Abstract:
The present invention discloses a system and method for participants to perceivably modify a performance using participant devices. A participant device, being connected through a network to a performance, such as a conference, a live event, a pre-recorded event or any type of gathering, captures the participant input actions and communicates such input actions to a server. The server collects and aggregates the received input actions and used the aggregations to calculate modifications to the performance. The performer device of a performer being part of the performance receives and displays the calculated modification and executes such modification to perceivably modify the said performance.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present patent application claims the benefits of priority of commonly assigned U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/701,998, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PARTICIPANTS TO PERCEIVABLY MODIFY A LIVE PERFORMANCE” and filed at the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Sep. 17, 2012. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to systems and method to interact with entertainment services, live or recorded performances, virtual events/locations, and/or live events. In particular, the invention relates to a system and method to gather various inputs from a plurality of participants to directly modify the contents and the delivery of a live or recorded performance. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the last decade, consumers gained electronic or network access to most forms of electronic arts (music, theatre, movies, etc.). However live performances within a physical venue, with or without a virtual extension over TV and/or the Internet, are still a major, highly praised component of the entertainment industry. Even more, the participant to such event now want to be “part of the event” and to actually participate and interact with other participants in such a happening. The participants want to make sure they participate in most of theses events: “I was there at such or such event”. An obvious example of such a trend may be found within, the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) segment of the entertainment industry. Indeed, EDM events now attract from a few hundreds people within dance clubs to literally hundreds of thousands people present at major EDM festivals around the world. 
     In the last few years, as smart phones and other interactive devices, but also with RFID tags, or even fluorescent bracelets have rendered possible for the participants to physically or virtually attend a selected live performance and to individually and/or collectively interact with any performer and with the computer device used by the performers (Djs, musicians, actors, etc.) to deliver their live or recorded performance. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides systems and methods for gathering real-time inputs from a plurality of participants, processing those inputs and communicating the result to the performers and their computers in order to perceivably modify the contents and the delivery of a live performance. 
     As used herein, the term “performance” is intended to convey the broadest possible meaning and refers to any gathering, conference, lecture, course, happening, occurrence, appearance, ceremony, circumstance, experience, function, occasion, proceeding, situation, performance, debate, speech, election, etc. where participants may be involved with a performance or event. By way of non-limiting example, in some embodiments, the event may be a live performance for a dance party, music concert, or festival; a television show, theater show, or webcast; a live sporting event, reality show, news broadcast, or political event; a celebration, meeting, lecture, or any other live public or private live performance, or an event or activity occurring on the Internet or in a virtual location. 
     Furthermore, as used herein, the term “recorded performance” is intended to convey the broadest possible meaning and refers to any happening, occurrence, appearance, ceremony, circumstance, experience, function, occasion, proceeding, situation, performance, debate, speech, election, etc. where participants may be involved with a pre-recorded or recorded art material, such as audio, images or video. Such recorded material may be recorded on any electronic medium, either persistent or volatile, such as, but not limited to, electronic memory, hard drive, cloud services, databases or any other medium allowing to persist the electronic media 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure generally provide a system and method of interactive technologies that allow participants to provide inputs to human or computer performers on site at the live event or performance or over a pre-recoded event or art material. By way of non-limiting example, the participants may press a button, wave, take pictures, record their voice, bump with their neighbors, dance, move, stop, or provide any relevant inputs like their current pulse rate, blood pressure, breathing volume, or perspiration flow that will influence the human or computer performers and perceivably modify the contents and delivery of the live event or performance. 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a system and method for the participants to effectively perceive that their individual and collective inputs are actually modifying the contents and delivery of the live performance, hence establishing a causality link between their participation and the live performance as it unfolds. 
     One object of the present invention is to provide a system for participants to perceivably modify a performance. The system comprises at least one communication network, at least one participant device connected to the communication network, wherein the at least one participant device is configured to capture one or more participant input actions and to communicate such input actions to the server, at least one performer device connected to the communication network. The at least one performer device is configured to trigger an arbitration request to the server, to display the modifications. The system further comprises at least one server connected to the communication network, wherein the at least one server is configured to execute one or more computer program that aggregates the participant device inputs received through the communication network, to calculate performance modifications based on the aggregated inputs, to communicates the performance modifications to the performer device. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for participants to perceivably modify a performance. The method comprises the steps to capture one or more input actions from at least one participant device, to communicate the one or more input actions from the at least one participant device to a server, for the server to aggregate the one or more input actions, for the server to calculate modifications based on the aggregated input actions and to transmit the calculated modifications to at least one performer device. 
     Other technical features may be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions and claims. The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of this disclosure and its features, reference is made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a system allowing inputs from participants, physically or virtually attending the live performance, to perceivably modify the contents and the delivery of a live performance according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 2  is a flow diagram of a method for aggregating inputs and using the combined results to interact individually and/or collectively with performers and with the computers that are used by the performers to deliver their live or pre-recorded performance according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a state diagram depicting the method allowing inputs from participants, physically or virtually attending the live performance, to perceivably modify the contents and the delivery of a live or recorded performance according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A novel system and method for participants to perceivably modify a performance will be described hereinafter. Although the invention is described in terms of specific illustrative embodiment(s), it is to be understood that the embodiment(s) described herein are by way of example only and that the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited thereby. 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure generally provide a system of interactive technologies to engage live or pre-recorded performance participants to perceivably modify the contents and delivery of such performance. By way of non-limiting example, such perceivable modifications could include: varying the tempo, adding bars, extending a phrase, repeating segments, echoing segments, varying the pitch, bend, slide, arpeggiato, ostinato of a song, DJ mix or musical live performance. 
     To illustrate the present disclosure,  FIG. 1  depicts a simplified schematic of a representative system  100  enabling the communication between at least one participant so as to provide real-time inputs to a live performance. It should be understood that system  100  shown in  FIG. 1  is for illustrative purposes only and that any other suitable system could be used in conjunction or in lieu of system  100  according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Now referring to  FIG. 1 , a system for participants to perceivably modify a performance  100  typically comprises at least one participant device  102 , at least one communication network  104 , a least one server  106 , and at least one performer or performer device  108 . One skilled in the art would appreciate that the system  100  may comprise any number of suitable devices, networks, servers, or computers without departing from the object of the present disclosure. 
     Furthermore, it should be understood that the at least one participant device  102 , at least one communication network  104 , at least one server  106  and at least one performer device  108  may be integrated in a single physical unit, may be integrated in a plurality of physical units, or any combination thereof. As such, in another embodiment, the performer device  108  may execute or run a program acting as the server  106  and may communicate with the at least one participant device  102  through a communication network  104 . 
     The at least one participant device  102  may be embodied as a Smartphone, a tablet, an hand-held unit, a smart watch, any wearable computing device, a wireless device, an Internet portal, an Intranet portal, a network device, a RFID tag, Ultrasound Identification (US-ID), Ultrasonic ranging (US-RTLS), Ultra-wideband (UWB) or other computing device suitable for communicating with the system, or any combination thereof. 
     A typical participant device  102  shall supports a plurality of real-time participant input actions, such as, but not limited to, touching the screen, pressing one or more buttons, releasing one or more buttons, moving the device in various ways such as dance moves, up and down, pumping, waving, bumping; or providing media input in the form of recorded sound or voice, picture, video sequence, or any input derived from the participant vital signs (e.g. current heart beat frequency) as directly detected by the participant device  102  or using a vital sign detection apparatus. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the participant device  102  comprises a central processing unit, a memory unit, a network communication unit, a display unit and a user input unit such as a touch screen or a keyboard, and a gyroscope unit. In other embodiments, the participant device  102  may comprise human vital signs sensors, one or more camera, additional gyroscope units, microphone, or any other sensor or user inputting device. 
     The at least one participant device  102  communicate with other components of the system  100 , such as server  106 , performer device  108  or any other participant device  102 , via a communication network  104 , such as, but not limited to wired or wireless network. If the communication network  104  is embodied as wireless network, any type of wireless network, such as wireless personal area network, wireless local area network, cellular, or any combination of one or more wireless networks may be used. For example, the system  100  may comprise a communication network  104  allowing any participant device  102  to communicate through any current commercial cellular network, such as, but not limited to, GSM/GPRS and CDMA/1×RTT, or any faster data service that might be available such as 3G services, namely EDGE, UMTS, HSPDA, EVDO and WCDMA), any latest 4G LTE network or any next generation mobile data transmission network. 
     Furthermore, other types of wireless communication network  104  may be used in the system  100 , such as, but not limited to any wireless local area network (such as WiFi network) and any private cellular network, such as a picocell-type antenna base station configuration or a satellite based wireless system, any form of radio frequency (RF) communication, optical (could be infrared) or acoustic (could be ultrasound) network technology. 
     The server  106  is configured to receive and process data, signals, query requests, audio, images, and/or video, and output any such information as necessary from any number of sources, such as, participant device  102  or communication network  104 . The server  106  typically comprises at least one data source, such as a database, one or more memory devices, such as RAM or storage disks, one or more applications, software, computer programs, routines, other objects, or any combination thereof. 
     The server  106  may be configured to communicate with one or more communication network  104  such as, for example, a dedicated communication network connection, wired connection, wireless connection Internet, Intranet, WiFi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, LAN, WAN, mobile phone communication network, social communication network, or any other suitable communication systems, or any combination thereof. 
     The server  106  is configured to execute one or more computer program that aggregates the participant device  102  inputs received through the communication network  104 . In order for the participant device  102  to communicate with the at least on server  106  over at least one communication network  104 , any communication protocol may be used, such as TCP/IP or Ethernet protocols, Bluetooth, ZigBee, RFID, XML. The server  106  is further configured to calculate performance modifications or adaptations based on the received and aggregated inputs. The server  106  may then communicates the performance modifications or adaptations to one or more selected performer devices  108  through the communication network  104 . The selected performer devices  108  typically comprises or integrates a communication device allowing the performer device  108  to be connected to the server  106  through a communication network  104  or combination thereof. The performer device  108  is further configured to receive the calculated modifications or adaptations. A performer device  108  may be embodied a computing device, such as, but not limited to, computer, tablet, Smartphone, smart watch, wearable computing device, TV screen, headset, or Internet/Intranet device. 
     The performer device  108  is typically embodied as a computing device connected to a media generating device, such as a musical instrument, a microphone, a DJ station or computing device acting as media generating device. The performer device  108  comprises a network communication unit, a processing unit, an operating system or firmware, a display unit and an adapter to communicate with a media generating device. Typically, the performer device  108  is embodied as a computer, a smart phone, a smart tablet, an hand-held unit, a mobile phone, a wireless device, a network device or any computing device having networking capabilities. In other embodiments, the media generating device may physically integrate the performer device  108  resulting in a single unit. 
     Now referring to  FIG. 2 , a method  200  for communicating data, audio, images and video transmissions to and from a participant device  102  is shown. The method  200  comprises the steps to capture one or more input actions from a participant device, to communicate such input actions to a server  106 , to combine and/or aggregate such data and to calculate modification to the data based on the aggregated data, to transmit the calculated modifications to at least one performer  108  of the event. In one embodiment, some or all the components represented in  FIG. 1  may be used in connection with this method. 
     The one or more participant input actions received  202  by a server  106  may be one of the followings, by way of non-limiting example, confirmation that the participants pressed a button, waved, has taken a pictures, recorded their voice, bumped with their neighbors, danced, moved, stopped, or provided any relevant inputs like their current pulse rate, blood pressure, breathing volume, or perspiration flow. 
     The step to combine or aggregate the received participant inputs  204  is typically realized by the executing one or more script or computer program implementing any aggregation and arbitration algorithms such as, but not limited to: “Bounded” arbitration algorithm, “High-Low” arbitration algorithm, “Round-Robin” arbitration algorithm. The selected implemented aggregation algorithm may vary according to the type of participant input actions received. In a preferred embodiment, the script or computer program may implement a method for aggregating the participant input actions which may comprise the one or more of the followings steps: to add input actions by type, to tally the input actions until t a statistically significant threshold is obtained, to compose images or pictures, to extract or super sample voice inputs, to average numerical inputs, to find minimum or maximum values, to project a result based on a minimal sample of inputs, or to map inputs onto output values table. 
     From the combined or aggregated participant inputs  204 , a computer program or script implementing a method  200  to calculate the modifications  206  to the performance in a perceivable manner is executed on the server  106 . In a preferred embodiment, such perceivable modifications may comprise one or more of the following modifications: the average collective waving frequency of the participants perceivably varying the tempo of the live performance, maintaining a button down for a certain time could add bars or extend a phrase to the performance, aggregating heart beats of participants could vary the pitch of the performance, number of participants bumping into their neighbors could bend, slide, or add arpeggiato to the live performance. These modifications are calculated by assigning the combined participant inputs  204  results to one or more available modification parameters, depending on the type of live or recorded performance and the current real-time/recorded state of the performance. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the modifications parameters comprise one or more of the followings: stop and then restart the music, repeat a segment of the song, speed-up or slow-down a segment of the song, change the left-right balance of the song, play the aggregated voice inputs from the participants or display a slide show of pictures taken by participants. In other embodiments, any other modification parameters may be used in order to affect the live or recorded performance. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 2 , the method  200  further comprise the step to modify a performance  208  based on the calculated modifications  206 . Such calculated modifications are communicated to one or more performers device  108  and one or more performer&#39;s computer or any other performer device through communication network  104  such as, for example, a dedicated communication network connection, wired connection, wireless connection Internet, Intranet, WiFi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, LAN, WAN, mobile phone communication network, social communication network, any form of radio frequency (RF) communication, optical (could be infrared) or acoustic (could be ultrasound) technology, other suitable communication systems, or any combination thereof. 
     On reception of the calculated modifications by the performer device  108 , the performer may manually execute the modifications displayed on the device of the performer device, typically a computer screen. In another embodiment, the reception of the calculated modifications by the performer device  108  may trigger the execution of a computer program or script. Such computer program or script is configured to process the calculated modifications and to automatically perform the modification on the performance of the performer. The modifications may be encoded or formatted to be sent as electronic messages from the server  106  to the performer device  108  via any type of messaging channel such as an API (Application Programming Interface), MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) channel, XML messaging, SMS, RPC (Remote Process Call) or any other suitable messaging channel. 
     Some of the steps illustrated in  FIG. 2  may be combined, modified, or deleted where appropriate, and additional steps may also be added to the flow diagram. Additionally, steps may be performed in any suitable order without departing from the scope of the disclosure. 
     Now referring to  FIG. 3 , an example of an implementation of a method allowing inputs from participants, physically or virtually attending the live or pre-recorded performance, to perceivably modify the contents and the delivery of such performance  300  according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The method  300  comprises the steps for a participant having a participant device  102  to be located within the communication network  104  reach or coverage  301 . As the participant enters the communication network  104  coverage  301 , the participant device  102  sends a request to the server  106  to be added to the participant list  302 . On reception of such a request, the server  106  validates the participant device and adds the participant device  102  to a list of allowed or participant devices. 
     A performer device  108  must registers with the server  106  by sending a registration request. On reception of such registration request, the server  106  validates the performer device  108  and, if the performer device is not registered, adds the performer device  108  to the list of active performers. When registered, the performer device  108  may trigger an arbitration request to the server  106  in order to initiate an arbitration algorithm to be applied from then on to all or selected inputs received by the server  106  from participant device  102 . The arbitration request may be formatted as an electronic message such as an SMS, an XML message, a RPC call parameter or through a web service request and may comprise an identifier of the performer device, such as the MAC address, the IP address or any other unique identifier, an identifier of the arbitration request and the required input description. 
     When the registered participant devices  102  are notified to send one or more required inputs to the server  106  for perceivably modifying the performance  306 , a program being executed on the participant device  102  shows the requested one or more inputs on the display unit of the participant device  102 . The participant then uses the participant device  102  to send the required one or more input actions  306 . In a preferred embodiment, to reduce communication network  104  traffic, as long as a participant device  102  is registered with the server  106 , it automatically sends changes to its current state on key required inputs such as standing still (Stop), pumping up and down (Pump), waving left to right and back (Wave), holding the device way up (Hands Up) or pressing on the device (Press) only when these state changes occur. Such input actions may be formatted as an electronic message such as an SMS, an XML message, a RPC call parameter or through a web service request. 
     The electronic message of the one or more input actions may comprise an identifier of the participant device  102 , the identifier of the performer device  108  having requested the input, the identifier of the arbitration request and any other attributes related to the input action, such as, but not limited to, the duration or frequency of the waving of the device, the number of bumps within a specified duration, the vital signs of the participant, etc. The server  106  stores the received input actions within a datasource and executes a program or a script to aggregate the inputs from the participant devices  102 . Following the aggregation, the server  106  applies an arbitration algorithm to calculate the modifications  307 . Typically, the arbitration algorithm shall be implemented in a computer program or script that is executed by the server  106 . The server  106  then formats the calculated modifications and communicates the modifications to the performer device  108  via an electronic message  308 . 
     While illustrative and presently preferred embodiment(s) of the invention have been described in detail hereinabove, it is to be understood that the inventive concepts may be otherwise variously embodied and employed and that the appended claims are intended to be construed to include such variations except insofar as limited by the prior art.