Acoustic device, program, and control method

Abstract

This acoustic device, which is to mix a first musical composition with a second musical composition, comprises: a scheduling unit (132) that sets a playback starting position of the second musical composition; and a display control unit (131) that causes a displaying device to display a first window for shifting a first image, which indicates the playback state of the second musical composition as well as the time information of the playback starting position, relative to a second image indicating the current playback position at a schedule executing time set by the scheduling unit.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an audio device, a program, and a control method. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, various technologies have been developed for audio devices and applications related to DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) and DTM (Desk Top Music). For example, Non-Patent Document 1 discloses an application capable of setting reservations related to mixing. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0003] [Non-Patent Document 1] Traktor Pro 3.0 (Native Instruments) Manual (https: / / www.native-instruments.com / fileadmin / ni_media / downloads / manuals / traktor / TRAKTOR_PRO_3.0_Manual_Japanese_0719.pdf) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when the above-mentioned reservation setting is being carried out, the user cannot easily grasp the reservation setting status and reservation execution status, which causes a problem in usability for the user. SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENTS An object of the present invention is to provide an audio device, a program, and a control method that are capable of executing mixing that is user-friendly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] [1] An audio device that mixes a first song and a second song, comprising: a reservation unit that sets a playback start position of the second song; and a display control unit that, when a reservation set by the reservation unit is executed, displays on a display a first screen that moves a first image showing the playback status of the second song and time information of the playback start position based on a second image showing the current playback position. [2] The audio device described in [1], wherein the first image includes a music waveform of the second music piece and an image indicating a playback start position placed on the music waveform. [3] The audio device according to [1] or [2], wherein the reservation unit is capable of setting a playback start position of the second song while the first song is being played. [4] An audio device described in any one of [1] to [3], wherein the display control unit switches between the first screen and a second screen for setting the playback start position of the second song by the reservation unit and displays them on the display. [5] The display control unit of the audio device described in [4] moves and displays on the display, on the first screen, a first image for the second song from before the current playback position reaches the playback start position, and moves and displays on the display, on the second screen, images indicating the playback status of the first song and the second song based on user operation, for the first song and the second song. [6] The audio device according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the reservation unit sets a mixing position of the first song and the second song, and sets a playback start position according to the mixing position. [7] An audio device described in any of [1] to [6], wherein the display control unit displays the second image fixedly on the first screen and moves the first image relative to the second image depending on the current playback position and displays it on the display. [8] The acoustic device according to any one of [1] to [7], wherein the display control unit changes a display form of an image showing a playback status of the second music piece among the first images on the first screen and displays the image on the display when the current playback position reaches a playback start position during the execution of the reservation set by the reservation unit. [9] A program configured to cause a computer to function as an acoustic device described in any one of [1] to [8].

[10] A control method implemented by an audio device that mixes a first song and a second song, the control method including the steps of: setting a playback start position of the second song; and, when the set reservation is executed, displaying on a display a first screen in which a first image indicating the playback status of the second song and time information of the playback start position is moved based on a second image indicating the current playback position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic functional configuration of an audio device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3A] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of a display screen in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3B] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of a display screen in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of a display screen in the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of a display screen in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of a display screen in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7A] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of a display screen in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7B] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of a display screen in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a control method according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0008] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic functional configuration of an audio device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The audio device according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a player, a mixer that controls the player, a DJ system in which the player and the mixer are integrated, or an audio device using a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The present invention can also be applied to a DJ controller that does not have a playback function. The audio device 100 has the functions of a first player (hereinafter referred to as DECK1) that plays a first piece of music, a second player (hereinafter referred to as DECK2) that plays a second piece of music, and a mixer function that controls both DECK1 and DECK2. 1, the audio device 100 includes a display 110, an operation unit 120, a control unit 130, a music data storage unit 140, and an audio output unit 150. The functions of each of the above units are realized by a processor operating according to a program in an audio device having, for example, a computer hardware configuration. The functions of each unit are further described below.

[0009] Display 110 is a display device that displays a screen including various types of information in audio device 100. Various types of display devices, such as a liquid crystal display device or an organic EL display device, can be used as display 110. In addition, display 110 may be configured as a touch panel that displays controls for accepting user operations on the screen and detects the contact position using a contact sensor or the like to accept user operations. The operation unit 120 accepts various user operations via a plurality of operators, and outputs information indicating the contents of the user operations to the control unit 130. The information indicating the contents of the user operations is supplied to each unit in the control unit 130. The operation unit 120 can use various known technologies, and therefore illustrations and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0010] The control unit 130 is implemented in the audio device 100 by, for example, a communication interface, a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and a memory that serves as a working area, and controls the operation of the audio device 100. The control unit 130 includes a display control unit 131, a reservation unit 132, a first playback unit 133, and a second playback unit 134, which are realized by the processor operating in accordance with a program stored in the memory or received via the communication interface.

[0011] The display control unit 131 causes the display 110 to display a screen including various information related to the music being played back by the audio device 100 . The reservation unit 132 performs reservation settings for mixing of music to be reproduced by the first reproduction unit 133 and the second reproduction unit 134, based on a user operation detected by the operation unit 120. Details of the reservation settings will be described later.

[0012] The first playback unit 133 performs a decoding process on the music on DECK1, the first player, and outputs the generated audio signal to the audio output unit 150, which will be described later. The second playback unit 134 performs a decoding process on the music on DECK2, the second player, and outputs the generated audio signal to the audio output unit 150, which will be described later.

[0013] The music data storage unit 140 is configured to be able to store music data using a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory, etc. The music data storage unit 140 stores a plurality of music data in a predetermined format, such as MP3 format. In addition to audio information, the music data includes information such as the BPM, artwork, title, artist name, album name, key, number of DJ plays, and genre of the music as tag information. The music data stored in the music data storage unit 140 is associated with a time stamp, which is information on the playback position. Note that audio device 100 may be configured to include a communication interface, and acquire music data stored in an external storage device, a computer, or the like via the communication interface (not shown), and store the music data in music data storage unit 140. In this case, audio device 100 does not include music data storage unit 140, and the external storage device functions as music data storage unit 140.

[0014] The audio output unit 150 includes an audio output terminal such as a speaker terminal or a headphone terminal, and outputs the audio signals of the music output by the first reproduction unit 133 and the second reproduction unit 134 as audio information. In the following description of the present embodiment, a series of processes from generating an audio signal by decoding processing by the first playback unit 133 and the second playback unit 134 to outputting the audio signal as audio information from the audio output unit 150 will be referred to as "playback". A case in which an audio signal is generated by decoding processing by the first playback unit 133 and the second playback unit 134 and the audio information is output by the audio output unit 150 will be referred to as "playback with audio output", and a case in which an audio signal is generated by decoding processing by the first playback unit 133 and the second playback unit 134 but the audio information is not output by the audio output unit 150 (audio output is muted) will be referred to as "playback without audio output".

[0015] In the audio device 100 described above, various display screens relating to mixing that are displayed on the display 110 will be described.

[0016] 2, 3A, and 3B are diagrams showing an example of a normal playback screen, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a reservation setting screen for mixing, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a reservation execution screen for mixing. When a user operation indicating normal playback is performed via the operation unit 120, the display control unit 131 causes the display 110 to display the playback screen shown in FIG. 2 as a display screen for normal playback. Then, during playback, when a user operation indicating a reservation setting for mixing is performed via the operation unit 120, the display control unit 131 causes the display 110 to display the reservation setting screen shown in FIG. 4 as a display screen for reservation setting. Then, when the reservation execution is started, the display control unit 131 causes the display 110 to display the reservation execution screen shown in FIG. 5 as a display screen for reservation execution. That is, the display control unit 131 switches between a playback screen, a reservation setting screen (second screen), and a reservation execution screen (first screen) and displays them on the display 110. Therefore, the user can check the normal playback status based on the playback screen shown in Fig. 2, set a reservation for mixing based on the reservation setting screen shown in Fig. 4, and check the playback status at the time of reservation execution based on the reservation execution screen shown in Fig. 5.

[0017] <Regarding the normal playback screen> 2 has a display area 201 in which information about the entire song or a part of the song is displayed, and a display area 202 in which a part of the display area 201 is enlarged and displayed. The following illustrates an example in which a song is being played on DECK1 (playback with audio output) and no song is being played on DECK2. The display area 201 includes a waveform E21 which is an image showing time information of the entire song or a part of the song being played on DECK1, a waveform E22 which is an image showing time information of the entire song or a part of the song to be played on DECK2, and a bar E23 which is an image showing the current playback position. Note that the images of each waveform may be generated in advance for each song, or may be generated in real time based on information after decoding processing in the first playback unit 133 and the second playback unit 134. The same applies to each waveform in the following description. Display area 202 includes a waveform E24 which is an enlarged image of the portion of waveform E21 of the song being played on DECK1 displayed in display area 201 near the current playback position, a waveform E25 which is an enlarged image of a portion of waveform E22 of the song to be played on DECK2 displayed in display area 201, and a bar E26 which is an image indicating the current playback position. The display area 201 and the display area 202 may also include information indicating so-called CUE POINTS, such as a playback start position or a playback standby position, that are set for a piece of music.

[0018] In the display area 201 of the normal playback screen, for the song being played on DECK1, a bar E23, which is an image indicating the current playback position, is displayed fixed at a predetermined position, and a waveform E21 is displayed by moving leftward on the screen (in the direction of arrow A1) according to the current playback position based on the fixedly displayed bar E23. As a result, the waveform E21 of the song being played is displayed moving according to the playback status, so the user can grasp the current playback position of the song. On the other hand, for the song to be played on DECK2, the waveform E22 is displayed fixedly, similar to the bar E23 that is displayed fixedly. At this time, the playback position corresponding to the CUE POINT may be displayed in line with the bar E23.

[0019] Also in the display area 202, the display control unit 131 moves and displays the waveform E24 of the currently played song leftward on the screen (in the direction of the arrow A2) according to the current playback position, based on the fixedly displayed bar E26. As a result, the waveform E24 of the currently played song is displayed moving according to the playback status, allowing the user to grasp the current playback position of the currently played song.

[0020] In the example of Fig. 2, an enlarged image of display area 201 is displayed in parallel in display area 202, but two or more screens with different waveform magnification ratios may be displayed by switching between them. For example, a screen corresponding to only display area 201 in Fig. 2 as shown in Fig. 3A and a screen corresponding to only display area 202 in Fig. 2 as shown in Fig. 3B may be displayed by switching between them. Alternatively, only one of them may be displayed. Furthermore, the magnification ratio of each screen and the switching between each screen may be set according to a user operation via operation unit 120.

[0021] As explained above, the waveform of the music being played is displayed moving on the playback screen, so the user can intuitively understand that playback (playback with audio output) is taking place by visually checking the waveform moving. Also, in the display area 202, the information before and after the playback position can be confirmed in detail, which is useful for supporting the user's DJ play, etc.

[0022] <About the Mixing Reservation Settings Screen> A user operation indicating a reservation setting for mixing is performed via the operation unit 120. In response to the user operation, the reservation unit 132 selects songs to be mixed and sets the playback position (mixing position) for each song during mixing, and sets the playback start position according to the set mixing position. Here, the playback start position refers to the audio output start position where the first playback unit 133 and the second playback unit 134 perform the decoding process and where audio information is output by the audio output unit 150. That is, more specifically, the playback start position refers to the playback start position accompanied by audio output. The reservation unit 132 may be configured to set a playback start position of a song separately from the mixing position in response to a user operation. The reservation unit 132 may set the mixing position as the playback start position, or may set a playback position a predetermined time before the mixing position as the playback start position, or may set a position before the mixing position that is a division such as a bar as the playback start position, or may set the beginning of the song as the playback start position.

[0023] 4 has a display area 301 that displays information about the entire song or a portion of it, and a display area 302 that displays an enlarged version of the display area 301. The following shows an example of a case where a reservation is made for mixing a song to be played on DECK2 while a song is being played on DECK1 (playback with audio output). Display area 301 includes a waveform E31 of the entire song or a portion of the song being played on DECK1, a waveform E32 of the entire song or a portion of the song to be played on DECK2, a bar E33 which is an image indicating the mixing position, and a bar E34 which is an image indicating the current playback position. Display area 302 includes waveform E35, which is an enlarged image of the area near the mixing position of waveform E31 of the song being played on DECK1 displayed in display area 301, waveform E36, which is an enlarged image of the area near the mixing position of waveform E32 of the song to be played on DECK2 displayed in display area 301, bar E37, which is an image indicating the mixing position, and bar E38, which is an image indicating the current playback position.

[0024] In the display area 301 of the reservation setting screen, the display control unit 131 displays a bar E33, which is an image indicating the mixing position, fixed at a predetermined position for the song being played, and based on the fixedly displayed bar E33, moves the waveform E31 left and right (in the direction of the arrow A3) according to a user operation, rather than the current playback position, and displays it. The bar E34 indicating the current playback position is then moved according to the playback status. As a result, for the song being played on DECK1, the bar E34 indicating the current playback position is displayed moving according to the playback status relative to the waveform E31, so that the user can grasp the playback status of the song even during reservation setting. On the other hand, for the song being played on DECK2, a waveform E32 is displayed by moving left and right (in the direction of arrow A4) in response to user operation, rather than the current playback position, based on a fixedly displayed bar E33.

[0025] In the display area 302, the display control unit 131 also uses a bar E37 indicating a fixed mixing position as a reference and moves the waveforms E35 and E36 left and right (in the directions of arrows A5 and A6) in response to user operations, rather than the current playback position, and displays them. The bar E38 indicating the current playback position is then moved and displayed according to the playback status. As a result, for a song being played on DECK1, the bar E38 indicating the current playback position is displayed moving in response to the playback status relative to the waveform E35, allowing the user to grasp the playback status of the song even during reservation setting.

[0026] The user can set the mixing position by, for example, moving the waveforms E31 and E32 of each song in the display area 301 left and right to roughly align the playback position with the bar E33 indicating the mixing position, and moving the waveforms E35 and E36 of each song in the display area 302 where the enlarged image is displayed left and right to accurately and precisely align the playback position of each song with the bar E37 indicating the mixing position, by user operation via the operation unit 120. Also, if a CUE POINT is set for the songs to be mixed, the mixing position may be set by aligning the CUE POINT with the bars E33 and E37.

[0027] In the example of Fig. 4, an example is shown in which an enlarged image of display area 301 is displayed in parallel in display area 302, but a configuration in which two or more screens with different waveform enlargement ratios are switched and displayed, similar to a normal playback screen, may also be used. For example, a configuration in which a screen corresponding to only display area 301 in Fig. 4 and a screen corresponding to only display area 302 in Fig. 4 are switched and displayed may also be used. Alternatively, a configuration in which only one of them is displayed may also be used. Furthermore, the enlargement / reduction ratio of each screen and the switching between each screen may be set according to a user operation via operation unit 120.

[0028] As explained above, on the reservation setting screen, the waveform of the song for which the mixing position is to be set is displayed fixedly, and the bar indicating the playback position of the song being played (playback with audio output) is displayed moving according to the current playback position. Therefore, the user can accurately set the mixing position for the second song while the first song is being played, and can also grasp the playback status of the songs while setting the reservation. The reservation setting of mixing is completed based on a user operation via the operation unit 120. After the reservation setting of mixing is completed, the audio output unit 150 starts outputting the reserved music from a playback start position according to the set mixing position, and the music can be listened to through headphones or the like. In addition, in the above example, when a reservation is set, a fixed waveform of the song being reserved is displayed, but by allowing the user to specify whether or not to display in this manner, usability for the user can be further improved.

[0029] <About the Mixing Reservation Execution Screen> When the reservation set in the reservation unit 132 is executed, the display control unit 131 displays the playback execution screen shown in FIG. 5 has a display area 401 in which information about the entire song or a part of it is displayed, and a display area 402 in which a part of the display area 401 is enlarged and displayed. The following illustrates an example in which a reservation set on DECK2 is executed while a song is being played on DECK1. Note that the playback start position set in the reservation setting is the beginning of the song to be played on DECK2. Display area 401 includes a waveform E41 of the entire song or a portion of the song being played on DECK1, a waveform E42 of the entire song or a portion of the song that has been reserved on DECK2, a bar E43 which is an image indicating the current playback position, and a bar E44 which is an image indicating the set mixing position. Display area 402 includes waveform E45, which is an enlarged image of the area near the current playback position of waveform E41 of a song being played on DECK1 displayed in display area 401, waveform E46, which is an enlarged image of the area near the current playback position of waveform E42 of a song that has been reserved on DECK2 displayed in display area 401, bar E47, which is an image indicating the current playback position, and bar E48, which is an image indicating the set mixing position.

[0030] In the display area 401 of the reservation execution screen, the display control unit 131 displays a bar E43, which is an image indicating the current playback position, fixed at a predetermined position for the song being played on DECK1, and moves and displays a waveform E41 to the left of the screen (in the direction of arrow A7) according to the current playback position based on the fixedly displayed bar E43. At this time, the bar E44 indicating the mixing position is also displayed and moved to the left of the screen (in the direction of arrow A7) in the same manner as the waveform E41 according to the current playback position. As a result, the waveform E41 of the song being played is displayed and moved according to the playback status, so the user can grasp the current playback position of the song and can simultaneously grasp the playback start position for which mixing has been set. On the other hand, for a song that has been reserved, the waveform 42 is moved leftward on the screen (in the direction of arrow A8) based on the bar E43, which is an image indicating the current playback position, and displayed. At this time, the display control unit 131 moves the waveform 41 of the song being played on DECK1, the bar E48, which is an image indicating the mixing position, and the waveform E42 of the song that has been reserved on DECK2, while maintaining their relative positions, according to the playback status of the song being played on DECK1.

[0031] As described above, the example of Fig. 5 shows an example in which the beginning of the second music piece to be played on DECK2 is set as the playback start position in the reservation setting. Therefore, the display control unit 131 displays the waveform E42 of the second music piece after the bar E43, which is an image indicating the current playback position, by moving it from a position on the right side of the screen toward the bar E43, which is an image indicating the current playback position. As a result, the waveform E42 of the music piece reserved on DECK2 is displayed by moving it from before the current playback position reaches the set playback start position. In other words, on the display screen, the waveform E42 of the music piece reserved is displayed as if it were starting to play from the negative side.

[0032] In the display area 402, the display control unit 131 also displays, for the song being played on DECK1, a waveform E45 and a bar E48, which is an image indicating the mixing position, by moving them to the left of the screen (in the direction of arrow A9) according to the current playback position, based on a fixedly displayed bar E47. In addition, for songs that have been reserved on DECK2, the display control unit 131 moves and displays the waveform E46 of the song that has been reserved on DECK2 to the left of the screen (in the direction of arrow A10) while maintaining the relationship between the waveform 45 of the song being played on DECK1 and the bar E48, which is an image indicating the mixing position, based on the fixedly displayed bar E47.

[0033] In the example of Fig. 5, an example is shown in which an enlarged image of display area 401 is displayed in parallel in display area 402, but a configuration may be adopted in which two or more screens with different waveform enlargement ratios are switched and displayed, as in the case of a normal playback screen and a reservation setting screen. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which a screen corresponding to only display area 401 in Fig. 5 and a screen corresponding to only display area 402 in Fig. 5 are switched and displayed. Also, a configuration in which only one of them is displayed may be adopted. Furthermore, the enlargement / reduction ratio in each screen and the switching between each screen may be set according to a user operation via operation unit 120.

[0034] As explained above, on the reservation execution screen, the waveform of the song being played (playback with audio output) is displayed moving according to the playback status, just like on the normal playback screen. And unlike the normal playback screen and reservation setting screen, the waveform of the reserved song is displayed moving in conjunction with the song being played according to the reserved mixing position. In other words, the waveform of the reserved song is actually displayed moving from a future point before playback, that is, before audio output starts, in the same way as during playback, more specifically, playback with audio output. Therefore, the user can intuitively know that the reservation is being executed just by checking whether the waveform of the reserved song is moving. Also, by checking the positional relationship between the bar image showing the current playback position and the bar image showing the mixing position, the user can know the time required to reach the reserved mixing position and the time required to reach the playback start position corresponding to the mixing position. Also, in the display area 402, the information before and after the playback position can be checked in detail, which is useful for supporting the user's DJ play, etc.

[0035] In the above example, the beginning of the second music piece to be played on DECK2 is set as the playback start position corresponding to the mixing position in the reservation setting. However, the present invention can be similarly applied to a case where a part of the second music piece, for example, a playback position corresponding to a CUE POINT set in the middle of the second music piece, is set as the mixing position or playback start position. In such a case, the second playback unit 134 executes a decoding process, but the audio output unit 150 does not output audio information until the playback start position. In other words, playback without audio output is executed until the playback start position. Meanwhile, the display control unit 131 moves the waveform of the music piece being played on DECK1, the bar which is an image indicating the set mixing position, and the waveform of the music piece reserved on DECK2 based on the bar which is an image indicating the current playback position while maintaining their relative positions according to the playback status of the music piece being played on DECK1. That is, a bar, which is an image showing the current playback position, is displayed fixedly, and the waveform of the song reserved on DECK2 is displayed on the display, shifting relative to the image showing the current playback position according to the current playback position. As a result, for the second song to be played on DECK2, the waveform is displayed shifting from a playback position temporally earlier than the set mixing position or playback start position, achieving the same effect as the above example. In addition, in the above example, when a reservation is executed, the waveform of the song is moved and displayed from the state before playback due to the reservation execution (playback with audio output) begins, but by allowing the user to specify whether or not to display in this manner, user convenience can be further improved.

[0036] <Display format> In order to allow the user to easily grasp the status of reservation settings and the status of reservation execution, the display control unit 131 may be configured to display at least one of the following elements included in the display screen in a different display format, i.e., to change the display format of the waveform: For example, the display form of the waveform may be different between a song that has been reserved and other songs that require manual playback. Also, for example, the display form of the waveform may be different between a song that is the subject of reservation setting and other songs. Also, for example, as described above, when the playback position of a part in the middle of the second song is set as the mixing position or playback start position, the display form of the waveform may be different between the part that has been reserved and the other part. In other words, when the current playback position reaches the mixing position or the playback start position, the display control unit 131 may change the display form of the waveform and display it on the display 110. The display mode may be changed by changing at least one of the following: type of display color, shade of display color, color display or monochrome display, type of background color, shade of background color, presence or absence of background color, blinking pattern, blinking or non-blinking, etc.

[0037] 2 to 5, the display on the display 110 in which the user's viewing area is rectangular has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, FIG. 7A, and FIG. 7B, the present invention can be similarly applied to the display 510 in which the user's viewing area is circular. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a reservation setting screen for mixing corresponding to FIG. 4 described above, and FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B are diagrams showing an example of a reservation execution screen for mixing corresponding to FIG. 5 described above. The display 510 in which the user's viewing area is circular is, for example, a display provided in the center of a jog dial of a DJ device. Such a display 510 generally has a narrower viewing area than the display 110 in which the user's viewing area is rectangular, so the information displayed may be limited. The present invention can also be similarly applied to displays in which the user's viewing area is other than rectangular or circular.

[0038] The reservation setting screen shown in FIG. 6 includes a display area 601 corresponding to the display area 301 described with reference to FIG. Display area 601, like display area 301 in FIG. 4, includes a waveform E31 of the entire song or a portion of it being played on DECK1, a waveform E32 of the entire song or a portion of it to be played on DECK2, a bar E33 which is an image indicating the mixing position, and a bar E34 which is an image indicating the current playback position. The pointer 602 rotates clockwise in synchronization with the record rotation speed (e.g., 33 RPM for an LP record) according to the playback status of the music data, based on the beat position information of the music being played on DECK1. The display area 603 displays information about the music being played on DECK1. In the example of FIG. 6, various information is exemplified, such as a deck number display, artwork display, a key change amount display showing the amount of change between the key of the original music and the current key, a BPM display, and a playback speed display. In the display area 604, information about the playback status is displayed. In the example of FIG. 6, various information is exemplified, such as a playback time display, an operation display, and a synchronization status display of DECK1 and DECK2.

[0039] In the display area 601 of the reservation setting screen, the display control unit 131, like the display area 301 in FIG. 4, displays a bar E33, which is an image indicating the mixing position, fixed at a predetermined position for the music being played, and displays a waveform E31 by moving it left and right (in the direction of the arrow A3) according to a user operation, rather than the current playback position, based on the fixedly displayed bar E33. Then, the bar E34 indicating the current playback position is displayed by moving it according to the playback status. As a result, for the music being played on DECK1, the bar E34 indicating the current playback position is displayed by moving it according to the playback status relative to the waveform E31, so that the user can grasp the playback status of the music even during reservation setting. On the other hand, for the song being played on DECK2, a waveform E32 is displayed by moving left and right (in the direction of arrow A4) in response to user operation, rather than the current playback position, based on a fixedly displayed bar E33.

[0040] The user can set the mixing position by, for example, moving the waveforms E31 and E32 of each song in the display area 601 left and right and aligning them with the bar E33 indicating the mixing position, by user operation via the operation unit 120. Also, if a CUE POINT is set in the songs to be mixed, the mixing position may be set by aligning the CUE POINT with the bar E33. As described above, even on display 510, which has a circular area visible to the user, it is possible to display a reservation setting screen similar to that on display 110, which has a rectangular area visible to the user.

[0041] In the example of Fig. 6, display area 601 corresponding to display area 301 is illustrated, but two or more screens with different waveform magnification ratios may be displayed in parallel, or may be displayed by switching between them. For example, a screen corresponding to display area 601 in Fig. 6 and a screen corresponding to display area 302 in Fig. 4 may be displayed by switching between them. Alternatively, only one of them may be displayed. Furthermore, the magnification ratio of each screen and the switching between each screen may be set according to a user operation via operation unit 120.

[0042] The reservation execution screen shown in FIG. 7A includes a display area 701 corresponding to the display area 401 described with reference to FIG. Display area 701, like display area 401 in FIG. 5, includes a waveform E41 of the entire song or a portion of it being played on DECK1, a waveform E42 of the entire song or a portion of it that has been reserved on DECK2, a bar E43 that is an image indicating the current playback position, and a bar E44 that is an image indicating the set mixing position. The pointer 702, the display area 703, and the display area 704 are similar to the pointer 602, the display area 603, and the display area 604 described in FIG.

[0043] In the display area 701 of the reservation execution screen, the display control unit 131, like the display area 401 in Fig. 5, displays a bar E43, which is an image indicating the current playback position, at a fixed position for the music being played on DECK1, and moves and displays a waveform E41 to the left of the screen (in the direction of arrow A7) according to the current playback position based on the fixedly displayed bar E43. At this time, the bar E44 indicating the mixing position is also displayed and moved to the left of the screen (in the direction of arrow A7) in the same way as the waveform E41 according to the current playback position. As a result, since the waveform E41 of the music being played is displayed and moved according to the playback status, the user can grasp the current playback position of the music and can simultaneously grasp the playback start position for which mixing has been set. On the other hand, for a song that has been reserved, the waveform 42 is moved leftward on the screen (in the direction of arrow A8) based on the bar E43, which is an image indicating the current playback position, and displayed. At this time, the display control unit 131 moves the waveform 41 of the song being played on DECK1, the bar E48, which is an image indicating the mixing position, and the waveform E42 of the song that has been reserved on DECK2, while maintaining their relative positions, according to the playback status of the song being played on DECK1.

[0044] Note that, in the example of Fig. 7A, as in the example of Fig. 5, an example is shown in which the beginning of the second music piece to be played on DECK2 in the reservation setting is set as the playback start position. Therefore, the display control unit 131 displays the waveform E42 of the second music piece, which is later in time than the bar E43, which is an image indicating the current playback position, by moving it from a position on the right side of the screen toward the bar E43, which is an image indicating the current playback position. In other words, on the display screen, the waveform E42 of the reserved music piece is displayed as if it were starting to play from the negative side. As described above, even on display 510, which has a circular area visible to the user, it is possible to display a reservation execution screen similar to that on display 110, which has a rectangular area visible to the user.

[0045] In addition, in the example of Fig. 7A, display area 701 corresponding to display area 401 is illustrated, but two or more screens with different waveform magnification ratios may be displayed in parallel, or may be displayed by switching between them. For example, a screen corresponding to display area 701 in Fig. 7A and a screen corresponding to only display area 402 in Fig. 5 may be displayed by switching between them. Also, a configuration in which only one of them is displayed may be used. Furthermore, the magnification ratio of each screen and the switching between each screen may be set according to a user operation via operation unit 120.

[0046] As described above, the display 510, which has a circular viewing area for the user, generally has a smaller display area than the display 110, which has a rectangular viewing area for the user, and therefore the visibility of the user may be reduced. Therefore, a configuration may be adopted in which supplemental information is further displayed. For example, in the example described in Fig. 7A, when displaying waveform E42 of a reserved song as if it were being played starting from the negative side, a display area 701A may be further provided that displays in text the time required to reach the playback start position, as shown in Fig. 7B. By configuring in this way, even if the display area is relatively narrow, it is possible to supplement the user's visibility. Note that a display area that displays in text the time required to reach the playback start position may also be provided in the display 110, in which the user's viewing area is rectangular as described in Fig. 5.

[0047] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of each unit in a display related to mixing. 8, first, the display control unit 131 causes the display 110 to display a normal playback screen (step S101). Then, during normal playback, the display control unit 131 determines whether or not a user operation indicating a reservation setting has been performed via the operation unit 120 (step S102), and if it determines that a user operation indicating a reservation setting has not been performed even after a predetermined time has elapsed (step S102 NO), the process proceeds to step S105, which will be described later. On the other hand, when it is determined that a user operation indicating reservation setting has been performed (step S102 YES), the display control unit 131 causes a reservation setting screen to be displayed on the display 110 (step S103). That is, the display control unit 131 causes the display content of the display 110 to transition from the playback screen to the reservation setting screen.

[0048] Next, it is determined whether or not a user operation indicating completion of the reservation setting has been performed via the operation unit 120 (step S104), and if it is determined that a user operation indicating completion of the reservation setting has been performed (step S104 YES), it is determined whether or not reservation execution has started (step S105).

[0049] If it is determined that the reservation execution has not started even after the predetermined time has elapsed (step S105 NO), the process returns to step S101. On the other hand, when it is determined that the reservation execution has started (step S105 YES), the display control unit 131 causes the display 110 to display a reservation execution screen (step S106). That is, the display control unit 131 causes the display content of the display 110 to transition from the playback screen or the reservation setting screen to a reservation execution screen.

[0050] Then, it is determined whether or not the reservation execution has been completed (step S107), and if it is determined that the reservation execution has been completed (step S107 YES), the process returns to step S101, and the display control unit 131 causes the display 110 to display the normal playback screen again. That is, the display control unit 131 causes the display content of the display 110 to return to the playback screen. Moreover, when it is determined that the reservation execution has not started even after a predetermined time has elapsed (step S105 NO), the process returns to step S101, and the display control unit 131 causes the display 110 to display the normal playback screen again. That is, the display control unit 131 maintains the display content of the display 110 as the playback screen.

[0051] After the reservation setting is completed, the process returns to step S101 before the reservation execution starts, and when the display control unit 131 causes the display 110 to display the normal playback screen again, the display content of the display 110 transitions from the reservation setting screen to the normal playback screen. As a result, the waveform of the song being played is displayed moving, while the waveforms of the other songs are displayed fixedly, allowing the user to intuitively grasp the flow of the song being played. Also, when the process returns to step S101 after the reservation execution is completed and the display control unit 131 causes the display 110 to display the normal playback screen again, the display content of the display 110 transitions from the reservation execution screen to the normal playback screen. As a result, the waveform of the music being played is displayed moving, while the waveforms of the other music are displayed fixedly, so that the user can intuitively understand that the music being played is flowing. At this time, the display form of the waveform may be changed between the part where the reservation execution has been completed and the other parts. In addition, the above example shows how to set up and execute a reservation for mixing a song to be played on DECK2 with a song currently playing on DECK1, but the same applies when mixing a song to be played on DECK1 with a song currently playing on DECK2.

[0052] According to one embodiment of the present invention as described above, with regard to mixing of a first song and a second song, the system includes a reservation unit 132 that sets the playback start position (mixing position) of the second song, and a display control unit 131 that displays on the display 110 a first screen including an image showing the current playback position and time information of the playback start position for the song for which the playback start position has been set, and moves the image showing the time information of the playback start position based on the image showing the current playback position. Therefore, it is possible to provide an audio device, program, and control method that are capable of executing mixing that is easy for the user to use. In the past, it was difficult to grasp the status of reservation settings and reservation execution until the reservation execution actually started, which sometimes caused anxiety for users. However, according to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to visually and easily present to the user whether or not a reservation has been set, the contents of the reservation setting, and the status of reservation execution.

[0053] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the image showing the time information of the playback start position includes the music waveform of the second music piece, so that by changing whether or not to move the music waveform and how to move it, it is possible to visually and simply present the reservation setting status and reservation execution status to the user.

[0054] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the reservation unit 132 can set the playback start position of the second song while the first song is being played. Therefore, in response to modern user demands such as mixing songs of various genres or with significantly different BPMs, no prior preparation is required and improvisational mixing is possible. Furthermore, even during playback of a song, highly immediate mixing can be achieved without interrupting the playback.

[0055] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a first screen regarding reservation execution and a second screen regarding reservation setting by the reservation unit 132 are switched and displayed on the display 110. Therefore, even if a song is being played, a reservation can be set without interrupting the playback, which is useful for supporting a user's DJ play, etc.

[0056] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the display control unit 131 moves the song waveform of the second song in accordance with the current playback position on the first screen related to reservation execution and displays it on the display 110, and moves the song waveforms of the first song and the second song based on a user operation on the second screen related to reservation setting and displays them on the display 110. Therefore, by changing the way the song waveforms are displayed, it is possible to present the reservation setting status and reservation execution status to the user and optimize user operations.

[0057] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, when the playback start position set for the second music piece is passed during playback, the display control unit 131 changes the display format of the image showing time information on the first screen related to the reservation execution and displays it on the display 110. This makes it possible to visually and simply present the completion of reservation execution to the user.

[0058] In the above embodiment, a series of processes from generating an audio signal by the decoding process by the first playback unit 133 and the second playback unit 134 to outputting the audio signal as audio information from the audio output unit 150 has been described as "playback", but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the present invention can be similarly applied even if the processes from generating an audio signal by the decoding process by the first playback unit 133 and the second playback unit 134 are defined as "playback".

[0059] In the above embodiment, the image showing the time information of a song is illustrated by a song waveform, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the image showing the time information of a song may be a bar showing the playback position, a number display image, or a combination of these.

[0060] The display screens described in the above embodiment are merely examples, and the elements, designs, layouts, etc. are not limited to the present embodiment. The elements, designs, layouts, etc. of each display screen may be set by the user.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the acoustic device 100 including one display 110 has been described as an example, but the present invention may be applied to an acoustic device 100 including two or more display devices. For example, an acoustic device including the displays 510 described in Fig. 6, Fig. 7A, and Fig. 7B as sub-displays on each of DECK1 and DECK2 is conceivable.

[0062] Note that audio devices with the above-mentioned functions are not limited to DJ equipment and DJ applications, and the present invention may also be applied to music applications, streaming services using the Internet, etc. In such cases, the present invention can be applied to automatic playback using playlists, etc. In the above embodiment, a two-channel audio device having two decks, deck 1 and deck 2, has been described, but the same functions can be realized in, for example, a four-channel audio device. The present invention is not limited to DJ equipment, and can also be applied to audio devices such as general mixers and electronic musical instruments, as well as DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) and DTMs (Desk Top Music).

[0063] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to such an example. It is clear that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can come up with various modified or amended examples within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 100...acoustic device, 110...display, 120...operation section, 130...control section, 131...display control section, 132...reservation section, 133...first playback section, 134...second playback section, 140...music data storage section, 150...audio output section.

Claims

1. An audio device for mixing a first piece of music and a second piece of music, a reservation unit that sets a playback start position of the second music piece; an audio device comprising: a display control unit that, when a reservation set by the reservation unit is executed, displays on a display a first screen in which a first image indicating the playback status of the second song and time information about the playback start position is moved based on a second image indicating the current playback position.

2. The audio device according to claim 1 , wherein the first image includes a music waveform of the second music piece and an image indicating the playback start position arranged on the music waveform.

3. The audio device according to claim 1 , wherein the reservation section is capable of setting the playback start position of the second piece of music during playback of the first piece of music.

4. The audio device according to claim 1 , wherein the display control unit switches between the first screen and a second screen for setting the playback start position of the second song by the reservation unit, and displays them on the display.

5. The display control unit is on the first screen, the first image is moved and displayed on the display from before the current playback position of the second music piece reaches the playback start position; The audio device according to claim 4, wherein on the second screen, images indicating the playback status of the first song and the second song are moved and displayed on the display based on a user operation for the first song and the second song.

6. The audio device according to claim 1 , wherein the reservation section sets a mixing position of the first piece of music and the second piece of music, and sets the playback start position in accordance with the mixing position.

7. 7. The audio device of claim 1, wherein the display control unit displays the second image fixedly on the first screen and moves the first image relative to the second image according to the current playback position and displays it on the display.

8. The audio device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein when the current playback position reaches the playback start position during execution of a reservation set by the reservation unit, the display control unit changes the display format of an image among the first images on the first screen that indicates the playback status of the second song and displays it on the display.

9. A program configured to cause a computer to function as the acoustic device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. 1. A control method implemented by an audio device that mixes a first piece of music and a second piece of music, comprising: setting a playback start position of the second piece of music; A control method including a step of displaying on a display, when the set reservation is executed, a first screen in which a first image indicating the playback status of the second song and time information of the playback start position is moved based on a second image indicating the current playback position.

Images