Music Content Analysis Using Temporal Envelope Percussiveness

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for searching and categorizing music content items based on acoustic features are inadequate, as they rely on low-level features that fail to effectively match user preferences and cannot accurately distinguish between different genres and moods.

Innovation Solution

A method that determines a percussiveness measure of a content item by analyzing its temporal envelope, allowing for better genre and mood detection, and uses this measure to search for similar songs or adjust audio dynamics, incorporating features like tempo and instrument characteristics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If low-level acoustic features are used for searching and categorizing music content items, then the method is simple to implement, but the search accuracy and ability to match user preferences deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of implementationVSAvoidsearch accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the music content analysis into multiple hierarchical levels: low-level acoustic features (basic signal processing), mid-level features (temporal envelope characteristics, spectral features), and high-level semantic features (genre, mood, instrumentation). This segmentation allows the system to use simple low-level features for basic operations while incorporating more complex features for improved search accuracy without requiring all features to be processed simultaneously, thus maintaining implementation feasibility while enhancing performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite feature representation by combining multiple types of features (acoustic, temporal envelope, spectral, and semantic features) into a unified content description. This composite approach allows the system to leverage the strengths of each feature type, achieving superior search accuracy and user preference matching while maintaining a modular architecture that preserves ease of implementation through standardized feature extraction pipelines.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Measurement precision

If more detailed acoustic features are analyzed to improve search accuracy, then the ability to match user preferences improves, but the computational complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesearch accuracyVSAvoidcomputational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary extraction and organization of acoustic features during content ingestion, pre-computing temporal envelope characteristics, spectral features, and other detailed attributes and storing them in an optimized format. This preliminary action allows the search system to retrieve and compare pre-processed features during query operations, significantly reducing real-time computational complexity while maintaining high search accuracy and detailed feature analysis capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different levels of feature analysis to different parts of the music content based on local characteristics. For example, it identifies specific time segments with particular instrumental or vocal characteristics and applies targeted feature extraction only to those segments. This local quality approach reduces overall computational complexity by avoiding uniform high-level analysis of entire tracks, while still achieving high search accuracy through focused analysis of relevant portions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If low-level features are used for content grouping, then the processing speed is fast, but the ability to distinguish between different genres and moods deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing speedVSAvoidgenre and mood discrimination accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a dynamic feature analysis system that adapts the level of feature extraction based on the processing stage and query requirements. During initial content ingestion and bulk processing, it uses faster low-level features for preliminary grouping. During search and recommendation operations, it dynamically activates more detailed temporal envelope and spectral feature analysis to improve genre and mood discrimination. This dynamic approach optimizes processing speed for routine operations while ensuring high discrimination accuracy when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extends the feature space by adding temporal envelope dimensionality to the traditional acoustic feature set. By analyzing the temporal evolution of spectral features and envelope characteristics, the system gains an additional dimensional perspective that significantly improves genre and mood discrimination capability. This dimensional extension allows the system to maintain efficient processing through optimized feature representations while achieving superior discrimination accuracy in the enhanced feature space.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP1891548B1Method and electronic device for determining a characteristic of a content item
Publication Date: 2017.04.26 KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV
  • EP1891548B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP1891548B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~4
  • EP1891548B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The method of determining a characteristic of a content item comprises the steps of selecting ( 1 ) data representative of a plurality of sounds from the content item, determining (3) a characteristic of each of the plurality of sounds by analyzing said data, each characteristic representing a temporal aspect of an amplitude of one of the plurality of sounds, and determining (5) the characteristic of the content item based on the plurality of determined characteristics. The characteristic of the content item and/or a genre and/or mood based on the characteristic of the content item may be associated with the content item as an attribute value. If the content item is part of a collection of content items, the attribute value can be used in a method of searching for a content item in the collection of content items. The electronic device of the invention comprises electronic circuitry. The electronic circuitry is operative to perform one or both methods of the invention.