JP2008256897A - Method for playing music with plural persons from remote locations and music session system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable plural players at remote locations to play music via a network and share the performance each other in real time. <P>SOLUTION: The method for playing music with plural persons from remote locations is executed in a system with each player's computer connected to a network. Sound materials including sound data for representing sound itself and a sound material ID for identifying the sound data are stored in all players' computers in advance, when a player inputs a sound desired to play to the computer, the sound material ID for identifying the sound data representing the sound and performance setting data for defining how to play the sound are transmitted as text data to the all players' computers via the network, and the sound being represented by the sound data identified by the transmitted sound material ID is played in all players' computers according to the transmitted performance setting data. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for playing music from a remote place by a plurality of people.

  There is a need for a plurality of performers to perform at the same time via a network at remote locations and to share those performances in real time (music session). However, there is a problem that performance delays and synchronization of performances cannot be achieved depending on the transmission speed of the network, which makes this realization very difficult.

  It is an object of the present invention to enable a plurality of performers to perform at the same time via a network at a remote location and share these performances in real time.

In order to achieve the above object in the present invention, first, in the invention of claim 1,
A method executed in a system including a server connected to a network and a terminal of each performer,
A sound material including sound data representing the sound itself and a sound material ID for identifying the sound data is downloaded from a server in advance to all performers' terminals and stored.
When a sound to be played on a terminal is input by a performer, a sound material ID for identifying sound data representing this sound and performance setting data for defining how this sound is played are text data, a server To all performers ’terminals via
The sound represented by the sound data identified by the transmitted sound material ID is played according to the transmitted performance setting data at all performers' terminals.
This is a method for playing music from a remote location by multiple people.

In the invention of claim 2,
Find the network path with the slowest line speed between performers ’terminals,
When the sound represented by the sound data identified by the transmitted sound material ID is sounded according to the performance setting data transmitted by all performers' terminals, a sound to be sounded by the performer is input to the terminal. Rather than taking into account the communication time for the route,
The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of persons play music from a remote location.

In the invention of claim 3,
A music session system in which a plurality of user terminals are connected to a server via a communication network,
Each user terminal includes information storage means, performance input means, communication means, and playback means,
The server includes information storage means and communication means,
A sound material including sound data representing the sound itself and a sound material ID for identifying the sound data is downloaded in advance from the information storage unit of the server to the information storage unit of all user terminals,
When a sound to be played is input by the performance input means of one user terminal, a sound material ID for identifying sound data representing this sound and performance setting data for defining how this sound is played are The data is transferred to all user terminals via the communication means of each user terminal and the communication means of the server,
In all user terminal playback means, the sound represented by the sound data identified by the transferred sound material ID is played according to the transferred performance setting data.
This is a music session system characterized by this.

In the invention of claim 4,
The server comprises a slowest path measuring means for finding a network path with the slowest communication speed between the server and the user terminal and measuring the slowest communication time;
When each user terminal plays the sound represented by the sound data identified by the transferred sound material ID according to the transferred performance setting data, it is more than when the sound to be played is input to one user terminal. A synchronization means for delaying by a time equal to or longer than the latest communication time,
The music session system according to claim 3 is provided.

  In the invention of claim 1, only light text data such as sound material ID and performance setting data is sent via the network in order to play a sound to be played input by a certain player at all the player's terminals. A delay from when a player wants to play a sound to the sound played by all performers' terminals is reduced, and high real-time performance is realized.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, in consideration of the communication time required for the network path having the slowest line speed between the performers' terminals, the sound is transmitted to all performers since the sound desired to be played by the performer is input. This delays the time at which the sound is played at the terminal of the player, so that this sound is played at the terminals of all the performers at the same time, and the performance is synchronized between the performers.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, only light text data such as sound material ID and performance setting data is networked so that the sound to be played input by the performance input means of one user terminal is played by the playback means of all user terminals. Therefore, the delay from when the sound desired to be played by the performance input means of one user terminal is input until the sound is played by the playback means of all user terminals is reduced, and high real-time performance is realized. The

  In the invention of claim 4, in consideration of the communication time required for the network path with the slowest communication speed between the server and the user terminal, the sound to be played by the performance input means of one user terminal is input. Is delayed at the playback means of all the user terminals, so that this sound is simultaneously sounded at all the user terminals, and the performance is synchronized between the performers.

  As described above, according to the present invention, there is an effect that a plurality of performers can perform at the same time through a network at a remote place and share these performances in real time.

  The best embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

  In the present embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, the method of the present invention is executed in a system that includes each performer's terminal and a server, and the terminal and the server are connected to a network.

  The terminal is, for example, a personal computer.

  A default sound material is stored and prepared in the server. In addition, the sound material created by the performer at the terminal or the like can be registered and stored in the server from the performer's terminal.

The sound material includes sound data representing a sound itself such as a single sound or a short phrase and a sound material ID that uniquely identifies the sound data, and the sound data and the sound material ID are associated one-to-one.

  Each performer selects a sound material to be used during the music session from the sound materials stored in the server at each terminal before the start of the music session.

  The selected sound material is automatically downloaded from the server and stored in all performers' terminals for all performers.

  Each performer can perform performance settings for each sound data at each performer's terminal before or during the start of the music session. For this reason, one piece of performance setting data exists for one piece of sound data. The performance setting defines how the sound represented by the target sound data is played. Examples of setting items include volume, speed, pitch, and whether or not to repeat. The performance setting data is text data representing performance settings.

  The server transmits a packet to each performer's terminal at the start of the music session, and measures the time until the packet returns from each performer's terminal. The server calculates the average communication time between the server and each performer's terminal using the time until the packet is sent back. In order to exclude the case where the network speed is instantaneously slowed, the communication average time is the average time of the top percentage of the communication time measured for a certain time.

  The server uses the average communication time between the server and each performer's terminal, and takes the longest communication time (ie, the slowest line speed) in the communication path between each performer's terminal via the server. The communication time (hereinafter also referred to as the maximum communication time) is determined. For example, there are three performers A, B, and C, the average communication time between the server and the A terminal is 10 milliseconds, the average communication time between the server and the B terminal is 5 milliseconds, the server and the C terminal The communication path between each performer's terminal via the server that takes the longest communication time is the communication path between the C terminals via the server, The communication time is 40 milliseconds.

  Each performer's terminal has two timers, a measurement timer and a performance timer, each having a different initial time at the start as follows.

  The initial time of the measurement timer is set to the maximum communication time plus some buffer time.

  Always set 0 seconds as the initial time of the performance timer.

  The two timers are started by a start request transmitted from the server at the start of the music session. Since the server sends a start request in consideration of the communication time between the server and each performer's terminal, the two timers start at the same timing in all terminals.

  Therefore, the value of each timer during the music session is the same value for all performers' terminals, and the measurement timer is advanced by the maximum communication time plus the buffer time rather than the performance timer. Become.

  During a music session, when a performer inputs a sound to be played at the performer's terminal using an input device such as a keyboard, the player's information (hereinafter also referred to as performer information), the sound of the sound to be played. The sound material ID corresponding to the data, the time when the sound desired to be played is measured by the measurement timer (hereinafter also referred to as measurement time), and the performance setting data corresponding to the sound data of the sound desired to be played are transmitted to the server. However, the player information, sound material ID, measurement time, and performance setting data are text data.

  When the server receives player information, sound material ID, measurement time, and performance setting data from a certain player's terminal, the server immediately transmits the data to all the player's terminals.

  When each performer's terminal receives performer information, sound material ID, measurement time, and performance setting data from the server, the terminal stores the data.

  Each performer's terminal compares the performance timer time with each accumulated measurement time, and if there is a measurement time that matches the performance timer time, the sound material accumulated with the matching measurement time The sound represented by the sound data corresponding to the ID is played according to the performance setting data stored together.

  As described above, in this embodiment, when a player inputs a sound that a player wants to play during a music session, the player information, sound material ID, measurement time, performance, Only lightweight text data such as setting data is exchanged between the server and each player's terminal, so there is a delay until a player inputs the sound he wants to play and all that player's terminal plays that sound. Time is reduced and high real-time performance is realized.

  Also, in this embodiment, after a player inputs a sound he / she wants to play, the sound is played back at the terminal of each performer while the maximum communication time plus buffer time is delayed. Since the data necessary for sounding is stored in all the performers 'terminals, the sound can be sounded simultaneously in all the performers' terminals, and the performance is synchronized between the performers.

  The network communication speed may change during a music session, resulting in a change in maximum communication time. Therefore, the maximum communication time is re-determined as follows, and the result is reflected in the measurement timer and the measurement time.

  First, the server again transmits a packet to each performer's terminal at a specified time, and measures the time until the packet returns from each performer's terminal. The server recalculates the average communication time between the server and each player terminal using the time until the packet is sent back. In order to exclude the case where the network speed is instantaneously slowed, the communication average time is the average time of the top percentage of the communication time measured for a certain time.

  The server uses the average communication time between the server and each performer's terminal, and takes the longest communication time (ie, the slowest line speed) in the communication path between each performer's terminal via the server. The communication time (also referred to as the maximum communication time as described above) is determined again.

  When the maximum communication time has changed, the server sets the time of the measurement timer to each player's terminal, and the measurement time accumulated in each player's terminal is greater than the time of the performance timer. Send a correction request requesting correction by the change in maximum communication time.

  Upon receiving this correction request, each performer's terminal corrects the corresponding data by this amount of change.

  In the present embodiment, in order to realize the synchronization of performance between the performers, it is possible to buffer the maximum communication time that a performer inputs a sound to be played and then plays the sound at each performer's terminal. Delay only the amount of time.

  However, as described above, the data transmitted between the server and each player's terminal is only light text data. For this reason, in a broadband environment, the maximum communication time is extremely short and the stress is considered to be low. However, there is a possibility that a player of a terminal with a slow line speed such as a narrow band may participate.

  To cope with this, a coping method such that a player who does not have a line speed higher than a certain level cannot participate may be used.

  For example, at the start of a music session and at a specified time during a music session, the server transmits a packet to each player's terminal and measures the time until the packet returns from each player's terminal. When the average communication time between the server and each player terminal is calculated using the time it takes to send and return, the player with the terminal whose communication average time is slower than the threshold value You may not be able to participate.

  For example, in a terminal whose communication average time is slower than a threshold value, the player may not be able to input a sound to be played until the communication average time becomes smaller than the threshold value.

  By the way, when the server receives performer information, sound material ID, measurement time, and performance setting data from a certain player's terminal, the server stores the player information, sound material ID, sounding time, and performance setting data. Save as a log during a music session. Since the sound represented by the sound data identified by the sound material ID is sounded when the time of the performance timer reaches the measurement time, the measurement time is the time when the sound is sounded.

  Logs during a music session can be listened to and modified as a song after the music session. It is also possible to listen according to conditions, such as taking out only a specific performer or performance of time.

The figure which shows the structural example of the system which performs this invention method.

Claims (4)

A method executed in a system including a server connected to a network and a terminal of each performer,
A sound material including sound data representing the sound itself and a sound material ID for identifying the sound data is downloaded from a server in advance to all performers' terminals and stored.
When a sound to be played on a terminal is input by a performer, a sound material ID for identifying sound data representing this sound and performance setting data for defining how this sound is played are text data, a server To all performers ’terminals via
The sound represented by the sound data identified by the transmitted sound material ID is played according to the transmitted performance setting data at all performers' terminals.
A method of playing music from a remote location by multiple people. Find the network path with the slowest line speed between performers ’terminals,
When the sound represented by the sound data identified by the transmitted sound material ID is sounded according to the performance setting data transmitted by all performers' terminals, a sound to be sounded by the performer is input to the terminal. Rather than taking into account the communication time for the route,
The method of playing music from a remote place by a plurality of persons according to claim 1. A music session system in which a plurality of user terminals are connected to a server via a communication network,
Each user terminal includes information storage means, performance input means, communication means, and playback means,
The server includes information storage means and communication means,
A sound material including sound data representing the sound itself and a sound material ID for identifying the sound data is downloaded in advance from the information storage unit of the server to the information storage unit of all user terminals,
When a sound to be played is input by the performance input means of one user terminal, a sound material ID for identifying sound data representing this sound and performance setting data for defining how this sound is played are The data is transferred to all user terminals via the communication means of each user terminal and the communication means of the server,
In all user terminal playback means, the sound represented by the sound data identified by the transferred sound material ID is played according to the transferred performance setting data.
A music session system characterized by this. The server comprises a slowest path measuring means for finding a network path with the slowest communication speed between the server and the user terminal and measuring the slowest communication time;
When each user terminal plays the sound represented by the sound data identified by the transferred sound material ID according to the transferred performance setting data, it is more than when the sound to be played is input to one user terminal. A synchronization means for delaying by a time equal to or longer than the latest communication time,
The music session system according to claim 3.

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