Abstract:
Enabling participants to participate in the user-interactive generation of audio musical presentations on an interactive real-time basis involving many receiving display stations or terminals on the Web. Web pages are distributed to participants at Web display stations that include presentation window space in said Web page. An implementation in the window space offers a set of audio music beats to a participant. A method includes playing one of the offered set of audio music beats to a participant, enabling the participant to input audio content, correlating the input audio content with the beat to generate a correlated audio presentation and providing an audio output of the correlated audio presentation.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to computer managed communication networks, such as the World Wide Web (Web), and particularly to the interactive generation of Rap presentations at display stations or terminals and the distribution of such rap presentations to other display stations on the Web. 
       BACKGROUND OF RELATED ART 
       [0002]    The past decade has been marked by a technological revolution driven by the convergence of the data processing industry with the consumer electronics industry. The effect has, in turn, driven technologies that have been known and available but relatively quiescent over the years. A major one of these technologies is the Internet or Web related distribution of documents. The Web or Internet, which had quietly existed for over a generation as a loose academic and government data distribution facility, reached “critical mass” and commenced a period of phenomenal expansion. With this expansion, businesses and consumers have direct access to all matter of documents and media through the Web. Because of the rapid expansion of industry and commerce telecommunication bandwidth needs over the past decade, the telecommunications industry has been rapidly expanding the worldwide infrastructure needed to satisfy these needs. 
         [0003]    One area has been that of Internet Protocol (IP) Telecommunications wherein voice and other audio telecommunications are transmitted over the Internet or Web. In such IP telephonic communications, voice communication is broken down into voice packets that are digitized and transmitted over the Internet using IP telecommunication Protocols. The text,  IP Telephony Demystified , Ken Camp, published 2003, McGraw-Hill, New York, N.Y., describes such transmission of voice packets; particularly in Chapter 3, pp. 54-69. This has become the basic Voice over IP (VOIP) primary technology used to transmit voice and audio content over the Internet or Web (these terms are used interchangeably herein). This Voice over IP technology is described in greater detail (page 870) in  Newton&#39;s Telecom Dictionary , Harry Newton, 2003, CMP Books, San Francisco, Calif., as well as in the above text  IP Telephony Demystified  at pages 222-223. 
         [0004]    These expanded Web resources combined with the availability of Voice over IP has led to the development of many computer applications in the field of electronic entertainment on the Web. The present invention is directed to such a development. 
       SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention provides a system, method and computer program for enabling participants to participate in the user-interactive generation of audio musical presentations on an interactive real-time basis involving many receiving display stations or terminals on the Web. The invention is particularly effective in such presentations of rap music wherein rappers and potential rappers are given the opportunity to hone their skills before a real-time interactive Web audience, have fun, and get real-time feedback as to their abilities from the “spectators” in the Web audience. Because of the easy access to the Web, it is understood that managers and agents seeking entertainment talent can readily browse the Web. Thus, the invention offers presenters, e.g. rappers, an informal, easy, broad and inexpensive venue in which to expose their talents and abilities, and perhaps be discovered. 
         [0006]    The invention involves distribution via the Web of Web pages to participants and Web display stations, and includes means for providing a presentation window space in said Web page, means in the window for offering a set of selectable audio music beats to a participant, means for playing one of said offered set of audio music beats to a participant, means enabling the participant to input audio content, means for correlating the input audio content with the beat to generate a correlated audio presentation, and means for providing an audio output of the correlated audio presentation. 
         [0007]    The invention may further include means for displaying said Web page including said presentation window space to each of the participants at said display terminals, combined with means for enabling each of the participants to selectively participate in the presentation either as a presenter or as a spectator. The invention may also enable a plurality of the rap presenters to present their respective presentations in the presentation window space, in a competitive environment wherein the respective rappers are judged in head-to-head competition. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The present invention will be better understood and its numerous objects and advantages will become more apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the following drawings, in conjunction with the accompanying specification, in which: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a generalized view of a portion of a Web network that may be used for the interactive generation of audio music presentations in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a data processing system including a central processing unit and network connections via a communications adapter that is capable of implementing the interactive display terminals, as well as servers in the Web network of this invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic illustration of an interactive display Web page interface used for generating rap presentations by individual rappers via the Web; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a display interface like that of  FIG. 3  but used for competitive generation of rap sessions by two rappers; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is an illustrative flowchart describing the setting up of the programming functions to form the implementation enabling the interactive generation of audio musical presentations in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart of an illustrative run of the program set up according to  FIG. 5 ; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a continuation of the illustrative run of  FIG. 6 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a generalized diagram of a Web or Internet portion is shown to illustrate the distribution of the Web pages and the interrelationship of the participants at Web stations in the practice of the present invention. As will hereinafter be described in greater detail, each of the participants, whether rapper or spectator, is communicated with through a set of terminals or stations  45 ,  46  and  56 . These terminals, each having a Web browser program, as illustrated by browser  53  associated with terminal  56 , are connected to the Web  50  through respective Web servers  51  and  52 . Alternatively, a station e.g. station  56 , may be connected to the appropriate Web server  51  via a Web service provider  47 . In the examples that will be subsequently described with respect to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the rap beats are stored in an appropriate database  49 , and the application program providing and coordinating the beats with the rapper&#39;s audio input are carried out at the Web site  48  associated with the database of beats  49  that communicates via Web server  44  connected to Web  50 . The communication protocols used are conventional HTML Web pages with Voice over IP function as previously described. For details on Internet nodes, objects and links, reference is made to the text,  Mastering the Internet , G. H. Cady et al., published by Sybex Inc., Alameda, Calif., 1996. The Internet or Web is a global network of a heterogeneous mix of computer technologies and operating systems. In a simple operation, appropriate Web pages are accessed by display stations  45 ,  46  and  56  from Web site  48  on which the Web pages are stored in database  49 . As will hereinafter be described with respect to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the participants at terminals may chose to be rappers or spectators. If the participants are rappers, the beats are provided from database  49  of Web site  48  using VOIP protocols to transmit the appropriate beat audio content to the user at an appropriate interactive display station, e.g. station  56 . When the rapper inputs his audio/voice input, the rapper input is transmitted back to Web site  48 , using the same VOIP protocols wherein the application program of the present invention correlates the beat with rapper input. The correlated beat and rapper audio input are then transmitted using the VOIP protocols back to the rapper at terminal  56 , and back to any participants, e.g. as spectators at display stations  45  and  46  still using the VOIP protocols. It should be noted that where a Web service provider  47  is used, the coordination function of the present invention may be implemented in an application program at the Web service provider rather than at the Web site  48 . However, the same VOIP protocols may be used in transmitting all audio input and output. 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , a typical data processing system is shown that may function as the Web display terminals or stations used in this invention. The system shown is also illustrative of any of the Web server computers described with to  FIG. 1 . The basic computer shown in  FIG. 2  represents a basic computer structure that may also be used to control Web site  48 . A central processing unit (CPU)  10 , may be one of the commercial microprocessors in personal computers available from International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) or Dell Corporation; when the system shown is used as a server computer at a network distribution site to be subsequently described, then a workstation is preferably used, e.g. RISC System/6000™ (RS/6000) series available from IBM. The CPU is interconnected to various other components by system bus  12 . An operating system  41  runs on CPU  10 , provides control and is used to coordinate the function of the various components of  FIG. 1 . Operating system  41  may be one of the commercially available operating systems such as the AIX6000™ operating system available from IBM; Microsoft&#39;s Windows XP™ or Windows2000™, as well as UNIX and other IBM AIX operating systems. Application programs  40 , controlled by the system, are moved into and out of the main memory Random Access Memory (RAM)  14 . These programs include the application programs of the present invention for controlling the user interactive generation of rap music presentations when such application programs are implemented on Web site  49 . A Read Only Memory (ROM)  16  is connected to CPU  10  via bus  12  and includes the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) that controls the basic computer functions. RAM  14 , I/O adapter  18  and communications adapter  34  are also interconnected to system bus  12 . I/O adapter  18  communicates with the disk storage device  20 . Communications adapter  34  interconnects bus  12  with the outside network enabling the computer system to communicate with other such computers over the Web or Internet. I/O devices are also connected to system bus  12  via user interface adapter  22  and display adapter  36 . Keyboard  24  and mouse  26  are all interconnected to bus  12  through user interface adapter  22 . It is through such input devices that the user at a receiving station may interactively relate to the network in order to access instant messages. Display adapter  36  includes a frame buffer  39  that is a storage device that holds a representation of each pixel on the display screen  38 . Images may be stored in frame buffer  39  for display on monitor  38  through various components, such as a digital to analog converter (not shown) and the like. By using the aforementioned I/O devices, a user is capable of inputting information to the system through the keyboard  24  or mouse  26  and receiving output information from the system via display  38 . The composite system shown in  FIG. 2  also includes the audio output of the beats or the beats coordinated with the rap input to the rapper and the audience of participants at the display stations. This audio output is through the audio adapter  15  and representative speaker  17 . The rapper input may be through a microphone  13  connected via audio input adapter  11 . 
         [0018]    Within the Web network set up, we will now consider some illustrative examples of the generation of rap music presentations with respect to  FIGS. 3 and 4 . In  FIG. 3 , there is illustrated a display screen with a Web page  60  to be used for the generation of a rap music presentation. This Web page is presented to everyone who logs on to the Rap music generation session. Thus, this page is accessed from the Web site by everyone who logs on a Web display station for the rap music generation session. From the menu of possible rap session rooms  61 , the user has selected “Circle Style”  62  (shown highlighted), and the “Circle Style” session commenced. In the session, everyone who logs on is given an opportunity to rap, i.e. sing or speak an audio input, in conjunction with a rap beat that is played for the rapper. In a simple session, each rapper who logs on is listed  64  and given an opportunity to rap for a set amount of time (in the illustration, one minute) that is tracked in time window  69 . Currently the rapper “Crip”  65  is presenting with 43 seconds left. In this simple illustration, the list of rappers is cycled through and repeated with each logged on user rapping. Alternatively, as each participant&#39;s turn is reached, a dialog  66  may offer the participant the opportunity to select through the mouse pointer (not shown) to rap  67  or just to listen, and thus be a spectator. Currently, Crip  65  is rapping. His image  68  is displayed. There is a volume control  50 . Crip&#39;s name  31 , and ID  32  are listed. On the possibility that an entertainment agent or manager may be impressed with Crip&#39;s talent and need more information, Crip has previously entered his profile into the database that may be obtained by selecting button  33 . Primarily, for esthetics, there may be displayed a graphic profile  70  of the audio presentation being created. Also, ancillary to this invention, and not part of it, the session may provide a messaging board  72  in which the participants may enter  73  and send  74  messages to each other. 
         [0019]      FIG. 4  displays a rap session like that of  FIG. 3  except there is a comparison or competition between rappers: Crip  88  again and Investor  98 . From the menu of possible rap session rooms  81 , the users have selected “East Coast Baby”  82  (shown highlighted), and the “East Cost Baby” that is a competitive rap session with another rapper, “Investor”  98 . In the session, everyone who logs on is given an opportunity to rap, i.e. sing or speak an audio input, in conjunction with a rap beat that is played for the rapper. In the session, each rapper who logs on is listed  64 , and given an opportunity to rap for a set amount of time (in the illustration, one minute) that is tracked in time window  89 . Here, the session permits the two competitors Crip  88  and Investor  98  to compete. Primarily, for esthetics, there may be displayed a graphic profile  90  of the audio presentation being created by each of the rappers. Each of the participants is prompted to vote. In the present case, in prompt window  95 , a given spectator has awarded 8.5 points  93  out of a possible 10 points to Investor  98  and 3.5 points  94  out of a possible 10 points to Crip. In windows  96  and  97 , respectively, associated with rappers Investor  98  and Crip  88 , the totals of the points awarded by all of the participants are tracked. Since current voting participant appears to be the first vote, the values in windows  93  and  94  correspond to the total values respectively in windows  96  and  97 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart showing the development of a process according to the present invention for a set of participants at interactive display terminals on the Web to participate in the generation of rap audio presentations in accordance with this invention. Step  100 : in a Web network, provision is made for the distribution of the rap session Web page to enable a set of participants at requesting display stations or terminals to participate in the generation of rap music sessions. Provision is made for enabling each participant to selectively take part in the presentation session either as a rapper or as a spectator, step  101 . Provision is made for offering each rapper a set of rap music beats, step  102 , and further provision is made for playing such beats to the potential rapper, step  103 . Provision is made for enabling the rapper to input his own audio content, e.g. speech added to the provided content, step  104 . Provision is made for the correlation of the audio content input by the rapper with the beat to generate a correlated rap presentation, step  105 . Provision is then made for the output of the correlated generated presentation to all of the participants, both presenters and spectators, step  106 . Provision is made for the simultaneous presentation of two ( FIG. 4 ) or more rap presentations, step  107 . Finally, provision may be made for all participants, and particularly the spectators to competitively score the simultaneous presentations, step  108 . 
         [0021]    A simplified run of the process set up in  FIG. 5  and described in connection with  FIGS. 3 and 4  will now be described with respect to the flowcharts of  FIGS. 6 and 7 . A Web session for rap generation is opened, step  110 . A determination is made as to whether a user has logged on, step  111 . If Yes, a further determination is made as to whether the log on is by a potential rapper rather than a spectator, step  112 . If No, i.e. not a rapper, then spectator access to the Web page is provided, step  113 . If Yes, there is a potential rapper, then rapper access is provided, step  114 . Then, or after step  113 , any rapper is provided a beat, step  115 , and the window prompts for rap input, step  116 . The rap input is correlated with the beat, step  117 . Provision is made for audio output of the correlated rap presentation,  118 . As the output continues, a determination is made as to whether the time period accorded to the wrapper is over, step  119 . If Yes, a determination is made as to whether there is another user waiting, step  120 . If No, a further determination is made as to whether the session may be over, step  121 . If the decision in step  121  is Yes, then the session is exited. If No, the session is returned to step  111  via branch “A” where the next logon is awaited. However, if the decision in step  120  is Yes, another user is waiting, a further determination is made, step  122 , as to whether the next user wants rap competition. If No, then the session is returned to step  112  via branch “C” where a determination is made as to whether the user wishes to be a rapper or a spectator, and then the session continued. If Yes, in step  122 , rap competition is selected, then the session branches via “B” to step  130  in  FIG. 7 . The rapper who selected competition is then set up in accordance with the process of steps  114  to  118  of  FIG. 6 , step  131 , and a further determination is made, step  132 , as to whether there is a further competitive request from another rapper. If Yes, this next competitive rapper is also set up in accordance with the process of steps  114  to  118  of  FIG. 6 , step  133 . Then, the participants are provided with an implementation for voting scores based on rapper performance, step  134 . Provision is made for announcing the winners, step  135 , and the competitive scores are saved, step  136 , after which the session is returned via branch “D” to step  120  in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0022]    Although certain preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope and intent of the appended claims.