IP Library Granted Patent US 9,024,166
Granted Patent B2
US 9,024,166 · App. 12/878,863 · Granted May 5, 2015

Preventing subtractive track separation

Inventor: Aurelio R. Ramos (Jamaica Plain, MA)
Assignee: Harmonix Music Systems, Inc.
G11B20/10527G11B20/00826G11B2020/10555
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,024,166
App. No.
12/878,863
Granted
May 5, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed are techniques for preventing extraction of original audio tracks from a song. The techniques are executed on a game platform and involve providing a first and second audio track representing parts of a musical composition, mixing the first audio track and the second audio track to provide a mixed audio track, generating an audio modification data comprising a series of substantially random audio modifiers, and then modifying, before playback, the mixed audio track based on the audio modification data to provide a modified mixed audio track, such that subtracting the second audio track from the modified mixed audio track produces a third audio track with an audibly detectable deviation from the first audio track.

Claims (65)

1. A method for preventing filtering of original audio tracks from a song executed on a computerized game platform comprising:

providing a first audio track representing a part of a musical composition;

providing a second audio track representing at least one part of a musical composition, the at least one part being different than the part represented by the first track;

mixing, at one or more processors, the first audio track and the second audio track to provide a mixed audio track;

generating an audio modification data comprising a series of substantially random audio modifiers; and

modifying, at one or more processors before playback, the mixed audio track based on the audio modification data to provide a modified mixed audio track.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second audio track is randomized during a subsequent playback based on second audio modification data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the audio modification data further comprises determining the substantially random audio modifiers by setting the substantially random audio modifiers to a first value for a first random time interval and setting the substantially random audio modifiers to a second value for a second random time interval.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the first random time interval and the second random time interval are between 1 and 2 seconds.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein modifying the mixed audio track by the substantially random audio modifiers changes pitch of the mixed audio track and the first value produces a positive 1.666 percent change in pitch and the second value produces a negative 1.666 percent change in pitch.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein modifying the mixed audio track comprises speeding up the mixed audio track or slowing down the mixed audio track based on the substantially random audio modifiers.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising playing at least one of the mixed audio track and the modified mixed audio track.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the substantially random audio modifiers alter the mixed audio track such that the modification changes pitch of the mixed audio track.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first audio track and the second audio track are guitar tracks, bass tracks, vocal tracks, drum tracks, other musical instrument tracks or any combination thereof.

10. A method executed on a game platform comprising:

providing a first audio track representing a part of a musical composition;

providing a second audio track representing at least one part of a musical composition, the at least one part being different than the part represented by the first track;

generating an audio modification track comprising a series of substantially random audio modifiers;

mixing, at one or more processors, the first audio track and the second audio track to provide a mixed audio track; and

modifying, at one or more processors before playback, the mixed audio track based on the audio modification track.

11. A method executed on a game platform comprising:

providing a first audio track representing a part of a musical composition;

providing a second audio track representing at least one part of a musical composition, the at least one part being different than the part represented by the first track;

mixing, at one or more processors, the first audio track and the second audio track to provide a mixed audio track;

generating an audio modification track comprising a series of substantially random audio modifiers; and

modifying, at one or more processors before playback, the mixed audio track based on the audio modification track.

12. A method executed on a game platform comprising:

providing a first audio track representing a part of a musical composition;

providing a second audio track representing at least one part of a musical composition, the at least one part being different than the part represented by the first track;

generating an audio modification track comprising a first series of substantially random audio modifiers;

modifying, at one or more processors before playback, the first audio track based on the audio modification track;

modifying, at one or more processors before playback, the second audio track based on the audio modification track;

and

mixing, at one or more processors, the modified first audio track and the modified second audio track to provide a mixed audio track for playback.

13. A method for preventing filtering of original audio tracks from a song executed on a computerized game platform comprising:

providing a first audio track representing a part of a musical composition;

providing a second audio track representing at least one part of a musical composition, the at least one part being different than the part represented by the first track;

generating an audio modification track comprising a series of substantially random audio modifiers;

mixing, at one or more processors, the first audio track and the second audio track to provide a mixed audio track; and

modifying, at the one or more processors before playback, the mixed audio track based on the audio modification track to provide a modified mixed audio track.

14. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, for preventing filtering of original audio tracks from a song, the computer program product including executable instruction operable to cause a game platform to:

provide two or more original audio tracks;

mix the two or more original audio tracks to provide a mixed audio track;

generate an audio modification track comprising a series of substantially random audio modifiers; and

modify, before playback, the mixed audio track based on the audio modification track to provide a modified mixed audio track.

15. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, for preventing filtering of original audio tracks from a song, the computer program product including executable instruction operable to cause a game platform to:

provide a first audio track representing a part of a musical composition;

provide a second audio track representing at least one part of a musical composition, the at least one part being different than the part represented by the first track;

generate an audio modification track comprising a first series of substantially random audio modifiers;

modify, before playback, the first audio track based on the audio modification track;

modify, before playback, the second audio track based on the audio modification track; and

mix the modified first audio track and the modified second audio track to provide a mixed audio track for playback.

16. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, for preventing filtering of original audio tracks from a song, the computer program product including executable instruction operable to cause a game platform to:

provide a first audio track representing a part of a musical composition;

provide a second audio track representing at least one part of a musical composition, the at least one part being different than the part represented by the first track;

generate an audio modification track comprising a series of substantially random audio modifiers;

mix the first audio track and the second audio track to provide a mixed audio track; and

modify, before playback, the mixed audio track based on the audio modification track to provide a modified mixed audio track.

17. A method for preventing filtering of original audio tracks from a song executed on a computerized game platform comprising:

providing a first audio track representing a part of a musical composition;

providing a second audio track representing at least one part of a musical composition, the at least one part being different than the part represented by the first track;

generating an audio modification data comprising a series of substantially random audio modifiers;

modifying, at one or more processors before playback, the first audio track based on the audio modification data to provide a modified first audio track;

modifying, at one or more processors before playback, the second audio track based on the audio modification data to provide a modified second audio track; and

mixing, at one or more processors, the first modified audio track and the second modified audio track to provide a modified mixed audio track.

Assignments (3)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 16, 2021
From: COLBECK PARTNERS II, LLC, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: HARMONIX MUSIC SYSTEMS, INC; HARMONIX PROMOTIONS & EVENTS INC.; HARMONIX MARKETING INC.
Reel/Frame 058122/0681 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 1, 2011
From: RAMOS, AURELIO R.
To: HARMONIX MUSIC SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 025727/0649 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 11, 2011
From: HARMONIX MUSIC SYSTEMS, INC.; HARMONIX PROMOTIONS & EVENTS INC.; HARMONIX MARKETING INC.
To: COLBECK PARTNERS II, LLC, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 025620/0777 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20120063617A1 · Mar 15, 2012