Abstract:
Source script ( 250, 260, 270 ) on multiple user portals is collaboratively manipulated by exchanging metadata ( 210 ) among the plurality of user portals to represent chosen segments of the source script. The metadata ( 210 ) contains properties ( 230 - 241 ) for the chosen segments of the source script. A common copy ( 250, 260, 270 ) of source script possessed among the plurality of user portals is initially identified. The source script, therefore, does not need to be transmitted among user portals during the collaboration because only the metadata for the common source script needs to be exchanged.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     The present application is related to an invention disclosure entitled “Mobile DJ Interface” having attorney docket number CS26126RL, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/754,133, filed on Dec. 27, 2005, and naming Conor P. O&#39;Sullivan as an inventor, and subject to an obligation of assignment to the same assignee as the present application. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONS  
       [0002]     1. Technical Field  
         [0003]     The present inventions relate to the creation of new works derived from existing works and, more particularly, relate to collaborative manipulation of source scripts.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     Remixes are forms of recorded music made by combining existing recordings in new ways. Example artists include Beck and Moby.  
         [0006]     Turntable interfaces are known for making remixes such as that disclosed in US Patent Publication No US20040228222.  
         [0007]     Hewlett Packard has disclosed a DJammer interface used for remixing by more than one user. The Hewlett Packard interface has a limited type of physical and gestural interaction.  
         [0008]     There currently exists no convenient way for multiple users to interact collaboratively to perform musical sequences and create new audio content “on the fly”.  
         [0009]     The preferred embodiments and aspects and features of the inventions will be understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  illustrates a schematic block diagram of multiple user devices to collaboratively create musical sequences according to the present inventions;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  illustrates a diagram of user scripts and metadata referring to them according to the present inventions; and  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  illustrates a flow diagram of collaborative interaction among multiple user devices to create musical sequences according to the preferred embodiment of the present inventions. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0013]     An aspect of the present inventions is to collaboratively create remixes among multiple users.  
         [0014]     A further aspect of the present inventions is to create remixes among geographically spaced users in real time.  
         [0015]     A further aspect of the present inventions is to allow multiple users to interact collaboratively using self-contained mobile devices (e.g. cell phones) to perform musical sequences and create new audio content “on the fly”.  
         [0016]     Another aspect of the present inventions is to create remixes among users via Bluetooth.  
         [0017]     A further aspect of the present inventions is to store new remixes efficiently.  
         [0018]     Another further aspect of the present inventions is to store without creating copies of original material.  
         [0019]     An additional aspect of the present inventions is to exchange remixes with low bandwidth transfer.  
         [0020]     An additional further aspect of the present inventions is to exchange remixes without content streaming (i.e. only exchange track metadata and modifiers).  
         [0021]     A real-time, self-contained, wireless, multiple-user collaboration system with improved content management is desired.  
         [0022]      FIG. 1  illustrates a schematic block diagram of an embodiment where multiple user devices  110 ,  120  and  130  interact collaboratively to create sequences such as musical sequences. Each device  110 ,  120  and  130  has a speaker or earphone  115 ,  125 , and  135  and a human interface such as the illustrated touchpad  113 ,  123  and  133 . Each touchpad  113 ,  123  and  133  is preferably a touchscreen-enabled visual-based output display (e.g. LCD, OLED, etc.). By using a visual-based output display, the visual user interface may change “on-the-fly” with on-screen “soft-keys”. The touchscreen or pad may be round and use either polar or rectangular coordinates. Thus the human interface may be an instantiation of a scratch disc, a keypad, a touch screen, a jog-dial, a nudge-roller and a physical sensor such as a proximity sensor or accelerometer.  
         [0023]     The human interface may give haptic feedback. Haptic is tactile feedback, e.g., any kind of physical feedback that you feel. Haptic feedback may be created with a linear or rotary vibrator, e.g. located behind a touchscreen or in a device. The device may thus have lights and vibrators that are activated by the metadata to cause remix lights and vibrations.  
         [0024]     Further, the human interface may be a camera capable of detecting visual movement such as of an object or one&#39;s body, hand or other body part.  
         [0025]     The plurality of devices do not need to be co-located and may be geographically separated a meaningful distance so as to require networking such as wireless Bluetooth, WiFi, cellular or infrared such as IrDA. The devices preferably interact with one another wirelessly via the antennas  117 ,  127  and  137 . Alternatively, the device may interact in a wired or other fashion. A wireless approach according to the illustrated embodiment uses Bluetooth. One or more of the multiple devices  110 ,  120  and  130  may be mobile telephones or other kinds of devices such as a remote control, any mobile communication device, a digital audio player, a gaming device, and a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).  
         [0026]     Upon setup of a session, the multiple user devices  110 ,  120  and  130  check for common source script or source media on the user devices. Common source script is identified among the user devices or portals by checking data indicative of its version, e.g. through confirmation of identical digital version signatures or time duration. The source script in some embodiments is in a music file format such as WAV, WMA, MP3, OGG, MIDI and wave table. In other embodiments the source script may be an application, e.g. video game, light show, vibration patterns, virtual painting or sculpting, and video editing. One example of a video game is “SIM City”, where players work together to build a virtual city, or termites build a termite mound on an African savannah. One example of virtual painting or sculpting is graffiti on a virtual wall or a car parts sculpture in a virtual junkyard. One example of video editing is a video montage of layered, “ghosted” moving images.  
         [0027]      FIG. 2  illustrates a diagram of the user scripts  250 ,  260  and  270  and the metadata  210  referring to selected segments of the script with the altered chosen properties  230 - 241  of the segments. The metadata  210  identifies the altered properties of the chosen segments. The metadata  210 , combined with the referenced source script, represents a remix indicative of a new, derivative script. The metadata  210  contains the individual user metadata such as that of user  1 , user  2  and user  3  illustrated in  FIG. 2 . This provides for simultaneous capture and playback of different script segments. The metadata is preferably recorded for subsequent playback of the new, derivative script. A new, derivative script may be recorded in an audio music file format such as mp3 from the metadata and the source script. This metadata  210  is shared among the users&#39; devices. The metadata includes time markers t n  (t 0 , t 1 , t 2  . . . ) which are synchronized among the user devices. These time markers are used to synchronize the interval user contributions. Both remix creation and playback rely on this synchronization of the metadata. Because the metadata is shared, the source script or source media does not need to be shared in whole or even streamed.  
         [0028]     The properties for each segment of the script may include the following indicia: a device key, name of song, track ID, place in time on track, filters, effects, and what to do at a place such as slower, faster, louder, softer, forward, reverse.  
         [0029]     The metadata  210  can point to the selected segments of the common source script contained on each of the users&#39; devices. In addition, the devices may identify common capabilities (e.g. lighting &amp; vibration electromechanical components) of at least one of the user portals and then alter the properties of the segments based on the identified capabilities.  
         [0030]     By way of the example of  FIG. 2 , property arrows  231  and  232  cross to note that the chosen segments of each user&#39;s common source script do not need to be selected or “played back” in the same order as the segments of the original source script. By way of the example of  FIG. 2 , the property arrows skip some segments in the common source script to note that not all of the segments of the script need to be selected or “played back” at all.  
         [0031]     In the present inventions the common source script or source media is possessed on each device and only metadata  210  is exchanged. Because the metadata  210  refers to selected segments of the user scripts  250 ,  260  and  270  and because the metadata  210  provides properties for those segments of the user scripts, derivative media can be collaboratively created among users at remote locations with out transferring this source media script between the user&#39;s devices. Thus not only is bandwidth conserved, but copies of the source media are not made and exchanged, thereby possibly mitigating potential copyright concerns.  
         [0032]      FIG. 3  illustrates a flow diagram of collaborative interaction among multiple user devices using the Bluetooth wireless protocol to create musical sequences. At step  310  a first user begins a “jam” session by entering the collaboration application on the user&#39;s device. The first user to begin the session is set up as the master by selecting the hub role. At step  320 , the first user&#39;s device automatically changes the Bluetooth settings to discoverable mode with automatic pairing. This limits data sharing to only the collaboration application. Limiting data sharing helps protect against malicious code.  
         [0033]     At step  330 , the second user joins the jam session by entering the collaboration application and then entering the Bluetooth PIN required by the first user. At step  340 , the third user joins the jam session by entering the collaboration application and then entering the Bluetooth PIN required by the first user. Bluetooth requires designation of a hub and a PIN such as a default of 0000. Although the present inventions describe a jam session involving only three users, it could be extended to include additional users.  
         [0034]     At step  360 , each user chooses which song from a list of songs common to all devices they would like to scratch with, and a circular buffer is used to cache the decoded audio. The songs available for jam sessions are only those that are already on the other users devices. Each user picks any of the common source script. Thus, the common source script is made available among the users for the choice. In other words, three users could “scratch” with only one song (e.g. with different filters/effects, or different segments of the song). Or each user could “scratch” with different songs, so long as the songs are common on all devices. If desired, new source script for a user device may be acquired by buying a download purchase to possess a common source script.  
         [0035]     The circular buffer is a good way to implement using current technology. Each device&#39;s processor could (given a powerful chip) decode compressed audio “on-the-fly”. Alternatively, the audio need not even be compressed, if storage capacities of the future may allow large numbers of uncompressed songs to be stored.  
         [0036]     At step  370 , only song metadata such as the song ID, position, filter, effect, is communicated among the users through the wireless Bluetooth connection. At step  380 , all linked users can contribute to the combined sound, which they can hear in real-time through their own devices such as through the speakers or headphones of the device. A new remix is thus created and can be recorded for later listening.  
         [0037]     Although the inventions have been described and illustrated in the above description and drawings, it is understood that this description is by example only, and that numerous changes and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the inventions. Although the examples in the drawings depict only example constructions and embodiments, alternate embodiments are available given the teachings of the present patent disclosure. For example, although remix examples are disclosed, the inventions are applicable to live playback &amp; performance, incoming ringtone performance, vibrate effects, video-clip edits and light shows.