Dynamically halting music event streams and flushing associated command queues

One or more computer-readable storage media containing a computer program for processing music events, the program comprising instructions to perform acts comprising:

• receiving music event specifications that define a music events, the music events including on/off events and continuous events;
• determining time sequences of individual commands to implement different ones of the music events, each time sequence having a first individual command and a concluding individual command;
• time-stamping each of the individual commands to indicate when they should be processed;
• placing the first individual command of a particular time sequence and its timestamp in a command queue;
• removing and processing individual commands from the command queue at the times indicated by their timestamps;
• upon removing a non-concluding individual command of said particular time sequence from the command queue, placing a subsequent individual command of the time sequence in the command queue along with the timestamp of said subsequent individual command;
• concluding a music event when its concluding individual command is removed from the command queue.

One or more computer-readable storage media containing a computer program for processing music events, the program comprising instructions to perform acts comprising:

• receiving music event specifications from a plurality of different music sources;
• assigning respective source identifiers to the different music sources;
• determining a time sequence of individual commands to implement a received music event specification;
• associating each of said individual commands of the time sequence with the source identifier of the music source of said received music event specification;
• time-stamping each of the individual commands of the time sequence to indicate when they should be processed;
• placing a first of the individual commands of the time sequence, its timestamp, and its source identifier in a command queue;
• removing and processing individual commands from the command queue at the times indicated by their timestamps;
• upon removing a non-concluding individual command of particular time sequence from the command queue, placing a subsequent individual command of the time sequence, its timestamp, and its source identifier in the command queue;
• receiving a flush instruction for a particular music source having a particular assigned source identifier;
• in response to receiving the flush instruction:
• identifying any individual commands in the command queue having the particular assigned source identifier;
• removing and processing any of the identified individual commands from the command queue that are off commands;
• removing any of the identified individual commands that are not off commands from the command queue without processing said removed commands.

A system for processing music events, comprising:

• at least one music processing component;
• a plurality of different music sources that provide music events to the music processing component, wherein the music events comprise on/off music events and to continuous music events;
• each of the different music sources being associated with a respective source identifier;
• a command queue;
• wherein in response to receiving a music event, the music processing component (a) determines a first individual command of a time sequence of individual commands that implement the music event, (b) determines a timestamp for the first individual command, indicating when the first individual command should be processed, (c) associates the first individual command with the source identifier of the music source of said received music event, and (d) places the first of the individual commands, its timestamp, and its source identifier in the command queue;
• wherein the music processing component removes and processes individual commands from the command queue at the times indicated by their timestamps;
• wherein upon removing a non-concluding individual command of particular time sequence from the command queue, the music processing component (a) determines a subsequent individual command of the particular time sequence, (b) determines a timestamp for the subsequent individual command, indicating when the subsequent individual command should be processed, (c) associates the subsequent individual command with the source identifier of non-concluding individual command, and (d) places the subsequent individual command, its timestamp, and its source identifier in the command queue;
• wherein upon receiving a flush instruction for a particular music source having a particular assigned source identifier, the music processing component:
• identifies any individual commands in the command queue having the particular assigned source identifier;
• removes and processes any of the identified individual commands from the command queue that are off commands;
• removes any of the identified individual commands that are not off commands from the command queue without processing said removed commands.