Method and system for generating sequencing information representing a sequence of items selected in a database

1. A method of generating sequencing information representing a sequence of items selected in a database, each of the items comprising a set of descriptors, said method comprising the steps of:

specifying a length of said sequence and at least one of said descriptors;

applying similarity relation techniques between said items of said sequence under construction, in which, for at least one item to appear in the sequence,

wherein said item is chosen from said database on the basis of a similarity relation with a neighboring item of said sequence with which said chosen item shall be associated, so as to create a morphological continuity along said sequence, and

said applying step comprises modeling each of said descriptors in a desired sequence as a constrained variable; and

producing and storing in memory said associated items as at least part of said generated sequence, said sequence thereby having said morphological continuity.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of said items is represented by a series of constraint variables having a domain in the database.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said similarity-relation applying step comprises applying a global similarity relation technique by combining individual similarity measures on all of said descriptors.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said similarity-relation applying step comprises providing mathematical similarity functions.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said similarity-relation applying step comprises providing similarity relations defined by given thresholds.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said descriptors are expressed in terms of descriptor/value pairs respectively, and each of said values for said descriptor is selected from descriptor/value lists.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein each of said descriptors is associated to a descriptor type.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein said descriptor type comprises at least one type selected from the group consisting of Integer-Type, Taxonomy-Type and Discrete-Type.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said step of specifying further comprises specifying a first title and a last title of said items in said sequence.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said step of specifying further comprises specifying a morphological style of said items in said sequence.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said database comprises musical pieces.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said descriptors comprise titles, and said titles form a music program.

13. The system adapted to implement the method of claim 1 , comprising a general-purpose computer and a monitor for display of the generated information.

14. A computer program product adapted to carry out the method of claim 1 , when loaded into a general purpose computer.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in step b, the similarity relation is applied to obtain two contiguous items of the sequence.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the items are music titles.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said morphological continuity is a morphing process along the items of said sequence.

18. A method of producing a sequence of items out of a database by specifying partial information, said method comprising the steps of:

introducing a global continuity constraint allowing to compute a morphing between items of said sequence;

taking as input partial information about arbitrary items in said sequence to be produced;

applying similarity relation techniques between said items of said sequence under construction, in which, for at least one item to appear in the sequence,

wherein said item is chosen from said database on the basis of a similarity relation with a neighboring item of said sequence with which said chosen item shall be associated, so as to create a morphological continuity along said sequenced, and

said applying step comprises modeling each of said descriptors in a desired sequence as a constrained variable; and

producing and storing in memory the associated items as the sequence of items.

19. A system adapted to implement the method of claim 18 , comprising a general-purpose computer and a monitor for display of the generated information.

20. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the items are music titles.

21. The method according to claim 18 , wherein said morphological continuity is a morphing process along the items of said sequence.

22. A method of generating sequencing information representing a sequence of items selected in a database, each of the items comprising a set of descriptors, said method comprising the steps of:

specifying a length of said sequence and at least one of said descriptors;

applying similarity relation techniques between said items of said sequence under construction, in which, for at least one item to appear in the sequence,

said item is chosen from said database on the basis of a similarity relation with a neighboring item of said sequence with which said chosen item shall be associated, so as to create a morphological continuity along said sequence; and

producing and storing in memory said associated items as at least part of said generated sequence, said sequence thereby having said morphological continuity,

wherein said descriptors are expressed in terms of descriptor/value pairs respectively, and each of said values for each descriptor is selected from descriptor/value lists, and

wherein said applying step comprises modeling each of said descriptors in a desired sequence as a constrained variable.

23. The method according to claim 22 , wherein said morphological continuity is a morphing process along the items of said sequence.

24. The method according to claim 22 , wherein said sequence-generating step comprises transforming said at least one of said values into unary constraints in terms of constraint satisfaction programming techniques.

25. The method according to claim 24 , wherein said sequence-generating step further comprises subjecting said unary constraints to a processing of variables domain reduction.

26. An apparatus for generating sequencing information representing a sequence of items selected in a database, each of the items comprising a set of descriptors, said apparatus comprising:

specifying means for specifying a length of said sequence and at least one of said descriptors;

applying means for applying similarity relation techniques between said items of said sequence under construction, in which, for at least one item to appear in the sequence,

said item is chosen from said database on the basis of a similarity relation with a neighboring item of said sequence with which said chosen item shall be associated, so as to create a morphological continuity along said sequence; and

producing and storing means for producing and storing in memory said associated items as at least part of said generated sequence,

said sequence thereby having said morphological continuity, and

wherein said applying means models each of said descriptors in a desired sequence as a constrained variable.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26 , wherein the items are music titles.

28. The apparatus according to claim 26 , wherein said morphological continuity is a morphing process along the items of said sequence.

29. A method of generating sequencing information representing a sequence of items selected in a database, each of the items comprising a set of descriptors, said method comprising the steps of:

specifying at least a partial description of at least one said item to appear in said sequence;

applying similarity relation techniques between said items of said sequence under construction, in which, for at least one item to appear in the sequence,

said item is chosen from said database on the basis of a similarity relation with a neighboring item of said sequence with which said chosen item shall be associated, so as to create a morphological continuity along said sequence; and

producing and storing in memory said associated items as at least part of said generated sequence, said sequence thereby having said morphological continuity, and

wherein said applying step comprises modeling each of said descriptors in a desired sequence as a constrained variable.

30. The method according to claim 29 , wherein the items are music titles.

31. An apparatus for generating sequencing information representing a sequence of items selected in a database, each of the items comprising a set of descriptors, said apparatus comprising:

specifying means for specifying at least a partial description of at least one said item to appear in said sequence;

a processor for applying similarity relation techniques between said items of said sequence under construction, in which, for at least one item to appear in the sequence, said item is chosen from said database on the basis of a similarity relation with a neighboring item of said sequence with which said chosen item shall be associated, so as to create a morphological continuity along said sequence; and

producing means for producing said associated items as at least part of said generated sequence,

said sequence thereby having said morphological continuity, and

wherein said processor is configured to model each of said descriptors in a desired sequence as a constrained variable.

32. The apparatus according to claim 31 , wherein the items are music titles.

33. A method of generating sequencing information representing a sequence of music titles selected in a database, each of the music titles comprising a set of descriptors, said method comprising the steps of:

specifying a length of said sequence and at least one of said descriptors;

applying similarity relation techniques between said music titles of said sequence under construction, in which, for at least one music title to appear in the sequence, said music title is chosen from said database on the basis of a similarity relation with a neighboring music title of said sequence with which said chosen music title shall be associated, so as to create a morphological continuity along said sequence; and

producing and storing in memory said associated music titles as at least part of said generated sequence,

said sequence thereby having said morphological continuity, and

wherein said applying step comprises modeling each of said descriptors in a desired sequence as a constrained variable.

34. An apparatus for generating sequencing information representing a sequence of music titles selected in a database, each of the music titles comprising a set of descriptors, said apparatus comprising:

specifying means for specifying a length of said sequence and at least one of said descriptors;

a processor for applying similarity relation techniques between said music titles of said sequence under construction, in which, for at least one music title to appear in the sequence, said music title is chosen from said database on the basis of a similarity relation with a neighboring music title of said sequence with which said chosen music title shall be associated, so as to create a morphological continuity along said sequence; and

producing and storing means for producing and storing in memory said associated music titles as at least part of said generated sequence,

said sequence thereby having said morphological continuity, and

wherein said processor is configured to model each of said descriptors in a desired sequence as a constrained variable.

35. A method of generating sequencing information representing a sequence of items selected in a database, each of the items comprising a set of descriptors, said method comprising the steps of:

specifying a length of said sequence and at least one of said descriptors;

applying similarity relation techniques between said items of said sequence under construction, in which, for at least one item to appear in the sequence,

said item is chosen from said database on the basis of a similarity relation with a neighboring item of said sequence with which said chosen item shall be associated, so as to create a morphological continuity along said sequence, and, on the basis of properties of dissimilarities, so as to create a variation along said sequence; and

producing and storing in memory said associated items as at least part of said generated sequence, said sequence thereby having said morphological continuity, and

wherein said applying step comprises modeling each of said descriptors in a desired sequence as a constrained variable.