Mailing Lists: Apple Mailing Lists
Image of Mac OS face in stamp
 
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: OT: Apple has a patent on tremolo!

Paul Evenblij wrote:
..


As far as I can see (after reading the complete text),
the patent application does not have anything to do
with tremolo or amplitude modulation, apart from the
side effect you get when mixing a sine wave with
another, slightly detuned sine wave.

But this is not about sine waves. In my understanding,
the patented method is a way of getting beat
frequencies which are constant along a  large range of
main frequencies. I.e. if you have your two
oscillators playing C3, and the beat frequency is 3
Hz, then if you play C4, the beat frequency will be 6
Hz using 'prior art'. Using Apple's method, this beat
frequency will *always" be 3 Hz.

My two cents.


Tremolo is defined as slow regular amplitude variation (whereas vibrato is slow regular variation of pitch); the net effect of all beats = 3Hz is identical to the net effect of applying 3Hz tremolo. The patent describes a complicated way of doing something that is so easy it is banal, and in patent terms comfortably within the scope of one ordinarily skilled in the art. Of course, AM is different from detuning; this has been known ever since the dawn of synthesisers; and everyone has always known how to achive both. It makes a nonsense of the whole patent process - but then it is not the first time that has been done! It may however become my favourite example of a ridiculous patent. It does not protect anything, and Apple will never ever be able to sue anyone for "infringing" it!

Richard Dobson


_______________________________________________
Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored.
Coreaudio-api mailing list      (email@hidden)
Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription:
http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/coreaudio-api/email@hidden

This email sent to email@hidden
References: 
 >Re: OT: Apple has a patent on tremolo! (From: Paul Evenblij <email@hidden>)



Visit the Apple Store online or at retail locations.
1-800-MY-APPLE

Contact Apple | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2007 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.