Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Input/output data processing – Input/output command process
Reexamination Certificate
1997-08-06
2002-09-10
Gaffin, Jeffrey (Department: 2182)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Input/output data processing
Input/output command process
C713S002000, C713S100000, C345S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06449661
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a processing apparatus for processing data including a sequence constituted by time-sequential event data and a script indicating a rewriting procedure for rewriting the time-sequential event data.
For a format of time-sequential event data, AIFF is known. For example, in the field of music, this AIFF is applied to a standard MIDI file (hereafter referred to as an SMF). MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. MIDI isa standard established for interconnecting different musical instruments or a sequencer, a computer, a lighting control, a mixer, and so on for music information exchange. SMF is a file format designed for recording and storing event information to be exchanged real-time by MIDI with a time stamp attached.
With SMF, which is currently in wide use, only a primitive MIDI event sequence can be stored and transferred. It is hence difficult for SMF to transfer complex information such as a musical structure and a quantitative parameter varying with time during music performance. Such information can only be stored in a format unique to sequencer software.
Consequently, it has been impossible to transfer sophisticated information such as a temporal position of event data and time-variable data. To solve this problem, introduction of a new format may be desired. This, however, gives rise to a new problem of incompatibility with the conventional formats.
Application of delicate music expression to performance data is generally practiced. To do this by means of SMF, it is required to manually apply expression to each note event, making the work complicated and hence taking a lot of time. Moreover, the application of the music expression is often repetition of typical procedures. Nevertheless, the prior art requires to apply expression one by one even for these typical procedures.
In creating MIDI performance data, a user sets a variety of parameters such that optimum sound can be obtained from a sound source being used. If the performance data thus created is supplied to another sound source of a different type, it is likely that the performance data is reproduced from another sound source as unnatural sounds. Further, a template that provides a typical performance pattern is routinely utilized. However, SMF cannot modify the contents of the template, thereby causing a problem in flexibility. Further, SMF cannot group a plurality of music sequences, making it inconvenient to hold templates. Therefore, there is no means but to place the templates in an additional track that cannot be used for regular sounding.
SMF data can be recorded on a plurality of tracks. However, since these tracks are fixed to start at the same point of time, the degree of freedom of editing is limited. This problem becomes especially conspicuous when a plurality of music pieces are edited altogether.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a data processing apparatus for defining a data structure constituted by time-sequential event data and a script for indicating a rewriting procedure for rewriting this time-sequential event data to transfer sophisticated information such as a complex data structure and a time-variable profile curve, and to provide a recording medium on which the defined data structure is recorded.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a data processing apparatus for processing hyper data composed of a script for repeating a typical procedure and time-sequential events, and to provide a recording medium on which the data composed of the script and the time-sequential events is recorded.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a data processing apparatus for processing data composed of a script for rewriting time-sequential event data suitably for sound sources of different types, and to provide a recording medium on which the data composed of the script and the time-sequential events is recorded.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a data processing apparatus for selectively processing time-sequential event data by execution of a script.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a data processing apparatus for processing a package capable of grouping a plurality of sequences each composed of a script and events.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a data processing apparatus for processing time-sequential data capable of representing time-variable continuous data in terms of discrete data, and to provide a recording medium on which the time-sequential data is recorded.
It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide a data processing apparatus for representing time-variable continuous data by using discrete data for facilitating the processing of the time-variable continuous data.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a data processing apparatus for enhancing degree of freedom of editing by placing a script in a package capable of storing a plurality of event data sequences, thereby providing a plug-in module capability.
It is a still additional object of the present invention to provide a data processing apparatus for sharing event data and scripts between a plurality of packages by arranging these packages in order.
It is a yet additional object of the present invention to provide a data processing apparatus for providing flexible usage of scripts among packages.
It is a separate object of the present invention to provide a data processing apparatus for realizing compatibility between data in a conventional format and data in a new format capable of transferring sophisticated information, and to provide a recording medium on which data is recorded in the new format.
In a first aspect of the invention, a data processing apparatus comprises an input that provides a sequence composed of events and a script, the events being data determining time-sequential occurrence of multimedia matter, while the script being a program modifying the time-sequential occurrence of multimedia matter, a processor operative when reference is made to the provided sequence for executing the script to rewrite the events, and an output that provides the sequence containing the rewritten events in response to the reference for modifying the time-sequential occurrence of the multimedia matter.
Preferably, the input affixes an identification code to an event for discriminating from each other, and the processor discriminatively processes the events according to the identification code during the course of execution of the script.
Preferably, the input provides a curve sequence containing a discrete series of events each being data determining a pair of a time and a value such that the curve sequence represents a time-variation of the multimedia matter, and the processor rewrites the value of each event so as to modify the time-variation of the multimedia matter. In such case, the processor interpolates the value between successive events during execution of the script so as to convert the discrete series of the events into a continuous series of the events.
Preferably, the input provides a music sequence composed of music events determining time-sequential occurrence of music notes as one form of the multimedia matter.
Preferably, the processor comprises a separator for separating the events and the script from each other which are initially bound to each other to compose the sequence, an interpreter for interpreting the separated script to produce an executable program, and a rewriter for executing the program to rewrite the separated events.
In a second aspect of the invention, a data processing apparatus comprises an input that provides a plurality of sequences each being composed of events which are data determining time-sequential occurrence of multimedia matter, one of the sequences containing a link event which is a secondary reference to another sequence, a processor operative when a primary reference is made to said one of the se
Elamin Abdelmoniem
Gaffin Jeffrey
Rossi & Associates
Yamaha Corporation
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