Versatile electronic sheet music device with improved navigation system and method

• US 20080060507A1
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Helmut Welchering
• Original Assignee: Helmut Welchering
• Inventors: Welchering, Helmut
• Application Number:
  US11/516,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20080060507A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/645
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0016 Means for indicating which keys, frets or strings are to be actuated, e.g. using lights or leds
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/348 Switches actuated by parts of the body other than fingers
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/046 for differentiation between music and non-music signals, based on the identification of musical parameters, e.g. based on tempo detection
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/015 Musical staff, tablature or score displays, e.g. for score reading during a performance. graphical musical score editing G10H2220/121; musical score displays resulting from a transcription G10H2210/086
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/096 using a touch screen touch screen note input, e.g. using a displayed keyboard G10H2220/241; personal digital assistant [PDA] G10H2230/015
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/135 Library retrieval index, i.e. using an indexing scheme to efficiently retrieve a music piece
• 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 2240/305 Internet or TCP/IP protocol use for any electrophonic musical instrument data or musical parameter transmission purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A versatile electronic sheet music device with an improved navigation system, comprising a memory having a storage of all musical scores and of an index of said musical scores. The device comprises a wide angle visibility display. The display is capable of displaying the notes arranged by musical bar and/or by page. A central processing unit receives information from an input device and from a foot actuated input device, touch-screen, and/or a microphone, processes said information and communicates the output information to the display. The foot actuated input device is capable of communicating to the central processing unit an identity of any musical bar and/or any page of the notes of the musical score. The foot actuator comprises at least one pedal that allows selection of any of at least ten characters, an “Enter” input signal and a mode selection. The commands and outputs are processed by software.

Claims

1. A versatile and portable electronic sheet music device with an improved navigation system, comprising:

a memory, the memory having a storage capability for storing all musical scores that a musician needs to perform and for storing an index of said musical scores, the index including a cross-reference to a simple code with a particular composer and a particular musical score by said composer,

a wide angle visibility display that allows effective visibility indoors and outdoors, the display capable of displaying the notes of a musical score, said notes arranged by musical bar and/or by page,

a central processing unit that receives information from an input device and from a foot actuator, touch-screen, and/or a microphone, processes said information and communicates the output information to the display,

the foot actuated input device comprising at least one pedal that allows inputting of any of at least ten characters, an “

Enter”

input signal and a “

Mode”

selection for choosing between a bar mode and a page mode, the foot actuated input device capable of communicating to the central processing unit a received input, the received inputs representing a musical bar and/or any page of the notes of the musical score, and also including a simple code identifying a musical score and its composer, the at least one pedal operable by one or two feet of a person,

software for operating the central processing unit, the display and the memory, and

the display displaying the bar and/or page immediately when the foot actuator communicates said identity to the central processing unit.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein each pedal of the at least one pedal has a character labeled on said pedal.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein each pedal of the at least one pedal can move to a position and wherein the position is associated with a character.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the character that a position is associated with is displayed on a visual screen when said pedal is moved to said position.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the visual screen is located on the display

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the screen is on or adjacent to the foot actuator

7. The device of claim 1, wherein a first pedal of the at least one pedal can move to a position associated with a character and wherein a second pedal of the at least one pedal can move to a position associated with a Mode or Enter function.

8. The device of claim 2, wherein the characters are a collection of ten decimal digits “

0”

through “

9”

.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the series of pedals comprise twelve pedals including ten pedals for each of the ten decimal digits, an “

Enter”

pedal and a “

Mode”

pedal.

10. The device of claim 3, wherein the pedals of the foot actuated input device are arranged on several different levels of height.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the display is a touch screen.

12. The device of claim 1, including a microphone that forms part of a voice recognition system for recognizing musician'"'"'s oral pronunciation of the names of composers, musical pieces, bar numbers and codes identifying a musical piece.

13. The device of claim 1, including an accessory that provides wireless internet access.

14. The device of claim 1, comprising a height-adjustable telescopic stand attached to the display and to the foot actuated input device.

15. A method of navigating through sheet music, comprising:

(a) providing a electronic sheet music device comprising

a memory, the memory capable of storing all musical scores that a musician needs to perform and capable of storing an index of said musical scores, the index including a cross-reference to a simple code with a particular composer and a particular musical score by said composer,

a wide angle visibility display that allows effective visibility indoors and outdoors, the display capable of displaying the notes of a musical score, said notes arranged by musical bar and/or by page,

a central processing unit that receives information from an input device and from a foot actuator, touch-screen, and/or a microphone, processes said information and communicates the output information to the display,

the foot actuated input device comprising at least one pedal that allows inputting of any of at least ten characters, an “

Enter”

input signal and a “

Mode”

selection for choosing between a bar mode and a page mode, the foot actuated input device capable of communicating to the central processing unit a received input, the received inputs representing a musical bar and/or any page of the notes of the musical score, and also including a simple code identifying a musical score and its composer, the at least one pedal operable by one or two feet of a person,

software for operating the central processing unit, the display and the memory, and

the display displaying the bar and/or page immediately when the foot actuator communicates said identity to the central processing unit,

(b) loading a database of musical scores,

(c) navigating through the musical score using only the foot actuated input device by inputting a musical bar number and/or a musical page number.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each pedal of the at least one pedal has a character labeled on said pedal.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein each pedal of the at least one pedal can move to a position and wherein the position is associated with a character.

18. A method of navigating through sheet music, comprising:

(a) providing an electronic sheet music device comprising

a memory, the memory having a storage of all musical scores that a musician needs to perform and a storage of an index of said musical scores, the index including a cross-reference to a simple code with a particular composer and a particular musical score by said composer,

a wide angle visibility display that allows effective visibility indoors and outdoors, the display capable of displaying the notes of a musical score, said notes arranged by musical bar and/or by page,

a central processing unit that receives information from an input device and from a foot actuator, touch-screen, and/or a microphone, processes said information and communicates the output information to the display,

the foot actuated input device comprising at least one pedal that allows inputting of any of at least ten characters, an “

Enter”

input signal and a “

Mode”

selection for choosing between a bar mode and a page mode, the foot actuated input device capable of communicating to the central processing unit a received input, the received inputs representing a musical bar and/or any page of the notes of the musical score, and also including a simple code identifying a musical score and its composer, the at least one pedal operable by one or two feet of a person,

software for operating the central processing unit, the display and the memory, and

the display displaying the bar and/or page immediately when the foot actuator communicates said identity to the central processing unit,

(b) navigating through the musical score using only the foot actuated input device by inputting a musical bar number and/or a musical page number.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein each pedal of the at least one pedal has a character labeled on said pedal.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein each pedal of the at least one pedal can move to a position and wherein the position is associated with a character.