognized by users. In addition, if the song has a long playing time, it is also preferable to configure the connection information so that at least one connection point is provided within a predetermined time. This is because, when creating a mixed song, if the playing time of any one song is relatively long, the mixed song itself will drag on and user satisfaction will decrease.

[0068] A possible configuration is that connection information configured with predetermined contents is linked to music and stored in an external server, etc., and that information is acquired and stored via a network. By using connection information configured with predetermined contents, many users can play the game using mixed music using the same connection information and compete for scores, so if this configuration is adopted, it becomes easier to judge the scores of users, which is one of the reasons why the game is enjoyable.

[0069] On the other hand, it is also possible to modify and retain the connection information once it has been acquired. In this case, the user can connect songs at their own preferred timing to create a mixed song, and since the user can play the game with a mixed song that satisfies him / herself, it is possible to provide an environment in which the user's own satisfaction can be maintained.

[0070] The "connection information utilization means" 0516 is configured to use the connection information for each song and the determined song order in the mixed music composition unit to create a mixed music composition. A specific aspect of creating a mixed music composition using the connection information is basically the same as an example of music editing and processing processing using a song ID in the mixed music composition unit of the first embodiment. However, when using connection information, the connection information is configured to be changeable by the user himself, so the process of using the connection information stored in association with the user is different from the first embodiment.

[0071] <Specific configuration> The hardware configuration of each device constituting the hybrid music composition system of this embodiment is basically the same as the hardware configuration in the hybrid music composition system of embodiment 1 described with reference to Fig. 3. Therefore, in the following, specific processing of the "connection information storage unit" and "connection information utilization means" that have not been described so far will be described.

[0072] (Specific configuration of connection information storage unit) The connection information storage unit is specifically composed of a computer program and computer hardware, and the CPU reads out a "connection information acquisition program" from the storage device into the main memory and executes it. For each song acquired by executing the song data acquisition program, the connection information is obtained, which is information regarding specific timings that are connection candidates within the song, and the connection information is linked to the song and stored at a specific address in the main memory.

[0073] (Specific configuration of connection information utilization means) The connection information utilization means is specifically composed of a computer program and computer hardware, and when executing the composite music composition program, the CPU reads out a "connection information utilization sub-program" from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, creating a composite music composition using the connection information for each song obtained by executing the connection information acquisition program and the song order determined by executing the song order determination program, and storing the resulting composition at a specified address in the main memory.

[0074] <Processing flow> Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a process flow in the hybrid music composition system of this embodiment. The process flow in this diagram consists of the following steps. First, in step S0601, music data is acquired in association with a music ID, which is an ID for identifying the music (music data acquisition step). In step S0602, tempo information, which is information relating to the tempo of the music, is acquired for each acquired music (tempo information acquisition step), and in step S0603, multiple pieces of connection information, which are information relating to predetermined timings that are connection candidates in the music, are acquired for each music (connection information acquisition step). Note that the processes in steps S0602 and S0603 may be configured in the reverse order.

[0075] Here, steps S0601, S0602, and S0603 may be processed at timings independent of the processing of step S0604 and subsequent steps, and may be processed independently in the form of adding, deleting, or changing music data, step information, and connection information. Furthermore, the connection information may be modified or changed in content in addition to adding, deleting, or changing the information itself, and in that case, it may also be processed independently.

[0076] Next, in step S0604, a selection of three or more songs is accepted (song selection accepting step), and in step S0605, tempo information contained in the selected songs is extracted (tempo information extraction step), and in step S0606, the tempo information for each song is used to determine the song order that will make up the mixed song (song order determination step). Then, in step S0607, a mixed song is created according to the determined song order (mixed song creation step), and the process ends for the time being. Note that this embodiment is characterized in that in the mixed song creation step, the connection information for each song and the determined song order are used to create the mixed song (connection information use sub-step).

[0077] In step S0608, it is determined whether or not the fusion music needs to be created again, and if it is determined that it needs to be created again due to a user request or other processing, the processing of the music selection acceptance step in step S0604 or the music order determination step in step S0606 is repeated. If it is determined that it is not necessary to create again, the fusion music creation process ends and the process moves to the game execution process.

[0078] <Effects> By using the hybrid music creation system of this embodiment, compared to the hybrid music creation system of embodiment 1, users are not limited to enjoying games together with other users, but can also enjoy games according to their own preferences, making it possible to provide a more diverse game play environment.

[0079] <<Embodiment 3>> <Summary> The hybrid music composition system of this embodiment basically has the same technical features as the hybrid music composition system described in embodiment 1 or 2, but has an additional feature in that it has key information, which is information about the key of the music, for each piece of music stored in the computer, and the key information is also used to determine the song order.

[0080] <Functional configuration> Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of the hybrid music composition system of this embodiment implemented by one computer (device). As shown in the diagram, the "hybrid music composition system" 0700 of this embodiment includes a "music data storage unit" 0701, a "tempo information storage unit" 0702, a "music selection receiving unit" 0703, a "tempo information extraction unit" 0704, a "song order determination unit" 0705, a "hybrid music composition unit" 0706, and a "key information storage unit" 0707, and the song order determination unit includes a "key information utilization means" 0715. The basic configuration is the same as the hybrid music composition system described using Fig. 2 of the first embodiment, so the following describes the functions of the "key information storage unit" 0707 and the "key information utilization means" 0715, which are the differences.

[0081] The "key information storage unit" 0707 is configured to store key information, which is information on the key in each piece of music stored in the computer. The key information here is information for specifying the tonality of a piece of music, and may be configured as major or monotonous, or as chord content such as major or minor, and the configuration may be set appropriately. However, since this information is used when mixing multiple pieces of music, it is necessary that all key information is in a form that can be distinguished from each other.

[0082] The key information is acquired in association with the music, and it is not expected that the key information will be modified or changed independently after the music is acquired. Therefore, it is preferable that the key information is not acquired and then stored by the user, but is stored in an external server in association with the music, and is stored so that it can be used via a network as necessary. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to prevent the user from modifying the key information.

[0083] Of course, multiple pieces of key information may be linked to one piece of music, such as a piece of music with a key change within the piece. When multiple pieces of key information are stored, it is preferable to store the information in association with a music ID or connection information that contains the playing time of the key change portion. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to create a composite piece of music that accurately reflects the key information at the connection point.

[0084] The "key information utilizing means" 0715 is configured to determine the song order by using the key information in the song order determining section. How the key information is used can be set appropriately, but an example of the usage form will be described below.

[0085] As a means for visualizing the relationship between keys, a key chart called the circle of fifths or Camelot wheel may be used. In other words, this is a method for arranging the relationship between each key at a predetermined circular position for each key, making it easier to grasp the level of affinity between the keys. In the key information utilization means, it is possible to hold key information utilization rules that define the relationship between the keys in this way, and to determine the order of songs by applying the rules. By adopting this configuration, it becomes possible to determine the order of songs based on objective criteria, making it possible to create a mixed piece of music that satisfies many users.

[0086] FIG. 8 shows an example of the key chart mentioned above, and the notations "12B", "12A", "1B", "2A", and "3A" in the figure indicate key information. More specifically, 12B means E major, 12A means D flat minor, 1B means B major, 2A means E flat major, and 3A means B flat minor. As shown in the figure, when comparing a piece of music with a key of 1B with a piece of music with a key of 2B, their arrangement positions are extremely close. On the other hand, it can be seen that there is a relative distance between the piece of music with a key of 8B and the piece of music with a key of 8B. This means that a piece of music with a key of 1B is more compatible with a piece of music with a key of 2B than a piece of music with a key of 8B, and this means that there is less discomfort when mixing pieces of music with such keys.

[0087] By adopting the above-described configuration that utilizes the relationship between key information, such as the arrangement on the circle of fifths, it becomes possible to determine a song order that reduces the sense of discomfort felt by the user.

[0088] <Specific configuration> The hardware configuration of each device constituting the hybrid music composition system of this embodiment is basically the same as the hardware configuration in the hybrid music composition system of embodiment 1 described with reference to Fig. 3. Therefore, in the following, specific processing of the "key information storage unit" and "key information utilization means" that have not been described so far will be described.

[0089] (Specific configuration of key information storage unit) The key information storage unit is specifically composed of a computer program and computer hardware, and the CPU reads a "key information acquisition program" from the storage device into the main memory, executes it, acquires key information, which is information regarding the key of the song acquired by executing the song data acquisition program, and stores it at a specified address in the main memory, linking it to the song.

[0090] (Specific configuration of key information utilization means) The key information utilization means is specifically composed of a computer program and computer hardware, and when executing the song order determination program, the CPU reads out a "key information utilization sub-program" from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, and performs processing to determine the song order that will make up the composite song using not only the tempo information of the multiple songs extracted by executing the tempo information extraction program, but also the key information.

[0091] <Processing flow> Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the process flow in the hybrid music composition system of this embodiment. The process flow in this diagram consists of the following steps. First, in step S0901, music data is acquired by linking it with a music ID, which is an ID that identifies the music (music data acquisition step). In step S0902, tempo information, which is information about the tempo of the music, is acquired for each acquired music (tempo information acquisition step), and in step S0903, key information, which is information about the key of the music, is acquired for each music (key information acquisition step). Note that the processes in steps S0902 and S0903 may be configured in the reverse order.

[0092] Here, steps S0901, S0902, and S0903 are each processed at a timing independent of the processing from step S0904 onwards, and specifically, can be processed independently in the form of adding, deleting, or changing music data, step information, and key information.

[0093] Next, in step S0904, a selection of three or more songs is accepted (song selection accepting step), and in step S0905, tempo information contained in the selected songs is extracted (tempo information extraction step), and in step S0906, the tempo information for each song is used to determine the order of the songs that will make up the mixed song (song order determination step). Note that this embodiment is characterized in that the song order determination step also uses key information to determine the song order (key information utilization sub-step). Then, in step S0907, a mixed song is created in accordance with the determined song order (mixed song creation step), and the process ends for the time being.

[0094] In step S0908, it is determined whether or not the fusion music needs to be created again, and if it is determined that it needs to be created again due to a user request or other processing, the processing of the music selection acceptance step in step S0904 or the song order determination step in step S0906 is repeated. If it is determined that it is not necessary to create again, the fusion music creation process ends and the process moves to the game execution process.

[0095] <Effects> By using the hybrid music composition system of this embodiment, it is possible to create a hybrid music piece that is less likely to give the user a strange feeling than when the hybrid music composition system of the first or second embodiment is used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 0200: Hybrid music composition system; 0201: Music data storage unit; 0202: Tempo information storage unit; 0203: Music selection reception unit; 0204: Tempo information extraction unit; 0205: Music order determination unit; 0206: Hybrid music composition unit

Claims

1. a song data acquisition step of acquiring song data in association with a song ID that is an ID for identifying the song data; a tempo information acquisition step of acquiring tempo information, which is information regarding the tempo of the music data, for each of the acquired music data; a song selection receiving step of receiving a selection of three or more pieces of song data; a tempo information extraction step of extracting tempo information included in the selected plurality of music piece data; a song order determination step for determining a song order for constructing the composite song data using tempo information for each of the selected song data; a composite music piece creating step of creating composite music piece data by performing an editing process according to information indicating a connection position and a connection time length of music pieces included in a music piece ID associated with the music piece data according to the determined music piece order; A method for creating hybrid music using a computer.

2. The method further includes a connection information acquisition step of acquiring connection information for each piece of music data, the connection information being information on predetermined timings that are connection candidates in the piece of music data; 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the hybrid music piece creating step further comprises a connection information using sub-step of creating hybrid music piece data using the connection information for each music piece data and the determined music order.

3. The method further includes a key information acquiring step of acquiring key information, which is information about a key in the music data, for each music data; 3. The method for creating a composite music piece according to claim 1, wherein the song order determining step further comprises a key information utilizing sub-step of determining the song order using key information as well.

4. 4. The method for creating a composite music piece according to claim 1, wherein the song order determining step further comprises an ID utilizing sub-step of determining the song order using a song ID as well.

5. 5. The method for creating a composite music piece according to claim 4, wherein in the ID utilizing sub-step, the order of the music pieces is determined so that the same music piece data is not consecutively generated.

6. a song data acquisition step of acquiring song data in association with a song ID that is an ID for identifying the song data; a tempo information acquisition step of acquiring tempo information, which is information regarding the tempo of the music data, for each of the acquired music data; a song selection receiving step for receiving a selection of three or more pieces of song data; a tempo information extraction step of extracting tempo information included in the selected plurality of music piece data; a song order determination step for determining a song order for constructing the composite song data using tempo information for each of the selected song data; a composite music piece creating step of creating composite music piece data by performing an editing process according to information indicating a connection position and a connection time length of music pieces included in a music piece ID associated with the music piece data according to the determined music piece order; A hybrid music composition program that causes a computer to execute the above.

7. a song data storage unit that stores song data in association with a song ID that is an ID for identifying the song data; a tempo information storage unit that stores tempo information for each of the stored music piece data, the tempo information being information regarding the tempo of the music piece data; a song selection receiving unit for receiving a selection of three or more pieces of song data; a tempo information extraction unit for extracting tempo information included in the selected plurality of pieces of music data; a song order determination unit that determines a song order for constructing the composite song data using tempo information for each of the selected song data; a composite music piece creating unit that creates composite music piece data by performing an editing process according to information indicating a connection position and a connection time length of music pieces included in a music piece ID associated with the music piece data according to the determined music piece order; A hybrid music composition system having:

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