RF-based dynamic remote control for audio effects devices or the like

• US 20070175321A1
• Filed: 02/01/2007
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xpresense, LLC
• Original Assignee: Xpresense, LLC
• Inventors: Winter, Jeffrey Ian, Baum, Robert Thomas, Curry, James Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,569,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/737
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0083 using wireless transmission, e.g. radio, light, infrared
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0091 Means for obtaining special acoustic effects combined with modulation G10H1/043
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0551 using variable capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/34 Switch arrangements, e.g. keyboards or mechanical switches specially adapted for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/348 Switches actuated by parts of the body other than fingers
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/231 Wah-wah spectral modulation, i.e. tone color spectral glide obtained by sweeping the peak of a bandpass filter up or down in frequency, e.g. according to the position of a pedal, by automatic modulation or by voice formant detection; control devices therefor, e.g. wah pedals for electric guitars
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/235 Flanging or phasing effects, i.e. creating time and frequency dependent constructive and destructive interferences, obtained, e.g. by using swept comb filters or a feedback loop around all-pass filters with gradually changing non-linear phase response or delays
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/281 Reverberation or echo
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/311 Distortion, i.e. desired non-linear audio processing to change the tone colour, e.g. by adding harmonics or deliberately distorting the amplitude of an audio waveform
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/331 Ring or other finger-attached control device
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/351 Environmental parameters, e.g. temperature, ambient light, atmospheric pressure, humidity, used as input for musical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/395 Acceleration sensing or accelerometer use, e.g. 3D movement computation by integration of accelerometer data, angle sensing with respect to the vertical, i.e. gravity sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/525 Piezoelectric transducers for vibration sensing or vibration excitation in the audio range; Piezoelectric strain sensing, e.g. as key velocity sensor; Piezoelectric actuators, e.g. key actuation in response to a control voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/211 Wireless transmission, e.g. of music parameters or control data by radio, infrared or ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/311 MIDI transmission G10H2240/056 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2250/041 Delay lines applied to musical processing
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/186 Means for processing the signal picked up from the strings filtering G10H1/12

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing wireless remote control of devices, where the sensing/transmitting device is worn by, or affixed to, the operator, and responds in real-time to position or movements. The technology enables the operator to control remote devices, even while the operator is engaged in other activities. For an exemplary musical performance application, the remote control apparatus may take the form of a normal sized ring worn on a finger of a hand that the musician uses to play a musical instrument. The ring senses position or movement, e.g. of one or more fingers of the hand. In the examples, the remote control apparatus uses a capacitive measurement technique to measure an electrical field generated in the vicinity of the hand indicative of position. The musician or operator can finely control a device with the system, e.g. to provide nuanced control of audio effects during the performance.

Claims

1. A method, comprising steps of:

generating an electrical field at a location on a body of an operator;

sensing the electrical field at the location, as an indication of relative position of a part of the body of the operator;

wirelessly transmitting a signal representing a result of the sensing of the electrical field;

receiving the wirelessly transmitted signal; and

generating a control signal for output to a controlled device, based on the result of the sensing of the electrical field represented by the received signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of sensing the electrical field comprises repeatedly measuring capacitance at a sensor plate at the location on the body of the operator.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each measuring of capacitance comprises:

transferring charge from the sensor plate; and

measuring the transferred charge as a representation of the capacitance at the sensor plate.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the signal representing the result of the sensing of the electrical field indicates time required to complete each measurement of the transferred charge.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the signal representing the result of the sensing of the electrical field indicates each measurement of the capacitance at the sensor plate.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of generating the electrical field comprises applying a voltage to the sensor plate.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the control signal comprises generating a signal of a standard type to control an audio effects device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the operator is a musician involved in a musical performance;

the location on the body of the operator is a location on a finger of a hand of the musician; and

the sensed electrical field provides an indication of relative position of a portion of the hand.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of generating the control signal comprises generating a signal of a standard type to control an audio effects device processing an audio signal from a musical instrument being played by the musician.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the method steps are performed while the musician is using the hand to play the musical instrument.

11. A wireless remote control system, comprising:

a remote control apparatus configured for wearing on or attachment to a location on a body of an operator, the remote control apparatus comprising;

(a) a sensor plate;

(b) circuitry for applying a signal to the sensor plate to generate an electrical field at the location on the body of the operator, and for sensing the electrical field at the location as an indication of relative position of a part of the body of the operator; and

(c) a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting a signal representing a result of the sensing of the electrical field; and

a base unit, comprising;

(1) a receiver for receiving the wirelessly transmitted signal; and

(2) a processor coupled to the receiver, for generating a control signal, based on the result of the sensing of the electrical field indicated in the received signal.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the circuitry comprises:

a capacitance-to-digital converter for repeatedly sensing charge transferred from the sensor plate, for producing a digital value representing a measurement of capacitance at the sensor plate in response to each transferred charge; and

a controller, for controlling the transmitter in response to the measurements of capacitance.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the signal from the transmitter comprises a signal pulse modulated with a plurality of messages containing data;

the data in one or more of the messages includes at least a tag identifying the remote control apparatus; and

the controller controls durations of intervals between successive message transmissions from the transmitter responsive to the sensing of the electrical field.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller controls the message transmissions from the transmitter in such a manner that the durations between successive message transmissions represent times required to complete respective measurements of capacitance at the sensor plate.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller controls the message transmissions from the transmitter in such a manner that the durations between successive message transmissions represent respective measurements of capacitance at the sensor plate.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the controller is programmable; and

the remote control apparatus includes a coupling for receiving an update of programming for the controller.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the processor is a programmable processor, and

the base unit further comprises;

(a) memory for storing programming for the processor; and

(b) an input interface coupled to the processor, for receiving programming for the processor for loading into the memory.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the remote control apparatus further comprises:

a rechargeable battery providing operating power to the circuitry and the transmitter; and

a coupling, for providing a connection of the battery to a charger.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the remote control apparatus further comprises a housing configured as a ring for wearing on a finger of a hand of the operator; and

the housing contains sensor plate, circuitry and transmitter.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the housing further contains a transmit antenna coupled to the transmitter.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the housing further contains a rechargeable battery providing operating power to the circuitry and the transmitter; and

the housing has a coupling, for providing a connection of the battery to a charger.

22. The system of claim 11, wherein the remote control apparatus further comprises a sensor for detecting a condition and supplying a condition responsive signal to the circuitry.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the sensor comprises a temperature sensor for detecting temperature in relation to a battery of the remote control apparatus or a voltage detector for detecting voltage of the battery.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the sensor comprises a sensor of a type selected from the group consisting of an accelerometer, a photo sensor, a Hall Effect detector, a piezo sensor, and a pressure sensor.

25. The system of claim 11, wherein the base unit further comprises an output interface responsive to the processor, for supplying the control signal to a compatible controlled device.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the output interface is configured for compatibility with and control of an audio effects device.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the output interface comprises at least one interface selected from the group consisting of:

a Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) type output interface;

an expression pedal output interface; and

an emulated footswitch relay.

28. A method of providing wireless remote control, comprising steps of:

during physical manipulation of an object by an operator, but not directly related to the object manipulation, sensing in real-time position or motion of a part of the operator'"'"'s body engaged in the manipulation of the object over a substantially continuous range of possible positions of the part of the operator'"'"'s body;

transmitting a wireless signal from a location on the operator'"'"'s body, the wireless signal carrying information responsive to the real-time sensing of the position or motion of the part of the operator'"'"'s body;

receiving the wireless signal at a location remote from the operator; and

generating a control signal for a controlled device, based on the information carried in the received wireless signal.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the operator is a musician, the object is a musical instrument, and the manipulation involves the musician playing the musical instrument.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein:

the part of the operator'"'"'s body comprises one or more fingers on a hand of the musician;

and

the steps are performed while the musician is using the hand in the playing of the musical instrument.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein:

the step of sensing position or motion comprises;

(a) generating an electrical field at the location on the operator; and

(b) sensing the electrical field at the location as an indication of relative position of the part of the body of the operator, and

the wirelessly transmitted signal carries information representing a result of the sensing of the electrical field.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the step of sensing the electrical field comprises repeatedly measuring capacitance at a sensor plate at the location on the body of the operator.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein each measuring of capacitance comprises:

transferring charge from the sensor plate; and

measuring the transferred charge as a representation of the capacitance at the sensor plate.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the information representing the result of the sensing of the electrical field indicates time required to complete each measurement of the transferred charge.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the information representing the result of the sensing of the electrical field indicates each measurement of the capacitance at the sensor plate.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of generating the electrical field comprises applying a voltage to the sensor plate.

37. A wireless remote control system comprising respective means for implementing each of the steps of the method of claim 28.