Method of computer melody synthesis responsive to motion of displayed figures

A method for synthesizing a melody using a computer connected to a display device, an input device, and a sound generating device, said method comprising the steps of:

• displaying a plurality of figures on said display device;
• establishing a figure-to-sound conversion rule in response to directions designated by said input device, said figure-to-sound conversion rule specifying relationships between attributes of each figure, including attributes of position on said display device, and attributes of a sound corresponding to each figure;
• establishing at least one figure-position change rule in response to directions designated by said input device, said figure-position change rule specifying a manner in which positions of said figures change;
• selecting, in turn, successive ones of the displayed plurality of figures automatically;
• changing, each time a figure is selected, a position of at least the selected figure in accordance with the figure-position change rule;
• outputting, each time a figure is selected, through said sound generating device, a sound having attributes which correspond to attributes of the selected figure determined in accordance with the figure-to-sound conversion rule, to thereby generate a melody which corresponds to the attributes of the selected figures and which changes in accordance with changes in position of said figures;
• assigning different tonalities to different pitch ranges using a filter within said figure-to-sound conversion rule;
• and
• adjusting pitch of said sound in conformity with a tonality assigned by said filter.

A method for synthesizing a melody using a computer connected to a display device, an input device, and an electronic musical instrument, said method comprising the steps of:

• displaying a plurality of figures on said display device;
• establishing a figure-to-sound conversion rule in response to directions designated by said input device, said figure-to-sound conversion rule specifying relationships between attributes of position of each figure, including attributes on said display device, and attributes of a sound corresponding to each figure;
• establishing at least a first figure-position change rule in response to directions designated by said input device, said first figure-position change rule specifying a manner in which positions of said figures change;
• establishing at least a second figure-position change rule in response to directions designated by said input device, said second figure-position change rule specifying a manner in which figure positions change in response to sound information derived from said electronic musical instrument;
• selecting, in turn, successive ones of the displayed plurality of figures automatically;
• changing, each time a figure is selected, a position of at least the selected figure in accordance with said first figure-position change rule;
• changing, in response to sound information derived from said electronic musical instrument, a position of at least one of said plurality of figures in accordance with said second figure-position change rule;
• and
• outputting, each time a figure is selected, through said electronic musical instrument, a sound whose attributes correspond to attributes of the selected figure in accordance with the figure-to-sound conversion rule, to thereby generate a melody which corresponds to the attributes of the selected figures and which changes in accordance with changes in position of said figures.

A system for synthesizing a melody using a computer connected to an input device, comprising:

• means for displaying a plurality of figures;
• means for establishing a figure-to-sound conversion rule in response to directions designated by said input device, said figure-to-sound conversion rule specifying relationships between attributes of each figure, including attributes of position of said figures on said display means, and attributes of sound corresponding to each figure;
• means for establishing at least one figure-position change rule in response to directions designated by said input means, said figure-position change rules specifying a manner in which positions of said figures change;
• means for selecting, in turn, successive ones of said displayed plurality of figures automatically;
• means for changing, each time a figure is selected, a position of at least the selected figure in accordance with the figure-position change rule;
• means for generating a sound;
• and
• means for outputting, each time a figure is selected, through said sound generating means, a sound having attributes which correspond to attributes of the selected figure determined in accordance with the figure-to-sound conversion rule, to thereby generate a melody which corresponds to the attributes of the selected figures and which changes in accordance with changes in position of said figures.

A system for synthesizing a melody using a computer connected to an input device, comprising:

• means for displaying a plurality of figures;
• means for establishing a figure-to-sound conversion rule in response to directions designated by said input device, said figure-to-sound conversion rule specifying relationships between attributes of each figure, including attributes of position of said figures on said display device, and attributes of a sound corresponding to each figure;
• means for establishing a first figure-position change rule in response to directions designated by said input device, said first figure-position change rule specifying a manner in which figure-positions change;
• means for establishing a second figure-position change rule in response to directions designated by said input device, said second figure-position change rule specifying a manner in which figure-positions change in response to sound information derived from an external source;
• means for selecting, in turn, successive ones of the displayed plurality of figures automatically;
• means for changing, each time a figure is selected, a position of at least the selected figure in accordance with said first figure-position change rule;
• means for changing, in response to sound information derived from said external source, a position of at least one of said plurality of figures in accordance with said second figure-position change rule;
• and
• means for outputting, each time a figure is selected, through said external source, a sound whose attributes correspond to attributes of the selected figure in accordance with the figure-to-sound conversion rule, to thereby generate a melody which corresponds to the attributes of the selected figures and which changes in accordance with changes in position of said figures.

A computer program product for use with a computer having a display device, comprising:

• a computer readable medium with a computer program recorded thereon, the program including:
• a first code section for causing the computer to display a plurality of figures on a display device;
• a second code section for causing the computer to establish a figure-to-sound conversion rule in response to directions designated by an input device, in such a manner that said figure-to-sound conversion rule specifies relationships between attributes of each figure including attributes of position on a display means, and attributes of sound corresponding to each figure;
• a third code section for causing the computer to establish at least one figure-position change rule in response to directions designated by said input device, said figure-position change rule specifying a manner in which figure positions change;
• a fourth code section for causing the computer to select, in turn, successive ones of the displayed plurality of figures automatically;
• a fifth code section for causing the computer to change, each time a figure is selected, a position of at least the selected figure in accordance with the figure-position change rule;
• and
• a sixth code section for causing the computer to output, each time a figure is selected, through a sound generating means, a sound having attributes which correspond to attributes of the selected figure determined in accordance with the figure-to-sound conversion rule, to thereby generate a melody which corresponds to the attributes of the selected figures and which changes in accordance with changes in position of said figures.