Music instrument system and methods

• US 20030110929A1
• Filed: 08/16/2002
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Topdown Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Humanbeams Incorporated
• Inventors: Riopelle, Jerry
• Granted Patent: US 6,960,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/615
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/00 Details of electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0066 using a MIDI interface
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/20 for transposition
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/371 Rhythm syncopation, i.e. timing offset of rhythmic stresses or accents, e.g. note extended from weak to strong beat or started before strong beat
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/415 Infrared beams
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/421 Laser beams
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/015 PDA [personal digital assistant] or palmtop computing devices used for musical purposes, e.g. portable music players, tablet computers, e-readers or smart phones in which mobile telephony functions need not be used touch-screen interfaces G10H2220/096
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/061 MP3, i.e. MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, lossy audio compression
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/211 Wireless transmission, e.g. of music parameters or control data by radio, infrared or ultrasound beam G10H2220/405
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/255 Optical fibre transmission for electrophonic musical instrument purposes, e.g. hum mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/285 USB, i.e. either using a USB plug as power supply or using the USB protocol to exchange data
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/321 Bluetooth

Abstract

A system and methods which allow even a novice performer to easily play music which is not disharmonious and which is pleasing to the performer and his or her audience. The music is preferably created by a performer breaking one or more beams of light, which are emitted by one or more beam emitters and received, or detected, by one or more beam detectors. When a beam detector determines that a beam has been broken, a trigger is sent to a synthesizer, with such synthesizer preferably being a computer interfaced to the beam detectors via a Universal Serial Bus connection. The synthesizer selects from one or more electronic sounds, based on a pre-programmed collection of sounds, and a sound generator, such as an amplifier and speakers, plays the sound.

Claims

1. An electronic music instrument comprising:

a plurality of independently-controllable switches;

a plurality of independently-controllable programs, each such program comprising at least one sound element;

a first coupler, for allowing at least one of the switches to control at least one of the programs;

a plurality of independently-controllable electromagnetic beams;

a second coupler, for allowing at least one of the electromagnetic beams to control at least one of the switches in response to the interruption of the at least one electromagnetic beam; and

,

a sound generator, for playing the programs.

2. The electronic music instrument of claim 1, wherein the sound generator is capable of simultaneously playing a plurality of programs.

3. The electronic music instrument of claim 2, wherein the first coupler allows at least one of the programs to be controlled such that programs played by the sound generation means are not disharmonious.

4. The electronic music instrument of claim 1, wherein the plurality of independently-controllable switches are comprised of a plurality of trigger circuits.

5. The electronic music instrument of claim 1, wherein the at least one sound element is comprised of at least one musical note.

6. The electronic music instrument of claim 1, wherein the at least one sound element is comprised of at least one digitally sampled sound.

7. The electronic music instrument of claim 1, wherein the first coupler is comprised of a MIDI controller.

8. The electronic music instrument of claim 7, wherein the MIDI controller is a DrumKAT Controller.

9. The electronic music instrument of claim 1, wherein the second coupler is a beam detection circuit capable of detecting the presence or interruption of the electromagnetic beam.

10. The electronic music instrument of claim 9, wherein the electromagnetic beam is a visible light beam.

11. The electronic music instrument of claim 10, wherein the electromagnetic beam is a visible laser beam.

12. The electronic music instrument of claim 9, wherein the electromagnetic beam has a wavelength that renders it invisible to the unaided human eye.

13. The electronic music instrument of claim 1, wherein the programs are stored in a synthesizer.

14. The electronic music instrument of claim 13, wherein the synthesizer consists of at least one personal computer.

15. The electronic music instrument of claim 1, wherein the sound generator consists of at least one speaker.

16. The electronic music instrument of claim 15, wherein the sound generator further consists of at least one amplifier.

17. The electronic music instrument of claim 1, wherein the first coupler uses serial communications to control the independently-controllable programs.

18. The electronic music instrument of claim 17, wherein the first coupler uses the Universal Serial Bus standard to couple at least one of the switches to at least one of the programs.

19. The electronic music instrument of claim 1, wherein at least one of the independently-controllable switches controls at least one of the independently-controllable programs by modifying at least one characteristic of the at least one independently-controllable programs.

20. The electronic music instrument of claim 19, wherein the modification is a transposition.

21. The electronic music instrument of claim 1, wherein prolonged activation of one of the independently-controllable switches causes successive sound elements within at least one independently-controllable program to be played.

22. The electronic music instrument of claim 1, wherein prolonged activation of one of the independently-controllable switches causes a plurality of the independently-controllable programs to be played in succession.

23. The electronic music instrument of claim 1, wherein activation of a plurality of the independently-controllable switches causes a plurality of the independently-controllable programs to be played simultaneously.

24. The electronic music instrument of claim 1, wherein activation of at least one of the independently-controllable switches causes at least one of the independently-controllable programs to be repeatedly played.

25. The electronic music instrument of claim 1, wherein activation of at least one of the independently-controllable switches controls all subsequently played programs by causing the subsequently played programs to be transposed.

26. The electronic music instrument of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic beams are oriented substantially horizontally.

27. The electronic music instrument of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic beams are positioned within easy reach of a performer.

28. The electronic music instrument of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic beams are positioned such that a performer is surrounded thereby except from behind.

29. The electronic music instrument of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic beams are positioned such that a performer is surrounded thereby on three sides.

30. The electronic music instrument of claim 1, wherein the independently-controllable switches are operable at speeds sufficient to allow a member having a thin cross section to briefly interact with at least one of the electromagnetic beams and thereby control at least one of the programs.

31. A music instrument comprising:

a plurality of independently-controllable trigger circuits;

a plurality of electromagnetic beams, arranged substantially horizontally and positioned within easy reach of a performer;

a plurality of independently-controllable programs stored in a synthesizer, each such program comprising sound elements;

a sound generator, comprised of at least one speaker and at least one amplifier, capable of simultaneously playing at least one program;

a MIDI controller, for allowing at least one of the switches to control at least one of the programs such that programs played by the sound generation means are not disharmonious, and for transposing the programs;

a plurality of independently-controllable electromagnetic beams; and

,

a beam detector, for allowing at least one of the electromagnetic beams to control at least one of the switches in response to the interruption of the at least one electromagnetic beam.

32. A music instrument comprising:

a plurality of independently-controllable trigger circuits;

a plurality of electromagnetic beams, arranged substantially horizontally and positioned within easy reach of a performer;

a plurality of independently-controllable programs stored in a computer, each such program comprising sound elements;

a Universal Serial Bus controller, for allowing at least one of the switches to control at least one of the programs, including transposing the program;

a plurality of independently-controllable electromagnetic beams;

a beam detector, for allowing at least one of the electromagnetic beams to control at least one of the switches in response to the interruption of the electromagnetic beam; and

,

a sound generator, comprised of at least one speaker and at least one amplifier, capable of simultaneously playing a plurality of programs.

33. A music instrument comprising:

a plurality of electromagnetic beam emitters, for emitting electromagnetic beams;

a plurality of electromagnetic beam detectors, for detecting at least one of the emitted beams;

a plurality of trigger circuits for determining when a beam detector has changed state;

a computer;

a first universal serial bus controller, for transmitting state change information to the computer;

a second universal serial bus controller, for receiving state change information;

a plurality of programs which permit the computer to generate an electronic sound equivalent; and

,

at least one sound generation means for converting the electronic sound equivalent into audible sounds.

34. The music instrument of claim 33, further comprising:

at least one switch;

a plurality of trigger circuits for determining when the switch has changed state.

35. A sound scene creation method comprising:

developing an underpinning;

writing a first melody using a scale that fits sympathetically with the underpinning;

writing a counterpoint that is harmonious to the melody;

creating a transpose matrix; and

,

writing at least one additional melody using alternate chords that fit sympathetically with the underpinning.

36. The sound scene creation method of claim 35, wherein the first melody is between sixteen and one hundred twenty-eight notes long.

37. The sound scene creation method of claim 35, wherein the at least one additional melody contains up to one hundred twenty-eight notes.

38. A music instrument wherein the music elements which can be produced by the instrument are limited to a set of between three and seven different sounds, plus octaves of such sounds, wherein the sounds are related to each other in such a manner that the sounding together of any combination of the musical sounds would not be disharmonious.

39. The music instrument of claim 38, wherein the music instrument allows transposition of the music elements.

40. A method of composing an electronic instrument program comprising:

selecting at least one first sympathetic scale;

selecting at least one first background composition, wherein substantially all notes are included in the first sympathetic scale;

selecting at least one first melody composition, wherein substantially all notes are included in the first sympathetic scale;

assigning the first background composition to at least one first control switch;

assigning the first melody composition to at least one second control switch; and

,

arranging operation of the first and second control switches such that at least one performer may operate the first and second control switches to play the compositions assigned thereto.

41. The electronic instrument program composition method of claim 40, further comprising:

selecting a transpose operation to transpose the first background composition and the first melody composition from the first sympathetic scale to a second sympathetic scale;

assigning such transpose operation to at least one third control switch;

arranging operation of a third control switch such that at least one performer may operate the third control switch to transpose the background composition and the melody composition from the first sympathetic scale to the second sympathetic scale.

42. The electronic instrument program composition method of claim 41, wherein the transpose operation comprises:

selecting a transposition; and

,

selecting a first note to be played upon execution of the transposition.

43. The electronic instrument program composition method of claim 40, further comprising:

selecting a series of transpose mappings;

assigning the series of transpose mappings to at least one third control switch; and

,

arranging operation of the third control switch such that a performer causes the first background composition and the first melody composition to be transposed from the first sympathetic scale to a subsequent sympathetic scale according to the series of transpose operations each time the third switch is operated.

44. The electronic instrument program composition method of claim 40, wherein the first sympathetic scale comprises a major scale.

45. The electronic instrument program composition method of claim 44, wherein the first note of the first sympathetic scale comprises a root note of the first sympathetic scale.

46. A method of configuring and performing an electronic musical instrument comprising:

assigning at least one sound element into at least one first program;

assigning at least one sound element to at least one second program;

assigning the first program to at least one first trigger;

assigning the second program to at least one second trigger;

assigning at least one function to at least one third trigger; and

,

activating the triggers in a desired order to produce a musical performance.

47. The electronic musical instrument configuring and performing method of claim 46, wherein the first program is a background sound.

48. The electronic musical instrument configuring and performing method of claim 46, wherein the second program is comprised of a chord that fits against the predominant scale of the first program.

49. The electronic musical instrument configuring and performing method of claim 46, wherein the function is a transpose mapping.

50. A method of configuring and performing an electronic musical instrument comprising:

assigning at least one sound element to at least one first program to create a background sound;

assigning at least one sound element into at least one second program, wherein the sound elements assigned are comprised of a chord that fits against the predominant scale of the first program;

assigning the first program to at least one first trigger;

assigning the second program to at least one second trigger;

assigning at least one transpose mapping to at least one third trigger; and

,

activating the triggers in a desired order to produce a musical performance.

51. A portable, light beam based musical instrument comprising a plurality of beam emitters and beam detectors, a plurality of trigger circuits, a plurality of sounds, and at least one audible sound generator for playing the sounds, wherein the musical instrument is played by interacting with the beams emitted by the beam emitters.

52. A portable light beam based musical instrument comprising a plurality of beam emitters and beam detectors, a plurality of trigger circuits, a plurality of sounds, and at least one audible sound generator for playing the sounds, wherein the musical instrument is played by interacting with the beams emitted by the beam emitters, and wherein prolonged activation of one of the beams emitted by the beam emitters causes successive sounds to be played.

53. A music instrument comprising:

a plurality of independently-controllable switches;

a plurality of independently-controllable programs, each such program comprising at least one sound element;

a first coupler, for allowing at least one of the switches to control at least one of the programs;

a plurality of independently-controllable electromagnetic beams;

a second coupler, for allowing at least one of the electromagnetic beams to control at least one of the switches in response to the interruption of the at least one electromagnetic beam, wherein prolonged activation of one of the independently-controllable switches causes successive sound elements within at least one independently-controllable program to be played; and

,

a sound generator, for playing the programs.