WO2003012775A1

WO2003012775A1 - Method and device for the distribution of musical data

Info

Publication number: WO2003012775A1
Application number: PCT/IB2002/002772
Authority: WO
Inventors: Paul-Louis Meunier
Original assignee: Thomson Multimedia; BARON, René-Louis
Priority date: 2001-07-27
Filing date: 2002-07-15
Publication date: 2003-02-13
Also published as: FR2827992B1; FR2827992A1

Abstract

This invention relates to a method for the distribution of pieces of music.These pieces are broken down into separate parts (121, 122, 123, 124) some of which are intended to play simultaneously. Each of these parts is digitised and stored in a server. These parts can be distributed separately to equipment with a user memory.

Description

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF MUSICAL DATA

This invention relates to a method and a device for the distribution and reception of musical data.

Downloading music or songs from a server is a widely used operation, particularly when the musical data is compressed, for example in MP3 format.

In general these downloads must be paid for, specifically to recompense the authors and the distributors .

It has been noted that downloading mainly interests a category of users who listen to music in a passive manner, but has little success with users with an active approach to music, in particular amateurs or professionals who play from musical scores. Furthermore, the cost of downloading may be prohibitive.

This inventions aims to remedy these drawbacks.

It relates to a method for the distribution of music, in particular via a telecommunications network, in which each piece of music is broken down into its various parts, some of which at least are intended to be played simultaneously and in which each of the parts is digitised and can be distributed alone or in combination with one or more other parts of the same piece of music.

The various parts of a piece of music are for example: the melody, the accompaniment, each of the instruments, the voice (in particular in the case of a song) and a melodic line in the case of symphonic music.

Under these conditions, users can choose the parts that they want and pay for the part downloaded and not an overall price for the whole of the piece. To do this, a specific payment signal needs to be attached to each part. Moreover the method can be performed automatically with very simple means.

In one embodiment an accompaniment is produced using an automatic music generator as described in patent application PCT WO 00/17850. This part of the piece of music, which is generated in a random manner, but which observes the melody of the piece, can be distributed at a low price or free of charge, for example if it is acquired at the same time as another part of the piece of music.

Alternatively, an automatic music generator can be used to produce an arrangement.

In another embodiment all of the parts of the piece of music are generated automatically. To produce the various parts of a piece of music for distribution, they can be recorded separately. However, for music that has already been recorded "as a whole" each part of the piece can be extracted by filtering and then each of the parts can be digitised for distribution. This invention relates not only to the method and the devices enabling this method to be implemented but also to the signals obtained, i.e. the various parts of the piece of music.

This invention also relates, in a general manner, to a method for distributing pieces of music, in which the pieces are separated into several parts, some of which are intended to be played simultaneously, and where each of the parts is digitised and stored on a server, and where the parts can be distributed separately to devices with a user memory.

The various parts of a piece of music can comprise at least two of the parts from the overall group: the melody or at least a melodic line, the instruments, the accompaniments and the arrangements .

In one embodiment, at least one of the arrangements and/or accompaniments is performed using an automatic music generator containing the parameters for the melody of the piece of music. These parameters for the melody of the piece of music include, for example, the tone, the tempo and certain notes from the melodic line.

In one embodiment, a pre-determined number of units corresponding to a price is attached to each part of the piece of music.

Each of the parts of a piece of music can be distributed by a telecommunications network in frames, each frame containing packets of all the parts of the piece of music. This invention also relates to a server for the distribution of pieces of music, which includes a memory in which the pieces separated into several parts are stored, some of which are intended to be played simultaneously, these parts being in a digital format. This server also includes a system for separately distributing the various parts of each piece of music .

More preferably, the server includes a generator for automatically producing at least some parts of certain pieces of music . This generator may be designed to produce the arrangements and/or accompaniments for pieces of music.

In a preferred embodiment, the generator includes : a system for defining the musical moments during the course of which four notes are likely to be played, a system for defining two families of heights of notes for each musical moment, the second family of heights of notes having at least one height that is not in the first family, and a system for forming at least a series of notes containing at least two notes, each series being known as a musical phrase, a series in which, for each moment, each note whose height belongs exclusively to the second family is surrounded exclusively by notes from the first family.

In one embodiment, in this generator, the system for defining the two families of heights for each musical moment includes a system for defining the first family as a group of heights of notes belonging to a duplicated harmony from octave to octave. In this case, the system for defining two heights of notes may include a system for ensuring that the second family of heights of notes includes at least heights of notes in a range that are not in the first family of heights of notes.

In one embodiment, the server includes a management system with a credit memory for each user, this memory being debited each time the user carries out a download.

More preferably, the server includes a system for memorising the catalogue containing the ID for pieces and each of the parts of these pieces with the price allocated to each of the parts.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear with the description of certain of its embodiments, this description being given with reference to the enclosed drawings in which: figure 1 is a diagram of a server and terminals using the method according to the invention, and figure 2 represents the packets of a signal in accordance with the invention.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, a server 10 (figure 1) contains a database accessible via a telecommunications network such as the Internet. This server 10 contains a number of pieces of music as well as a music generator of the type described in patent application PCT WO 00/17850 mentioned above.

In this server 10 each of the pieces of music is broken down into multiple parts 121, 122, 123 and 124 some of which are intended to be played simultaneously. In the example part 121 contains the basic melody played by a pre-determined instrument such as a violin or a piano, part 122 contains the song, part 123 other instruments and part 124 an arrangement, i.e. a complement to the basic melody 121 or other parts of the piece of music.

There should also be a generator 14 receiving data for at least one of the parts 121, 122, 123 to enable an additional accompaniment to be generated automatically, or to generate an arrangement . To produce the accompaniment or the arrangement, the generator 14 is linked to each of the pieces of music to receive in particular the following parameters: the tone (major or minor key) , the tempo and the elements of a melodic line, for example the first eight or ten notes of this melodic line. To permit transmission via an internet type communication network each of the parts 121, 122, 123 and 124 is digitised and grouped into packets and the packets are transmitted in a frame.

Figure 2 represents a group of packets 161, 162, 163, 164 and 165. Packet 161 corresponds to part 121 while packets

162, 163 and 164 correspond to parts 122, 123 and 124 respectively and packet 165 corresponds to the part created by the music generator 14. In a simple example one frame contains a packet of each of the parts. So, when a user 20 (figure 1) wants to acquire just one part, or when this user wants to listen to just one of the parts when he downloads it, the user software 20 extracts from each frame the part that the user has chosen.

A descriptive section 181, 182, 183 and 184 is associated with each part 121, 122, 123 and 124, and is transmitted prior to downloading so that the user can select the part or parts that he wants. These descriptive sections contain the nature of the part in question: melody, song, instrumentation, arrangement, etc., and the sales price for each of these parts. All of the data 181, 182, etc. is grouped in a catalogue 22 containing all the pieces of music with the global price for each of the pieces as well as the prices for each of the parts of each piece. When the user 22 connects to the server 10 he first consults the catalogue 22 and the contents of this catalogue are displayed on his screen. He can then select a piece and the part of the piece that he wants to download.

In one embodiment, to simplify payment, a certain number of payment units, or counters, are associated with each part of a piece of music and payment is made by the prior purchase of a pre-determined number of units N.

In this case the server 10 comprises a management system in which an account is set up for each user containing the number of unused units. So, when the user downloads one or more parts of a piece of music, after making a selection, his account is automatically debited by the corresponding number of units . In one example the management system 24 memorises purchases previously made by each user in such a way as not to debit him a second time when he downloads parts of a piece of music that he has already purchased, for example during the course of a previous limited period.

The purchase of a part of a piece of music can be temporary or permanent. In one embodiment of the invention the packet data format corresponds to midi.

In a general manner the server 10 forms a distributor that can be either linked to a telecommunications network or not.

Claims

1. A method for the distribution of pieces of music, characterised in that these pieces are broken down into separate parts (121, 122, 123, 124) some of which are intended to be played simultaneously and each of these parts being digitised and stored in a server, the parts are such that they can be distributed separately to apparatuses with a user memory.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the various parts of a piece of music comprise at least two parts from the overall group: the melody or at least a melodic line, the instruments, the accompaniments or the arrangements.

3. A method according to claim 2, characterised in that at least one of the arrangements and/or accompaniments is performed using an automatic music generator (14) containing the parameters for the melody of the piece of music.

4. A method according to claim 3, characterised in that the parameters for the melody of the piece of music including the tone, the tempo and certain notes from the melodic line.

5. A method according to any of the claims 1 to 4, characterised in that a number of pre-determined units corresponding to a price is attached to each part of the piece of music.

6. A method according to any of the above claims, characterised in that each of the parts of a piece of music is distributed via a telecommunication network in a frame, each frame containing packets (161- 165) of all the parts of the piece of music.

7. A server (16) for the distribution of pieces of music characterised in that it includes a memory in which the pieces separated into several parts are stored (121 - 124), some of which are intended to be played simultaneously, these parts being in a digital form, and in that it also includes a system for separately distributing the various parts of each piece of music.

8. A server according to claim 7 characterised in that it includes a generator (14) for automatically producing at least some parts of certain pieces of music.

9. A server according to claim 8 characterised in that the generator is designed to produce the arrangements and/or accompaniments for pieces of music.

10. A server according to claim 8 or claim 9 characterised in that the music generator includes : a system for defining the musical moments during the course of which four notes are likely to be played, a system for defining two families of heights of notes for each musical moment, the second family of heights of notes having at least one height that is not in the first family, and a system for forming at least a series of notes containing at least two notes, each series being known as a musical phrase, a series in which, for each moment, each note whose height belongs exclusively to the second family is surrounded exclusively by notes from the first family.

11. A server according to claim 10 characterised in that the system for defining the two families of heights of notes for each musical moment includes a system for defining the first family as a group heights of notes belonging to a duplicated harmony from octave to octave.

12. A server according to claim 11 characterised in that the system for defining two heights of notes includes a system for ensuring that the second family of heights of notes includes at least heights of notes in a range that are not in the first family of heights of notes.

13. A server according to any of the claims 7 to 12 characterised in that it includes a management system (24) with a credit memory for each user, this memory being debited each time the user carries out a download.

14. A server according to any of the claims 7 to 13 characterised in that it includes a system for memorising a catalogue (22) representing the identification for pieces and each of the parts of these pieces with the price allocated to each of these parts.