MUSICAL INSTRUMENT WITH ONE SIDED THIN FILM CAPACITIVE TOUCH SENSORS

• US 20140060290A1
• Filed: 11/04/2013
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pure Imagination LLC
• Original Assignee: Pure Imagination LLC
• Inventors: Wallace, Michael, Odom, Philip T.
• Application Number:
  US14/071,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20140060290A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/733
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0551 using variable capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/32 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/342 for guitar-like instruments with or without strings and with a neck on which switches or string-fret contacts are used to detect the notes being played electric guitars in which the tones are generated by the vibration of strings G10H3/18
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/161 with 2D or x/y surface coordinates sensing graphical user interface or touchscreen input G10H2220/091; microtonal keyboard G10H2210/401
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/135 Spint guitar, i.e. guitar-like instruments in which the sound is not generated by vibrating strings, e.g. guitar-shaped game interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/00 Instruments in which the tones are generated by electromechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/10 using capacitive pick-up means

Abstract

Touch-sensitive musical instruments with one or more strum sensors and one or more fret sensors, wherein each of the one or more strum sensors and the one or more fret sensors includes a capacitive touch sensor. The touch sensitive musical instrument has an audio module configured to generate an audio signal in response to triggering of the one or more strum sensors, the one or more fret sensors, or a combination thereof.

Claims

1. A touch sensitive musical instrument comprising:

one or more strum sensors; and

one or more fret sensors; and

wherein each of the one or more strum sensors and the one or more fret sensors includes a capacitive touch sensor.

2. The touch sensitive musical instrument of claim 1, the capacitive touch sensor further comprising:

a sensor layer; and

a shield layer adjacent the sensor layer to form a shielded side of the sensor layer.

3. The touch sensitive musical instrument of claim 2, the shield layer to substantially prevent triggering the capacitive touch sensor from the shielded side of the sensor layer.

4. The touch sensitive musical instrument of claim 3, the shield layer further comprising one of:

an air gap layer, a separating material layer, a conductive ground plane layer, or a combination thereof.

5. The touch sensitive musical instrument of claim 2 further comprising a printed art layer adjacent the sensor layer and opposite the shielded side of the sensor layer, the printed art layer including printed art representing a guitar design.

6. The touch sensitive musical instrument of claim 5 wherein the printed art layer and the sensor layer are integrally formed on a shared substrate.

7. The touch sensitive musical instrument of claim 1 further comprising an audio module configured to generate an audio signal in response to triggering of one of:

the one or more strum sensors, the one or more fret sensors, or a combination thereof.

8. The touch sensitive musical instrument of claim 7 wherein the one or more strum sensors are configured to detect an up strum and a down strum.

9. The touch sensitive musical instrument of claim 8, wherein the audio module is configured to generate a first audio signal in response to the one or more strum sensors detecting the up strum and to generate a second audio signal in response to the one or more strum sensors detecting the down strum.

10. The touch sensitive musical instrument of claim 9 further comprising:

one or more control sensors wherein each of the one or more control sensors includes a capacitive touch sensor, the one or more control sensors to control at least a guitar volume, a guitar mode, a guitar audio output, or a combination thereof.

11. The touch sensitive musical instrument of claim 10, the one or more control sensors configured to cooperate with the one or more fret sensors to control one of:

the guitar volume, the guitar mode, the guitar audio output, or the combination thereof.

12. The touch sensitive musical instrument of claim 11, the guitar mode further comprising one of:

a freestyle mode, a rhythm mode, a perfect play mode, or a combination thereof.

13. The touch sensitive musical instrument of claim 4 further comprising:

one or more high neck sensors wherein each of the one or more high neck sensors includes a capacitive touch sensor.

14. The touch sensitive musical instrument of claim 4 further comprising:

one or more palm mute sensors wherein each of the one or more palm mute sensors includes a capacitive touch sensor.

15. The touch sensitive musical instrument of claim 9 further comprising:

a printed circuit board bus connection to couple at least the one or more strum sensors and the one or more fret sensors to the audio module.