tonemapu

Tonemapu is a term used in several technical fields to denote a mapping process that translates one set of tonal information into another, typically for perceptual interpretation, synthesis, or rendering. There is no single, universally accepted definition, and the term appears in different contexts with varying scope.

In linguistics and speech processing, tonemapu refers to frameworks that map surface pitch contours to underlying tone categories or to a perceptual pitch scale. It supports comparative studies of tonal systems, helps in acoustic analysis of language data, and is used in speech synthesis and automatic tone recognition to generate or interpret tones consistently across instruments and voices.

In signal processing and audio, tonemapu describes a procedure that maps a set of tonal features to a target representation, such as a melody, scale, or instrument-specific timbre. This usage emphasizes interoperability between musical or spoken tones and downstream processing modules, enabling tasks like pitch tracking, transcription, or stylistic transformation.

In graphics and visualization, some researchers describe tonemapu as a mapping that preserves perceptual luminance while adjusting dynamic range, analogous to traditional tone mapping. Here the concept is applied in HDR-to-LDR workflows, color grading, or multimedia pipelines where tonal rendition affects perceived image quality.

Because tonemapu lacks a standardized definition, practitioners typically specify the exact mapping algorithm, input features, and output representations in their work, and the term is often used descriptively rather than as a formal method name.

Related topics include tone mapping, tonal languages, pitch mapping, and perceptual mapping.