(19) United States
(12) Patent Application Publication (io) Pub. No.: US 2003/0140770 Al
Barry (43) Pub. Date: Jul. 31,2003
(54) INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA APPARATUS
(76) Inventor: James Anthony Barry, Dublin (IE)
Correspondence Address:
HOFFMANN & BARON, LLP
6900 JERICHO TURNPIKE
SYOSSET, NY 11791 (US)
(21) Appl. No.: 10/240,591
(22) PCT Filed: Apr. 9, 2001
(86) PCT No.: PCT/IE01/00046
(30) Foreign Application Priority Data
Apr. 7, 2000 (IE) S2000/0260
Oct. 27, 2000 (IE) S2000/0869
Publication Classification
(51) Int. CI.7 G10H 1/36; G10H 7/00
The apparatus (1) comprises a guitar (3) having strings (42) operable by a user to generate electric signals, a control unit (2), storage means for a simulation backing track in any desired multi-media file format and audio/audio-visual equipment for playing a main track. The control unit (2) has software for receiving and analyzing the electrical signals from the guitar (41) and for synchronizing the backing track with the main track during playback. The software of the control unit (2) opens the backing track multi-media file and streams the file in mute mode in synchronisation with the main track. In response to the electrical signals from the guitar (41), the control unit generates an output from the multi-media file to the audio/audio-visual equipment. Alternatively, the apparatus opens and plays extracts from the multi-media file and generates an output from the multimedia files to the audio equipment (4) together with the background track.
