Music selecting apparatus and method

Abstract

A music selecting apparatus and method, which are capable to indicate a music piece matching with the sensitivities of the user. A degree of chord change is stored as data for each of a plurality of music pieces, a sensitivity word for music selection is set in accordance with an input operation, and a music piece having the chord change degree corresponding to the set sensitivity word is detected in accordance with the chord change degree of each of the plurality of music pieces.

1. A music selecting apparatus for selecting a music piece from a plurality of music pieces in accordance with an input operation, comprising:
 a first storage device which stores, as data, a degree of chord change for each of the plurality of music pieces; 
 a setting device which sets a sensitivity word for music selection from among a plurality of sensitivity words which are previously determined, in accordance with the input operation; and, 
 a music selector which detects a music piece having a degree of chord change corresponding to the sensitivity word set by said setting device, in accordance with the chord change degree for each of the plurality of music pieces, 
 wherein said music selector includes: 
 a second storage device which stores, as data, a correction value for each of the plurality of sensitivity words; 
 a reading portion which reads, from said second storage device, the correction value corresponding to the sensitivity word set by said setting device; 
 a correction device which corrects the chord change degree for each of the plurality of music pieces in accordance with the correction value read by said reading portion to compute a sensitivity matching degree; and 
 an indicating device which indicates the plurality of music pieces in an order corresponding to the sensitivity matching degree computed for each of the plurality of music pieces by said correction device. 
 
     
     
       2. The music selecting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said setting device includes an input device which receives a sensitivity word other than the plurality of sensitivity words in accordance with said input operation, and wherein, when the sensitivity word other than the plurality of sensitivity words is received by said input device, said indicating device indicates the plurality of music pieces in random order. 
     
     
       3. The music selecting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 said first storage device stores, as data, the chord change degree for each of the plurality of music pieces, and at least one characteristic parameter indicating a characteristic other than the chord change degree of for each of the plurality of music pieces; 
 said setting device selects and sets, in accordance with the input operation, the sensitivity word for the music selection from among a plurality of sensitivity words which are previously determined; and, 
 said music selector includes: 
 a second storage device which stores, as data, a correction value for each of the plurality of sensitivity words, with respect to the chord change degree and the characteristic parameter; 
 a reading portion which reads, from said second storage device, the correction value with respect to the chord change degree and the characteristic parameter corresponding to the sensitivity word set by said setting device; 
 a correction device which corrects the chord change degree and the characteristic parameter for each of the plurality of music pieces in accordance with the correction values read by said reading portion, and obtains the sum of the correction results as a sensitivity matching degree; and, 
 an indicating device which indicates the plurality of music pieces, in an order corresponding to the sensitivity matching degree of each of the plurality of music pieces computed by said correction device. 
 
     
     
       4. The music selecting apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein said indicating device includes a third storage device which stores music data indicating a reproduced sound for each of the plurality of music pieces, and an audio output device which reads music data from said third storage device in the order of music pieces corresponding to the sensitivity matching degree of each of the plurality of music pieces, and outputs a reproduced sound based on the read music data. 
     
     
       5. The music selecting apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a matching judgment device which judges, in accordance with an input operation, whether a music piece indicated by said indicating device matches the sensitivity word for the music selection; 
 a fourth storage device which stores, when the indicated music piece is judged to match the sensitivity word for the music selection by said matching judgment device, the matched music piece in association with the sensitivity word for the music selection; 
 a matched learning device which computes a correction value corresponding to a sensitivity word for which the number of music pieces stored in said fourth storage device has become equal to or greater than a predetermined number of music pieces, in accordance with the stored values of the chord change degree of the stored music pieces of equal to or greater than the predetermined number; 
 a fifth storage device which stores the correction value computed by said matched learning device with respect to the chord change degree, in association with each of the plurality of sensitivity words; and, 
 a learning judgment device which judges whether a correction value corresponding to the sensitivity word set by said setting device exists in said fifth storage device; and wherein 
 when said learning judgment device judges that the correction value corresponding to the sensitivity word exist in said fifth storage device, said reading portion reads the correction value corresponding to the sensitivity word from said fifth storage device, instead of from said second storage device. 
 
     
     
       6. The music selecting apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein said reading portion switches the reading of the correction value corresponding to the sensitivity word from said second storage device to said fifth storage device in accordance with an input operation. 
     
     
       7. The music selecting apparatus according to  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a sixth storage device which stores, when said matching judgment device judges that the indicated music piece does not match the sensitivity word for the music selection, the unmatched music piece for each of the plurality of sensitivity words; 
 an unmatched learning device which computes the correction value corresponding to a sensitivity word for which the number of music pieces stored in said fourth storage device is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, in accordance with the degrees of chord change in unmatched music pieces stored in said sixth storage device; and, 
 a seventh storage device which stores the correction value computed by said unmatched learning device with respect to the chord change degrees, in association with each of the plurality of sensitivity words; and wherein 
 said correction device reads the correction value corresponding to the sensitivity word from said seventh storage device, and corrects the sensitivity matching degree in accordance with the read correction value. 
 
     
     
       8. The music selecting apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a matching judgment device which judges whether a music piece indicated by said indicating device matches the sensitivity word for the music selection, in accordance with an input operation; 
 a fourth storage device which stores, when said matching judgment device judges that the indicated music piece matches the sensitivity word for the music selection, the matched music piece, with respect to the degree of chord change and the characteristic parameter, for each of the plurality of sensitivity words; 
 a matched learning device which computes the correction value for each of the chord change degree and the characteristic parameter corresponding to a sensitivity word for which the number of music pieces stored in said fourth storage device is equal to or greater than a predetermined number, in accordance with the stored values of the chord change degree and the characteristic parameter for the stored music pieces of equal to or greater than the predetermined number; 
 a fifth storage device which stores the correction value computed by said matched learning device for each of the chord change degree and the characteristic parameters, in association with each of the plurality of sensitivity words; and, 
 a learning judgment device which judges whether correction values corresponding to the sensitivity word set by said setting device exist in said fifth storage device; and wherein 
 when said learning judgment device judges that a correction value corresponding to the sensitivity word exist in said fifth storage device, said reading portion reads the correction value corresponding to the sensitivity word from said fifth storage device instead of from said second storage device. 
 
     
     
       9. The music selecting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the chord change degree is at least one of the number of chords per minute in a music piece, the number of types of chords used in the music piece, and the number of change points each of which changes an impression of the music piece such as discord during the chord progression. 
     
     
       10. The music selecting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensitivity words are “rhythmical”, “gentle”, “bright”, “sad” “healing”, and “lonely”. 
     
     
       11. The music selecting apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the at least one characteristic parameter is any of a beat, a maximum beat level, an average amplitude level, a maximum amplitude level, and a key, of the music piece. 
     
     
       12. The music selecting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the correction value includes an average value and an unbiased variance of the chord change degrees. 
     
     
       13. A music selection method for selecting a music piece from among a plurality of music pieces in accordance with an input operation, comprising the steps of:
 storing, as data, a degree of chord change for each of the plurality of music pieces; 
 setting a sensitivity word for music selection in accordance from among a plurality of sensitivity words which are previously determined, in accordance with the input operation; and, 
 detecting a music piece having a degree of chord change corresponding to the set sensitivity word, in accordance with the chord change degree for each of the plurality of music pieces, 
 wherein said music selector the music piece detecting step includes: 
 a second storage device which stores, as data, a correction value for each of the plurality of sensitivity words; 
 a reading portion which reads, step for reading from said second a storage device, the a correction value corresponding to the sensitivity word set by said setting device in the setting step, the storage device storing, as data, a correction value for each of the plurality of sensitivity words; 
 a correction device which corrects step for correcting the chord change degree for each of the plurality of music pieces in accordance with the correction value read by said reading portion in the reading step to compute a sensitivity matching degree; and 
 an indicating device which indicates step for indicating the plurality of music pieces in an order corresponding to the sensitivity matching degree computed for each of the plurality of music pieces by said correction device in the correction step. 
 
     
     
       14. A music selecting apparatus for selecting a music piece from among a plurality of music pieces in accordance with an input operation, comprising:
 a first storage device which stores, as data, a characteristic value of at least one characteristic parameter for each of the plurality of music pieces; 
 a setting device which sets a sensitivity word for music selection from among a plurality of sensitivity words, in accordance with the input operation; 
 a second storage device which stores, as data, a correction value for each of the plurality of sensitivity words; 
 a reading portion which reads, from said second storage device, the correction value corresponding to the sensitivity word for the music selection set by said setting device; 
 a correction device which corrects the characteristic value of characteristic parameter for each of the plurality of music pieces in accordance with correction value read by said reading portion to compute a sensitivity matching degree; 
 a music selector which selects at least one music piece from among the plurality of music pieces, in accordance with the sensitivity matching degree for each of the plurality of music pieces, computed by said correction device; 
 a matching judgment device which judges whether the at least one music piece selected by said music selector matches the sensitivity word for the music selection, in accordance with an input operation; 
 a learning value storage device which computes a learning value in accordance with a result of the judgment by said matching judgment device, and stores the computed learning value in association with the sensitivity word for the music selection; and, 
 a learning judgment device which judges, when the sensitivity word for the music selection is set by said setting device, whether the learning value corresponding to the sensitivity word for the music selection exist in said learning value storage device; and wherein 
 when the learning value corresponding to the sensitivity word for the music selection is judged by said learning judgment device to be stored in said learning value storage device, said correction device corrects the characteristic value of characteristic parameter for each of the plurality of music pieces in accordance with the stored learning value to compute the sensitivity matching degree. 
 
     
     
       15. The music selecting apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein said learning value storage device includes:
 a fourth storage device which stores, when said matching judgment device judges that the selected music piece matches the sensitivity word for the music selection, the matched music piece in association with the sensitivity word for the music selection; 
 a matched learning device which computes the learning value for each of the plurality of sensitivity words in accordance with the characteristic value of the characteristic parameter for each of the music pieces stored in said fourth storage device when the number of music pieces stored in said fourth storage device is equal to or greater than a predetermined number; 
 a fifth storage device which stores the learning value computed by said matched learning device with respect to the characteristic parameter, in association with each of the plurality of sensitivity words; 
 a sixth storage device which stores, when said matching judgment device judges that the selected music piece does not match the sensitivity word for the music selection, the unmatched music piece in association with the sensitivity word for the music selection; 
 an unmatched learning device which computes the learning value for each of the plurality of sensitivity words in accordance with the characteristic value of the characteristic parameter for each of the music pieces stored in said fifth storage device when the number of music pieces stored in said fourth storage device is equal to or greater than a predetermined number; and 
 a seventh storage device which stores the learning value computed by said unmatched learning device with respect to the characteristic parameter, in association with each of the plurality of sensitivity words. 
 
     
     
       16. The music selecting apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein said correction device includes a user judgment device, when said learning judgment device judges that the learning value corresponding to the sensitivity word is stored in said learning value storage device, which judges, in accordance with an input operation, whether the learning value stored in said learning value storage device is to be used in music selection, and, when said user judgment device judges that the learning value stored in said learning value storage device is to be used in music selection, said correction device corrects the characteristic value of characteristic parameter for each of the plurality of music pieces in accordance with the stored learning value to compute the sensitivity matching degree. 
     
     
       17. The music selecting apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein said correction device reads the learning value corresponding to the sensitivity word for the music selection from said fifth storage device, and reads the learning value corresponding to the sensitivity word for the music selection from said seventh storage device; and,
 corrects the characteristic value of the characteristic parameter for each of the plurality of music pieces in accordance with the learning value read from said fifth storage device to compute a basic degree of sensitivity matching, and corrects the basic degree in accordance with the learning value read from said seventh storage device to obtain the sensitivity matching degree. 
 
     
     
       18. The music selecting apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the at least one characteristic parameter is any of a degree of chord change, a beat, a maximum beat level, an average amplitude level, a maximum amplitude level, and a key, of the music piece. 
     
     
       19. A music selection method for selecting a music piece from among a plurality of music pieces in accordance with an input operation, comprising the steps of:
 storing a characteristic value of at least one characteristic parameter as data for each of the plurality of music pieces; 
 setting a sensitivity word for music selection from among a plurality of sensitivity words in accordance with the input operation; 
 storing a correction value as data for each of the plurality of sensitivity words in a second storage device; 
 reading the correction value corresponding to the sensitivity word for the music selection from said second storage device; 
 correcting characteristic value of characteristic parameters for each of the plurality of music pieces in accordance with the read correction value to compute a sensitivity matching degree; 
 selecting at least one music from among the plurality of music pieces in accordance with the sensitivity matching degrees computed for each of the plurality of music pieces; 
 judging whether the selected music piece matches the sensitivity word for the music selection, in accordance with the input operation; 
 computing a learning value in accordance with the judgment result, and storing the computed learning value in a learning value storage device in association with the sensitivity word for the music selection; 
 judging whether the learning value corresponding to the sensitivity word for the music selection exists in said learning value storage device at the time the sensitivity word for the music selection is set; and, 
 when it is judged that the learning value corresponding to the sensitivity word for the music selection is stored in said learning value storage device, correcting the characteristic value of characteristic parameter for each of the plurality of music pieces in accordance with the stored learning value to compute the sensitivity matching degree.