Functional extensions of traditional music keyboards
First Claim
1. An electronic musical instrument control system comprising:
- a keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, wherein each key of said plurality of keys is physically displaceable within a key travel range;
a separate key position sensor associated with each key of said plurality of keys, wherein each key position sensor of said plurality of key position sensors responsively provides a key displacement signal corresponding to the position of an associated key within said key travel range; and
at least one displacement sensor interface for receiving said key displacement signals from at least one of said plurality of key position sensors, wherein said at least one displacement sensor interface responsively generates an individual output control signal for each key displacement signal received at said at least one displacement sensor, and wherein each output control signal generated by said at least one displacement sensor is adapted to provide control of sounds generated by an electronic musical system.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An invention extending functionality and applications of traditional music keyboards. Individual musical keyboard keys may have individual key displacement sensors measuring key travel. Individual keys may further include surface sensors measuring two additional parameters, creating three independent continuous parameters essential for controlled rendering of vowel sounds and orchestral timbre spaces. Surface sensors may comprise pressure sensor arrays, which, via geometric image-processing, may produce five to six readily controlled independent parameters per key, useful in controlling expressive soloing and long-duration background sounds. Per-key pressure sensor arrays may comprise mass-produced modular components including intelligent distributed image processing to simplify manufacturing and substantially reduce cost. Synthesized tactile feedback may render variable keyboard actions or create ‘multilevel’ key travel functionality. Miniature keyboards may be provided to idle fingers on other musical instruments. Specialized configurations permit keys of two or more keyboards to be played simultaneously with different fingers of the same hand. Outgoing MIDI signals may also be provided.
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Citations
101 Claims
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1. An electronic musical instrument control system comprising:
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a keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, wherein each key of said plurality of keys is physically displaceable within a key travel range;
a separate key position sensor associated with each key of said plurality of keys, wherein each key position sensor of said plurality of key position sensors responsively provides a key displacement signal corresponding to the position of an associated key within said key travel range; and
at least one displacement sensor interface for receiving said key displacement signals from at least one of said plurality of key position sensors, wherein said at least one displacement sensor interface responsively generates an individual output control signal for each key displacement signal received at said at least one displacement sensor, and wherein each output control signal generated by said at least one displacement sensor is adapted to provide control of sounds generated by an electronic musical system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for controlling an electronic musical instrument, said method comprising:
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providing a keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, wherein each key of said plurality of keys is physically displaceable within a key travel range;
associating a separate key position sensor with each key of said plurality of keys, wherein each key position sensor of said plurality of key position sensors responsively provides a key displacement signal corresponding to the position of an associated key within said key travel range; and
receiving said key displacement signals from at least one of said plurality of key position sensors using at least one displacement sensor interface, wherein said at least one displacement sensor interface responsively generates an individual output control signal for each key displacement signal received at said at least one displacement sensor, and wherein each output control signal generated by said at least one displacement sensor is adapted to provide control of sounds generated by an electronic musical system. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. An electronic musical control system comprising:
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a musical keyboard comprising a plurality of keys;
a separate surface sensor associated with each key of said plurality of keys, wherein each surface sensor of said plurality of surface sensors responsively generates multi-parameter sensor signals corresponding to user contact of an associated key of said plurality of keys; and
at least one surface sensor interface for receiving said multi-parameter sensor signals from at least one surface sensor of said plurality of surface sensors, wherein said at least one surface sensor interface responsively generates a multi-parameter surface sensor output control signal for each multi-parameter sensor signal received at said at least one surface sensor interface, and wherein each multi-parameter surface sensor output control signal generated by said at least one surface sensor is adapted to provide control of sound generated by an electronic musical system. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A method for controlling an electronic musical control system, said method comprising:
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providing a musical keyboard comprising a plurality of keys;
associating a separate surface sensor with each key of said plurality of keys, wherein each surface sensor of said plurality of surface sensors responsively generates multi-parameter sensor signals corresponding to user contact of an associated key of said plurality of keys; and
receiving said multi-parameter sensor signals from at least one surface sensor of said plurality of surface sensors using at least one surface sensor interface, wherein said at least one surface sensor interface responsively generates a multi-parameter surface sensor output control signal for each multi-parameter sensor signal received at said at least one surface sensor interface, and wherein each multi-parameter surface sensor output control signal generated by said at least one surface sensor is adapted to provide control of sound generated by an electronic musical system. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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72. An electronic musical instrument control system comprising:
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a musical keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, said musical keyboard configured to cooperatively operate with a non-keyboard musical instrument comprising a body and a music creating area, wherein said musical keyboard is attachable to said body of said non-keyboard musical instrument in a location that is sufficiently adjacent to said music creating area to facilitate simultaneous operation of said musical keyboard and said non-keyboard musical instrument;
a key switch associated with each key of said plurality of keys, wherein each key switch of said plurality of key switches responsively provides a key switch signal whenever an associated key experiences a threshold level of user contact; and
a processor for receiving said key switch signals from said plurality of key switches, wherein said processor responsively generates an individual output control signal for each of said plurality of said key switch signals, and wherein each output control signal of said plurality of individual output control signals is adapted to provide control of sounds generated by an electronic musical system. - View Dependent Claims (73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78)
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79. A method for controlling an electronic musical instrument, said method comprising:
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providing a musical keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, said musical keyboard configured to cooperatively operate with a non-keyboard musical instrument comprising a body and a music creating area, wherein said musical keyboard is attachable to said body of said non-keyboard musical instrument in a location that is sufficiently adjacent to said music creating area to facilitate simultaneous operation of said musical keyboard and said non-keyboard musical instrument;
associating a key switch with each key of said plurality of keys, wherein each key switch of said plurality of key switches responsively provides a key switch signal whenever an associated key experiences a threshold level of user contact; and
receiving said key switch signals from said plurality of key switches using a processor, wherein said processor responsively generates an individual output control signal for each of said plurality of said key switch signals, and wherein each output control signal of said plurality of individual output control signals is adapted to provide control of sounds generated by an electronic musical system. - View Dependent Claims (80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85)
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86. An electronic musical instrument control system comprising:
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a first musical keyboard comprising a plurality of keys;
a second musical keyboard comprising a plurality of keys;
a fastener proximately locating said second musical keyboard over said first musical keyboard to define a horizontal and vertical offset between said first and second musical keyboards, and wherein said horizontal and vertical offset permits fingers of the same hand of a user to simultaneously operate said first and second musical keyboards;
a key switch associated with each key of said plurality of keys, for said first and second musical keyboards, wherein each key switch of said plurality of key switches responsively provides a key switch signal whenever an associated key experiences a threshold level of user contact; and
at least one key switch interface for receiving said key switch signals from said plurality of key switches, wherein said at least one key switch interface responsively generates an individual output control signal for each of said plurality of said key switch signals, and wherein each output control signal of said plurality of individual output control signals is adapted to provide control of sounds generated by an electronic musical system. - View Dependent Claims (87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93)
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94. A method for controlling an electronic musical instrument, said method comprising:
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providing a first musical keyboard comprising a plurality of keys;
providing a second musical keyboard comprising a plurality of keys;
proximately locating said second musical keyboard over said first musical keyboard to define a horizontal and vertical offset between said first and second musical keyboards, and wherein said horizontal and vertical offset permits fingers of the same hand of a user to simultaneously operate said first and second musical keyboards;
associating a key switch with each key of said plurality of keys, for said first and second musical keyboards, wherein each key switch of said plurality of key switches responsively provides a key switch signal whenever an associated key experiences a threshold level of user contact; and
receiving said key switch signals from said plurality of key switches using at least one key switch interface, wherein said at least one key switch interface responsively generates an individual output control signal for each of said plurality of said key switch signals, and wherein each output control signal of said plurality of individual output control signals is adapted to provide control of sounds generated by an electronic musical system. - View Dependent Claims (95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101)
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Specification