US6411289B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Music visualization system utilizing three dimensional graphical representations of musical characteristics
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1997-08-07
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Granted: 2002-06-25
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Expires: 2017-08-07
Abstract
Abstract A computer system for producing a three dimensional illustration of a musical work includes determining for each sound of the musical work its tone, harmony and tonality. Each of these characteristics of the musical work is assigned a value so that it can be displayed on a three-dimensional graph having a time axis, a tone axis and a harmony axis. By plotting the tone and the harmony of each sound as a function of time on a graph, a three-dimensional illustration of a musical composition can be created. By visually inspecting the graph one can determine the tone, the harmony and the tonality of each sound by locating its position on the graph. The graph may also be colored with a color corresponding to the tone, harmony and tonality of a sound being played. Thus, in addition to determining the musical characteristics by locating the position of each sound on the graph, they can also be determined by noting the color of each sound displayed on the graph. A computer system for producing this graph contains an input device for inputting the characteristics of the musical composition to a computer programmable memory. The microprocessor can be controlled by the readable programmable memory that has stored numeric values corresponding to the tone, the harmony and the tonality of the sounds of the musical work.
Inventors
- 👤 Franklin B. Zimmerman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 11:00
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09B; G09B15/00; G10; G10G; G10G1/00; G10G3/00; G10G3/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
81 words
A system comprising: (a) a computer; (b) a display coupled to the computer; (c) a computer readable storage device containing program code and data for controlling the computer to generate a graphical representation of a musical work in the display, the graphical representation comprising the musical work's tone, harmony, and tonality as functions of time; (d) a means for audibly playing the musical work in synchronism with a progression of the graphical representation; and (e) a commentary on the musical work.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
81 words
A system comprising: (a) a computer; (b) a display coupled to the computer; (c) a computer readable storage device containing program code and data for controlling the computer to generate a graphical representation of a musical work in the display, the graphical representation comprising the musical work's tone, harmony, and tonality as functions of time; (d) a means for audibly playing the musical work in synchronism with a progression of the graphical representation; and (e) a commentary on the musical work.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the musical work comprises a plurality of sounds.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The computer of claim 1 , wherein the graphical representation further comprises a tone axis, a harmony axis and a time axis.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the graphical representation further comprises an indicator that synchronizes the graphical representation with the audible playing.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 2 , wherein the graphical representation further comprises platforms that are indicative of the tonality of the sounds of the musical work.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 2 , wherein the graphical representation further comprises colors that are indicative of the tone, the harmony and the tonality of the sounds.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
100 words
The system of claim 2 , wherein the graphical representation further comprises a graph having a tone axis, a harmony axis, a time axis, and a plurality of colored shapes disposed on the graphical representation that each have a location, the location of each shape relative to the tone axis being indicative of the tone of one of the sounds and the location of each shape relative to the harmony axis being indicative of the harmony of one of the sounds and the color of each shape being indicative of the tone and the harmony of one of the sounds.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
264 words
A system comprising: (a) a computer; (b) a display coupled to the computer; (c) a computer readable storage device containing program code and data for controlling the computer to generate a graphical representation of a musical work in the display, (c 1 ) the musical work comprising a plurality of sounds that each have a tone, a harmony and a tonality; (c 2 ) the graphical representation comprising a tone axis, a harmony axis and a time axis on which the tones, the harmonies and the tonalities of the plurality of sounds of the musical work are graphed as a function of time, the graphical representation further comprising an indicator that synchronizes the graphical representation with an audible playing; (c 3 ) a plurality of colored shapes disposed on the graphical representation that each have a location, the location of each shape relative to the tone axis being indicative of the tone of one of the sounds and the location of each shape relative to the harmony axis being indicative of the harmony of one of the sounds; (c 4 ) at least one colored platform disposed on the graphical representation that has a position, the position of the platform relative to the tone axis being indicative of the tonality of one of the sounds and the color of the platform being indicative of the tonality of one of the sounds; (c 5 ) a means for audibly playing the musical work in synchronism with a progression of the graphical representation; and (c 6 ) a means for providing commentary on the musical work.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
264 words
A system comprising: (a) a computer; (b) a display coupled to the computer; (c) a computer readable storage device containing program code and data for controlling the computer to generate a graphical representation of a musical work in the display, (c 1 ) the musical work comprising a plurality of sounds that each have a tone, a harmony and a tonality; (c 2 ) the graphical representation comprising a tone axis, a harmony axis and a time axis on which the tones, the harmonies and the tonalities of the plurality of sounds of the musical work are graphed as a function of time, the graphical representation further comprising an indicator that synchronizes the graphical representation with an audible playing; (c 3 ) a plurality of colored shapes disposed on the graphical representation that each have a location, the location of each shape relative to the tone axis being indicative of the tone of one of the sounds and the location of each shape relative to the harmony axis being indicative of the harmony of one of the sounds; (c 4 ) at least one colored platform disposed on the graphical representation that has a position, the position of the platform relative to the tone axis being indicative of the tonality of one of the sounds and the color of the platform being indicative of the tonality of one of the sounds; (c 5 ) a means for audibly playing the musical work in synchronism with a progression of the graphical representation; and (c 6 ) a means for providing commentary on the musical work.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
206 words
A computer readable memory for controlling the operation of a computer to generate a graphical representation of a musical work that has a plurality of sounds that each have a tonality, a tone, and a harmony, comprising: a harmony means for storing harmony data as a function of time that is indicative of the harmony of the sounds; a tone storing means for storing tone data as a function of time that is indicative of the tone of the sounds; a tonality storing means for storing tonality data as a function of time that is indicative of the tonalities of the sounds; a graphing means for graphing the tonality data stored on the tonality storing means, the harmony data stored on the harmony storing means, and the tone data stored on the tone storing means as a function of time on the graphical representation, the graphical representation having a time axis, a tone axis and a harmony axis, the graphical representation further having an indication that synchronizes the graphical representation with the audible playing; a means for audibly playing the musical work in synchronism with a progression of the graphical representation; and a commentary means for storing data that corresponds to commentary on the musical work.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
206 words
A computer readable memory for controlling the operation of a computer to generate a graphical representation of a musical work that has a plurality of sounds that each have a tonality, a tone, and a harmony, comprising: a harmony means for storing harmony data as a function of time that is indicative of the harmony of the sounds; a tone storing means for storing tone data as a function of time that is indicative of the tone of the sounds; a tonality storing means for storing tonality data as a function of time that is indicative of the tonalities of the sounds; a graphing means for graphing the tonality data stored on the tonality storing means, the harmony data stored on the harmony storing means, and the tone data stored on the tone storing means as a function of time on the graphical representation, the graphical representation having a time axis, a tone axis and a harmony axis, the graphical representation further having an indication that synchronizes the graphical representation with the audible playing; a means for audibly playing the musical work in synchronism with a progression of the graphical representation; and a commentary means for storing data that corresponds to commentary on the musical work.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
53 words
The computer readable memory of claim 9 , further comprising a color means for storing color data that corresponds to a color that is indicative of the tones and the harmonies of the sounds and wherein the graphing means colors shapes disposed on the graphical representation colors according to the stored color data.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
107 words
A method of producing a graphical representation of a musical work having a plurality of sounds that occur as a function of time, comprising: determining tonality, tone, and harmony of the sounds of the musical work; assigning a numeric tone value to each tone; assigning a numeric harmonic value to each harmony; assigning a tonality value to each tonality; creating the graphical representation by graphing the tonality value, the tone value and the harmony value of each sound as a function of time; displaying the graph; audibly playing the musical work in synchronism with a progression of the graphical representation; and providing commentary on the musical work.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
107 words
A method of producing a graphical representation of a musical work having a plurality of sounds that occur as a function of time, comprising: determining tonality, tone, and harmony of the sounds of the musical work; assigning a numeric tone value to each tone; assigning a numeric harmonic value to each harmony; assigning a tonality value to each tonality; creating the graphical representation by graphing the tonality value, the tone value and the harmony value of each sound as a function of time; displaying the graph; audibly playing the musical work in synchronism with a progression of the graphical representation; and providing commentary on the musical work.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of creating a scaled numeric table that has the tone values and the harmonic values.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of creating a scaled numeric color table that has color values that are indicative of the tones and the harmonies of the sounds.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 13 , further comprising the step of assigning a color value from the scaled numeric color table that is indicative of the tones of the sounds.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 14 , further comprising the step of coloring the graphical representation according to the assigned color value.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 11 , further comprising the steps of assigning a color value that is indicative of the affect of the musical work at a given time and coloring an ambient of the graphical representation at the given time a color that is indicative of the color value.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of selecting the musical work before the step of determining.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of inputting the tone values and the harmony values as a function of time into a computer readable memory before the step of creating.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 11 , wherein said step of determining tonality, tone, and harmony of the sounds of the musical work is accomplished by visual inspection of the musical work.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 11 , further comprising indicating a synchronization of the graphical representation with the audible playing.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
233 words
A system comprising: (a) a computer; (b) a display coupled to the computer; and (c) a computer readable storage device containing program code and data for controlling the computer to generate commentary on a musical work, and a graphical representation of the musical work in the display, the musical work having a plurality of sounds that each have a harmony, a tone and a tonality; (d) the graphical representation comprising a tone axis, a harmony axis and a time axis on which a plurality of colored shapes that each have a location and at least one colored platform that has a position are disposed, the location of each shape relative to the tone axis being indicative of the tone of one of the sounds, the location of each shape relative to the harmony axis being indicative of the harmony of one of the sounds, the color of each shape being indicative of the tone and the harmony of one of the sounds, the position of the platform relative to the tone axis being indicative of the tonality of one of the sounds and the color of the platform being indicative of the tonality of one of the sounds, the graphical representation further comprising an indication that synchronizes the graphical representation with the audible playing; and (e) a means for audibly playing the musical work in synchronism with a progression of the graphical representation.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
233 words
A system comprising: (a) a computer; (b) a display coupled to the computer; and (c) a computer readable storage device containing program code and data for controlling the computer to generate commentary on a musical work, and a graphical representation of the musical work in the display, the musical work having a plurality of sounds that each have a harmony, a tone and a tonality; (d) the graphical representation comprising a tone axis, a harmony axis and a time axis on which a plurality of colored shapes that each have a location and at least one colored platform that has a position are disposed, the location of each shape relative to the tone axis being indicative of the tone of one of the sounds, the location of each shape relative to the harmony axis being indicative of the harmony of one of the sounds, the color of each shape being indicative of the tone and the harmony of one of the sounds, the position of the platform relative to the tone axis being indicative of the tonality of one of the sounds and the color of the platform being indicative of the tonality of one of the sounds, the graphical representation further comprising an indication that synchronizes the graphical representation with the audible playing; and (e) a means for audibly playing the musical work in synchronism with a progression of the graphical representation.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-06-24 | 2005-12-24 | 2006-06-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-06-24 | 2009-12-24 | 2010-06-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-06-24 | 2013-12-24 | 2014-06-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |