Method of utilizing a touch sensor for controlling music playback and related music playback device

Abstract

A method of controlling music playback includes providing a sensor array comprising first sensors arranged adjacent to one another, receiving data output from first sensors of the sensor array, the data including activation times during which each of the first sensors was activated, comparing the activation times of each first sensor to determine if the first sensors were sequentially activated along a first direction or a second direction opposite to the first direction, controlling the music to be played in a forward direction if the first sensors were sequentially activated along the first direction, and controlling the music to be played in a backward direction if the first sensors were sequentially activated along the second direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a music playback device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed diagram of the sensor array.

FIG. 3 illustrates controlling the music direction and music speed with the first sensors.

FIG. 4 illustrates controlling the music key with the second sensors.

FIG. 5 is a timing illustrating sensor activation timing as sensors are sequentially activated.

FIG. 6 illustrates using timing information to determine if the first sensors are activated using positive acceleration or negative acceleration.

FIG. 7 is a detailed diagram of the temporary buffer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a music playback device 10 according to the present invention. A music decoder 12 receives music data, decodes the music data, and stores the decoded music data in a temporary buffer 14. An audio output circuit 16 reads the decoded music data from the temporary buffer 14 and produces audio output. To control music playback, a sensory array 20 is provided having a plurality of sensors S1-S9. A sensor handling circuit 18 receives input from the sensor array 20, converts the input from analog format to digital format, and produces corresponding control signals to be sent to the audio output circuit 16. The control signals control the key in which music is played, the direction in which music played (i.e. either forward or backward), and the playing speed.

Please refer to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a detailed diagram of the sensor array 20. The sensor array 20 comprises first sensors 22 shown having a horizontal arrangement and second sensors 24 having a vertical arrangement. The first sensors 22 contain sensors S1-S5, and the second sensors contain sensors S3 and S6-S9. Each of the sensors is activated when the user pushes down on them. Music playback is controlled by analyzing when each sensor S1-S9 is turned on and off. That is, the duration and the sequence in which the sensors S1-S9 are activated determines how music playback will be controlled. Music playback is controlled by activating the first sensors 22 from left to right or from right to left in sequence, or by activating the second sensors 24 from top to bottom or from bottom to top in sequence.

Please refer to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 illustrates controlling the music direction and music speed with the first sensors 22. If the first sensors 22 are activated from left to right, music is controlled to play back in the forward direction, which is the normal direction. If the first sensors 22 are activated from right to left, music is controlled to play back in the backward direction. In addition, playback speed can be controlled for either the forward direction or the backward direction by changing the acceleration used when the user sequentially activates the first sensors 22. A positive acceleration will increase the music speed in either the forward direction or the backward direction, depending on the sequence in which the first sensors 22 are activated. On the other hand, a negative acceleration in either direction will decrease the music speed in that corresponding playback direction.

Please refer to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 illustrates controlling the music key with the second sensors 24. Often times, a user wishes to change the key of a song being played so that the key better matches the user's vocal range. For instance, the key can be changed from C to C# if the key is raised by a half step. If the second sensors 24 are activated from bottom to top, the music key is raised by a predetermined amount. If the second sensors 24 are activated from top to bottom, the music key is lowered by the predetermined amount.

Please refer to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a timing illustrating sensor activation timing as sensors are sequentially activated. In FIG. 5, the first sensors 22 are activated from left to right, which controls music to be played in the forward direction. Analyzing the timing not only allows the sensor handling circuit 18 to determine which direction the sensors are being sequentially activated in, but it also allows the sensor handling circuit 18 to determine if there is positive or negative acceleration involved. As shown in FIG. 5, sensor S1 is turned on at time t₁ and is turned off approximately at the same time that sensor S2 is turned on, which is at time t₂. Sensors S3, S4, and S5 are sequentially activated and deactivated at times t₃, t₄, and t₅, respectively.

Please refer to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 illustrates using timing information to determine if the first sensors 22 are activated using positive acceleration or negative acceleration. In Case 1 shown in FIG. 6, sensor S1 was active between times t₁ and t₂, and the duration is written as t₁₂ for shorthand. In Case 1, sensor S1 was active for the longest amount of time, and sensors to the right of sensor S1 were active for increasingly shorter periods of time. Therefore, it can be concluded that the user's finger is positively accelerating as it moves across the sensors S1-S5 from left to right. This positive acceleration from left to right is used to increase the music speed in the forward direction.

In contrast, Case 2 shows a situation in which the user's finger is negatively accelerating as it moves across the sensors S1-S5 from left to right. This is because the time period t₁₂ during which sensor S1 is active is shorter than all other time periods, and the time periods get increasingly longer from left to right. This negative acceleration from left to right is used to decrease the music speed in the forward direction.

As an example, Equation 1 below can be used for approximately calculating the acceleration used when activating the first sensors 22 if the first sensors 22 are activated from left to right.

$\begin{array}{cc}\frac{t_{23}-t_{12}}{t_{45}-t_{34}}=\gamma & \left(1\right)\end{array}$

where γ represents an acceleration value. If γ is greater than 1, the acceleration is positive, if γ is less than 1, the acceleration is negative, and if γ is equal to 1, there is zero acceleration. The playback speed can be calculated by multiplying γ by a constant value. For convenience, the playback speed can also be rounded off to the nearest integer, such as 1×, 2×, and so on.

Please refer to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a detailed diagram of the temporary buffer 14. Seven frames are shown in the temporary buffer 14, i−3, i−2, i−1, i, i+1, i+2, and i+3. The frame i represents the frame currently being played. The frame i−1 represents the frame immediately preceding the current frame i and the frame i+1 represents the frame immediately following the current frame i. As shown in FIG. 7, when playing music in the forward direction, the frames are played from the current frame i downward. On the other hand, the frames are played from the current frame i upward when playing music in the backward direction. The music speed also determines how many frames are played per unit time. That is, twice as many frames will be played when the speed is 2× as at a normal playing speed. The temporary buffer 14 should be large enough to handle whatever playing speed and whatever playing direction the user selects using the first sensors 22.

In summary, the sensor array 20 is a tool that allows the user to quickly and intuitively control music playback. The user can easily control the playback direction, the playback speed, and the key of the music being played.

Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method of editing music on a portable device comprising a plurality of keys, the method comprising: defining the plurality of keys as a sensor array, the sensor array comprising first sensors arranged adjacent to one another;receiving data output from first sensors of the sensor array, the data indicative of a first characteristic of the music; andadjusting the music to match the first characteristic.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving data indicative of a first characteristic comprises receiving data indicative of a play-forward direction of the music.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: comparing activation times of each first sensor to determine if the first sensors were sequentially activated along a first direction; andadjusting the music to be played forward if the first sensors were sequentially activated along the first direction.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising: comparing the time durations in which each of the first sensors was activated for determining the acceleration used when activating the first sensors along a first direction.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising: increasing the speed of music to be played forward if the first sensors were activated using positive acceleration along the first direction.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising: decreasing the speed of music to be played forward if the first sensors were activated using negative acceleration along the first direction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving data indicative of a first characteristic comprises receiving data indicative of a play-backward direction of the music.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: comparing activation times of each first sensor to determine if the first sensors were sequentially activated along a second direction; andadjusting the music to be played backward if the first sensors were sequentially activated along the second direction.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: comparing the time durations in which each of the first sensors was activated for determining the acceleration used when activating the first sensors along a second direction.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising: increasing the speed of music to be played backward if the first sensors were activated using positive acceleration along the second direction.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising: decreasing the speed of music to be played backward if the first sensors were activated using negative acceleration along the second direction.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving data indicative of a first characteristic comprises receiving data indicative of speed of the music.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: comparing the time durations in which each of the first sensors was activated for determining the acceleration used when activating the first sensors;increasing the speed of music if the first sensors were activated using positive acceleration; anddecreasing the speed of music if the first sensors were activated using negative acceleration.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising: comparing activation times of each first sensor to determine if the first sensors were sequentially activated along a first direction; andraising the key of the music if the first sensors were sequentially activated along the first direction.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising: comparing activation times of each first sensor to determine if the first sensors were sequentially activated along a first direction; andlowering the key of the music if the first sensors were sequentially activated along the first direction.

16. A music editing device, comprising: a plurality of keys defined as a sensor array, the sensor array comprising first sensors arranged adjacent to one another;a sensor handling circuit for receiving data output from first sensors of the sensor array, the data indicative of a first characteristic of the music, and outputting music control signals according to the first characteristic of the music; andan audio output circuit for receiving the music control signals from the sensor handling circuit and for adjusting the music to match the first characteristic.

17. The music editing device of claim 16, wherein the sensor handling circuit compares activation times of each first sensor to determine if the first sensors were sequentially activated along a first direction and the audio output circuit adjusts the music to be played forward if the first sensors were sequentially activated along the first direction.

18. The music editing device of claim 17, wherein the sensor handling circuit compares the time durations in which each of the first sensors was activated for determining the acceleration used when activating the first sensors along a first direction.

19. The music editing device of claim 18, wherein the audio output circuit increases the speed of music to be played forward if the first sensors were activated using positive acceleration along the first direction.

20. The music editing device of claim 18, wherein the audio output circuit decreases the speed of music to be played forward if the first sensors were activated using negative acceleration along the first direction.

21. The music editing device of claim 16, wherein the sensor handling circuit compares activation times of each first sensor to determine if the first sensors were sequentially activated along a second direction and the audio output circuit adjusts the music to be played backward if the first sensors were sequentially activated along the second direction.

22. The music editing device of claim 21, wherein the sensor handling circuit compares the time durations in which each of the first sensors was activated for determining the acceleration used when activating the first sensors along a second direction.

23. The music editing device of claim 22, wherein the audio output circuit increases the speed of music to be played backward if the first sensors were activated using positive acceleration along the second direction.

24. The music editing device of claim 22, wherein the audio output circuit decreases the speed of music to be played backward if the first sensors were activated using negative acceleration along the second direction.

25. The music editing device of claim 16, wherein the sensor handling circuit compares the time durations in which each of the first sensors was activated for determining the acceleration used when activating the first sensors, and the audio output circuit increases the speed of music if the first sensors were activated using positive acceleration and decreases the speed of music if the first sensors were activated using negative acceleration.

26. The music editing device of claim 16, wherein the sensor handling circuit compares activation times of each first sensor to determine if the first sensors were sequentially activated along a first direction and the audio output circuit raises the key of the music if the first sensors were sequentially activated along the first direction.

27. The music editing device of claim 16, wherein the sensor handling circuit compares activation times of each first sensor to determine if the first sensors were sequentially activated along a first direction and the audio output circuit lowers the key of the music if the first sensors were sequentially activated along the first direction.