Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Condition indicating – monitoring – or testing – Including radiation storage or retrieval
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-07
2003-09-09
Tran, Thang V. (Department: 2653)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Condition indicating, monitoring, or testing
Including radiation storage or retrieval
C084S611000, C084S612000, C369S053440, C369S047160
Reexamination Certificate
active
06618336
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reproducing apparatus in which, for example, a predetermined sound source is superimposed according to a reproduced audio signal level, a tempo of a reproduced music is detected according to an envelope of the reproduced audio signal to change animation representation in synchronism with the detected tempo, a rhythm box is reproduced in synchronism with the detected tempo and a sound field is automatically selected and synthesized corresponding to the detected tempo.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an audio system including a compact disc (hereinafter referred to as CD: registered mark) player, a mini disc (hereinafter referred to as MD: registered mark) player, a recorder, a tuner, an amplifier, a speaker and the like has been known.
In such an audio system, when an audio signal recorded in the CD or MD is reproduced, usually, a user himself/herself plays a rhythm box or a drum pad and mixes that produced rhythm with a reproduced audio signal to perform the reproduction.
In the conventional audio system, the audio signal recorded in the CD or MD is divided into a plurality of bands and levels thereof are indicated in a belt-like form on a liquid crystal display.
The above mentioned belt-like level indication is generally carried out in a so-called spectrum analyzer style, in which the audio electric signal is divided into respective frequency bands and an amplitude of each frequency band is indicated by level so as to make it possible to see a basic wave of the waveform, distribution and amplitude of harmonic components on a display screen.
However, first, the conventional audio system has a problem that since the user himself mixes a sound from a rhythm box or a drum pad with a reproduced audio signal by his operation, the rhythm may deviate and further the sound from the rhythm box or drum pad cannot be mixed with every genre of music.
Secondly, a conventional reproduction apparatus has a problem that because the spectrum analyzer indication thereof can only indicate an instantaneous sound level, an interactive indication corresponding to a music genre is impossible.
Thirdly, because the user himself mixes a sound from a rhythm box or a drum pad with a reproduced audio signal by his operation, if the tempo of audio sound to be reproduced signal is changed, it is difficult to follow that change. Further, because it is difficult for the user to recognize the tempo of reproduced music, it is very hard for him to mix a sound from the rhythm box or drum pad corresponding to the music tempo.
Fourthly, because the user has to determine the genre of audio sound to be reproduced himself and set its original sound field by a complicated manual operation, an optimum sound field cannot be always set corresponding to every genre of music.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, to solve the first problem described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a reproducing apparatus capable of mixing a sound from a rhythm box or a drum pad to meet every genre of music.
To achieve the above object, from a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a reproducing apparatus comprising: a band dividing means for dividing an input audio signal to a plurality of bands; an envelope detecting means for detecting an envelope value at each band divided by the band dividing means; a first memory means for holding an envelope value detected by the envelope detecting means for each band; a second memory means for holding the envelope value stored in the first memory means by shift in time series; an operation means for calculating a difference value between a previous envelope value held in the second memory means and a present envelope value held by the first memory means at every band; a sound source generating means for generating a plurality of effect sounds; and a sound source generation control means for switching a sound source generated by the sound source generating means based on the difference value calculated by the operation means.
Further, to solve the second problem described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a reproducing apparatus capable of displaying interactively corresponding to every genre of music. To achieve the above object, from a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a reproducing apparatus comprising: a band dividing means for dividing an input audio signal to a plurality of bands; an envelope detecting means for detecting an envelope value at every band divided by the band dividing means; a first memory means for holding an envelope value detected by the envelope detecting means at every band; a second memory means for holding the envelope value stored in the first memory means by shift in time series; an operation means for calculating a difference value between a present envelope value stored in the first memory means and a previous envelope value stored in the second memory means at every band; an image memory means for storing a plurality of display patterns; a display means for displaying a display pattern read out from the image memory means; and an image memory means control means for switching a display pattern generated from the image memory means based on a difference value calculated by the operation means.
Still further, to solve the third problem described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a reproducing apparatus in which a mixing of a sound from a rhythm box or a drum box corresponding to music of every genre is possible. To achieve the above object from a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a reproducing apparatus comprising: a band dividing means for dividing an input audio signal to a plurality of bands; an envelope detecting means for detecting an envelope value at every band divided by the band dividing means; a first memory means for holding an envelope value detected by the envelope detecting means at every band; a second memory means for holding an envelope value stored in the first memory means by shift in time series; an operation means for calculating a difference value between a present envelope value stored in the first memory means and a previous envelope value stored in the second memory means at every band; a tempo measuring means for measuring a tempo based on the difference value calculated by the operation means; a rhythm sound source generating means for generating a plurality of kinds of rhythm patterns; a synthesizing means for synthesizing the input audio signal with a rhythm pattern generated by the rhythm sound source generating means; and a rhythm sound source generation control means for synchronizing a rhythm sound source generated from the rhythm sound source generating means with the input audio signal based on the tempo information measured from the tempo measuring means.
Still further, to solve the fourth problem described above, an object of the invention is to provide a reproducing apparatus in which a sound field is automatically set corresponding to every genre of music.
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Ishizuka Minako
Kanou Kohei
Mizuki Masayuki
Sato Takahiro
Kananen, Esq. Ronald P.
Rader & Fishman & Grauer, PLLC
Tran Thang V.
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