Music – Instruments – Electrical musical tone generation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-07
2001-08-28
Witkowski, Stanley J. (Department: 2837)
Music
Instruments
Electrical musical tone generation
C084S645000, C084S668000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06281424
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a supply medium, more particularly to an information processing apparatus and an information processing method, which can change the tempo of audio information synchronously with changes of tempo (speed of a tune) for an instrumental accompaniment composed of MIDI (Musical Instruments Digital Interface) information, as well as a supply medium.
2. Background of the Invention
The official gazette of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.8-234791 has disclosed a musical reproducing apparatus, which can change the tempo of a chorus synchronously with changes of the tempo for an instrumental accompaniment composed of MIDI information without any change of pitches (frequencies). Hereunder, this apparatus will be described with reference to FIG.
20
.
The user enters the tempo of a tune from a tempo input block
101
. The tempo input block
101
then supplies a tempo change signal corresponding to the entered tempo to the MIDI reproducing block
101
and the chorus reproducing block
103
.
The MIDI reproducing block
102
is composed of an accompaniment reproducing block
111
and the accompaniment reproducing block
111
reproduces supplied accompaniment music information (MIDI information), thereby generating accompaniment music signals. The generated accompaniment music signals are supplied to a mixer
104
.
The chorus reproducing block
103
is composed of an expanding block
121
, a periodicity analyzer
122
, a unit periodic data memory
123
, and a chorus expanding/thinning-out block
124
.
The expanding block
121
expands chorus information compressed with the use of, for example, such a data compression method as MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) to audio signals encoded with the PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) method. Decoded chorus information is then supplied to both periodicity analyzer
122
and chorus expanding/thinning-out block
124
.
The periodicity analyzer
122
recognizes strong periodicity in the supplied chorus information and extracts one strong period therefrom. The extracted unit periodic data is supplied to the unit periodic data memory
123
and stored there. The stored unit periodic data is read and supplied to the chorus expanding/thinning-out block
124
as needed.
The chorus expanding/thinning-out block
124
generates reproduction chorus signals from chorus information according to the tempo change signal and the unit periodic data supplied respectively. For example, when no tempo is changed, the chorus expanding/thinning-out block
124
outputs supplied chorus information as audio signals without adding any data to nor thinning out any part from the supplied information. If the tempo change signal specifies acceleration of the tempo, however, the chorus expanding/thinning-out block
124
thins out the number of unit periodic data items corresponding to the specified acceleration from the strong periodicity part of the information so as to speed up the tempo. On the contrary, if the tempo change signal specifies slow-down of the tempo, the chorus expanding/thinning-out block
124
adds the number of unit periodic data items corresponding to the specified slowdown to the strong periodicity part of the information so as to slow down the tempo. The tempo of the chorus can thus be changed following up with the change of the accompaniment music without changing pitches of the chorus.
The mixer
104
mixes supplied accompaniment music signals with chorus signals. The mixed signals are then supplied to the amplifier
105
. The amplifier
105
mixes the supplied signals with singing voices entered via a microphone
107
, then outputs the mixed signals as sounds from a speaker.
In such an information reproducing apparatus as described above, however, characteristics of chorus signals are used to change a tempo. This is why the apparatus, which has not coped with other signals, has been not applied to those signals.
Furthermore, the above apparatus has also been confronted with a problem that a delay time from an accompaniment music is generated if a long time is taken for decoding chorus information, as well as for changing a tempo.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Under such circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a general-purpose information processing apparatus, which can cope with changes of the tempo of audio information synchronously with changes of the tempo of an accompaniment music composed of MIDI information, as well as a method of compensating for such a delay time to be generated when in reproducing audio information.
As described above, according to the information processing apparatus in accordance with claim
1
, the information processing method in accordance with claim
3
, and the supply medium in accordance with claim
4
, because a delay time generated until entered change information of a musical element is reflected in a MIDI audio signal and the audio signal is compensated, the MIDI audio signal and the audio signal can be synchronized with each other accurately.
The information processing apparatus in accordance with claim
1
, which is used for reproducing both MIDI playing information and audio information, comprises MIDI reproducing means for reproducing MIDI music playing information; audio reproducing means for reproducing audio information synchronously with a sync signal generated by the MIDI reproducing means; input means for inputting change information of a musical element when in reproducing; compensating means for compensating for a delay time taken until change information entered to the input means is reflected in a MIDI audio signal output from the MIDI reproducing means, as well as a delay time taken until the change information is reflected in an audio signal output from the audio reproducing means; and mixing means for mixing the MIDI audio signal with the audio signal.
The information processing method in accordance with claim
3
, which is used for the above information processing apparatus for reproducing both MIDI playing information and audio information, includes a MIDI reproducing step for reproducing MIDI playing information; an audio reproducing step for reproducing audio information synchronously with a sync signal generated in the MIDI reproducing step; an input step for inputting change information of a musical element when in reproducing; a compensating step for compensating for a delay time taken until change information entered in the input step is reflected in a MIDI audio signal output from the MIDI reproducing means, as well as a delay time taken until the change information is reflected in an audio signal output in the audio reproducing step; and a mixing step for mixing the MIDI audio signal with the audio signal.
The supply medium in accordance with claim
4
, which supplies a program readable by a computer that instructs the above information processing apparatus to execute processes in a MIDI reproducing step for reproducing MIDI playing information; an audio reproducing step for reproducing audio information synchronously with a sync signal generated in the MIDI reproducing step; an input step for inputting change information of a musical element when in reproducing; a compensating step for compensating for a delay time generated until change information entered in the input step is reflected in a MIDI audio signal output from the MIDI reproducing means, as well as a delay time generated until the change information is reflected in an audio signal output in the audio reproducing step; and a mixing step for mixing the MIDI audio signal with the audio signal.
In the information processing apparatus in accordance with claim
1
, the MIDI reproducing means reproduces MIDI playing information, the audio reproducing means reproduces audio information synchronously with a sync signal generated by the MIDI reproducing means, the input means receives change information of a musical element when in reproducing, the compensating means
Imai Kenichi
Koike Takashi
Tsuji Minoru
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal
Sony Corporation
Witkowski Stanley J.
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