METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR STRINGED CONTROLLERS AND/OR INSTRUMENTS

• US 20090188371A1
• Filed: 01/23/2009
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: First Act Incorporated (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: 745 LLC
• Inventors: Small, Craig, Izen, Mark, Mittelstadt, Wendy Lynn, Chiu, Bernard, Davis, Jack Daniel, Webster, Stephen Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,017,857 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/314.R
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/40 Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/135 Musical aspects of games or videogames; Musical instrument-shaped game input interfaces game background music G10H2210/026; musical game scoring or performance evaluation G10H2210/091

Abstract

Stringed instruments, game controllers, and related structures and methods are described. A game controller having one or more strings is described for a computer gaming application. Output signals may be sent from the controller to the gaming application indicative of fingering of the game controller and the time at which the strings of the game controller are struck. Multi-mode apparatus are also described. A stringed apparatus may be used as both a game controller and an instrument. Bracing structures and methods are also described for bracing stringed apparatus, such as stringed game controllers and instruments.

Claims

1. A method for use with a stringed game controller that comprises a body, a plurality of strings extending along at least a portion of the body, and at least one sensor adapted to detect movement of the strings, the method comprising acts of:

(A) in response to a strike of at least one of the plurality of strings by a user of the game controller that causes vibration of the at least one of the plurality of strings, dampening the vibration to facilitate detection of a subsequent strike of the at least one of the plurality of strings; and

(B) producing at least one game control signal based on the strike of the at least one of the plurality of strings.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein (A) comprises mechanically dampening the vibration.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein (A) comprises electromechanically dampening the vibration.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein dampening the vibration comprises using one or more signal processing techniques to dampen an electrical signal representing the vibration.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein dampening the vibration comprises shortening a duration of an envelope of the electrical signal representing the vibration.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein dampening the vibration comprises reducing an initial amplitude of the vibration by at least 50% in less than one second.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein dampening the vibration comprises reducing the initial amplitude of the vibration by at least 50% in less than 0.5 seconds.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein dampening the vibration comprises reducing the initial amplitude of the vibration by at least 80% in less than 0.5 seconds.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein dampening the vibration comprises reducing the initial amplitude of the vibration by at least 80% in less than 0.1 seconds.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein dampening the vibration comprises reducing the initial amplitude of the vibration by approximately 90% in less than approximately 25 milliseconds.

11. A stringed game controller comprising:

a body;

a plurality of strings extending along at least a portion of the body;

at least one sensor adapted to detect movement of at least one of the plurality of strings that results from a strike of the at least one of the plurality of strings by a user of the game controller that causes vibration of the at least one of the plurality of strings;

a dampener that dampens the vibration of the at least one of the plurality of strings to facilitate detection of a subsequent strike of at least one of the plurality of strings; and

at least one control module that is coupled to the at least one sensor and that provides at least one electrical signal indicating the striking of at least one of the plurality of strings by the user.

12. The stringed game controller of claim 11, wherein the dampener comprises a mechanical dampener.

13. The stringed game controller of claim 11, wherein the dampener comprises an electromechanical dampener.

14. The stringed game controller of claim 11, wherein the dampener comprises a signal processing module configured to receive an electrical signal from the at least one sensor indicative of the vibration.

15. The stringed game controller of claim 14, wherein the signal processing module is configured to shorten a duration of an envelope of the electrical signal indicative of the vibration.

16. The stringed game controller of claim 11, wherein the dampener dampens an amplitude of the vibration by at least 50% in less than one second.

17. The stringed game controller of claim 16, wherein the dampener dampens the amplitude of the vibration by at least 50% in less than 0.5 seconds.

18. The stringed game controller of claim 17, wherein the dampener dampens the amplitude of the vibration by at least 80% in less than 0.5 seconds.

19. The stringed game controller of claim 18, wherein the dampener dampens the amplitude of the vibration by at least 80% in less than 0.1 seconds.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a body comprising a fingerboard;

a plurality of strings suspended between a first contact point and a second contact point and each having at least a portion extending along at least a portion of the fingerboard, wherein the portion of each of the plurality of strings extending between the first and second contact points vibrates when the string is struck while no portion thereof is in contact with the fingerboard, wherein the portion of each of the plurality of strings extending along the at least a portion of the fingerboard is displaceable to bring the string into contact with the fingerboard and thereby adjust a length of the portion of the string that vibrates when the string is struck; and

a brace coupled to the body and configured to resist forces exerted on the body by the plurality of strings and to maintain the first contact point and second contact point in a substantially fixed relationship to each other.

20. The stringed game controller of claim 21, wherein the dampener dampens the amplitude of the vibration by approximately 90% in less than approximately 25 milliseconds.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the apparatus is a guitar, the first contact point is a nut of the guitar, and the second contact point is a bridge of the guitar.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the brace is configured to resist forces up to at least 200 pounds exerted on the body by the plurality of strings and maintain the nut and the bridge in a substantially fixed relationship to each other.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the fixed relationship comprises maintaining a fixed distance between the first and second contact points in a direction along the length of the string.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the fixed relationship comprises preventing relative twisting between the first and second contact points about an axis extending parallel to the length of the string.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the body is incapable of sufficiently resisting the forces exerted on the body by the plurality of strings to maintain the first contact point and second contact point in a substantially fixed relationship to each other absent support from the brace.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the brace is stiffer than any portion of the body.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the body is formed substantially of a first material and the brace is formed substantially of a second material that is different from the first material.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the first material is a plastic.