Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Hewlett-packard Company

David Trevor Cliff

Colin Andrew Low

Rycharde Jeffery Hawkes

Timothy Alan Heath Wilkinson

A method of creating an interactive broadcast, comprising allowing a plurality of participants to vote on an aspect of a scenario in a virtual space, the broadcast being a computer-generated animated scenario comprising graphics and audio, the participants voting by means of user interface devices which are linked over a communications network to a server, the server being operative to process the received votes and determine how the broadcast should be collectively influenced in view of the votes received, and then generate the broadcast.

Method and apparatus for interactive broadcasting

A technique for consistently simulating at two different complexities of simulation is described. This technique is particularly relevant to simulation of a creature-like autonomous agent (biological or artificial or hybrid). The model, in the particular case a model of the creature, comprises at least two portions. The first portion contains functions used in both of the different complexities of simulation. The second portion comprises two alternative versions, a first version for use in one complexity of simulation, and a second version for use in the other complexity of simulation.

Simulation at two different levels of complexity

Audio content on a compact disc is displayed as an image of a rotating vinyl record, thus enabling a disc jockey to obtain a visual indication of the nature of the content on the disc. The apparatus comprises a manually operable joystick which can be used to operate a compact disc player, and to cause it to play the content on the basis of the viewed image of the vinyl record, thus simulating the complete (including the visual aspect of the content recorded on a vinyl disc) functional capability of a traditional record deck and vinyl record in a compact disc player.

Visual representation of audio content

A portable apparatus for monitoring the reaction of a user to a performance contains one or more sensors for detecting an indirect user response to the performance and a user interface enabling the user to provide a direct user response to the performance. A processor in the portable apparatus is programmed to provide a user reaction signal comprising a combination of the indirect user response and the direct user response to the performance. This user reaction signal may be transmitted to to remote apparatus. A monitoring system using such portable apparatus, and a music playing system using such a monitoring system, are also described.

Monitoring of user response to performances

Monitoring apparatus and methods for monitoring the reaction of people to a performance use two or more monitoring devices of different types. Output signals from the monitoring devices are combined to produce at least one crowd reaction signal indicative of the reaction of those people to the performance. Particularly appropriate types of monitoring device are described, as is automatic performance generating apparatus, such an automatic DJ, adapted to use crowd reaction signals to modify performances.

Monitoring of crowd response to performances

Songs are defined by a song template comprising at least one track comprising a sequence of measures and a plurality of audio samples allocated to the or each track. At least two songs are played to an audience, which responds indicating the popularity of each song. A less popular song is selected and a new song composed by automatically applying one or more rules to the template of the selected song.

Method and apparatus for composing a song

During mixing of two musical tracks, the variations in combined output volume are reduced by analyzing either the intrinsic amplitude at which each track was mastered or the output amplitude (i.e. subsequent to amplification of the audio signal), and modifying either the intrinsic amplitude or amplification during the mixing phase. Musical clashes during mixing are avoided by analyzing intrinsic amplitudes of the two tracks at similar frequencies to detect the likelihood of a clash, and in the event a clash is detected, reducing the output amplitude of one of the tracks at the relevant frequency.

Automated compilation of music

A method of automatically producing a compilation mix from a set of songs is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of generating ( ) a beat profile comprising a temporal map representing an ideal rate of repeat of the dominant beat for the compilation mix at different points in time over the duration of the compilation, generating ( ) at least one set of song data indicative of the rate of repeat of the dominant beat for each of the songs in the set of songs, and allocating ( ) the songs temporally within the compilation mix by processing the song data together with the temporal map, the songs being located temporally with respect to one another such that the rate of repeat of the dominant beat of the compilation approximates that indicated by the temporal map and end portions of adjacent songs overlap.

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Bristol, United Kingdom

David Trevor Cliff