Patent ID: 6897368
Filing Date: 2005-05-24
Classification: G10H

Abstract:
1. A method for providing radio and virtual radio audio information comprising the steps of: providing a radio tuner, wherein the radio tuner tunes in and provides as sound output audio information from one or a plurality of radio stations; executing program instructions, wherein one or more music composition algorithms are applied to song data in accordance with a song data structure to generate music output for a song; defining a plurality of predetermined musical styles, wherein values of parameters in accordance with the song data structure are provided to correspond to each of the predetermined musical styles; automatically generating music in accordance with one or more of the plurality of predetermined styles; defining one or a plurality of virtual radio stations, wherein each of the one or a plurality of virtual radio stations corresponds to a particular one of the predetermined musical styles, wherein each of the one or a plurality of virtual radio stations provides as sound output audio information comprising automatically generated music in accordance with the particular one of the predetermined musical styles that corresponds to the virtual radio station; providing a radio/virtual radio user interface, wherein a user is presented with an option to select as sound output a radio station to which the radio tuner tunes or a virtual radio station; in response to first user input selecting as sound output a selected radio station, providing audio output based on the audio information from the selected radio station; and in response to second user input selecting as sound output a selected virtual radio station, providing audio output comprising automatically generated music in accordance with the particular one of the predetermined musical styles that corresponds to the selected virtual radio station.