Method and apparatus for providing sensory information related to music

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing instructions associated with music, the apparatus comprising an instruction generating component for generating one or more instructions associated with one or more features within the music; and an instruction delivery component attached to or worn by a user for delivering the instructions to the user.

1 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A device comprising:
 a microphone for obtaining music being played;   an instruction generating component for generating at least one instruction based on at least one musical feature within the music, wherein each musical feature is a location within a musical phrase within the music being played, wherein each instruction, when delivered to a user, conveys information sufficient for the user to identify the location within the musical phrase within the music being played, wherein the instruction is neutral to the action to be made by the user in response to identifying the location within the musical phrase; and   an instruction delivery component for delivering the at least one instruction to the user.   
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein said instruction delivery component is adapted to be attached to or worn by the user, wherein said instruction delivery component is physically separate from the device, wherein the device further comprising at least one communication component for transferring the at least one instruction from the instruction generating component to the instruction delivery component. 
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein the instruction generating component is co-located with the instruction delivery component. 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 26 , wherein said instruction delivery component is a vibrating motor of said device. 
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein said instruction generating component is configured to analyze the music obtained by said receiver and to extract the at least one musical feature from the music in real-time. 
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one musical feature is a musical feature that is selected from the group consisting of: a beat within a phrase, and a strong beat within a phrase. 
     
     
         30 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein the location within the musical phrase within the music being played is selected from the group consisting of: a start of the musical phrase, a strong beat within the musical phrase, and a predetermined beat within the musical phrase. 
     
     
         31 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one musical feature is a musical feature that is useful for performing a dancing routine with respect to the music, wherein the instruction is neutral to a type of a dance step to be made and is useful for timing the dance step. 
     
     
         32 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein said instruction delivery component is a personalized instruction delivery component that is configured to deliver the at least one instruction to the user without being noticed by other users. 
     
     
         33 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein said instruction delivery component is a direction-indifferent instruction delivery component. 
     
     
         34 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein said instruction delivery component provides a visual cue to deliver the at least one instruction, wherein said instruction delivery component is configured to deliver the instructions without requiring the user to look at a predetermined direction. 
     
     
         35 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein said instruction delivery component is augmented glasses worn by the user, wherein the augmented glasses are configured to augment the music being played using visual cues. 
     
     
         36 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein said instruction delivery component is augmented glasses worn by the user, wherein the augmented glasses are configured to augment the music being played using vibrations. 
     
     
         37 . A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium retaining program instructions, which program instructions when read by a processor of a device, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
 activating a microphone of the device to obtain music being played;   determining at least one instruction based on at least one musical feature within the music, wherein each musical feature is a location within a musical phrase within the music being played, wherein each instruction, when delivered to a user, conveys information sufficient for the user to identify the location within the musical phrase within the music being played, wherein the instruction is neutral to the action to be made by the user in response to identifying the location within the musical phrase; and   outputting the at least one instruction to a instruction delivery component for delivering the at least one instruction the user.   
     
     
         38 . The computer program product of  claim 37 , wherein the instruction delivery component is a vibration motor of the device. 
     
     
         39 . The computer program product of  claim 37 , wherein said determining comprises analyzing the music being played while the music is being played and generating the at least one instructions during said analyzing. 
     
     
         40 . The computer program product of  claim 37 , wherein said determining comprises: retrieving the at least one instruction, which were previously generated in an offline manner prior to the music being played. 
     
     
         41 . A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium retaining program instructions, which program instructions when read by a processor of a device, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
 activating a receiver of the device to obtain an indication of a music currently being played;   determining at least one instruction based on at least one musical feature within the music, wherein each musical feature is a location within a musical phrase within the music being played, wherein each instruction, when delivered to a user, conveys information sufficient for the user to identify the location within the musical phrase within the music being played, wherein the instruction is neutral to the action to be made by the user in response to identifying the location within the musical phrase; and   outputting the at least one instruction to a instruction delivery component for delivering the at least one instruction the user.   
     
     
         42 . The computer program product of  claim 41 , wherein the instruction delivery component is a vibration motor of the device. 
     
     
         43 . The computer program product of  claim 41 , wherein the device is augmented glasses, and wherein the instruction delivery component is a display of the augmented glasses. 
     
     
         44 . The computer program product of  claim 41 , wherein the program instructions are further configured to cause the processor to perform:
 review past performance of the user in response to delivered instructions;   determining a time offset; and   modifying delivery timing of future instructions to the user by the instruction delivery component by the time offset.