# US 7,612,280 B2 · Intelligent audio selector > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,612,280 B2 - Document ID: US7612280B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/784,702 - Filed: 2007-04-09 - Published: 2007-11-22 - Granted: 2009-11-03 - Earliest claimed: 2006-05-22 - Inventors: Andrew J. Schneider - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7612280B2 ## CPC - G10H 1/0033: {Recording/reproducing or transmission of music for electrophonic musical instruments} - G10H 2210/076: for extraction of timing, tempo; Beat detection - G10H 2210/081: for automatic key or tonality recognition, e.g. using musical rules or a knowledge base - G10H 2240/081: Genre classification, i.e. descriptive metadata for classification or selection of musical pieces according to style - G10H 2240/131: Library retrieval, i.e. searching a database or selecting a specific musical piece, segment, pattern, rule or parameter set - G10H 2250/211: Random number generators, pseudorandom generators, classes of functions therefor - G10H: ELECTROPHONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; INSTRUMENTS IN WHICH THE TONES ARE GENERATED BY ELECTROMECHANICAL MEANS OR ELECTRONIC GENERATORS, OR IN WHICH THE TONES ARE SYNTHESISED FROM A DATA STORE ## Abstract A digital music player includes an audio file selector that selects a subsequent audio file to play from a collection of audio files based upon a desired relationship between an audio characteristic of a current audio file and an audio characteristic of the subsequent audio file. The audio selector digitally analyzes the audio files to determine their audio characteristics. A weighting procedure then assigns weights to the audio files in the collection based upon their audio characteristics and their relationship to the audio characteristics of the current audio file. A random selector then pseudo randomly selects the subsequent audio files from a weighted list of the files. The desired relationship can be a specified correspondence between a key or tempo of the current audio file and a key or tempo of the subsequent audio file. The audio selector is preferably implemented through a software macro which is downloaded into an existing digital music player. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An audio player comprising: an audio file selector that selects a subsequent audio file to play from a collection of audio files based upon a desired relationship between an audio characteristic of a current audio file and an audio characteristic of said subsequent audio file by examining digital information corresponding to an audio characteristic of said current audio file and at least a portion of said audio files in said collection and assigning weights to said audio files in said collection based upon a specified file matching scheme, defining a range equal to the total of all assigned weights, assigning a portion of said range to each audio file based upon its weight, producing a random number within said range and then selecting said subsequent audio file based upon the audio file assigned to the portion of said range containing said random number. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The audio player of claim 1 further comprising a subset creator for limiting the audio files that are considered for selection to a subset of said collection of audio files which are identified as satisfying a user specified criteria. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The audio player of claim 1 wherein said desired relationship further comprises a specified correspondence between a key of said current audio file and a key of said subsequent audio file. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The audio player of claim 1 wherein said desired relationship further comprises a specified correspondence between a tempo of said current audio file and a tempo of said subsequent audio file. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The audio player of claim 1 wherein said audio selector is implemented through a software macro which is downloaded into an existing digital music player. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The audio player of claim 1 wherein said weights are assigned in a user selectable manner. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The audio player of claim 1 wherein said audio characteristics are user specified. ### Claim 8 A method of selecting an audio file from a collection of audio files and playing said selected audio file, said method comprising the steps of: determining an audio characteristic of a currently playing audio file; processing said collection of audio files to determine audio characteristics possessed by said files in said collection and assigning a weight to each of said files based upon said processing; selecting a subsequent audio file pseudo-randomly from said collection of audio files by defining a range equal to the total of all assigned weights, assigning a portion of said range to each audio file based upon its weight, producing a random number within said range and then selecting said subsequent audio file based upon the audio file assigned to the portion of said range containing said random number; and playing said subsequently selected audio file. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein the step of determining an audio characteristic of a currently playing audio selection further comprises digitally analyzing said currently playing audio selection. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein said method is implemented through software downloaded into an existing digital music player. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein said weight is determined based upon a specified correspondence between a tempo of said currently playing audio file and a tempo of said subsequent audio file. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8 wherein said weight is determined based upon a specified correspondence between a key of said currently playing audio file and a key of said subsequent audio file. ### Claim 13 Software for selecting a subsequent audio selection from a library of audio files based upon an initial audio selection, said software comprising: audio analysis software for digitally analyzing said initial audio selection to determine an audio characteristic of said initial audio selection and digitally analyzing said audio files in said library to identify an audio characteristics of each file in said library; weight assignment software for assigning a weight to each audio file based upon the file's identified audio characteristic and a matching scheme setting forth a desired relationship between said audio characteristic of said initial audio selection and said audio characteristic of said subsequent audio selection; and selection software for pseudo-randomly selecting said subsequent audio selection based upon said assigned weight by defining a range equal to the total of all assigned weights, assigning a portion of said range to each audio file based upon its weight, producing a random number within said range and then selecting said subsequent audio file based upon the audio file assigned to the portion of said range containing said random number. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The software of claim 13 further comprising tempo identification software for determining a tempo of an audio file. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The software of claim 13 further comprising key identification software for determining a key of an audio file. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The software of claim 13 wherein said software is configured as a macro such that it can be added to existing software for a digital music player. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The software of claim 13 further wherein said matching scheme is contained in a file matching table. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The software of claim 13 wherein said software selects at least two subsequent audio files to play based upon said initial selection.