Audio Fast-Forward Playback Using Beat Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing audio playback technologies that enable fast-forward playback distort musical pitches and tones as playback speed increases, limiting the usability of fast-forward functions.
Innovation Solution
An audio player and method that utilize beat data to determine playback and non-playback portions of a music piece, allowing for increased playback speed while maintaining acoustic output that is not detached from the original music, by skipping non-playback portions and focusing on playback portions aligned with the rhythm.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If audio signals are thinned out in units of samples or blocks to increase playback speed, then playback speed is improved, but musical pitches and tones are significantly distorted
Solution Approach 1:
The audio signal is segmented into frames, and within each frame, only certain samples are selected for playback based on the fast-forward rate. This segmentation allows systematic thinning of samples while maintaining musical structure integrity, resolving the contradiction between speed increase and pitch accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies periodic sampling selection where every nth sample is played back according to the fast-forward rate. This periodic action creates a regular playback pattern that maintains rhythmic structure and musical pitch relationships even at increased playback speeds.
2Productivity
If playback speed is increased using conventional fast-forward methods, then playback efficiency is improved, but the music piece becomes fragmented and unrecognizable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary analysis to identify beat positions and structural information of the music piece before fast-forward playback. This preliminary action enables the system to preserve key musical elements during accelerated playback, maintaining music piece recognizability while improving playback efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from beat detection and musical structure analysis to dynamically adjust which samples are selected during fast-forward playback. This feedback mechanism ensures that musically significant portions are preserved, preventing fragmentation and maintaining music piece recognition.
3Loss of information
If all audio data is played back continuously, then music piece recognition is maintained, but playback speed cannot be increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and plays back only the essential samples that carry musical information, removing redundant samples during fast-forward playback. This extraction approach maintains music piece recognition by preserving key musical elements while enabling increased playback speed through selective sample playback.
Data Source
AI summary
Audio data to be played back is associated with meta data indicating the timing of beat that serves as a basis for a rhythm of a music piece. In a fast-forward playback mode, the associated meta data is read. A portion of the audio data containing the timing of beat is determined as a playback portion A and the remaining portion in a beat-to-beat interval C is determined as a non-playback portion B. Only the playback portion A is sequentially played back and output. The relative duration of a playback portion A and a non-playback portion B is determined according to a playback speed required in fast-forward playback.