US6482087B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and apparatus for facilitating group musical interaction over a network
Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems Inc
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Filing: 2001-05-14
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Granted: 2002-11-19
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Expires: 2021-05-14
Abstract
Abstract A method for providing real-time musical interaction among a plurality of players connected via a network includes the steps of analyzing local player's musical performance to extract emulation data that represents the musical performance; transmitting emulation data to remote players over a network; receiving emulation data from remote players over the network; and using the emulation data to emulate the remote player's musical performance by locally generating approximations of the performances.
Inventors
- 👤 Eran Egozy
- 👤 Dan Schmidt
- 👤 Alexander Rigopulos
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 18:55
CPC Classifications
A63F13/12; A; A63; A63F; A63F13/00; A63F13/80; A63F13/814; A63F13/30; A63F13/40; A63F13/44; A63F13/50; A63F13/54; G; G10; G10H; G10H1/00; G10H1/0008; G10H1/0033; G10H1/0041; G10H1/0058; A63F13/53; A63F2300/00; A63F2300/30; A63F2300/303; A63F2300/60; A63F2300/63; A63F2300/638; A63F2300/80; A63F2300/8047; G10H2220/00; G10H2220/135; G10H2220/141; G10H2220/145
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
69 words
A method for facilitating real-time competition between players of a game, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving music performance input from a local player; (b) generating audio output responsive to the received input; (c) receiving emulation data extracted from a remote musical performance; and (d) generating a local approximation of the remote musical performance using the emulation data, the local approximation synchronous with the local musical performance.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
69 words
A method for facilitating real-time competition between players of a game, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving music performance input from a local player; (b) generating audio output responsive to the received input; (c) receiving emulation data extracted from a remote musical performance; and (d) generating a local approximation of the remote musical performance using the emulation data, the local approximation synchronous with the local musical performance.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises receiving music performance input from a local player via a game pad.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) comprises receiving music performance input from a local player via a fake musical instrument.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) comprises playing a note to indicate a successful input.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) comprises playing an error message to indicate unsuccessful input.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
50 words
A method for facilitating musical interaction over a network, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving emulation data representing a remote user's musical performance; and (b) locally generating an approximation of the remote user's musical performance using the received emulation data, the approximation synchronous with a local musical performance.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
50 words
A method for facilitating musical interaction over a network, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving emulation data representing a remote user's musical performance; and (b) locally generating an approximation of the remote user's musical performance using the received emulation data, the approximation synchronous with a local musical performance.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 6 wherein step (a) comprises receiving emulation data, the emulation data comprising a moving average of recent remote musical performance events.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 6 wherein step (a) comprises receiving emulation data, the emulation data comprising a moving average of timing deltas between recent remote musical performance events.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 6 wherein step (a) comprises receiving emulation data, the emulation data comprising an identification of recent remote musical performance events.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 6 further comprising extracting local emulation data representing a local musical performance.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
49 words
A means for facilitating musical interaction over a network, comprising: (a) means for receiving emulation data representing a remote user's musical performance; and (b) means for locally generating an approximation of the remote user's musical performance using the received emulation data, the approximation synchronous with a local musical performance.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
49 words
A means for facilitating musical interaction over a network, comprising: (a) means for receiving emulation data representing a remote user's musical performance; and (b) means for locally generating an approximation of the remote user's musical performance using the received emulation data, the approximation synchronous with a local musical performance.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
The means for facilitating musical interaction over a network of claim 11 further comprising means for receiving music performance input from a local player.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
40 words
The means for facilitating musical interaction over a network of claim 12 wherein the means for receiving music performance input from a local player further comprises means for receiving music performance input from a local player via a game pad.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
41 words
The means for facilitating musical interaction over a network of claim 12 wherein the means for receiving music performance input from a local player further comprises means for receiving music performance input from a local player via a fake musical instrument.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
The means for facilitating musical interaction over a network of claim 11 further comprising means for extracting local emulation data representing a local musical performance.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
24 words
The means for facilitating musical interaction over a network of claim 11 further comprising means for generating audio output responsive to the received input.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
36 words
The means for facilitating musical interaction over a network of claim 16 wherein the means for generating audio output responsive to the received input further comprises means for playing a note to indicate a successful input.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
36 words
The means for facilitating musical interaction over a network of claim 16 wherein the means for generating audio output responsive to the received input further comprises means for playing an error message to indicate unsuccessful input.
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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) | 2005-11-18 | 2006-05-20 | 2006-11-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-11-18 | 2010-05-20 | 2010-11-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-11-18 | 2014-05-20 | 2014-11-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |