Audio signal Input/Output (I/O) system and method for use in guitar equipped with Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface

• US 20080005411A1
• Filed: 04/07/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sims Company
• Original Assignee: Esi Professional
• Inventors: Kim, Min-Soo
• Application Number:
  US11/399,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20080005411A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/62
• 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 3/188 for converting the signal to digital format transmission using a MIDI interface G10H1/0066

Abstract

An audio I/O system and method for a guitar equipped with a USB interface is disclosed. The audio I/O system converts an analog audio signal generated from an electronic guitar into a digital audio signal using a USB guitar module of the electronic guitar, performs signal processing on the digital audio signal according to the USB standard, transmits the signal-processed resultant signal to a Personal Computer (PC), employs a variety of application programs stored in the PC, and outputs the corresponding audio signal via a speaker of the PC. The audio I/O system receives the mixed/edited signal from the PC, performs signal processing on the received signal, outputs the corresponding signal via the headphone or speaker, allows the PC to output pre-stored audio signals of other guitars, plays the electronic guitar, and stores the played signal in the PC in real time.

Claims

1. An audio Input/Output (I/O) system for use in a guitar equipped with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) comprising:

an electronic guitar including;

a USB port to implement a bidirectional USB interface,

a USB guitar module for performing signal processing on a guitar'"'"'s audio signal converted into an electrical signal, transmitting the signal-processed audio signal to the USB port, performing signal processing on the audio signal received from the USB port, and outputting the resultant audio signal to the outside, and

an audio cable port in which an audio cable connector can be inserted; and

a Personal Computer (PC) for receiving the audio signal via the USB guitar module and a USB cable of the electronic guitar, converting the received audio signal according to a prescribed audio signal standard, editing/storing the converted audio signal using a variety of mixing programs and audio edition programs, transmitting pre-stored audio signals of other electronic guitars to the electronic guitar via the USB cable and the USB guitar module, and outputting the resultant audio signal to a speaker and a headphone via the audio cable of the electronic guitar.

2. The audio Input/Output (I/O) system according to claim 1, wherein the electronic guitar includes:

a signal pickup unit for converting variations in a magnetic field signal caused by string vibrations into an electric analog audio signal;

a pickup selection unit for performing a switching operation to output the analog audio signal picked up by the signal pickup unit to a rear end;

an audio cable port for acting as a connection port of the connector of the audio cable suitable for ¼

″

TRS standard;

a relay for switching Input/Output (I/O) paths of an audio signal on the condition that it has been connected to the pickup selection unit, the audio cable port, an amplifier, and L/R amplifiers;

an amplifier which is connected to the relay and an ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter), and amplifies the analog audio signal received from the relay;

an ADC which is connected to the amplifier and a signal processor, and converts the analog signal into a digital signal;

a signal processor which is connected to the ADC and a DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter), receives a digital audio signal from the ADC, converts the received digital audio signal into another audio signal according to the prescribed USB transfer standard, receives the audio signal suitable for the USB transfer standard from the PC, and converts the received audio signal into a digital audio signal;

an interface unit which is connected to the signal processor and the USB port, receives parallel data suitable for the USB transfer standard from the signal processor, stores the received parallel data in a buffer, converts the stored parallel data into serial data, transmits the serial data, converts the serial data received from an external part into parallel data, and transmits the parallel data to the signal processor;

a USB port which is connected to a rear end of the interface unit, and transmits the audio signal received from the interface unit to the PC via the USB cable connector;

a DAC which is connected to the signal processor and the L/R amplifiers, receives two parallel digital audio data via the signal processor, and converts the received parallel digital audio data into stereo analog audio data; and

L/R amplifiers which are connected to the DAC, the relay, and the audio cable port, and amplify the analog audio signal.

3. The audio Input/Output (I/O) system according to claim 1, wherein the Personal Computer (PC) includes:

a USB port which is contained in the PC, is connected to the USB cable connector, receives an audio signal in the PC via the USB cable connector, or transmits an internal signal of the PC to the electronic guitar via the USB cable connector;

an interface unit which is connected to the USB port and a USB controller, and communicates with Operating Systems (OSs) of different hardware architectures;

a USB controller which is connected to the interface unit and a USB audio drive, converts the audio signal received from the USB port into a signal usable in a kernel, and transmits a signal used in the kernel into other signal according to the USB transfer standard;

a USB audio drive which is connected to the USB controller and a data initialize unit, converts the signal usable in the kernel level into an audio signal usable in a user level, or converts the audio signal usable in the user level into the signal usable in the kernel level;

a data initialize unit which is connected to the USB audio drive and an audio signal processor, initializes the audio signal according to an international audio application standard, converts data suitable for the international audio application into an audio signal, and defines the number of audio channels, an execution frequency, and a buffer size; and

an audio signal processor which is connected to the data initialize unit, converts the audio data received from the data initialize unit, tunes musical sound characteristics of the audio data, records/stores the audio data, reproduces the stored audio data, converts the stored audio data, and transmits the resultant audio data to the data initialize unit.

4. An audio Input/Output (I/O) method for use in a guitar equipped with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) comprising the steps of:

ST-100) converting a signal of the electronic guitar into other signal suitable for a USB standard, and transmitting the converted signal to a Personal Computer (PC);

ST-200) converting a guitar'"'"'s audio signal received from the PC into another audio signal usable in an application program;

ST-300) editing, mixing, and storing the audio signal using the application program stored in the PC;

ST-400) transmitting audio data processed by the PC to an electronic guitar; and

ST-500) outputting the audio signal received in the electronic guitar via an external output unit of the electronic guitar.

5. The audio Input/Output (I/O) method according to claim 4, wherein the step (ST-100) includes the steps of:

converting variations in a magnetic field signal caused by string vibration of the guitar into an analog audio signal;

transmitting the analog audio signal into a relay contained in a USB guitar module, and transmitting the resultant audio signal to an amplifier according to a switching operation of the relay;

amplifying, by the amplifier, the analog audio signal received from the relay to an ADC (Analog-to-Digital Converter);

converting, by the ADC, the analog signal received from the amplifier to the digital signal;

converting, by a signal processor, the digital signal received from the ADC into another audio signal according to the USB transfer standard;

receiving parallel data suitable for the USB transfer standard in an interface unit, storing the received parallel data in a buffer, and converting the stored parallel data into serial data; and

receiving the serial data in the USB port, and transmitting the received serial data to the PC via the USB cable connector.

6. The audio Input/Output (I/O) method according to claim 4, wherein the step (ST-200) and the step (ST-300) include the step of:

receiving a signal received from the electronic guitar via a USB port of the PC;

allowing an interface unit to communicate with Operating Systems (OSs) of different hardware architectures, allowing a USB controller to receive the signal suitable for the USB transfer standard from the interface unit, and converting the received signal into a signal usable in a kernel;

allowing a USB audio drive to receive the signal usable in the kernel, and converting the received signal into an audio signal usable in a user level;

initializing, by a data initialize unit, the audio signal according to an international audio application standard; and

converting, by an audio signal processor, the audio data received from the data initialize unit into another audio data, tuning musical sound characteristics of the audio data, recording/storing the audio data, reproducing the stored audio data, and converting the stored audio data.

7. The audio Input/Output (I/O) method according to claim 4, wherein the signal transmitted from an audio signal processor of the PC to a data initialize unit is not equal to an audio signal of a currently-playing electronic guitar, and other pre-stored audio signals of other electronic guitars can be transmitted to the data initialize unit,

wherein the audio signal processor outputs the audio signal stored in the PC to the outside, at the same time receives the played signal of the electronic guitar, and can store the played signal in the PC in real time.