US 2,006,107,822 · Filed 2004-11-24
Apple's Tempo-Matching Patent That Powers Today's Workout Playlists
Imagine a device that listens to how fast you're running and automatically speeds up or slows down your music to match your pace—or does the opposite, using faster songs to push you to run harder. This patent covers the technology that lets phones and fitness gadgets control music speed in real time to match (or drive) your workout intensity.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a handheld computing device capable of detecting user activity pace and dynamically adjusting music tempo either to synchronize with that pace or to influence it. What's protected here is the system for selecting songs based on their tempo, adjusting a song's playback speed before or during playing, and combining both selection and adjustment to match or motivate workout activity. The patent covers the method and device architecture that makes this real-time sync possible.
Why it matters
This patent represents an early approach to making music responsive to exercise, turning passive listening into an interactive fitness tool. For a device maker like Apple, controlling this technology meant being able to build music features directly into fitness experiences—whether through iPods, iPhones, or fitness trackers. The ability to lock down tempo-matching and adaptive music selection creates a distinctive feature that competitors would have to design around or license.
Real-world use
When you're using a fitness app or running with music and the song's beat gradually speeds up as you accelerate, that real-time responsiveness is exactly what this patent protects.
Original USPTO abstract
The invention generally pertains to a hand-held computing device. More particularly, the invention pertains to a computing device that is capable of controlling the speed of the music so as to affect the mood and behavior of the user during an activity such as exercise. By way of example, the speed of the music can be controlled to match the pace of the activity (synching the speed of the music to the activity of the user) or alternatively it can be controlled to drive the pace of the activity (increasing or decreasing the speed of the music to encourage a greater or lower pace). One aspect of the invention relates to adjusting the tempo (or some other attribute) of the music being outputted from the computing device. By way of example, a songs tempo may be increased or decreased before or during playing. Another aspect of the invention relates to selecting music for outputting based on tempo (or some other attribute). For example, the computing device may only play songs having a particular tempo. Yet another aspect of the invention relates to both selecting music based on tempo and adjusting the tempo of the music.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 2,006,107,822
- Filing date
- 2004-11-24
- Grant date
- Application — not yet granted
- Assignee
- Apple Computer, Inc.
- Inventor(s)
- BOWEN ADAM
- CPC class
- G10H1/40
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