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A method for displaying musical data in three dimensions includes displaying musical data along a spatial path that does not lie within the image plane of a display. Graphical symbols corresponding to the musical data may be displayed on graphical surfaces aligned with the spatial path. The graphical surfaces form, in some embodiments, a tunnel through which the time axis associated with the musical data runs. The musical data may be manipulated to provide the viewer with the appearance of motion along the time axis associated with the musical data. In some embodiments, the viewer is represented by a virtual camera in the three-dimensional environment and the virtual camera is "moved" to provide the appearance of motion. A corresponding apparatus is also discussed.

Inventors: Greg LoPiccolo, Jonathon Bell, Eran Egozy, Ryan Lesser, Joshua Randall, Alexander Rigopulos, Dan Schmidt
Original Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems, Inc.
Primary Examiner: Almis R. Jankus
Attorney: Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault, LLP
Current U.S. Classification: 345/419
International Classification: G06T/1500

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Citations

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Referenced by

Citing PatentFiling dateIssue dateOriginal AssigneeTitle
US6972363Dec 18, 2002Dec 6, 2005MediaLab Solutions LLCSystems and methods for creating, modifying, interacting with and playing musical compositions
US7176372Aug 4, 2003Feb 13, 2007MediaLab Solutions LLCInteractive digital music recorder and player
US7281034May 2, 2000Oct 9, 2007Friskit, Inc.System and method for media playback over a network using links that contain control signals and commands
US7469283Apr 19, 2004Dec 23, 2008Friskit, Inc.Streaming media search and playback system
US7504576Feb 10, 2007Mar 17, 2009MediLab Solutions LLCMethod for automatically processing a melody with sychronized sound samples and midi events
US7561160Jul 7, 2005Jul 14, 2009Olympus CorporationData editing program, data editing method, data editing apparatus and storage medium
US7563975Sep 13, 2006Jul 21, 2009Mattel, Inc.Music production system
US7589727Jan 18, 2006Sep 15, 2009Method and apparatus for generating visual images based on musical compositions
US7655855Jan 26, 2007Feb 2, 2010Medialab Solutions LLCSystems and methods for creating, modifying, interacting with and playing musical compositions
US7806759May 14, 2004Oct 5, 2010Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.In-game interface with performance feedback
US7807916Aug 25, 2006Oct 5, 2010Medialab Solutions Corp.Method for generating music with a website or software plug-in using seed parameter values
US7847178Feb 8, 2009Dec 7, 2010Medialab Solutions Corp.Interactive digital music recorder and player
US7902446Feb 20, 2009Mar 8, 2011OEM, IncorporatedSystem for learning and mixing music
US7928310Nov 25, 2003Apr 19, 2011MediaLab Solutions Inc.Systems and methods for portable audio synthesis
US8017857Jan 23, 2009Sep 13, 2011745 LLCMethods and apparatus for stringed controllers and/or instruments
US8138409Aug 10, 2007Mar 20, 2012Sonicjam, Inc.Interactive music training and entertainment system
US8153878May 26, 2009Apr 10, 2012Medialab Solutions, Corp.Systems and methods for creating, modifying, interacting with and playing musical compositions
US8158873Aug 3, 2009Apr 17, 2012Systems and methods for generating a game device music track from music
US8193437Mar 18, 2011Jun 5, 2012Yamaha CorporationElectronic music apparatus and tone control method
US8207438Feb 8, 2011Jun 26, 2012Jammit, Inc.System for learning an isolated instrument audio track from an original, multi-track recording

Claims

1. A method for displaying musical data having a musical time axis on a display having an image plane, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) representing the musical time axis as a spatial path that does not lie within an image plane of a display; and
(b) rendering the spatial path into the image plane.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing a display having an image plane.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises a spatial path that is continuous.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises a spatial path that is discontinuous.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises a spatial path that is linear.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises a spatial path that is non-linear.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying graphical symbols corresponding to musical data along the spatial path corresponding to the musical time axis.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of manipulating the spatial positions of the graphical symbols associated with musical data to achieve the appearance of motion along the spatial path.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying graphical symbols corresponding to musical data along graphical surfaces aligned with the spatial path.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the graphical surfaces aligned with the spatial path form a tunnel.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of changing the position of a virtual camera to achieve the appearance of motion substantially along the spatial path.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of retrieving musical data for display from a memory element.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of visually representing the position of the viewer along the musical time axis.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of aurally outputting musical data associated with the visual position of the viewer.

15. An apparatus for displaying musical data comprising:

a memory element storing musical data; and
a graphics engine, in communication with said memory element, rendering the musical data such that a spatial path corresponding to a musical time axis associated with the musical data does not lie in an image plane of a display.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a display having an image plane.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the spatial path is non-linear.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the spatial path is discontinuous.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said graphics engine changes the position of a virtual camera to provide the appearance of motion along the spatial path.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising an audio output device.

21. A method for displaying musical data on a display having an image plane, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a display having an image plane;
(b) representing a time axis associated with musical data as a path through a three-dimensional space;
(c) plotting graphical symbols associated with the musical data along the spatial path; and
(d) rendering the time axis and plotted symbols onto the image plane of the provided display.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of retrieving musical data for display from a memory element.

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