Music – Accessories – Teaching devices
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-22
2001-01-23
Nappi, Robert E. (Department: 2837)
Music
Accessories
Teaching devices
C084S610000, C084S611000, C084S634000, C084S635000, C084S650000, C084S651000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06177623
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a music reproducing system having a function of accurately extracting a rhythm component of musical data upon reproduction thereof and changing a display figure of a character based on the extracted rhythm component.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are many personal computers and video game apparatuses provided with a device for reading a CD-ROM storing program codes and various data. Most of them can read a music CD storing musical data and reproduce music from the musical data.
Further, there have recently appeared video game apparatuses with a music reproducing function, wherein a character in a CG (computer graphic) image is displayed on a display screen and dances autonomously or via an external operation to the accompaniment of a rhythm of reproduced music, so that a game player can enjoy not only the reproduced music itself, but also visually.
For example, JP-A-10-99546 introduces a video dance game apparatus, wherein at least two dance players, i.e. characters, are displayed on a display screen, and a dance contest is carried out depending on a time difference between the timing at which dance technique data of each character is read out via an external operation and the timing at which beat information (information forming the basis of a rhythm of music) contained in dance music is produced. This video dance game apparatus can use only dance music as music (musical data) for extracting the beat therefrom.
In the foregoing video game apparatuses, beat extraction is implemented using a filter on the assumption that reproduced music is dance music so that the frequencies of an instrument beating a rhythm, i.e. the beat generation frequencies, are concentrated to a low frequency band, such as a drum sound. However, there is such dance music wherein the beat generation frequencies do not necessarily fall within the low frequency band. In this event, the accurate beat can not be extracted, thus resulting in lack of objectivity of a dance contest.
Further, in the conventional technique, it is not possible to accurately analyze the rhythm of music, other than dance music, reproduced from a commercial music CD wherein a variety of instruments beat the rhythm, for reflection upon a display figure of a character.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a music reproducing system which can accurately reflect a rhythm component contained in musical data upon a display figure of a character.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a rhythm analyzing method which can accurately analyze a rhythm component of musical data, regardless of a genre such as dance music.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a storage medium for realizing the foregoing music reproducing system on a computer.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a music reproducing system wherein a character is allocated in advance a favorite rhythm component and a display figure of the character on a screen is changed based on musical data, the system comprising frequency band identifying means for producing sound pressure data for each of a plurality of frequency bands from the musical data and for identifying, based on the sound pressure data for the plurality of frequency bands, one of the plurality of frequency bands which beats a rhythm most; rhythm estimating means for deriving a changing period of a sound pressure component from the sound pressure data for the identified frequency band and for estimating a rhythm component of the sound pressure data for the identified frequency band based on the derived changing period; and control means for changing the display figure of the character according to a matching degree between the estimated rhythm component and the favorite rhythm component.
It may be arranged that the musical data is stored in a portable storage medium and the frequency band identifying means is activated when the musical data is read into the music reproducing system from the portable storage medium.
It may be arranged that the rhythm estimating means derives the changing period by applying an FFT process to the sound pressure data for the identified frequency band, superimposes auxiliary data having a period integer times the changing period onto the sound pressure data for the identified frequency band so as to suppress components other than the rhythm component, and applies an inverse FFT process to the sound pressure data superimposed with the auxiliary data so as to estimate the rhythm component.
It may be arranged that the rhythm estimating means verifies whether the changing period is correct and, when the changing period is verified to be correct, the rhythm estimating means outputs the rhythm component for a predetermined time.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a music reproducing system connected to a display unit and provided with music inputting means and music reproducing means, the system comprising first storing means for storing a favorite rhythm component for each of characters; second storing means for storing a figure expressing ability for each of the characters, the figure expressing ability used for expressing a display figure of the corresponding character to be displayed on a screen of the display unit: frequency band identifying means for producing sound pressure data for each of a plurality of frequency bands from musical data inputted via the music inputting means, and for identifying, based on the sound pressure data for the plurality of frequency bands, one of the plurality of frequency bands which beats a rhythm most; rhythm estimating means for deriving a changing period of a sound pressure component from the sound pressure data for the identified frequency band and for estimating a rhythm component of the sound pressure data for the identified frequency band based on the derived changing period; and control means for causing one of the characters to be displayed on the screen of the display unit, reading the favorite rhythm component of the one of the characters from the first storing means, updating the figure expressing ability of the one of the characters stored in the second storing means according to a matching degree between the favorite rhythm component read from the first storing means and the rhythm component estimated by the rhythm estimating means, and changing the display figure of the displayed character based on the updated figure expressing ability to the accompaniment of the musical data reproduced by the music reproducing means.
It may be arranged that the control means updates the figure expressing ability of the displayed character so as to be cumulatively increased every time musical data containing the favorite rhythm component is reproduced.
It may be arranged that the music reproducing system further comprises background image control means for changing a background image of the displayed character according to the figure expressing ability.
It may be arranged that the second storing means is an exchangeable nonvolatile storage medium.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rhythm analyzing method to be implemented in an apparatus which displays a character allocated in advance a favorite rhythm component on a screen based on a rhythm component of musical data reproduced, the method comprising the steps of producing sound pressure data for each of a plurality of frequency bands from the musical data, and identifying, based on the sound pressure data for the plurality of frequency bands, one of the plurality of frequency bands which beats a rhythm most; deriving a changing period of a sound pressure component from the sound pressure data for the identified frequency band, and estimating a rhythm component of the sound pressure data for the identified frequency band based on the derived changing period; and reflecting a matching degree between the estimated rhythm compon
Bachman & LaPointe, P. C.
Fletcher Marlon T.
Konami Co. Ltd.
Nappi Robert E.
LandOfFree
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