JP7622326B2 - Hybrid music composition method, hybrid music composition program, and hybrid music composition system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a system for creating mixed musical compositions such as medleys for use in music games, as well as a program and method for operating the system.

Among the games offered in various forms, including arcade games, there are known games in which the user performs specific operations in time with the rhythm and lyrics of a song, and enjoys scoring the results of those operations. Specifically, a score is awarded by performing a specific operation at a specific timing in the song, and a proposed way of playing is for users to compete over the score they can get depending on whether they can perform the operation at the right time.

In relation to these games, there have been known techniques for combining and playing multiple songs for use in games. Specifically, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for playing special effects at the connection points as a way to alleviate the discomfort felt by users before and after the connection points when playing a combination of songs.

Patent No. 6598266

However, the prior art described in Patent Document 1 adds special effects to the connections between multiple songs, and from the perspective of adding sounds unrelated to the songs, it is difficult to say that this is an appropriate means of mitigating the sense of discomfort felt by users.

To solve the above problems, the present invention proposes a hybrid music composition method that uses a computer to implement the following steps: a music data acquisition step for acquiring music data by linking it to a music ID, which is an ID that identifies the music; a tempo information acquisition step for acquiring tempo information for each acquired music, which is information related to the tempo of the music; a music selection acceptance step for accepting a selection of three or more music pieces; a tempo information extraction step for extracting tempo information contained in the selected music pieces; a music order determination step for determining the order of music pieces that will make up the hybrid music piece using the tempo information for each music piece; and a hybrid music composition step for creating the hybrid music piece in accordance with the determined order of music pieces.

In addition, in relation to the invention of this method, we also propose a hybrid music composition method that further includes a connection information acquisition step that includes multiple pieces of connection information for each song, which is information related to specific timings that are connection candidates within the song, and the hybrid music composition step further includes a connection information utilization sub-step that creates a hybrid music piece using the connection information for each song and the determined song order.

Furthermore, in relation to each of the above inventions, we also propose a method for creating mixed music pieces, which further includes a key information acquisition step for each piece of music, which provides key information that is information about the key of the piece of music, and the song order determination step further includes a key information utilization sub-step for determining the song order using the key information as well.

In addition, in relation to the invention of each of the above methods, we also propose a hybrid music composition method in which the song order determination step further includes an ID-utilizing sub-step that determines the song order using a song ID.

In addition, in relation to the above inventions, we also propose a method for creating a mixed piece of music, characterized in that in the ID usage sub-step, the order of the songs is determined so that the same song data is not played consecutively.

We also propose program inventions and system inventions related to the method invention.

The present invention, which has the above-mentioned main configuration, makes it possible to reduce the discomfort felt by game users.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of a user terminal using the hybrid music composition system of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of a hybrid music composition system according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a configuration in which the functional components of the hybrid music production system of the first embodiment are integrated and realized as one piece of hardware; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a process flow in the hybrid music composition system of the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of a hybrid music composition system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a process flow in the hybrid music composition system of the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of a hybrid music composition system according to a third embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a usage mode when key information is used; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a process flow in the hybrid music composition system of the third embodiment.

First, let us look at Figure 1. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an overview of the present invention, and shows an example of a display screen of a user terminal using the hybrid music composition system of the present invention. As shown in this diagram, when a user selects three or more songs, the order of the songs is determined using tempo information stored in association with the selected songs, and the user can create a hybrid music piece and then enjoy the game. In the example shown in this diagram, when three songs are selected (with the song "●●●●●" being selected multiple times), a hybrid music piece is created consisting of the songs "●●●●●" as the first song, "◇◇◇◇◇" as the second song, "◎◎◎◎◎" as the third song, and "●●●●●".

Each embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, the relationship between the embodiments and the claims is as follows. First, embodiment 1 mainly corresponds to claims 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, etc.; embodiment 2 mainly corresponds to claim 2, etc.; embodiment 3 mainly corresponds to claim 3, etc.

The present invention is not limited to these embodiments, but may be embodied in various forms within the scope of the technical ideas described in each claim in accordance with common technical knowledge and without departing from the spirit of the invention.

<<Embodiment 1>>
＜Overview＞
2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional blocks of the hybrid music composition system of this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the "hybrid music composition system" 0200 of this embodiment has a "music data storage unit" 0201, a "tempo information storage unit" 0202, a "music selection receiving unit" 0203, a "tempo information extraction unit" 0204, a "music order determination unit" 0205, and a "hybrid music composition unit" 0206.

The hybrid music creation system described in detail below can be configured to realize one or more of its functions using multiple devices, and all of its functional blocks can be realized as hardware or software. Examples of systems that use computers include hardware components such as a CPU, main memory, GPU, TPU, image memory, bus, secondary storage device (hard disk or non-volatile memory), various input devices such as a keyboard, microphone, touch panel, and electronic pen for touching the touch panel, speakers, displays and other various output devices, and other external peripheral devices, as well as interfaces for those external peripheral devices, communication interfaces, driver programs for controlling that hardware, and other application programs.

Then, by performing computations according to the programs deployed on the main memory, data input from input devices and other interfaces and held in the memory and hardware are processed and stored, and instructions for controlling the hardware and software are created. Here, the above programs may be realized as multiple modularized programs, or two or more programs may be combined by cloud computing or other methods to be realized as a single program.

<Functional configuration>
The "music data storage unit" 0201 is configured to store music data in association with a music ID, which is an ID for identifying the music. The specific manner in which music data is stored may vary, and in addition to storing the music data in advance, the term "storage" as used herein also includes maintaining the music data in a usable state by transmitting and receiving the music data to and from an external server via a network (the same basically applies to the manner in which other various information specified in this specification is stored).

The music data is retained for use in a game, for example, and is used to compose a composite piece of music together with other music data as described below, but there may also be cases where a single piece of music data is used alone in a game. In other words, the retained music data may be used for purposes other than creating a composite piece of music.

There is no need to impose restrictions on the content of the song data, such as the presence or absence of lyrics, the length of the performance time, the genre, or other attributes of the song data, and the type of song data to be held may be determined as appropriate. With regard to the manner in which song IDs are assigned when linking each piece of song data with a song ID for mutual identification, it is conceivable that song IDs will be assigned according to the attributes of the song data as described above, but the configuration for assigning such song IDs is also a matter of design.

A song ID is assigned to identify the song. Therefore, the type of song ID to be assigned to a song may be set as appropriate. It may be assigned according to the date and time of acquisition or the attributes of the external storage medium from which it was acquired, or it may be assigned according to the attributes of the song to be acquired as described above. In this case, it is possible that the attributes of the song have been assigned in advance on the external storage medium from which it was acquired. In such a case, it is possible to store in advance the attributes of the song and song ID assignment rules, which are rules for assigning song IDs according to those attributes, and assign song IDs according to those rules. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to acquire and store songs through a variety of song acquisition means while efficiently assigning IDs.

Note that when assigning song IDs, it is not essential that one song ID is assigned to one song. For example, it is possible to assign multiple song IDs to one song, or it is possible to assign one song ID and a secondary song ID that is further linked to the song ID. In this case, it is possible to specify one or more performance time positions within the performance time of one song, and assign different song IDs before and after the time positions. By enabling such a configuration, it becomes possible to assign IDs limited to specific parts of one song, such as the A melody, chorus, and B melody, and it is possible to avoid the awkward feeling of suddenly transitioning to the next song in the middle of a part with lyrics, making it possible to efficiently perform the process of creating a hybrid song, which will be described later.

As another specific example of assigning multiple song IDs, a case will be described where a song ID is assigned that identifies a portion that corresponds to a splice position when constructing a mixed song. The portion that corresponds to a splice position refers to a performance time position that identifies a connection portion when joining songs together when creating a mixed song in the mixed song creation unit described below. The splice position can change depending on whether the song is the first, second or subsequent song, or the last, and can also change depending on other attributes of the song. Since multiple splice positions can be set in one song in this way, it is possible to provide multiple song IDs to identify each of these performance time positions and store them in association with the songs. By adopting this configuration, it becomes possible to create mixed songs that correspond to a variety of combinations.

The length of time for the connection points can be set as appropriate, but as an example, around 40 seconds could be secured for the first song, around 30 seconds could be secured before and after each song for songs that are second or later, and around 40 seconds could be secured for the last song. By configuring the connection points for the first and last songs to have relatively long lengths of time, it is possible to create and provide a hybrid song that has a beginning, development, twist, and conclusion, and is therefore highly satisfying to the user.

The "tempo information storage unit" 0202 is configured to have tempo information, which is information about the tempo of a song, for each song stored. For example, the number of beats per unit time in a song can be used as the tempo information, and more specifically, the number of beats per minute (Beats Per Minute, BPM) can be acquired and stored as the tempo information. For example, if the song is a ballad, tempo information indicating that the BPM is low is stored, and the tempo information can be used to identify that the song has a slow tempo. Also, if the song is an up-tempo dance number, tempo information indicating that the BPM is high is stored, and the tempo information can be used to identify that the song has a fast tempo.

The tempo information can be obtained by measuring the tempo of the music stored in the music data storage unit. Specifically, a predetermined range of the music is arbitrarily selected, the BPM of the selected range is measured, and the measurement result is obtained as tempo information of the music. However, in addition to the configuration in which the tempo of the music is measured in the tempo information storage unit, it is also possible to obtain and store BPM information as tempo information from an external source through a means such as transmission and reception via a network to an external storage medium in which information about the BPM of the music is stored in advance.

Note that it is not always the case that only one type of tempo information is associated with a single piece of music. For example, in the case of a piece of music in which the tempo changes midway through the song, multiple pieces of information such as the time at which the tempo changes and the tempo (BPM) after the change may be obtained, and each piece may be associated with the piece of music and stored as tempo information. By adopting this configuration, it becomes possible to use tempo information that takes into account the composition of a piece of music with a complex composition in order to create a seamless mixed piece of music.

The "music selection receiving unit" 0203 is configured to receive a selection of three or more songs. The selection of songs may include receiving an arbitrary selection of songs by the user, or may be selected through a random selection process. Furthermore, a configuration may be adopted in which the user selects only one or two songs, and the remaining songs are selected through a random selection process, or a configuration may be adopted in which conditions set by the user are received, and selection is made through a random selection process based on the received conditions.

The conditions set by the user here could be, for example, conditions related to song attributes (dance, rock, anime songs, etc.), conditions to specify an artist, conditions for songs with specific tie-ups, conditions related to the year of release, etc., and it is possible to set conditions by combining one or more of these. By adopting such a configuration, it becomes easier to select songs to create a hybrid song that will increase user satisfaction.

Note that the song selection receiving unit is a component that accepts the selection of three or more songs, and accepting the selection of only one or two songs does not fall under this configuration. This is because it is impossible to create a mixed song, as described below, by selecting only one song, and when selecting two songs, determining the song order using tempo information, as described below, does not have a desirable effect. However, this does not exclude the coexistence of a song selection receiving unit that is configured to accept the selection of three or more songs with a configuration that accepts the selection of one song or accepts the selection of two songs to accept a mixed song, and it is of course possible for the user to selectively use these functions. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to provide the user with an environment in which they can enjoy various functions depending on their mood at the time.

The "tempo information extraction unit" 0204 is configured to extract tempo information for multiple songs selected by the song selection receiving unit. It is preferable to extract tempo information for all selected songs, and if multiple pieces of tempo information are stored in association with one song as described above, all of that tempo information is extracted.

The "song order determination unit" 0205 is configured to determine the order of the songs that compose the composite music piece using tempo information for each song. "Using tempo information for each song" means that the song order is determined based on the content of multiple pieces of tempo information linked to multiple songs, so as to reduce the sense of discomfort felt by the user.

As an example of using tempo information, we will explain the case where BPM is used as tempo information. Normally, if songs have similar BPMs, mixing these songs will often reduce the sense of incongruity. Therefore, it is possible to first perform a process to identify whether the BPMs of the extracted tempo information are similar.

The judgment of whether or not the songs are similar may be set arbitrarily. If the difference in BPM between songs is within the range of approximately plus 8% to minus 4%, they may be judged to be similar to each other. Furthermore, if the difference in BPM is within the range of approximately plus 4% to minus 2%, it may be judged to be a song that can reduce the sense of discomfort felt by the user even when mixed together. This is because if the difference is that small, the sense of discomfort felt by the user can be reduced to a considerable extent, at least from the perspective of tempo. As for the order of songs to be set based on the results of this judgment, it is possible to use the order of songs that is judged to be more similar, but other appropriate settings are also possible.

Note that if any of the selected songs has tempo information that does not fall within the above range, it may be determined that the song is not to be included in the songs that make up the mixed song, and in that case, processing may be performed to prompt the user to select a new song or to add a song. However, in addition to such processing, a song tempo change means may be provided to change the tempo of the song, and this function may be used to change the BPM of the song to fall within the above range so that it can be included as part of the songs that make up the mixed song. By adopting this configuration, it becomes possible to create a mixed song using any song, with less discomfort felt by the user.

For example, suppose the BPMs of the three selected songs (A, B, and C for convenience) are A: 128, B: 140, and C: 130, respectively. In this case, the difference in BPM between A and B (12) is plus 9.4% when ordered A then B, and minus 8.6% when ordered B then A. The difference in BPM between A and C (2) is plus 1.6% when ordered A then C, and minus 1.5% when ordered C then A. The difference in BPM between B and C (10) is minus 7.1% when ordered B then C, and plus 7.7% when ordered C then B. Taking into account the calculation results of these BPM differences, first determine the order C→A as the order in which the BPMs are close to each other, and for the remaining song order for B, determine the order B and C, which has the smaller BPM difference between B and C and A and B. As a result, the overall song order is determined to be B→C→A.

So far, an example of a method for determining the order of songs when multiple songs have the same BPM has been described. Next, an example of a method for determining the order of songs when a song has multiple BPMs, i.e., when the tempo changes in the middle of a song, will be described. By arranging the song between songs with different BPMs to form a mixed song, it is expected that the effect of making it difficult for the user to get the impression that songs with different BPMs have been mixed can be expected. To give a specific example, assume that the BPMs of the three selected songs (for convenience, D, E, and F) are D: 120, E: a song that changes from 125 to 140, and F: 144, respectively. In this case, when trying to take the difference as described above, since there is a large difference between D and F, arranging such songs in a consecutive song order to form a mixed song gives a great sense of incongruity to the user. However, by arranging E between such an order of D and F, the difference in BPM between D and the beginning part of E and the difference in BPM between the latter part of E and F are each within the above range, so it is considered that the order can be determined as the order of songs to be composed of the constituent songs. By adopting this type of configuration, it becomes possible to create an ideal hybrid piece of music that takes advantage of the characteristic of music in which the tempo changes between songs.

The song order determination unit may also be configured to use an ID utilization means that determines the song order using song IDs as well. The song IDs used here may be assigned according to the attributes of the songs described above. That is, song IDs may be assigned based on the genre of the song (dance, anime songs, pop, ballad, etc.), the presence or absence of lyrics, the length of performance time, the release date, and other song-related attributes. Specifically, the song order may be determined so that multiple songs are arranged in chronological order according to their release dates, or songs with lyrics may not be arranged in a consecutive order.

Incidentally, the ID utilization means may be characterized in that it determines the song order so that the same song data is not played consecutively. When multiple songs are selected, the same song data may be selected multiple times, and in that case, the songs have exactly the same BPM and other attributes, so the song order is usually configured to be arranged so that the same songs are played in a row. There is no particular reason for this invention to exclude the same song being selected here. However, when determining the song order, if the same songs are played consecutively, it will give the user an impression of being drawn out. Therefore, when multiple songs with the exact same song ID are selected, it is desirable to determine the song order so that the songs are not played in a consecutive order.

On the other hand, if different songs by the same singer/composer/group are selected, the order of the songs may be determined so that they are played in a consecutive order, and in the case of a medley, it may be preferable to prioritize songs with song IDs that have the same singer/composer/group attributes in the order of consecutive songs.

The song order determination unit may determine the song order using song mixture history information, which is history information about what songs the selected song was previously combined with to form a mixed song. The song mixture history information may be generated when the mixed song is created and recorded on the server, and may also be stored in association with game history information, such as the number of times the mixed song has been played and the score history of a game played using the mixed song. When a game is used by many users over a network, users may compete for high scores based on their own perceptions. If information about the game history, such as high scores when a game is played using a specific mixed song and the user ID of the user who achieved the high score, is known, it becomes easy to grasp the trends of songs and mixed songs that are popular with users based on such information. Therefore, by adopting a configuration in which such information about user preferences can also be used, it becomes possible to provide a technology that is suitable for users.

The "mixed music composition unit" 0206 is configured to compose a mixed music piece according to the determined song order. Specifically, the mixed music piece is created by performing an editing process to join the selected songs together in the determined song order. Here, it is considered that the mixed music piece is created by processing parts of the songs before and after the joining, but the type of processing and editing process to be performed is set appropriately.

Here, an example of the editing process will be described. A hybrid song can be created using information indicating the attributes of the songs contained in the song ID associated with the extracted songs. Specifically, information for identifying the connection position of the songs is used. That is, if information indicating that "if selected as the first song, the connection time will be 38 seconds from the performance position 1 minute 10 seconds after the start" is linked to the song ID as a song attribute, a hybrid process is performed to transition the performance to the second selected song over 38 seconds from that performance position.

There are various possible modes for the blending process. First, a process can be performed in which the bass output of the previous song is reduced while transitioning to the next song. By adopting this configuration, it becomes possible to transition to the next song while performing a process that prevents the bass of the previous song from reverberating, which gives the user the impression of a blended song that is pleasant to the ear, or reduces the sense of discomfort felt when transitioning between songs.

Next, it is possible to apply processing according to the difference in BPM. For example, when there are consecutive songs whose BPMs are judged to be very similar within a certain range (for example, within a range of plus or minus 4%), it is possible to connect them by not changing the number of beats in the part of the song where the songs will be joined, or by increasing the number of beats. In this case, fade-in/fade-out processing may be applied. When connecting songs with a small difference in BPM to begin with, the user will feel less uncomfortable even if the number of beats is not adjusted, and similarly, it is unlikely to feel very uncomfortable if the song is switched to the next song all at once, so it may be acceptable to process the number of beats to be increased.

On the other hand, even if the difference in BPM is small, if the keys of the songs before and after the connection are significantly different, it is possible to use different processing. In this case, fade-in/fade-out processing can also be used. Details will be explained in the third embodiment, but mixing songs with significantly different keys all at once often gives the user a sense of discomfort from a perspective other than the difference in tempo. For this reason, it is possible to use processing that changes the beat count slightly, giving the impression that the songs are gradually transitioning. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to reduce the sense of discomfort felt by the user even when mixing songs with different keys.

Next, an example of processing for connecting songs with BPM differences that exceed a predetermined range (for example, a range of +6% or more or -6% or less), i.e., songs with significantly different tempos, will be described. In such cases, fade-in/fade-out processing can be performed, but since a long connection time is required to reduce the sense of discomfort felt by the user, it is preferable to use an alternative process. For example, it is possible to perform a cut-in process that matches the end of the previous song with the beginning of the next song, without adjusting the BPM or performing other processing. By performing editing processing that deliberately emphasizes the change in melody, the effect of the "turn" in the introduction, development, turn, and conclusion can be emphasized, and the user can be given a strong impression of a change that is different from a sense of discomfort.

Note that even when cut-in processing is performed, it is not excluded to perform additional processing to alleviate any sense of discomfort that may be felt by the user. For example, an echo process could be performed at the transition point of the previous song, so that the reverberation of the previous song is maintained for a while even after the new song starts. When the difference in BPM is fairly large (for example, in the range of plus 20% or more or minus 12% or less), the sense of discomfort felt when cut-in processing is performed will be relatively large, and there is a concern that this will outweigh the impression of a transition. Therefore, by performing echo processing, it is possible to give the user a stronger impression of the transition.

When a mixed music piece is created using the above configuration, the user plays a game using the mixed music piece. However, if the created mixed music piece does not suit the user's taste, it is also possible to accept a request from the user to recreate the mixed music piece. When a recreate request is accepted, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the music selection receiving unit accepts a new song selection, or to adopt a configuration in which the song order determining unit determines a new song order while leaving the selected songs as they are. When the song order determining unit determines a new song order, it may adopt a configuration in which an arbitrary song order selection from the user is accepted, or a configuration in which a separate determination process is performed using a different determination criterion than that used when determining the initially determined song order. Then, when the new song or song order is selected, the mixed music creating unit performs editing and processing according to the new song or song order.

<Specific configuration>
FIG. 3 is shown here. This figure is a schematic diagram showing an example of a configuration when each functional component of the hybrid music composition system of this embodiment is integrated and realized as one piece of hardware. Each device has a "CPU" 0301 for executing various arithmetic processes, a "storage device (storage medium)" 0302, a "main memory" 0303, an "input interface" 0304, an "output interface" 0305, and a "network interface" 0306, and transmits and receives information to and from external peripheral devices such as a "touch panel" 0307 and a "display" 0308 via the input/output interfaces. In addition, there may be cases where information is transmitted and received to and from an external device such as a "user terminal" 0309 via the network interface. The specific form of this network interface may be wired or wireless, and the communication method may be direct or indirect. Therefore, it is also possible to adopt a so-called cloud computing format in which information is transmitted and received between a specific external device or a server managed by a third party linked to the user of the device.

The storage device stores various programs as described below, and the CPU reads, expands, and executes these programs in the work area of the main memory. These components are interconnected by a data communication path such as a "system bus" 0399, and transmit and receive information and perform processing (the basic configuration described above is the same for any of the other devices described below).

(Specific configuration of music data storage unit)
The music data storage unit is composed of a computer program and computer hardware, and specifically, the CPU reads out a "music data acquisition program" 0310 from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, acquires music data from an external terminal or storage medium, associates it with a music ID that identifies the music, and stores it at a predetermined address in the main memory. The music ID may be assigned randomly or according to a predetermined rule, and is not particularly limited. Music data may be written or created from an internal or external terminal, and may be changed.

(Specific Configuration of the Tempo Information Storage Unit)
The tempo information storage unit is composed of a computer program and computer hardware. Specifically, the CPU reads out the “tempo information acquisition program” 0320 from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, acquires tempo information, which is information relating to the tempo of the music, for each piece of music acquired by executing the music data acquisition program, and stores the music and the tempo information in a specified address of the main memory while linking them together.

(Specific Configuration of Music Selection Reception Unit)
The song selection reception unit is composed of a computer program and computer hardware, and specifically, the CPU reads the “song selection reception program” 0330 from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, and accepts the selection of three or more songs in response to the user's selection process.

(Specific Configuration of the Tempo Information Extraction Unit)
The tempo information extraction unit is composed of a computer program and computer hardware, and specifically, the CPU reads the “tempo information extraction program” 0340 from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, and reads and extracts the tempo information contained in the multiple pieces of music whose selection has been accepted by executing the music selection accepting program from a specified address in the main memory.

(Specific Configuration of Song Order Determination Unit)
The song order determination unit is composed of a computer program and computer hardware, and specifically, the CPU reads out the “song order determination program” 0350 from the storage device into the main memory, executes it, and performs processing to determine the order of songs that will compose the composite song using the tempo information of multiple songs extracted by executing the tempo information extraction program.

(Specific configuration of the hybrid music composition unit)
The hybrid music composition unit is composed of a computer program and computer hardware, and specifically, the CPU reads the "hybrid music composition program" 0360 from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, creates a hybrid music piece by mixing music pieces according to the song order determined by executing the song order determination program, and stores the data of the hybrid music piece at a specified address in the main memory.

<Processing flow>
4 is a diagram showing an example of a process flow in the hybrid music composition system of this embodiment. The process flow in this diagram consists of the following steps. First, in step S0401, music data is acquired in association with a music ID, which is an ID for identifying the music (music data acquisition step). In addition, in step S0402, tempo information, which is information relating to the tempo of the music, is acquired for each acquired music (tempo information acquisition step). Steps S0401 and S0402 can be processed at a timing independent of the processing from step S0403 onwards, and can be processed independently in the form of adding, removing or changing music data and step information.

Next, in step S0403, a selection of three or more songs is accepted (song selection acceptance step), and in step S0404, tempo information contained in the selected songs is extracted (tempo information extraction step), and in step S0405, the tempo information for each song is used to determine the order of the songs that will make up the mixed song (song order determination step). Then, in step S0406, the mixed song is created according to the determined order of songs (mixed song creation step), and the process ends for the time being.

Then, in step S0407, it is determined whether or not it is necessary to create the fusion music again. If it is determined that it is necessary to create it again due to a request from the user or other processing, the processing of the music selection reception step in step S0403 or the song order determination step in step S0405 is repeated. If it is determined that it is not necessary to create it again, the fusion music creation process ends and the process moves on to the game execution process.

＜Effects＞
By using a hybrid music composition system that employs the above configuration, it is possible to reduce the sense of discomfort felt by game users when creating hybrid music.

<<Embodiment 2>>
＜Overview＞
The hybrid music composition system of this embodiment basically has the same technical features as the hybrid music composition system described in embodiment 1, but has an additional feature in that it has multiple connection information for each song, which is information about specific timings that are candidate connections within the song, and creates a hybrid music piece using the connection information for each song and the determined song order.

<Functional configuration>
Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of the hybrid music composition system of this embodiment implemented by one computer (apparatus). As shown in the diagram, the "hybrid music composition system" 0500 of this embodiment includes a "music data storage unit" 0501, a "tempo information storage unit" 0502, a "music selection receiving unit" 0503, a "tempo information extraction unit" 0504, a "music order determination unit" 0505, a "hybrid music composition unit" 0506, and a "connection information storage unit" 0507, and the hybrid music composition unit includes a "connection information utilization unit" 0516. The basic configuration is the same as the hybrid music composition system described using Fig. 2 of the first embodiment, so the following describes the functions of the "connection information storage unit" 0507 and the "connection information utilization unit" 0516, which are the differences.

The "connection information storage unit" 0507 is configured to store multiple pieces of connection information for each acquired song, which is information related to specific timings that are connection candidates within the song. As explained in embodiment 1, the content of the song ID includes information about the attributes of the song, but in this embodiment, the connection information is acquired and stored as separate information rather than as the content of the song ID. In other words, the connection information refers to information such as performance time positions that are candidates for connection positions within the song, and the duration of the performance time positions that make up the connection positions.

For songs with lyrics, it is preferable for the connection time to include a timing before and after the end of the chorus as a candidate for a connection point. This is because the chorus of a song is highly recognized by users. In addition, if the songs have a long playing time, it is also preferable to configure the connection information so that at least one connection point is provided within a specified time. This is because when creating a mixed song, if the playing time of any one song is relatively long, the mixed song itself will drag on, lowering user satisfaction.

One possible configuration is for connection information to be configured with predetermined content in advance, linked to music and stored on an external server, etc., and for this information to be acquired and stored via a network. By using connection information configured with predetermined content, many users can play the game using mixed music that uses the same connection information content and compete for scores, so adopting this configuration makes it easier to judge the scores of users, which is one of the reasons why the game is more enjoyable.

On the other hand, it is also possible to modify and retain the connection information once it has been acquired. In this case, the user can connect songs at their own preferred timing to create a mixed song, and since the user can play the game with a mixed song that satisfies them, it is possible to provide an environment in which the user's own satisfaction can be maintained.

The "connection information utilization means" 0516 is configured to use the connection information for each song and the determined song order in the mixed music composition unit to create a mixed music composition. A specific aspect of creating a mixed music composition using the connection information is basically the same as an example of the music editing and processing process using a song ID in the mixed music composition unit of embodiment 1. However, when using connection information, the connection information is configured to be changeable by the user himself, and therefore the process of using the connection information stored in association with the user is different from embodiment 1.

<Specific configuration>
The hardware configuration of each device constituting the hybrid music composition system of this embodiment is basically the same as the hardware configuration in the hybrid music composition system of embodiment 1 described with reference to Fig. 3. Therefore, in the following, specific processing of the "connection information storage unit" and "connection information utilization means" that have not been described so far will be described.

(Specific Configuration of Connection Information Storage Unit)
The connection information storage unit is specifically composed of a computer program and computer hardware, and the CPU reads a ``connection information acquisition program'' from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, and for each song acquired by executing the song data acquisition program, acquires multiple pieces of connection information, which is information regarding specific timings that are connection candidates within the song, and links it to the song and stores it at a specific address in the main memory.

(Specific configuration of connection information utilization means)
The connection information utilization means is specifically composed of a computer program and computer hardware, and when executing the hybrid music composition program, the CPU reads out a "connection information utilization sub-program" from the storage device into the main memory and executes it, creating a hybrid music composition using the connection information for each song obtained by executing the connection information acquisition program and the song order determined by executing the song order determination program, and storing it at a specified address in the main memory.

<Processing flow>
6 is a diagram showing an example of a process flow in the hybrid music composition system of this embodiment. The process flow in this diagram consists of the following steps. First, in step S0601, music data is acquired by linking it with a music ID, which is an ID that identifies the music (music data acquisition step). In step S0602, tempo information, which is information about the tempo in the music, is acquired for each acquired music (tempo information acquisition step), and in step S0603, multiple pieces of connection information, which are information about predetermined timings that are connection candidates in the music, are acquired for each music (connection information acquisition step). Note that the processes in steps S0602 and S0603 may be configured in the reverse order.

Here, steps S0601, S0602, and S0603 can each be processed at a timing independent of the processing from step S0604 onwards, and can be processed independently in the form of adding, removing, or changing music data, step information, and connection information. Furthermore, with regard to connection information, it is also possible to respond to corrections or changes to its content in addition to adding, removing, or changing the information itself, and in that case too, it can be processed independently.

Next, in step S0604, a selection of three or more songs is accepted (song selection acceptance step), and in step S0605, tempo information contained in the selected songs is extracted (tempo information extraction step), and in step S0606, the tempo information for each song is used to determine the order of songs that will make up the mixed song (song order determination step). Then, in step S0607, the mixed song is created according to the determined song order (mixed song creation step), and the process ends for the time being. Note that a feature of this embodiment is that in the mixed song creation step, the connection information for each song and the determined song order are used to create the mixed song (connection information use sub-step).

Then, in step S0608, it is determined whether or not it is necessary to create the fusion music again. If it is determined that recreating is necessary due to a user request or other processing, the music selection acceptance step in step S0604 or the song order determination step in step S0606 is repeated. If it is determined that recreating is not necessary, the fusion music creation process ends and the process moves on to the game execution process.

＜Effects＞
By using the hybrid music creation system of this embodiment, compared to the case where the hybrid music creation system of embodiment 1 is used, it becomes possible for a user to enjoy a game according to his or her own preferences, rather than being limited to enjoying the game together with other users, making it possible to provide a more diverse game play environment.

<<Embodiment 3>>
＜Overview＞
The hybrid music composition system of this embodiment basically has the same technical features as the hybrid music composition system described in embodiment 1 or 2, but has an additional feature in that it has key information, which is information regarding the key of the music, for each piece of music stored in the computer, and the key information is also used to determine the song order.

<Functional configuration>
Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block diagram of the hybrid music composition system of this embodiment implemented by one computer (apparatus). As shown in the diagram, the "hybrid music composition system" 0700 of this embodiment includes a "music data storage unit" 0701, a "tempo information storage unit" 0702, a "music selection receiving unit" 0703, a "tempo information extraction unit" 0704, a "song order determination unit" 0705, a "hybrid music composition unit" 0706, and a "key information storage unit" 0707, and the song order determination unit includes a "key information utilization means" 0715. The basic configuration is the same as that of the hybrid music composition system described using Fig. 2 of the first embodiment, so the following describes the functions of the "key information storage unit" 0707 and the "key information utilization means" 0715, which are the differences.

The "key information storage unit" 0707 is configured to have key information, which is information about the key in a piece of music, for each piece of music stored in the computer. The key information here is information for identifying the tonality of a piece of music, and may be configured with content such as major/monoton, or with chord content such as major/minor, and the configuration form may be set appropriately. However, since this information is used when blending multiple pieces of music, it is necessary that all key information is in a form that can be distinguished from one another.

The key information is acquired in association with the song, and it is not expected that the key information will be modified or changed independently after the song is acquired. Therefore, it is preferable that the key information is not acquired by the user and then stored, but is instead stored in an external server in association with the song, and is stored so that it can be used via a network as needed. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to prevent the user from modifying the key information.

Of course, multiple pieces of key information may be linked to one piece of music, such as a piece of music with a key change within the piece. When multiple pieces of key information are stored, it is preferable to store the information in association with a music ID or connection information containing the playing time of the key change portion. By adopting this configuration, it is possible to create a composite piece of music that accurately reflects the key information at the connection point.

The "key information utilization means" 0715 is configured to determine the song order using key information in the song order determination section. How the key information is used can be set appropriately, but an example of how it is used is described below.

Key charts, also known as the circle of fifths or Camelot wheel, are sometimes used as a means of visualizing key relationships. In other words, this is a method of making it easier to grasp the level of affinity between keys by arranging the relationships between each key at a specific circular position for each key. In the key information utilization means, it is conceivable that key information utilization rules, which are rules that define the relationships between keys in this way, are stored and the order of songs is determined by applying these rules. By adopting this configuration, it becomes possible to determine the order of songs based on objective criteria, making it possible to create mixed music that satisfies many users.

Here, FIG. 8 is shown. This is an example of the key chart mentioned above, and the notations "12B", "12A", "1B", "2A", "3A" and so on in this figure represent key information. More specifically, 12B means E major, 12A means D flat minor, 1B means B major, 2A means E flat major, and 3A means B flat minor. As shown in this figure, when comparing a piece of music with a key of 1B with a piece of music with a key of 2B, their arrangement positions are extremely close. On the other hand, it can be seen that there is a relative distance between the piece of music with a key of 8B and the piece of music with a key of 1B. From the description in this table, it means that a piece of music with a key of 1B is relatively more compatible with a piece of music with a key of 2B compared to a piece of music with a key of 2B and a piece of music with a key of 8B, and it means that there is less discomfort when mixing pieces of music with such keys.

By adopting this configuration, which uses the relationships between key information such as the placement on the circle of fifths, it becomes possible to determine a song order that reduces the sense of discomfort felt by the user.

<Specific configuration>
The hardware configuration of each device constituting the hybrid music composition system of this embodiment is basically the same as the hardware configuration in the hybrid music composition system of embodiment 1 described with reference to Fig. 3. Therefore, in the following, specific processing of the "key information storage unit" and "key information utilization means" that have not been described so far will be described.

(Specific Configuration of Key Information Storage Unit)
The key information storage unit is specifically composed of a computer program and computer hardware, and the CPU reads a ``key information acquisition program'' from the storage device into the main memory, executes it, acquires key information, which is information regarding the key of the song acquired by executing the song data acquisition program, and links it to the song and stores it at a specified address in the main memory.

(Specific Configuration of Key Information Utilization Means)
The key information utilization means is specifically composed of a computer program and computer hardware, and when executing the song order determination program, the CPU reads out a "key information utilization sub-program" from the storage device into the main memory and executes it to determine the song order that will make up the composite song using the key information in addition to the tempo information of the multiple songs extracted by executing the tempo information extraction program.

<Processing flow>
9 is a diagram showing an example of a process flow in the hybrid music composition system of this embodiment. The process flow in this diagram consists of the following steps. First, in step S0901, music data is acquired by linking it with a music ID, which is an ID that identifies the music (music data acquisition step). In step S0902, tempo information, which is information about the tempo of the music, is acquired for each acquired music (tempo information acquisition step), and in step S0903, key information, which is information about the key of the music, is acquired for each music (key information acquisition step). Note that the processes in steps S0902 and S0903 may be performed in the reverse order.

Here, steps S0901, S0902, and S0903 are each processed at a timing independent of the processing from step S0904 onwards, and specifically, can be processed independently in the form of adding, removing, or changing music data, step information, and key information.

Next, in step S0904, a selection of three or more songs is accepted (song selection acceptance step), and in step S0905, tempo information contained in the selected songs is extracted (tempo information extraction step), and in step S0906, the tempo information for each song is used to determine the order of the songs that will make up the mixed song (song order determination step). Note that this embodiment is characterized in that in the song order determination step, key information is also used to determine the order of the songs (key information use sub-step). Then, in step S0907, a mixed song is created in accordance with the determined order of the songs (mixed song creation step), and the process ends for the time being.

Then, in step S0908, it is determined whether or not it is necessary to create the fusion music again. If it is determined that recreating is necessary due to a request from the user or other processing, the processing of the music selection acceptance step in step S0904 or the song order determination step in step S0906 is repeated. If it is determined that recreating is not necessary, the fusion music creation process ends and the process moves on to the game execution process.

＜Effects＞
By using the hybrid music composition system of this embodiment, it is possible to create a hybrid music piece that is less likely to give the user a strange feeling than when the hybrid music composition system of the first or second embodiment is used.

0200: Hybrid music composition system, 0201: Music data storage unit, 0202: Tempo information storage unit, 0203: Music selection reception unit, 0204: Tempo information extraction unit, 0205: Song order determination unit, 0206: Hybrid music composition unit

Claims (7)

a song data acquisition step of acquiring song data in association with a song ID that is an ID for identifying the song data ;
a tempo information acquisition step of acquiring tempo information, which is information regarding the tempo of the music data , for each of the acquired music data ;
a song selection receiving step of receiving a selection of three or more pieces of song data ;
a tempo information extraction step of extracting tempo information included in the selected plurality of music piece data ;
a song order determination step for determining a song order for constructing the composite song data using tempo information for each of the selected song data ;
a composite music piece creating step of creating composite music piece data by performing an editing process according to information indicating a connection position and a connection time length of music pieces included in a music piece ID associated with the music piece data according to the determined music piece order ;
A method for creating hybrid music using a computer. The method further includes a connection information acquisition step of acquiring connection information for each piece of music data , the connection information being information on predetermined timings that are connection candidates in the piece of music data ;
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the hybrid music piece creating step further comprises a connection information using sub-step of creating hybrid music piece data using the connection information for each music piece data and the determined music order. The method further includes a key information acquiring step of acquiring key information, which is information about a key in the music data , for each music data ;
3. The method for creating a composite music piece according to claim 1, wherein the song order determining step further comprises a key information utilizing sub-step of determining the song order using key information as well. A method for creating a composite piece of music according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the song order determination step further includes an ID-utilizing sub-step for determining the song order using a song ID as well. The method for creating a mixed piece of music described in claim 4, characterized in that in the ID usage sub-step, the order of the songs is determined so that the same song data is not played consecutively. a song data acquisition step of acquiring song data in association with a song ID that is an ID for identifying the song data ;
a tempo information acquisition step of acquiring tempo information, which is information regarding the tempo of the music data , for each of the acquired music data ;
a song selection receiving step for receiving a selection of three or more pieces of song data ;
a tempo information extraction step of extracting tempo information included in the selected plurality of music piece data ;
a song order determination step of determining a song order for constructing the composite song data using tempo information for each of the selected song data ;
a composite music piece creating step of creating composite music piece data by performing an editing process according to information indicating a connection position and a connection time length of music pieces included in a music piece ID associated with the music piece data according to the determined music piece order ;
A hybrid music composition program that causes a computer to execute the above. a song data storage unit that stores song data in association with a song ID that is an ID for identifying the song data ;
a tempo information storage unit that stores tempo information for each of the stored music piece data , the tempo information being information regarding the tempo of the music piece data ;
a song selection receiving unit for receiving a selection of three or more pieces of song data ;
a tempo information extraction unit for extracting tempo information included in the selected plurality of pieces of music data ;
a song order determination unit that determines a song order for constructing the composite song data using tempo information for each of the selected song data ;
a composite music piece creating unit that creates composite music piece data by performing an editing process according to information indicating a connection position and a connection time length of music pieces included in a music piece ID associated with the music piece data according to the determined music piece order ;
A hybrid music composition system having:

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